Laudator Temporis Acti

Thanks very much to Bill Thayer for drawing my attention to more examples of bowdlerization in the Loeb Classical Library translation of Diogenes Laertius by R.D Hicks.

Diogenes Laertius 2.8.99-100 (on Aristippus, in Hicks' bowdlerized version):

He said the world was his country. Theft, adultery, and sacrilege would be allowable upon occasion, since none of these acts is by nature base, if once you have removed the prejudice against them, which is kept up in order to hold the foolish multitude together. The wise man would indulge his passions openly without the least regard to circumstances. Hence he would use such arguments as this.

"Is a woman who is skilled in grammar useful in so far as she is skilled in grammar?"

"Yes."

"And is a boy or a youth skilled in grammar useful in so far as he is skilled in grammar?"

"Yes."

"Again, is a woman who is beautiful useful in so far as she is beautiful? And the use of beauty is to be enjoyed?"

"Yes."

When this was admitted, he would press the argument to the conclusion, namely, that he who uses anything for the purpose for which it is useful does no wrong.

And by some such interrogatories he would carry his point.

The Greek:

Εἶναί τε πατρίδα τὸν κόσμον. κλέψειν τε καὶ μοιχεύσειν καὶ ἱεροσυλήσειν ἐν καιρῷ· μηδὲν γὰρ τούτων φύσει αἰσχρὸν εἶναι, τῆς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς δόξης αἰρομένης, ἣ σύγκειται ἕνεκα τῆς τῶν ἀφρόνων συνοχῆς. φανερῶς δὲ τοῖς ἐρωμένοις ἄνευ πάσης ὑφοράσεως χρήσεσθαι τὸν σοφόν. διὸ καὶ τοιούτους λόγους ἠρώτα·

"ἆρά γε γυνὴ γραμματικὴ χρήσιμος ἂν εἴη παρ᾿ ὅσον γραμματική ἐστι;"

"ναί."

"καὶ παῖς καὶ νεανίσκος γραμματικὸς χρήσιμος ἂν εἴη παρ᾿ ὅσον γραμματικός ἐστι;"

"ναί."

"οὐκοῦν καὶ γυνὴ καλὴ χρησίμη ἂν εἴη παρ᾿ ὅσον καλή ἐστι, καὶ παῖς καὶ νεανίσκος καλὸς χρήσιμος ἂν εἴη παρ᾿ ὅσον καλός ἐστι;"

"ναί."

"καὶ παῖς ἄρα καὶ νεανίσκος καλὸς πρὸς τοῦτ᾿ ἂν εἴη χρήσιμος πρὸς ὃ καλός ἐστι;"

"ναί."

"ἔστι δὲ χρήσιμος πρὸς τὸ πλησιάζειν."

ὧν δεδομένων ἐπῆγεν·

"οὐκοῦν εἴ τις πλησιασμῷ χρώμενος παρ᾿ ὅσον χρήσιμός ἐστιν, οὐ διαμαρτάνει· οὐδ᾿ ἄρα εἰ κάλλει χρήσαιτο παρ᾿ ὅσον χρήσιμόν ἐστι, διαμαρτήσεται."

τοιαῦτα ἄττα διερωτῶν ἴσχυε τῷ λόγῳ.

Here is an unexpurgated revision of Hicks' translation:

He said the world was his country. Theft, adultery, and sacrilege would be allowable upon occasion, since none of these acts is by nature base, if once you have removed the prejudice against them, which is kept up in order to hold the foolish multitude together. The wise man would be intimate with his lovers openly without the least regard to circumstances. Hence he would use such arguments as this.

"Is a woman who is skilled in grammar useful in so far as she is skilled in grammar?"

"Yes."

"And is a boy or a youth skilled in grammar useful in so far as he is skilled in grammar?"

"Yes."

"Again, is a woman who is beautiful useful in so far as she is beautiful, and is a boy or a young man who is beautiful useful in so far as he is beautiful?"

"Yes."

"So a beautiful boy or young man is useful for what he is beautiful for?"

"Yes."

"And he is useful for sexual intercourse?"

"Yes."

When this was admitted, he would press the argument to the conclusion:

"Therefore whoever uses sexual intercourse in so far as it is useful does not go astray; and whoever should use beauty in so far as it is useful will not go astray."

And by some such interrogatories he would carry his point.

Diogenes Laertius 5.1.3 (on Aristotle; tr. R.D. Hicks):

Afterwards, however, he departed to Hermias the eunuch, who was tyrant of Atarneus, and there is one story that he was on very affectionate terms with Hermias...

ἔπειτα μέντοι ἀπῆρε πρὸς Ἑρμίαν τὸν εὐνοῦχον, Ἀταρνέως ὄντα τύραννον· ὃν οἱ μέν φασι παιδικὰ γενέσθαι αὐτοῦ...

"On very affectionate terms" — indeed. More literally, "People say he was Hermias' boy-toy."

Diogenes Laertius 5.5.77 (on Demetrius of Phalerum; tr. R.D. Hicks):

Having been indicted by some persons on a capital charge, he let judgement go by default; and, when his accusers could not get hold of his person, they disgorged their venom on the bronze of his statues. These they tore down from their pedestals; some were sold, some cast into the sea, and others were even, it is said, broken up to make bedroom-utensils.

ἐπιβουλευθεὶς γὰρ ὑπό τινων δίκην θανάτου οὐ παρὼν ὦφλεν. οὐ μὴν ἐκυρίευσαν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἰὸν ἀπήρυγον εἰς τὸν χαλκόν, κατασπάσαντες αὐτοῦ τὰς εἰκόνας καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀποδόμενοι, τὰς δὲ βυθίσαντες, τὰς δὲ κατακόψαντες εἰς ἀμίδας· λέγεται γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο.

The "bedroom-utensils" were chamber-pots.

Diogenes Laertius 5.6.92-93 (on Heraclides Ponticus; tr. R.D. Hicks):

Again, Dionysius the Renegade, or, as some people call him, the "Spark," when he wrote the Parthenopaeus, entitled it a play of Sophocles; and Heraclides, such was his credulity, in one of his own works drew upon this forged play as Sophoclean evidence. Dionysius, on perceiving this, confessed what he had done; and, when the other denied the fact and would not believe him, called his attention to the acrostic which gave the name of Pancalus, of whom Dionysius was very fond.

ἔτι καὶ Διονύσιος ὁ Μεταθέμενος (ἢ Σπίνθαρος, ὡς ἔνιοι) γράψας τὸν Παρθενοπαῖον ἐπέγραψε Σοφοκλέους. ὁ δὲ πιστεύσας εἴς τι τῶν ἰδίων συγγραμμάτων ἐχρῆτο μαρτυρίοις ὡς Σοφοκλέους. αἰσθόμενος δ᾿ ὁ Διονύσιος ἐμήνυσεν αὐτῷ τὸ γεγονός· τοῦ δ᾿ ἀρνουμένου καὶ ἀπιστοῦντος ἐπέστειλεν ἰδεῖν τὴν παραστιχίδα· καὶ εἶχε Πάγκαλος. οὗτος δ᾿ ἦν ἐρώμενος Διονυσίου.

Dionysius was more than "very fond" of Pancalus. He was Pancalus' lover.

Related posts:

• Xenocrates, Phryne, and Lais
• Diogenes Laertius 7.172
• A Bowdlerized Passage in the Loeb Classical Library
• Diogenes Laertius Expurgatus