§509πληρώματα καὶ συλλήβδην ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τὴν ἀξίαν τοῖς βουλομένοις μεταχειρίζεσθαι δώσομεν·
complements, and, in a word, its very worth, shall we give over to those who wish to handle them?
καὶ ὧν νηφόντων κατεγνώκαμεν, τούτοις μεθύουσι πιστεύσομεν;
And shall we trust those when they are drunk whom we condemned when they were sober?
καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ὁ καιρὸς παιδευόντων, ἀλλὰ παιζόντων εἰ μὲν βούλεσθε ὁ τῶν Διονυσίων, εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε, ὁ τῶν σάμων τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ τῶν παννυχίδων.
Moreover, the season itself is not one for those who educate, but for those who play—if you will, that of the Dionysia, or if you will, that of the sacred Samoi and the all-night festivals.
ὥστε πῶς εἰκὸς ἐν ᾧ τῶν ὄντων διδασκάλων τοὺς παῖδας ἀφίεμεν, ἐν τούτῳ τοὺς μηδὲν προσήκοντας καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοὺς εἰσποιοῦντας ἐφιστάναι, καὶ μηδὲ παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τόπου δύνασθαι μαθεῖν ὅτι ἄλογος ἡ προσποίησις.
So how is it reasonable, at the very time when we release our children from their actual teachers, to set over them those who have no business with them and who intrude themselves, and not even to be able to learn from the place itself that this pretension is irrational?
δεῖ γὰρ τόν γε διδάσκαλον οὐκ εἰς τὰ θέατρα βαδίζειν κἀκεῖ νουθετεῖν· ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ ταῖς ἡδοναῖς καὶ ταῖς ψυχαγωγίαις ἀνάκειται·
For the teacher, at least, ought not to go to the theaters and admonish there; for these are dedicated to pleasures and entertainment.
ἀλλʼ εἰσὶ τόποι δήπουθεν ἐπώνυμοι τοῦ προσρήματος, οὗ δεῖ φιλοσοφεῖν, καὶ οὐδʼ ἐν τούτοις τοῦτον, οἶμαι, τὸν τρόπον χλευάζοντα καὶ κακῶς ἀνέδην ἀγορεύοντα, ἀλλʼ ὡς χρὴ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους παιδεύοντα καὶ προδιδάσκοντα πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην φυλάττεσθαι.
But there are surely places named after their very designation, where one ought to pursue wisdom, and not even in these, I think, in this manner mocking and speaking ill without restraint, but educating as is fitting for free men and teaching beforehand, among other things, to guard against indecency.
καὶ μὴν εἰ μὲν τοὺς ἀσελγαίνοντας κωμῳδοῦντες τῶν ἄλλων ἀπείχοντο, τάχʼ ἄν τις λόγος ἦν· νῦν δὲ ἄρχεται μὲν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς εὐπροσώπου, τελευτᾷ δὲ εἰς καλὸν οὐδαμῶς.
And indeed, if they had abstained from others while caricaturing the licentious in comedy, there might perhaps have been some reason in it; but as it is, the matter begins with a fair face, but ends by no means in a good result.
πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν προσῆκον αὐτοῖς ἀκούουσι κακῶς, εἰσὶ δʼ οἳ καὶ μηδένα λανθάνοντες ὅμως τὴν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ λοιδορίαν διαφεύγουσι.
For many are spoken ill of in a way that does not apply to them at all, while there are some who, though escaping no one's notice, nevertheless escape the public abuse.
διὰ τί;
Why?
ὅτι οὐ διδασκάλων οὐδὲ σωφρονιστῶν οὐδὲ βελτίους ποιεῖν βουλομένων τρόποις χρῶνται, αὑτοὺς γὰρ ἂν πρότερον ἐποίησαν βελτίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἔχθραν καὶ πρὸς χάριν τὴν ἑτέρων, τὸν μὲν ἀργύριον αἰτήσαντες οὐ τυχόντες, τοῦ δʼ ἐρασθέντες οὐ πείσαντες, οὕτω ψέγουσι, καὶ πάλιν αὖ σιωπῶσι διὰ θάτερα, ὥστε οὐ τοὺς αἰσχρῶς ζῶντας φανεροὺς καθιστᾶσι.
Because they do not employ the methods of teachers or correctors or those who wish to make people better—for they would have made themselves better first—but they censure in this way out of enmity or to curry favor with others, because they asked money of one and did not get it, or fell in love with another and did not persuade him, and then again they keep silence for the opposite reasons, so that they do not make those who live shamefully manifest.
σκέψασθε δʼ οὑτωσὶ, τίνας μάλιστʼ εἰκὸς ἐξωνεῖσθαι τὰς κακηγορίας;
Consider it in this way: who are most likely to buy off the abuse?
ἆρʼ οὐ τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα συνειδότας ἑαυτοῖς φαίητʼ ἄν;
Would you not say those who are conscious of such things in themselves?
τίνας δʼ ὡς ἥκιστα τούτων φροντίζειν;
And who are least concerned about it?
ἆρʼ οὐχ οἵτινες αὑτοῖς καὶ τοῖς βεβιωμένοις θαρροῦσι;
Is it not those who have confidence in themselves and in the way they have lived?
δῆλόν που.
It is surely clear.
οὐκοῦν τἀναντία τῆς ὑποσχέσεως γίγνεται, οἱ μὲν ἀσελγεῖς καὶ αἰσχροὶ ἀθῶοι τῷ λόγῳ, κωμῳδοῦνται δʼ οὓς ἥκιστα δεῖ.
Therefore, the opposite of the promise happens: the licentious and shameful are unpunished in the speech, while those who least deserve it are caricatured in comedy.
φέρε δὴ §510θῶμεν ἀμφοτέρους ἀναμὶξ ἀκούειν κακῶς, —οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνό γʼ ἂν σὺ φαίης, ὡς οὐδεὶς μή ποτʼ ἀκούσῃ κακῶς ἐπιεικὴς ὢν τοὺς τρόπους—οὐκοῦν οἱ μὲν δόξης ἠμεληκότες καὶ διεφθαρμένοι καθάπαξ ὑπὸ τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν δή που ζημιοῦνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ κέρδος ἂν θεῖντο ἀγαλλόμενοι τῷ φανεροὶ πᾶσι γίγνεσθαι, οἱ δὲ παρʼ ἀξίαν ἀγωνιζόμενοι πῶς οὐ πολὺ τῶν ἄθλων ἃ τῆς σωφροσύνης εἶναι χρὴ διαμαρτάνουσιν;
Come now, let us assume that both, mixed together, are spoken ill of—for you would not say that no one who is respectable in his character will ever be spoken ill of—then those who care nothing for reputation and have been utterly corrupted by shameful desires are surely not harmed at all, but would even count it a gain, rejoicing in being made manifest to all; while those who struggle undeservedly, how do they not miss by far the prizes which ought to belong to self-control?
ὥστʼ οὐχ ἵνα βελτίους ὑμῖν ὦσιν οἱ νέοι, διὰ τοῦτο κωμῳδητέον, ἀλλʼ εἰ μηδενὸς ἄλλου χάριν, τούτου γε παυστέον τοῦ κωμῳδεῖν. ἵνʼ ἐξῇ τοῖς νέοις ἀσκεῖν ἀδεῶς τὰ βελτίω.
So it is not in order that your youth may be better that they must be caricatured in comedy, but if for no other reason, at least for this we must stop this caricaturing, so that it may be permitted to the youth to practice better things without fear.
τοὺς μὲν γὰρ δὴ φαύλους ἔνι δή που καὶ ἄλλως ἀμύνασθαι, τοὺς δʼ ἐπιεικεῖς ὅταν τοιαῦθʼ ὑβρίζωμεν, τίνʼ ἐροῦμεν λόγον;
For as for the bad, it is surely possible to defend ourselves against them in other ways; but when we insult the respectable in this manner, what defense shall we offer?
οἷς γὰρ μηδὲ λόγον δίκης προσήκει λαγχάνειν, πῶς ἀνυπευθύνως γε ἀτιμοῦν τῷ βουλομένῳ δεδόσθαι προσήκει;
For how is it fitting that to those who do not even deserve to obtain a hearing in court, the license to dishonor with impunity anyone who wishes should be granted?
εἰ τοίνυν κἀκεῖνό τις ὑμῶν ὑπείληφεν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἐπιεικῶν πολλοῖς αἱρετώτερον εἶναι δόξει ἀργύριον τοῦ μὴ κακῶς ἀκούειν προΐεσθαι, καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὅσῳπερ ἂν αἰσχυντηλότεροι τοὺς τρόπους ὦσι, πῶς οὐ πανταχόθεν δῆλον ὡς δυσχερὲς ἡ κωμῳδία καὶ βέλτιον εἰσάπαξ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν κωλυθῆναι;
If, therefore, any of you supposes that even for many of the respectable it will seem preferable to part with money rather than be spoken ill of—and so much the more, the more sensitive they are in their character—how is it not clear from every side that comedy is a troublesome thing and that it is better for it to be banned by you once and for all?
εἴ γε οἱ μὲν χρηστοὶ δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ οὐ δόντες ἀκούσονται κακῶς, ἢ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι κακῶς ζημιώσονται, χρήμασι τὰς βλασφημίας ὠνούμενοι· εἰ δὲ μηδὲν φροντίζουσιν ἀκούοντες κακῶς, τί ἔσθʼ ὃ πείσονται;
Since the good must suffer one of two things: either, not paying, they will be spoken ill of, or they will be penalized in order not to be spoken ill of, buying off the slanders with money; but if they care nothing when they are spoken ill of, what is it that they will suffer?
ὅλως δʼ οὐκ ἔνεστι μὴ τῆς τῶν ἰδιωτῶν δόξης ἀπολαύειν κοινῇ τὴν πόλιν. ὁποῖοι γὰρ ἄν τινες ὦσιν οἱ κωμῳδούμενοι, τοιοῦτοι πολλάκις οἱ σύμπαντες ἔδοξαν εἶναι.
And on the whole, it is impossible for the city not to share in the reputation of its individual citizens; for of whatever sort those who are caricatured in comedy may be, of such a sort the whole body of citizens has often been thought to be.
σκέψασθε δὲ καὶ εἰς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἀνενεγκόντες, οὓς αἱ μὲν ἄλλαι συγγραφαὶ κοσμοῦσι σχεδὸν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἅπασαι, μόνη δὲ ἡ κωμῳδία διέσυρε καὶ παρέσχε τοῖς βουλομένοις βλασφημεῖν ἔτι νυνὶ λαβάς· ἔδοξαν γὰρ αὐτοὶ παρʼ αὑτῶν ἐξελέγχεσθαι.
And consider it by referring to your ancestors the Athenians, whom almost all other writings adorn, so to speak, while comedy alone has slandered them and has provided, even down to the present day, handles for those who wish to speak ill; for they seemed to be convicted by their own testimony.
καὶ ὅσον μὲν, ὦ γῆ καὶ θεοὶ, τὸ μέσον τῆς τε νῦν κιβδηλίας καὶ ὁπόση τις ἔν γε ταῖς καλουμέναις παραβάσεσι νουθεσία καὶ παίδευσις ἐνῆν ἐῶ λέγειν.
And how great, O earth and gods, is the distance between the present worthlessness and the amount of admonition and education that was in what are called the parabases, I let pass.
ἀλλʼ οὖν τό γε τῆς παροιμίας ἐξ ἀξίου τοῦ ξύλου καὶ πάσχειν ὑπῆρχεν, εἴ τῳ συμβαίνοι·
Yet at any rate, according to the proverb, it was 'from a worthy tree' that the suffering came, if it happened to anyone.