Chapter 29

29.1 ἑκάστου ἔργου σκόπει τὰ καθηγούμενα καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα αὐτοῦ καὶ οὕτως ἔρχου ἐπ' αὐτό˙ εἰ δὲ μή, τὴν μὲν πρώτην προθύμως ἥξεις ἅτε μηδὲν τῶν ἑξῆς ἐντεθυμημένος, ὕστερον δὲ ἀναφανέντων τινῶν αἰσχρῶν ἀποστήσῃ. 29.2 θέλεις Ὀλύμπια νικῆσαι; κἀγώ, νὴ τοὺς θεούς· κομψὸν γάρ ἐστιν. ἀλλὰ σκόπει τὰ καθηγούμενα καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα καὶ οὕτως ἅπτου τοῦ ἔργου. δεῖ εὐτακτεῖν, ἀναγκοτροφεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι πεμμάτων, γυμνάζεσθαι πρὸς ἀνάγκην, ἐν ὥρᾳ τεταγμένῃ, ἐν καύματι, ἐν ψύχει, μὴ ψυχρὸν πίνειν, μὴ οἶνον, ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἁπλῶς ὡς ἰατρῷ παραδεδωκέναι σεαυτὸν τῷ ἐπιστάτῃ, εἶτα ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι παρέρχεσθαι, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε χεῖρα βαλεῖν, σφυρὸν στρέψαι, πολλὴν ἁφὴν καταπιεῖν, ἔσθ' ὅτε μαστιγωθῆναι καὶ μετὰ τούτων πάντων νικηθῆναι. 29.3 ταῦτα ἐπισκεψάμενος, ἂν ἔτι θέλῃς, ἔρχου ἐπὶ τὸ ἀθλεῖν. εἰ δὲ μή, ὡς τὰ παιδία ἀναστραφήσῃ, ἃ νῦν μὲν παλαιστὰς παίζει, νῦν δὲ μονομάχους, νῦν δὲ σαλπίζει, εἶτα τραγῳδεῖ. οὕτω καὶ σὺ νῦν μὲν ἀθλητής, νῦν δὲ μονομάχος, εἶτα ῥήτωρ, εἶτα φιλόσοφος, ὅλῃ δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ οὐδέν· ἀλλ' ὡς πίθηκος πᾶσαν θέαν ἐὰν ἴδῃς μιμῇ καὶ ἄλλο ἐξ ἄλλου σοι ἀρέσκει. οὐ γὰρ μετὰ σκέψεως ἦλθες ἐπί τι οὐδὲ περιοδεύσας, ἀλλ' εἰκῇ καὶ κατὰ ψυχρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν. 29.4 οὕτω θεασάμενοί τινες φιλόσοφον καὶ ἀκούσαντες οὕτω τινὸς λέγοντος ὡς εὖ Σωκράτης λέγει (καίτοι τίς οὕτω δύναται εἰπεῖν ὡς ἐκεῖνος;) θέλουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ φιλοσοφεῖν. 29.5 ἄνθρωπε, πρῶτον ἐπίσκεψαι, ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, εἶτα καὶ τὴν σεαυτοῦ φύσιν κατάμαθε, εἰ δύνασαι βαστάσαι. πένταθλος εἶναι βούλει ἢ παλαιστής; ἴδε σεαυτοῦ τοὺς βραχίονας, τοὺς μηρούς, τὴν ὀσφὺν κατάμαθε. 29.6 ἄλλος γὰρ πρὸς ἄλλο πέφυκε. δοκεῖς, ὅτι ταῦτα ποιῶν ὡσαύτως δύνασαι ἐσθίειν, ὡσαύτως πίνειν, ὁμοίως ὀργίζεσθαι, ὁμοίως δυσαρεστεῖν; ἀγρυπνῆσαι δεῖ, πονῆσαι, ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἀπελθεῖν, ὑπὸ παιδαρίου καταφρονηθῆναι, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπάντων καταγελασθῆναι, ἐν παντὶ ἧττον ἔχειν, ἐν τιμῇ, ἐν ἀρχῇ, ἐν δίκῃ, ἐν πραγματίῳ παντί. 29.7 ταῦτα ἐπίσκεψαι, εἰ θέλεις ἀντικαταλλάξασθαι τούτων ἀπάθειαν, ἐλευθερίαν, ἀταραξίαν· εἰ δὲ μή, μὴ πρόσαγε. μὴ ὡς τὰ παιδία νῦν φιλόσοφος, ὕστερον δὲ τελώνης, εἶτα ῥήτωρ, εἶτα ἐπίτροπος Καίσαρος. ταῦτα οὐ συμφωνεῖ. ἕνα σε δεῖ ἄνθρωπον ἢ ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν εἶναι· ἢ τὸ ἡγεμονικόν σε δεῖ ἐξεργάζεσθαι τοῖς αὑτοῦ ἢ τὰ ἐκτὸς· ἢ περὶ τὰ ἔσω φιλοτεχνεῖν ἢ περὶ τὰ ἔξω· τουτέστιν ἢ φιλοσόφου τάξιν ἐπέχειν ἢ ἰδιώτου.

notes

Boter's edition prints ch. 29 in brackets. While one of the two branches of the manuscript tradition has the whole or part of ch. 29, it is absent from the other branch. About 550 CE Simplicius wrote a commentary on the Encheiridion, and in the first half of the fifth century writers composed paraphrases adapted for Christians. These Christian paraphrases omit the chapter, and Simplicius in his commentary does not discuss it. I agree with Boter that it is a later interpolation. See preface.

vocabulary

καθηγέομαι, to lead + gen.

ἀκόλουθος, -ον, following + gen.

προθύμως, -ον, adv., willingly, eagerly

ἑξῆς, adverb, next

ἅτε, on the grounds that/seeing that + part.

ἐνθυμέομαι, -ήσομαι, ἐνεθυμήθην, to ponder, take into consideration

ἀναφαίνω, -φανῶ, ἀνέφηνα, to appear

αἰσχρός, -ά, -όν, shameful, reproachful

ἀφίστημι, ἀποστήσω, ἀπέστησα, to leave off, give up

29.2

τά Ὀλύμπια, the Olympic games

νή, particle of strong affirmation

κομψός, ή, όν, good, fine

καθηγέομαι, to lead

ἀκόλουθος, -ον, following

ἅπτω, ἅψω, ἥψα, to grasp, obtain, engage in, undertake (+ gen)

εὐτακτέω, to behave well, act in an orderly way

ἀναγκοτροφέω, to eat moderately

ἀπέχω, ἀφέξω, ἀπέσχον, to keep away from, refrain from + gen.

πέμμα, -ατος, τό, pastry, cake

γυμνάζω, -άσω, ἐγύμνασα, to train, exercise

ὥρα, -ας, ἡ, period of time.

καῦμα, -ατος, τό, heat

ψῦχος, -εος, τό, cold

ψυχρὸν, cold (drink), cold (water)

οἶνος, -ου, ὁ, wine.

ἰατρός, -ου, ὁ, doctor

ἐπιστάτης, -ου, ὁ, overseer, trainer

σφυρὸν, -οῦ, τό, ankle

στρέφω, στρέψω, ἔστρεψα, to turn, twist

ἁφή, -ῆς, sand, dust

καταπίνω, to swallow

μαστιγόω, -ώσω, -ωσα, to whip

29.3

ἐπισκέπτομαι, ἐπισκέψομαι, ἐπεσκεψάμην, to examine, consider

ἀθλέω, ἀθλήσω, ἤθλησα, to contend, compete

ἀναστρέφω, ἀναστρέψω, ἀνέστρεψα, to turn back

παλαιστής, -οῦ, ὁ, wrestler

παίζω, παιξοῦμαι, ἔπαισα, to play

μονομάχος, -ου, ὁ, gladiator

σαλπίζω, σαλπίσω, ἐσάλπιγξα, to play a trumpet

τραγῳδέω, τραγῳδήσω, ἐτραγῴδησα, to play the tragic role

ἀθλητής, -οῦ, ὁ, athlete

ῥήτωρ, -ορος, ὁ, orator

φιλόσοφος, -ου, ὁ, philosopher

πίθηκος, -ου, ὁ, ape, monkey

θέα, -ας, ἡ, view, sight

μιμέομαι, μιμήσομαι, ἐμιμησάμην, to mimic, imitate

ἀρέσκω, ἀρέσω, ἤρεσα, to please, satisfy, be content + dat.

σκέψις, -εως, ἡ, circumspection

περιοδεύω, περιοδεύσω, περωδεῦσα, to go all round, to go systematically through

εἰκῇ, adv., randomly, casually

ψυχρός, -ά, -όν, cold

ἐπιθυμία,-ας, ἡ, desire

29.4

θεάομαι, θεάσομαι, ἐθεασάμην, to gaze at, view, behold

φιλόσοφος, -ου, ὁ, philosopher

φιλοσοφέω, φιλοσοφήσω, ἐφιλοσόφησα, to philosophize

29.5

ἐπισκέπτομαι, ἐπισκέψομαι, ἐπεσκεψάμην, to examine, consider

καταμανθάνω, καταμαθήσομαι, κατεμάθον, to examine closely

βαστάζω, βαστάσω, ἐβάστασα, to bear

πένταθλος, -ου, ὁ, pentathlete

παλαιστής, -οῦ, ὁ, wrestler

βραχίων, -ονος, ὁ, arm

μηρός, -οῦ, ὁ, thigh

ὀσφύς, -ύος, ἡ, loins

29.6

ὡσαύτως, adv., in the same way

ἐσθίω, ἔδομαι, ᾐδεσάμην, to eat

ὀργίζω, to be angry

δυσαρεστέω, δυσαρεστήσω, ἐδυσαρέστησα, to be displeased

ἀγρυπνέω, ἀγρυπνήσω, ἀγρύπνησω, to lie awake

πονέω, πονήσω, ἐπόνησα, to work

ἀπέρχομαι, ἀπελεύσομαι, ἀπῆλθον, to depart from

παιδάριον, -ου, τό, a young boy

καταφρονέω, καταφρονήσω, κατεφρόνησα, to look down upon, despise

καταγελάω, καταγελάσομαι, κατεγελασάμην, to laugh at, mock at + gen.

ἥττων, ἧττον, inferior

πραγμάτιον, -ου, τό, trifling matter

29.7

ἐπισκέπτομαι, ἐπισκέψομαι, ἐπεσκεψάμην, to examine, inspect

ἀντικαταλλάσσομαι, ἀντικαταλλάξομαι, ἀντικατηλλαξάμην, to exchange one thing (acc) for another (gen)

ἀπάθεια, -ας, ἡ, freedom from passion

ἐλευθερία, -ας, ἡ, freedom, liberty

ἀταραξία, -ας, ἡ, tranquillity

προσάγω, προσάξω, προσήγαγον, to approach, undertake

φιλόσοφος, -ου, ὁ, a philosopher

τελώνης, -ου, ὁ, a tax collector

ῥήτωρ, -ορος, ὁ, an orator

ἐπίτροπος, -ου, ὁ, procurator (adjectival substantive)

Καῖσαρ, Καίσαρος, ὁ, Caesar

συμφωνέω, συμφωνήσω, συνεφώνησα, to harmonize

ἡγεμονικόν, -ου, τό, the ruling part (of the soul)

ἐξεργάζομαι, ἐξεργάσομαι, ἐξηργασάμην, to work on

ἔσω, adv., to the interior

φιλοτεχνέω, φιλοτεχνήσω, ἐφιλοτέχνησα, to practice the art, work at

ἐπέχω, ἐφέξω, ἐπέσχον, to hold, maintain

ἰδιώτης, -ου, ὁ, a private person, i.e. a non-philosopher

Suggested Citation