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Three Millennia of Greek Literature

 

Gennadius Scholarius : WORDS ARE THE FATHERS OF ALL GOOD

from Epistle to orators, * Published in Sp. Lambros, Palaiologeia kai Peloponnesiaka, v. II, Athens 1912-24, pp. 273.30-275.5. Translated by Elpenor  * Greek Fonts  * Gennadius Resources


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VEN IF one has become equal to Aristotle and Plato, one must not think of it as a cause of pride; because neither the wise of wisdom, nor others of other advantages should be proud, listening to David's teaching, and seeing all success perishing with death, and only the characters of their manners going together with those leaving from here. Hence, I never considered myself great because of words, yet of those who master the words I think that they bring to cities a very special glory; and I think that cities gain profit not so much from anything else whatever, than from words. Because words are the only fathers of all good; personal and common.

παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ λόγοι μόνοι πατέρες

Κἄν τις Ἀριστοτέλει παρισωθείη καὶ Πλάτωνι, οὐδὲ τοῦτο αὐχεῖν ἡγούμενος δεῖν, ἅτε μήτε τὸν σοφὸν ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ, μήτε τοὺς ἄλλους ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις πλεονεκτήμασιν καυχᾶσθαι προσήκειν τοῦ Δαυὶδ ἀκούων διδάσκοντος, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν εὐδοκίμησιν τῷ θανάτῳ φθειρομένην ὁρῶν καὶ τοῖς ἀπιοῦσιν ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἠθῶν χαρακτῆρας μόνους συναπιόντας. Ἐπ' ἐμαυτῷ μὲν οὖν διὰ ταῦτα οὐδέποτε λόγων εἵνεκα τυγχάνω μέγα πεφρονηκώς, τοὺς δὲ λόγων ἀκριβῶς ἐχομένους ἡγοῦμαι μὴ τὸν τυχόντα κόσμον φέρειν ταῖς πόλεσι, μηδὲ τοσοῦτον αὐταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὅσον ἐκ τῶν λόγων γίνεσθαι κέρδος. Ἰδίου τε γὰρ καὶ κοινοῦ παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ λόγοι μόνοι πατέρες.

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