Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §84.1

Civilization, Material Comfort, and the Pleasant Life

Passage 86 of 196 · Greek

Summary

The author explains why people generally call the lives of Smindyrides or modern individuals "pleasant" rather than the simple lives of Aristides, Agesilaus, or the ancient demigods, attributing this to the advancement of technology and social refinement.

§84.1Fr. 84 Οὐδεὶς δὲ λέγει τὸν Ἀριστείδου βίον ἡδὺν ἀλλὰ τὸν Σμινδυρίδου τοῦ Συβαρίτου καὶ τὸν Σαρδαναπάλου, καίτοι κατά γε τὴν δόξαν, φησὶν ἐν τῷ περὶ Ἡδονῆς Θ., οὐχ ὁμοίως λαμπρός ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐτρύφησεν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι.
No one calls the life of Aristides pleasant, but rather that of Smindyrides the Sybarite and that of Sardanapalus, although in reputation, says Theophrastus in *On Pleasure*, it is not equally illustrious, yet he did not live in luxury as they did.
Οὐδὲ τὸν Ἀγησιλάου τοῦ Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλέως, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εἰ ἔτυχεν τὸν Ἀνάνιος οὕτως ἀοράτου κατὰ δόξαν ὄντος.
Nor do they call that of Agesilaus, the king of the Lacedaemonians, pleasant, but rather, if it so happens, that of Ananius, who is so invisible in reputation.
Οὐδὲ τὸν τῶν ἡμιθέων τῶν ἐπὶ Τροίας, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν νῦν· καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰκότως.
Nor that of the demigods at Troy, but much rather that of the people of today; and this is reasonable.
Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀκατάσκευος καὶ ὥσπερ ἀνάρτυτος ἦν οὔτʼ ἐπιμιξίας οὔσης οὔτε τῶν τεχνῶν διηκριβωμένων· ὁ δὲ πᾶσιν ἐξηρτυμένος πρὸς ῥᾳστώνην καὶ πρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας διαγωγάς.
For the former life was unprovided and, as it were, unprepared, since there was neither intercourse with others nor were the arts fully developed; but the latter is equipped with everything for ease, enjoyment, and other pastimes.

Notes

  1. 84.1οὐχ ὁμοίως λαμπρός ἐστιν — The subject of this clause is the "life of Aristides" mentioned previously, contrasting it with the luxurious lives (τρυφή) of Smindyrides and Sardanapalus. "Not equally illustrious" (οὐχ ὁμοίως λαμπρός) indicates that Aristides' simple life was not as outwardly dazzling in terms of worldly reputation (δόξα) compared to theirs, though he did not indulge in luxury.
  2. 84.1εἰ ἔτυχεν — Though taking the form of a conditional clause, here it functions as a parenthetical idiom meaning "if it so happens" or "for instance," introducing the abruptly mentioned example of Ananius.
  3. 84.1Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ... ὁ δὲ — The noun βίος (life) is omitted, referring respectively to the "former way of life" of the ancient demigods and the "modern way of life."

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §84.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:84.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.