οἱ μέντοι ἀμφ᾽ Ἀρίστιππόν τε καὶ Ἐπίκουρον τὰ πρῶτα παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἐφέροντο ἡδεῖς τε ὄντες καὶ κεχαρισμένοι καὶ συμποτικώτατοι. παρῆν δὲ καὶ Αἴσωπος ὁ Φρύξ· τούτῳ δὲ ὅσα καὶ γελωτοποιῷ χρῶνται. Διογένης μέν γε ὁ Σινωπεὺς τοσοῦτον μετέβαλεν τοῦ τρόπου, ὥστε γῆμαι μὲν ἑταίραν τὴν Λαΐδα, ὀρχεῖσθαι δὲ πολλάκις ὑπὸ μέθης ἀνιστάμενον καὶ παροινεῖν. τῶν δὲ Στωϊκῶν οὐδεὶς παρῆν· ἔτι γὰρ ἐλέγοντο ἀναβαίνειν τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὄρθιον λόφον. ἠκούομεν δὲ καὶ περὶ Χρυσίππου ὅτι οὐ πρότερον αὐτῷ ἐπιβῆναι τῆς νήσου θέμις, πρὶν τὸ τέταρτον ἑαυτὸν ἐλλεβορίσῃ. τοὺς δὲ Ἀκαδημαϊκοὺς ἔλεγον ἐθέλειν μὲν ἐλθεῖν, ἐπέχειν δὲ ἔτι καὶ διασκέπτεσθαι· μηδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτό πω καταλαμβάνειν, εἰ καὶ νῆσός τις τοιαύτη ἐστίν. ἄλλως τε τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ῥαδαμάνθυος, οἶμαι, κρίσιν ἐδεδοίκεσαν, ἅτε καὶ τὸ κριτήριον αὐτοὶ ἀνῃρηκότες. πολλοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν ἔφασκον ὁρμηθέντας ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς ἀφικνουμένοις ὑπὸ νωθείας ἀπολείπεσθαι μὴ καταλαμβάνοντας καὶ ἀναστρέφειν ἐκ μέσης τῆς ὁδοῦ.
notes
Ἀρίστιππόν: Aristippus of Cyrene (435-356) was a follower of Socrates and founded a school focused on pleasure as the appropriate end for humans to seek.
Ἐπίκουρον: Epicurus (341-271) was a hedonist like Aristippus.
ἐφέροντο: “were considered”
κεχαρισμένοι: perf. part. of χαρίζω, “since they were agreeable”
Αἴσωπος ὁ Φρύξ: Aesop (620-564) was famous for his moral fables.
γελωτοποιῷ: “they use him for a jester”
Διογένης μέν γε ὁ Σινωπεὺς: Diogenes the Cynic (404-323), a “Socrates gone mad,” was famous for his utter disregard for conventional behavior.
τοσοῦτον: acc. s., “to such an extent....”
μετέβαλεν: ao. of μεταβάλλω, “had changed”
ὥστε γῆμαι...ὀρχεῖσθαι...παροινεῖν: result clauses
ἑταίραν τὴν Λαΐδα: Lais was the name of several famous courtesans.
ὑπὸ μέθης: “under the influence”
ἀνιστάμενον: pr. part. intrans. acc. s. of ἀνα-ἵστημι, “getting up to dance”
τῶν Στωϊκῶν: The Stoics, who sought to overcome all passion, were popularly thought of as dour and hypocritical.
ἐλέγοντο ἀναβαίνειν: “they were said to be still climbing”
Χρυσίππου: Chrysippus of Soli (279-206), the third head of the Stoic school of philosophy.
ἐπιβῆναι: ao. inf. of ἐπιβαίνω after θέμις, “allowed to come ashore”
πρὶν + subj: “until such time”
ἐλλεβορίσῃ: ao. subj. of ἐλλεβορίζω, “takes the hellebore treatment.” Hellebore was a treatment for madness. Chrysippus claimed one could only be wise after taking the treatment three times.
τοὺς δὲ Ἀκαδημαϊκοὺς: The Academy was the school of Plato, but the later Academics were known for a highly skeptical attitude toward truth and certainty, hence their portrayal here.
ἐθέλειν, ἐπέχειν, διασκέπτεσθαι, καταλαμβάνειν: inf. in ind. st. after ἔλεγον, “that they wished to come but were staying away, etc.”
αὐτὸ τοῦτό: acc., “even this”
μηδὲ...καταλαμβάνειν: “that they were not yet able to decide”
εἰ καὶ νῆσός τις τοιαύτη ἐστίν: ind. question after καταλαμβάνειν, “whether such an island really exists”
ἄλλως τε: “besides”
ἐδεδοίκεσαν: plupf. of δείδω, “they feared”
ἅτε + part: expressing the grounds of the supposition (οἶμαι)
ἀνῃρηκότες: perf. part. of ἀναιρέω, “that they had abolished”
ἔφασκον...ἀκολουθεῖν, ἀπολείπεσθαι, ἀναστρέφειν: ind. st.
ὁρμηθέντας: ao. part. pas. of ὁρμάω modifying the subject of ἀκολουθεῖν, “having set out”
τοῖς ἀφικνουμένοις: pr. part. dat. pl. of ἀφικνέομαι, object of ἀκολουθεῖν, “to follow those arriving”
μὴ καταλαμβάνοντας: pr. part. acc. modifying the subject of ἀπολείπεσθαι, “by not reaching” (but also “not coming to understand”)
vocabulary
χαρίζομαι: say or do something agreeable
συμποτικός, -ή, -όν: convivial, jolly
Φρύξ: a Phrygian
γελωτοποιός, -όν: exciting laughter
Σινωπεύς, έως, ὁ: an inhabitant of Sinope
μεταβάλλω: change quickly
γαμέω: marry
ἑταίρα, ἡ: a companion
ὀρχέομαι: dance in a row
μέθη, ἡ: strong drink
ἀνίστημι: make to stand up, raise up
παροινέω: behave ill at wine, play drunken tricks
ἀναβαίνω: go up, mount, go up to
ὄρθιος, -α, -ον: straight up, going upwards, steep
λόφος, ὁ: raised area, hill
ἐπιβαίνω: go upon
θέμις, ἡ: that which is laid down or established by custom
ἐπέχω: hold back
διασκέπτομαι: be skeptical
πω: up to this time, yet
κρίσις, εως, ἡ: a separating, decision
δείδω: fear
κριτήριον, τό: a criterion, standard
φάσκω: say, affirm, assert
ἀκολουθέω: follow
νώθεια, ἡ: sluggishness, dulness
ἀπολείπω: leave over or behind
ἀναστρέφω: turn upside down, upset