Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §86b.1

Desiring Noble Things and Indulging in Vulgar Pleasures

Passage 89 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Citing Theophrastus, the text argues that desiring a noble thing (ambrosia) after tasting it is not blameworthy, whereas being violently overcome by vulgar pleasures like the multitude is indeed worthy of blame.

§86b.1Fr. 86b Οὐ γὰρ, εἴ τις, ὡς Θ. λέγει, γευσάμενος τῆς ἀμροαεα βροσίας ἐπιθυμεῖ αὐτῆς, μέμφεσθαι ἄξιον, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις σφοδρῶς ἡττᾶται τῶν ἡδονῶν ὡς οἱ πολλοί.
For if someone, as Theophrastus says, having tasted of ambrosia, desires it, it is not worthy of blame, but rather if someone is violently overcome by pleasures like the multitude.

Notes

  1. §86b.1Οὐ γὰρ ... μέμφεσθαι ἄξιον, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις ... — In the second clause after ἀλλʼ, the predicate μέμφεσθαι ἄξιόν ἐστι is omitted, completing the contrast: "it is not worthy of blame if A, but [it is worthy of blame] if B."
  2. §86b.1τῆς ἀμροαεα βροσίας — This is likely a corrupt reading in the manuscript, probably a corruption of τῆς ἀμβροσίας (ambrosia, the food of the gods). It functions as the genitive object of the participle γευσάμενος.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §86b.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:86b.1

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