Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §77.1

Errors Committed from Desire and from Anger

Passage 79 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus argues that transgressions committed out of desire and pleasure are more licentious, effeminate, and therefore heavier than those committed out of anger.

§77.1Fr. 77 Φιλόσοφος ὁ Θ. ἐν τῇ συγκρίσει τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὡς ἄν τις κοινότερον τὰ τοιαῦτα συγκρίνειέ φησι βαρυτέρα εἶναι τὰ κατʼ ἐπιθυμίαν πλημμελούμενα τῶν κατὰ θυμόν·
Fr. 77 The philosopher Theophrastus, in his comparison of transgressions—as one might compare such things in a more common way—says that offenses committed out of desire are heavier than those committed out of anger.
ὁ γὰρ θυμούμενος μετά τινος λύπης καὶ λεληθυίας συστολῆς φαίνεται τὸν λόγον ἀποστρεφόμενος, ὁ δὲ κατʼ ἐπιθυμίαν ἁμαρτάνων ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς ἡττώμενος ἀκολαστότερός πως φαίνεται καὶ θηλύτερος ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις.
For the one who is angry seems to turn away from reason with a certain pain and inward contraction, while the one who sins out of desire, being overcome by pleasure, appears somehow more licentious and more effeminate in his sins.

Notes

  1. §77.1ὡς ἄν τις κοινότερον τὰ τοιαῦτα συγκρίνειέ — The conjunction ὡς is followed by the particle ἄν and the third-person singular optative συγκρίνειε (potential optative). It expresses a conditional assumption: 'as one might compare such things in a more common way' (i.e., from an everyday moral perspective rather than with philosophical rigour). The comparative adverb κοινότερον indicates that this comparison aligns with common human sentiment.
  2. §77.1βαρυτέρα εἶναι τὰ κατʼ ἐπιθυμίαν πλημμελούμενα τῶν κατὰ θυμόν — This is an accusative-with-infinitival construction functioning as the object of φησι. The subject is the substantivized neuter plural participle τὰ κατʼ ἐπιθυμίαν πλημμελούμενα (things sinned out of desire), and the predicate is βαρυτέρα εἶναι (are heavier). The phrase τῶν κατὰ θυμόν (those out of anger) is a genitive of comparison dependent on the comparative βαρυτέρα, with the neuter plural noun/participle being omitted by ellipsis.
  3. §77.1φαίνεται τὸν λόγον ἀποστρεφόμενος — The verb φαίνεται (he appears/seems) is constructed with a participle (the present participle ἀποστρεφόμενος) rather than an infinitive. This construction indicates the subject's actual state or an action clearly manifested externally: 'he is visibly turning away from reason' or 'he appears to turn away from reason.'

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §77.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:77.1

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