Polybius · The Histories §8.3a.1

Difficulty of Keeping Silence and Human Nature

Passage 560 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

An observation on human nature that most people are least able to endure silence, which ought to be the lightest of things.

§8.3a.1οὕτως οἱ πλείους τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ κουφότατον ἥκιστα φέρειν δύνανται, λέγω δὲ τὴν σιωπήν. [ξοδ. υρβ. φολ. 102 μεδ. μαργο; ϝ. λιϝ. χχιϝ, 24, 2. ]

Thus most men are least able to bear the lightest thing—I mean silence. [ξοδ. υρβ. φολ. 102 μεδ. μαργο; ϝ. λιϝ. χχιϝ, 24, 2.]

8.3a.1τὸ κουφότατον — The neuter singular superlative adjective used substantively, meaning 'the lightest thing'. It is concretized by the subsequent clause `λέγω δὲ τὴν σιωπήν` ('I mean silence'), creating a paradoxical observation that people find silence—which requires no active effort—the hardest burden to bear.
8.3a.1λέγω δέ — A parenthetical idiom meaning 'I mean...' or 'that is to say...', used to specify or explain the exact reference of a preceding phrase (here, `τὸ κουφότατον`) using the subsequent accusative noun (`τὴν σιωπήν`).

Polybius, The Histories §8.3a.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.3a.1

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