Reading 9 : The Price of Philosophy

Reading 09: May 18

Chapters 21.1-24.1 (Chapters 21-23, 24.1)
Translations Due Sunday, May 25 (midnight CST)
Grammar Questions Due Tuesday, May 27 (midnight CST)

A note on Chapter 24

Chapter 24 is broken up into three readings, due to the length of the chapter. In the entire Enchiridion there are only seven chapters which have more than 130 words. The stats are as follows:

Chapter 51: 164(three sections, a lenghty diatribe on the need to start NOW)
Chapter 32: 201(three sections, explanataion of why and how to use oracles)
Chapter 25: 206 (five sections, each using a rhetorical question and then answering it)
Chapter 1: 236 (five sections, introducing and explaining the key concepts of Epictetus' philosophy)
Chapter 24: 285 (five sections, a Reasoning off of several hypthetical 'arguments' regarding self-respect, self-esteem and being important)
Chapter 29: 352 (seven sections, Consider what is required before you do something - many sporting parallels)
Chapter 33: 469 (sixteen sections, A collection of Do's and Dont's)

Each chapter of the Enchiridion is an excerpt from the larger Discourses (some now lost). Chapter 24 is a different type of exerpt than the rest of the Enchiridion, and from what exists in chapters 1-23. Read the introduction of chapter 24 on Reading Page 10 for a fuller explanation.

Aids to Reading the Greek

Special Words

The meanings of the LSJ lexicon do not always point out or fit the 'Stoic' use of terms. The following list of words which are the behavioral, ethical and philosophical terms that occur in the reading. Some of them are 'Stoic specific'; most are not. As the special vocabulary page is being built, a more complete 'special lexicon' will become available to help understand the Greek word. The Stoic Groups also has a posting of terms (the Greek is transliterated). Here are some of the brief glosses. The freqencies are for the entire Enchiridion.

Corrections to the Text

Reading 9: Chapters 21.1-24.1 (Chapters 21-23, 24.1)

   Chapter 22 - Κεφάλαιον κβʹ
[22.1a] Εἰ φιλοσοφίας ἐπιθυμεῖς, παρασκευάζου αὐτόθεν ὡς καταγελασθησόμενος, ὡς καταμωκησομένων σου πολλῶν, [22.1b] ὡς ἐρούντων ὅτι "ἄφνω φιλόσοφος ἡμῖν ἐπανελήλυθε" καὶ "πόθεν ἡμῖν αὕτη ἡ ὀφρύς;" [22.1c] σὺ δὲ ὀφρὺν μὲν μὴ σχῇς· [22.1d] τῶν δὲ βελτίστων σοι φαινομένων οὕτως ἔχου, ὡς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τεταγμένος εἰς ταύτην τὴν χώραν· [22.1e] μέμνησό τε διότι, ἐὰν μὲν ἐμμείνῃς τοῖς αὐτοῖς, οἱ καταγελῶντές σου τὸ πρότερον οὗτοί σε ὕστερον θαυμάσονται, [22.1f] ἐὰν δὲ ἡττηθῇς αὐτῶν, διπλοῦν προσλήψῃ καταγέλωτα.

Basic Questions

Note: If you desire to get THE answer to the question and the answers to the questions suggested by the Greekstudy members, you may either view the appropriate Greekstudy email which includes the answers, or alternately (if you missed the email) send in your answers to the question(s). I'll be glad to email you the suggested answer and the answers sent in by the Greekstudy members.

Q1 22.1ab. The word ὡς + a future participle is used three times. How would you categorize this structure. Take a look at Schenkl's Appendix of words under ὡς. (Download the pdf file of pages 710-713 of Schenkl's appendix of words.)

Q2 22.1b. "ἄφνω φιλόσοφος ἡμῖν ἐπανελήλυθε. What is the tense of ἐπανελήλυθε and what is the best way to translate it. How does Greek indirect speech differ in tense from English reported speech. Any grammar references?

Q3 22.1b. αὕτη ἡ ὀφρύς. What is the meaning of ὀφρύς? Does the word αὕτη add a derogatory sense?

Q4 22.1d. τῶν δὲ βελτίστων σοι φαινομένων οὕτως ἔχου. How do you translate this phrase? How is the participle being used? (Can you find the section in Smyth where βελτίστων is listed in a chart with other adjectives?)

Q5 22.1d τεταγμένος. Parse this word. Why is the present tense form of this word τάσσω? What happened to the mute/stop consonant at the end of the stem? Can you list any other words like this?

Q6. Line 22.1e. μέμνησό τε διότι. What does the word διότι mean in this phrase? What other words does διότι follow? (Look in Schenkl's appendix of words under ὅτι).

Q7. Line 22.1e. ἐὰν ἐμμείνῃς..., οὗτοί σε ὕστερον θαυμάσονται. & ἐὰν ἡττηθῇς ... προσλήψῃ.... What type of conditional phrases are these sentences (protasis = ἐὰν + subjunctive, apodosis = future tense)? Smyth Reference?

Q8. Line 22.1f καταγέλωτα. What part of speech is this word, a participle or a noun? Can you list some other words that are like it in form?

Discourses 2.7.5-7 Justifying studying philosophy to your parents.

[5] καὶ τοῦτον ἀπολογισμὸν ἔδει φέρειν πρὸς τοὺς γονεῖς τοὺς ἀγανακτοῦντας ἐπὶ τῷ φιλοσοφεῖν τὰ τέκνα. "οὐκοῦν ἁμαρτάνω, πάτερ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα τὸ ἐπιβάλλον ἐμαυτῷ καὶ προσῆκον: εἰ μὲν οὐδὲ μαθητόν ἐστιν οὐδὲ διδακτόν, τί μοι ἐγκαλεῖς; εἰ δὲ διδακτόν, δίδασκε: εἰ δὲ σὺ μὴ δύνασαι, ἄφες με μαθεῖν παρὰ τῶν λεγόντων εἰδέναι. [6] ἐπεὶ τί δοκεῖς; ὅτι θέλων περιπίπτω κακῷ καὶ ἀποτυγχάνω τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; μὴ γένοιτο. τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν με; [7] ἡ ἄγνοια. οὐ θέλεις οὖν ἀποθῶμαι τὴν ἄγνοιαν; τίνα πώποτε ὀργὴ[ν] ἐδίδαξε τὰ κυβερνητικά, τὰ μουσικά; τὰ βιωτικὰ οὖν διὰ τὴν ὀργήν σου δοκεῖς ὅτι μαθήσομαι;"

Long's Translation 1890.

and this excuse children should make to those parents who dislike that they should study philosophy. " Am I to blame then, sir, and ignorant of my duty, and of what is incumbent on me? If this is neither to be learned, nor taught, why do you find fault with me? If it is to be taught, pray teach me yourself; or, if you cannot, let me learn it from those who profess to understand it. For what think you; that I voluntarily fall into evil, and miss good? Heaven forbid ! What, then, is the cause of my faults? Ignorance. Are you not willing, then, that I should get rid of my ignorance? Who was ever taught the art of music, or navigation, by anger? Do you expect, then, that your anger should teach me the art of living? "

Discourses 4.8.17-20 Why be a Philospher in Secret

[17] διὰ τοῦτο καλῶς Εὐφράτης ἔλεγεν ὅτι "ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐπειρώμην λανθάνειν φιλοσοφῶν καὶ ἦν μοι", φησίν, "τοῦτο ὠφέλιμον. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ᾔδειν, ὅσα καλῶς ἐποίουν, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τοὺς θεατὰς ἐποίουν, ἀλλὰ δι᾽ ἐμαυτόν: ἤσθιον ἐμαυτῷ καλῶς, κατεσταλμένον εἶχον τὸ βλέμμα, τὸν περίπατον: πάντα ἐμαυτῷ καὶ θεῷ. [18] εἶτα ὥσπερ μόνος ἠγωνιζόμην, οὕτως μόνος καὶ ἐκινδύνευον: οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ δράσαντι τὸ αἰσχρὸν ἢ ἀπρεπὲς τὸ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐκινδυνεύετο, οὐδ᾽ ἔβλαπτον τοὺς πολλοὺς ὡς φιλόσοφος ἁμαρτάνων. [19] διὰ τοῦτο οἱ μὴ εἰδότες μου τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ἐθαύμαζον, πῶς πᾶσι φιλοσόφοις χρώμενος καὶ συζῶν αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐφιλοσόφουν. [20] καὶ τί κακόν, ἐν οἷς ἐποίουν ἐπιγιγνώσκεσθαι τὸν φιλόσοφον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς συμβόλοις μή;" βλέπε, πῶς ἐσθίω, πῶς πίνω, πῶς καθεύδω, πῶς ἀνέχομαι, πῶς ἀπέχομαι, πῶς συνεργῶ, πῶς ὀρέξει χρῶμαι, πῶς ἐκκλίσει, πῶς τηρῶ τὰς σχέσεις τὰς φυσικὰς ἢ ἐπιθέτους ἀσυγχύτως καὶ ἀπαραποδίστως: ἐκεῖθέν με κρῖνε, εἰ δύνασαι. [21] εἰ δ᾽ οὕτως κωφὸς εἶ καὶ τυφλός, ἵνα μηδὲ τὸν Ἥφαιστον ὑπολαμβάνῃς καλὸν χαλκέα, ἂν μὴ τὸ πιλίον ἴδῃς περὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν περικείμενον, τί κακὸν ὑφ᾽ οὕτως ἠλιθίου κριτοῦ ἀγνοεῖσθαι;

George Long Translation 1890

For this reason Euphrates3 used to say well, A long time I strove to be a philosopher without people knowing it; and this, he said, was useful to me: for first I knew that when I did any thing well, I did not do it for the sake of the spectators, but for the sake of myself: I ate well for the sake of myself; I had my countenance well composed and my walk: all for myself and for God. Then, as I struggled alone, so I alone also was in danger: in no respect through me, if I did anything base or unbecoming, was philosophy endangered; nor did I injure the many by doing any thing wrong as a philosopher. For this reason those who did not know my purpose used to wonder how it was that while I conversed and lived altogether with all philosophers, I was not a philosopher myself. And what was the harm for me to be known to be a philosopher by my acts and not by outward marks?4 See how I eat, how I drink, how I sleep, how I bear and forbear, how I co-operate, how I employ desire, how I employ aversion (turning from things), how I maintain the relations (to things) those which are natural or those which are acquired, how free from confusion, how free from hindrance. Judge of me from this, if you can. But if you are so deaf and blind that you cannot conceive even Hephaestus5 to be a good smith, unless you see the cap on his head, what is the harm in not being recognized by so foolish a judge?

Collected Notes on the text.

The order of the notes may be out of order in relation to the text.

Sentences numbered for sending in the translations

Optional Reading 1
[2101a] Θάνατος καὶ φυγὴ καὶ πάντα τὰ δεινὰ φαινόμενα πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔστω σοι καθ᾽ ἡμέραν, μάλιστα δὲ πάντων ὁ θάνατος·
[2101b] καὶ οὐδὲν οὐδέποτε οὔτε ταπεινὸν ἐνθυμηθήσῃ οὔτε ἄγαν ἐπιθυμήσεις τινός.

Basic Reading
[2201a] Εἰ φιλοσοφίας ἐπιθυμεῖς, παρασκευάζου αὐτόθεν ὡς καταγελασθησόμενος, ὡς καταμωκησομένων σου πολλῶν,
[2201b] ὡς ἐρούντων ὅτι "ἄφνω φιλόσοφος ἡμῖν ἐπανελήλυθε" καὶ "πόθεν ἡμῖν αὕτη ἡ ὀφρύς;"
[2201c] σὺ δὲ ὀφρὺν μὲν μὴ σχῇς·
[2201d] τῶν δὲ βελτίστων σοι φαινομένων οὕτως ἔχου, ὡς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τεταγμένος εἰς ταύτην τὴν χώραν·
[2201e] μέμνησό τε διότι, ἐὰν μὲν ἐμμείνῃς τοῖς αὐτοῖς, οἱ καταγελῶντές σου τὸ πρότερον οὗτοί σε ὕστερον θαυμάσονται,
[2201f] ἐὰν δὲ ἡττηθῇς αὐτῶν, διπλοῦν προσλήψῃ καταγέλωτα.

Optional Reading 2
[2301a] Ἐάν ποτέ σοι γένηται ἔξω στραφῆναι πρὸς τὸ βούλεσθαι ἀρέσαι τινί, ἴσθι ὅτι ἀπώλεσας τὴν ἔνστασιν.
[2301b] ἀρκοῦ οὖν ἐν παντὶ τῷ εἶναι φιλόσοφος εἰ δὲ καὶ δοκεῖν βούλει [τῷ εἶναι], σαυτῷ φαίνου καὶ ἱκανὸς ἔσῃ.

Optional Reading 3
[2401a] Οὗτοί σε οἱ διαλογισμοὶ μὴ θλιβέτωσαν "ἄτιμος ἐγὼ βιώσομαι καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐδαμοῦ".
[2401b] εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀτιμία ἐστὶ κακόν, οὐ δύνασαι ἐν κακῷ εἶναι δι᾽ ἄλλον, οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν αἰσχρῷ·
[2401c] μή τι οὖν σόν ἐστιν ἔργον τὸ ἀρχῆς τυχεῖν ἢ παραληφθῆναι ἐφ᾽ ἑστίασιν; οὐδαμῶς.
[2401d] πῶς οὖν ἔτι τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἀτιμία;
[2401e] πῶς δὲ οὐδεὶς οὐδαμοῦ ἔσῃ, ὃν ἐν μόνοις εἶναί τινα δεῖ τοῖς ἐπὶ σοί, ἐν οἷς ἔξεστί σοι εἶναι πλείστου ἀξίῳ;

Table of Words

The local gloss is context-specific. The word-link and lemma-link are linked to the Perseus Hopper vocabulary tool. I have gone through the Greek lemma and verified them for accuracy - but there may still be some errors. Many of the definitions have been taken from the following translations: Mattheson, Boter, White, Oldfather and Long. If you have a better suggestion for a word, send in the word number, Greek word and suggested gloss, and I will add it into the vocabulary list.

A note of caution: Perseus does not always work as expected. The links are betacode which works better than sending in Greek Unicode lookups. But sometimes it still will not work. In addition, Perseus is often slow - if you see it cranking and cranking, try later, the server is too busy. An example of unexpected results is as follows: the neuter plural form ἀπαραπόδιστα returns 'not found'; the root lemma ἀπαραπόδιστος brings up its own correct entry. Some words are only listed in the Middle LSJ, not the main LSJ (e.g. οὐδέπω). So if you look up οὐδέπω in the Archimedes Harvard LSJ or your own personal copy, you won't find it.

The columns for vocabulary frequency are compiled from Perseus' Max frequency for the Enchiridion (EnchX) and all of Epictetus' works (EpicX including the Enchiridion). The New Testament frequencies are from Tischendorf's NT as provided by MorphGnt.org. Words are linked on betacode, but some lemmas do not link correctly (a problem that will be fixed over time), thus there are occasionally NTX freqencies that are missing or partial. When comparing the frequency of the various works, you should remember the Enchiridion (4983 words) is about the same length as the book of Hebrews (4953 words) and all Epictetus' writings (The Discourses - 75,177 words, Fragments - 4023 words,and Enchiridion - 4983 words; grand total - 84183) are 60% of the length of the New Testament (138,019 words). Although both the Epictus' works and the New Testament books are different in content and author, if you multiply the Epictetus frequency by 1.6 (EpicX x 1.6) you can come up with a comparable usage between the two works.