Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §70.1

Distinction Between Precept and Topic as Principles

Passage 69 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Explains Theophrastus's distinction between a precept and a topic, showing that a precept is the principle of a topic, just as a topic is the principle of an epicheireme.

§70.1Fr. 70 Δεῖ μὴ ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι Θ. διαφέρειν λέγει παράγγελμα καὶ τόπον·
Fr. 70 One must not fail to know that Theophrastus says that a precept and a topic differ.
παράγγελμα μὲν γάρ ἐστι τὸ κοινότερον καὶ καθολικώτερον ἁπλούστερον λεγόμενον, ἀφʼ οὗ ὁ τόπος εὑρίσκεται· ἀρχὴ γὰρ τόπου τὸ παράγγελμα, ὥσπερ ὁ τόπος ἐπιχειρήματος.
For a precept is that which is more common and more universal, stated more simply, from which the topic is found; for the precept is the principle of the topic, just as the topic is of the epicheireme.

Notes

  1. §70.1διαφέρειν λέγει παράγγελμα καὶ τόπον — An accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction depends on the verb λέγει, where παράγγελμα καὶ τόπον is the subject accusative and διαφέρειν is the infinitive, meaning 'that [Theophrastus] says that a precept and a topic differ.'
  2. §70.1ὥσπερ ὁ τόπος ἐπιχειρήματος — Corresponding to the contrast in the preceding clause ἀρχὴ ... τόπου τὸ παράγγελμα (the precept is the principle of the topic), the noun ἀρχή is omitted in the ὥσπερ clause. It should be understood as 'just as the topic [is the principle] of the epicheireme.' The genitive ἐπιχειρήματος depends on the omitted ἀρχή.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §70.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:70.1

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