§12.10.1superest ut dicam de genere orationis.
It remains for me to speak of the genre of oratory.
hic erat propositus a nobis in division prima locus tertius; nam ita promiseram me de arte, de artifice, de opere dicturum.
This was the third topic proposed by us in the first division; for I had promised in this way that I would speak of the art, of the artist, and of the work.
cum sit autem rhetorices atque oratoris opus oratio pluresque eius formae, sicut ostendam, in omnibus his et ars est et artifex.
But since oratory is the work of rhetoric and of the orator, and its forms are many, as I shall show, in all of these there is both art and artist.
plurimum tamen invicem differunt; nec solum specie, ut signum signo et tabula tabulae et actio actioni, sed genere ipso, ut Graecis Tuscanicae statuae, ut Asianus eloquens Attico.
Yet they differ very much from one another; and not only in species, as statue from statue, picture from picture, and pleading from pleading, but in genre itself, as Tuscan statues from Greek, or the Asian speaker from the Attic.
§12.10.2suos autem haec operum genera, quae dico, ut auctores, sic etiam amatores habent; atque ideo nondum est perfectus orator ac nescio an ars ulla, non solum quia aliud in alio magis eminet, sed quod non una omnibus forma placuit, partim condicione vel temporum vel locorum, partim iudicio cuiusque atque proposito.
But these genres of works of which I speak have, just as their own authors, so also their own admirers; and for this reason there is not yet a perfect orator, and I know not whether there is any perfect art, not only because one quality stands out more in one person and another in another, but because not one and the same form has pleased everyone, partly owing to the circumstances of times or places, and partly to the judgment and purpose of each individual.
§12.10.3primi, quorum quidem opera non vetustatis modo gratia visenda sunt, clari pictores fuisse dicuntur Polygnotus atque Aglaophon, quorum simplex color tam sui studiosos adhuc habet, ut illa prope rudia ac velut futurae mox artis primordia maximis, qui post eos exstiterunt, auctoribus praeferant, proprio quodam intelligendi, ut mea opinio est, ambitu.
The first famous painters, whose works indeed are to be looked at not merely for the sake of antiquity, are said to have been Polygnotus and Aglaophon, whose simple coloring still has such devoted admirers that they prefer those almost rude works, which are as it were the first beginnings of the art that was soon to follow, to the greatest masters who appeared after them, by a certain special circuit of understanding, as my opinion is.
§12.10.4post Zeuxis atque Parrhasius non multum aetate distantes, circa Peloponnesia ambo tempora (Nam cum Parrhasio sermo Socratis apud Xenophontem invenitur) plurimum arti addiderunt.
Afterward Zeuxis and Parrhasius, who were not far apart in age, flourished both around the times of the Peloponnesian War (for a conversation of Socrates with Parrhasius is found in Xenophon), and added very much to the art.
quorum prior luminum umbrarumque inuenisse rationem, secundus examinasse subtilius lineas traditur.
Of these, the former is said to have discovered the system of light and shade, while the second is recorded to have examined lines more subtly.
§12.10.5nam Zeuxis plus membris corporis dedit, id amplius atque augustius ratus atque, ut existimant, Homerum secutus, cui validissima quaeque forma etiam in feminis placet.
For Zeuxis gave more to the limbs of the body, thinking this larger and more majestic, and, as they believe, following Homer, who pleased with every most robust form even in women.
ille vero ita circumscripsit omnia, ut eum legum latorem vocent, quia deorum atque heroum effigies, quales ab eo sunt traditae, ceteri, tanquam ita necesse sit, sequuntur.
But the latter so circumscribed all things that they call him the lawgiver, because the others follow the likenesses of the gods and heroes just as they were handed down by him, as if it were necessary to do so.
§12.10.6floruit autem circa Philippum et usque ad successores Alexandri pictura praecipue, sed diversis virtutibus.
Painting flourished especially around the time of Philip and down to the successors of Alexander, but with diverse excellences.
nam cura Protogenes, ratione Pamphilus ac Melanthius, facilitate Antiphilus, concipiendis visionibus, quas φαντασίας vocant, Theon Samius, ingenio et gratia, quam in se ipse maxime iactat, Apelles est praestantissimus.
For Protogenes was most outstanding in diligence, Pamphilus and Melanthius in theory, Antiphilus in facility, Theon of Samos in conceiving visions which they call phantasiai, and Apelles in genius and grace, which he himself boasts of most.
Euphranorem admirandum facit, quod et ceteris optimis studiis inter praecipuos et pingendi fingendique idem mirus artifex fuit.
Euphranor is made admirable by the fact that, while being among the foremost in other best studies, he was at the same time a wondrous artist in both painting and sculpting.
§12.10.7similis in statuariis differentia Nam duriora et Tuscanicis proxima Callon atque Hegesias, iam minus rigida Calamis, molliora adhuc supra dictis Myron fecit.
There is a similar difference among sculptors. For Callon and Hegesias made statues that were rather hard and very close to the Tuscan, Calamis made them already less rigid, and Myron made them softer than those mentioned above.
diligentia ac decor in Polyclito supra ceteros, cui quamquam a plerisque tribuitur palma, tamen, ne nihil detrahatur, deesse pondus putant.
Diligence and grace in Polyclitus were above the others, to whom although the palm is awarded by most, yet, lest nothing should be detracted, they think weight is lacking in him.
§12.10.8nam ut humane formae decorem addiderit supra verum, ita non explevisse deorum auctoritatem videtur.
For although he added beauty to the human form beyond truth, yet he does not seem to have fully expressed the authority of the gods.
quin aetatem quoque graviorem dicitur refugisse nihil ausus ultra leves genas.
Nay, he is said to have avoided also more mature age, having dared nothing beyond smooth cheeks.
at quae Polyclito defuerunt, Phidiae atque Alcameni dantur.
But those qualities which were lacking in Polyclitus are given to Phidias and Alcamenes.
§12.10.9Phidias tamen diis quam hominibus efficiendis melior artifex creditur in ebore vero longe citra aemulum, vel si nihil nisi Minervam Athenis aut Olympium in Elide Iovem fecisset, cuius pulchritudo adiecisse aliquid etiam receptae religioni videtur; adeo maiestas operis deum aequavit.
Phidias, however, is believed to be a better artist at making gods than men; and indeed in ivory, he is far beyond any rival, even if he had made nothing except the Minerva at Athens or the Olympian Jupiter in Elis, whose beauty seems to have added something even to the received religion; so much did the majesty of the work equal the god.
ad veritatem Lysippum ac Praxitelen accessisse optime adfirmant.
They assert that Lysippus and Praxiteles approached truth best.
nam Demetrius tanquam nimius in ea reprehenditur et fuit similitudinis quam pulchritudinis amantior.
For Demetrius is blamed as being excessive in that, and was more fond of likeness than of beauty.