§511τοῦ δὲ τοσαύτη μὲν λέξεως μοχθηρία, τοσαύτη δὲ μελῶν ἀσέλγεια, ἔτι δὲ σχημάτων αἰσχύνη, κωμῳδία δʼ οὐδεμία ἐφίκοιτʼ ἂν τῶν τούτοις προσόντων κακῶν, τίς τρόπος ἡδονῆς;
But since there is such baseness of speech, such licentiousness of song, and furthermore such shamefulness of gestures in this (while no comedy could reach the evils belonging to these things), what kind of pleasure is there?
καὶ πότερον ὡς καλὰ ταῦτα ἀνέξεσθε;
And will you tolerate these things as beautiful?
καὶ τί τούτων αἴσχιον;
And what is more shameful than these?
ἀλλʼ ὡς συμφέροντα ἀκούειν ἢ θεωρεῖν;
Or as beneficial to hear or behold?
καὶ μὴν διαφθορᾶς γέ ἐστι συνθήματα·
Indeed, they are the tokens of corruption.
ὅταν γὰρ εἰς συνήθειαν καταστῇ τοῦ κακῶς ἀκούειν ἀνὴρ ἢ γυνὴ καὶ τὰ χείριστα φέρειν τῶν ὀνειδῶν, εὐχερῶς ἀνίησιν ἡ γνώμη καὶ διδάσκεται πᾶς τις φαῦλος εἶναι, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρόσθεν ἦν, ἄλλως τε τούτων ὧν οὐδὲν πρὸς τὸν Διόνυσόν ἐστιν.
For when a man or a woman becomes accustomed to being spoken ill of and bearing the worst of reproaches, the mind easily relaxes and everyone is taught to be base, even if they were not so before, especially in these matters which have nothing to do with Dionysus.
ἀλλʼ ἔμοιγε καὶ τὸ τῆς παροιμίας εἰς τὰς τοιαύτας ἀβελτηρίας οὐχ ἥκιστα ἔχειν δοκεῖ.
But to me, at least, the saying of the proverb seems to apply not least to such follies.
εἶεν· ἀλλʼ εἰς δόξης λόγον θαυμαστὰ, ὅταν ἐν τοῖς βαλανείοις, ὅταν ἐν τοῖς στενωποῖς, ὅταν κατʼ ἀγορὰν, ὅταν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις γύναια, παιδάρια, πᾶς τις ἐφεξῆς τοιαῦτα ἐπιμελῳδῇ;
Well then; but with regard to reputation, is it wonderful when in the baths, in the alleys, in the market, in the houses, women, young children, and everyone in succession sing such tunes?
καὶ πότερον τοὺς πολίτας μόνον ἐξέσται κωμῳδεῖν;
And will it be permitted to caricature only the citizens in comedy?
οὐκοῦν δεινὸν εἰ τῶν μὲν ξένων εἴσεσθε φείδεσθαι, ὑμῶν δʼ αὐτῶν οὐ τολμήσετε, ἀλλʼ οὕτως ἀνόμοιοι τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ἔσεσθε ὥστʼ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἅπαντα ἀπόρρητα ἐποιήσαντο τὰ ἑαυτῶν, ὑμεῖς δὲ καὶ τὰ μηδὲν προσήκοντα λέγειν καθʼ ὑμῶν τοῖς βουλομένοις δώσετε.
Is it not then terrible if you know how to spare foreigners, but will not venture to spare yourselves, but will be so unlike the Lacedaemonians that, while they made all their own affairs secret, you will give even those things which are not at all fitting to speak against yourselves to anyone who wishes?
ἀλλὰ νὴ Δία καὶ τῶν ξένων ἐπιληψόμεθα;
But, by Zeus, shall we also lay hold of foreigners?
πολλὴν ἄρα τὴν εὐποιίαν παρὰ πάντων καὶ τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν ἕξομεν·
We shall indeed have much goodwill from everyone and much intercourse!
ἦ που ῥᾳδίως μὲν οἱ πατέρες τοὺς υἱεῖς, ῥᾳδίως δὲ ἀδελφοὶ πρεσβύτεροι νεωτέρους κομιοῦσι δεῦρʼ ἐπὶ παιδείαν, παρʼ οἷς τοιαῦτʼ ἐστὶ τὰ ᾀδόμενα.
Surely fathers will easily bring their sons, and elder brothers their younger ones, here for education, among people where such are the things that are sung?
οὐ παύσεσθε στηλιτεύοντες ὑμᾶς αὐτούς;
Will you not stop pillorying yourselves?
νὴ Δίʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀστεῖον τὸ τοῦ σκώμματος.
By Zeus, but the jest is witty!
οὐκοῦν τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον οὐ πολλῶν, εἴπερ γε μὴ πολλοὺς τοὺς ἀστείους εἶναι δεῖ δοκεῖν.
Is it not then so much the more not for many, if indeed we must not think that the witty are many?
ἡδέως δʼ ἂν ἐροίμην τοὺς χαίροντας τῷ λοιδορεῖν πότερον παίζουσιν ἢ σπουδάζουσιν.
But I would gladly ask those who rejoice in abusing whether they are playing or are in earnest.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ παίζουσι, τί προσποιοῦνται νουθετεῖν;
For if they are playing, why do they pretend to admonish?
εἰ δὲ σπουδάζουσιν, αὖθις αὖ πυθέσθαι καλὸν αὐτῶν πότερόν ποτʼ ἀληθῆ ταῦτα λοιδοροῦσιν ἢ ψευδῆ.
But if they are in earnest, it is well to ask them in turn whether they abuse these things truly or falsely.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθῆ, τί μαθόντες οὐ χρῶνται τοῖς νόμοις;
For if they are true, what possesses them that they do not use the laws?
ἀλλʼ οὗ μὲν δεῖ λέγειν σιωπῶσιν, οὗ δὲ δεῖ σιωπᾶν λέγουσιν.
Instead, where they ought to speak, they keep silence, and where they ought to keep silence, they speak.
ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γε καταψεύδονται, ἀγαπᾶν εἰκὸς ἦν μὴ πάσχοντας κακῶς, οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖν, εἰ μὴ λέγειν §512κακῶς αὐτοῖς ἐξέσται.
But if indeed they tell lies, it was reasonable for them to be content since they themselves do not suffer ill, and not to be indignant if they are not permitted to speak ill of others.
οἶμαι τοίνυν ἐγὼ πᾶσι μὲν ταῦτα συμβουλεύων ὀρθῶς ἂν ποιεῖν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δʼ ὑμῖν.
I think, therefore, that in advising these things to all I would be doing right, and not least to you.
ὅσῳ γὰρ παιδείᾳ καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ προέχειν δοκεῖτε, τοσῷδε αἴσχιον ἃ μὴ χρὴ φαίνεσθαι διώκοντας.
For by how much you seem to excel in education and humanity, by so much is it more shameful to appear to pursue what is not fitting.