Saturday, May 20, 2023
Triflers in our Midst
Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 11.18.1-2 (tr. Earnest Cary):
Newer› ‹Older
Oh, the great folly of these men who can think of uttering such nonsense, and our own great stupidity if, when they say such things, we show no displeasure, but submit to hearing them, as if we were consulting in the interest of our enemies and not out of ourselves and our country! Shall we not remove these triflers from our midst?
ὦ πολλῆς μὲν εὐηθείας τούτων οἷς ἐπὶ νοῦν ἔρχεται τοιαῦτα ληρεῖν, πολλῆς δ᾽ ἀναλγησίας ἡμῶν, εἰ τοιαῦτα λεγόντων αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀγανακτοῦμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπομένομεν ἀκούειν, ὥσπερ ὑπὲρ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς πατρίδος βουλευόμενοι. οὐκ ἀνελοῦμεν ἐκ μέσου τοὺς φλυάρους;
