Monday, July 17, 2017
Criticism and Forbearance of the Young
Euripides, Hippolytus 114-115 (tr. David Kovacs):
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We should not imitate the young when their thoughts are like these.Id. 117-119:
τοὺς νέους γὰρ οὐ μιμητέον
φρονοῦντας οὕτως.
One should be forgiving: if youth makes someone's heart stiff with pride and he utters folly, pretend not to hear him.The young probably say similar things about the old:
χρὴ δὲ συγγνώμην ἔχειν·
εἴ τίς σ᾿ ὑφ᾿ ἥβης σπλάγχνον ἔντονον φέρων
μάταια βάζει, μὴ δόκει τούτου κλυεῖν.
We should not imitate the old when their thoughts are like these.
One should be forgiving: if old age makes someone's heart stiff with pride and he utters folly, pretend not to hear him.
