CHAPTER I OCCASION AND PURPOSE OF THE TREATISE
To you, Rufus Metilius, whose worthy father is my most honoured friend, “I also offer this gift, dear child,”[85] as Helen, in Homer, says while entertaining Telemachus. To-day you are keeping your first birthday after your arrival at man’s estate; and of all feasts this is to me the most welcome and most precious. I am not, however, sending you the work of my own hands (to quote Helen’s words when she offers the robe to her young guest), nor what is fitted only for the season of marriage and “meet to pleasure a bride withal.”[86] No, it is the product and the child of my studies and my brain, and also something for you to keep and use in all the business of life which is effected through speech: an aid most necessary, if my estimate is of any account, to all alike who practise civil oratory,
1 ἁλικαρνασσέως PV2 4 καὶ om. V 6 ταυτηνὶ PMV 7 ἡδίστην om. P 8 χεῖρον PV1 9 ἔφη PV || οὔτε εἰς PMV 11 σοὶ om. E 12 πάσας EF 13 ὠφέλιμον V: ὠφελίμων EFM: ὠφέλιμοι P 14 τι] τι δὴ MV
2. For the meaning and rendering of σύνθεσις see Glossary, p. 326 infra.
5. In ll. 5, 8, 9, 10, the reference is to Odyssey xv. 123-127:—
Ἑλένη δὲ παρίστατο καλλιπάρῃος
πέπλον ἔχουσ’ ἐν χερσίν, ἔπος τ’ ἔφατ’ ἐκ τ’ ὀνόμαζε·
Δῶρον τοι καὶ ἐγώ, τέκνον φίλε, τοῦτο δίδωμι,
μνῆμ’ Ἑλένης χειρῶν, πολυηράτου ἐς γάμου ὥρην,
σῇ ἀλόχῳ φορέειν.
10. The word γαμετή is used by Dionysius in the interesting and highly characteristic passage which opens the de Antiq. Oratoribus (c. 2).—Here Sauppe conjectures γαμετῇ for γαμετῆς.—For εὔθετος cf. de Thucyd. c. 55 τὸ διηγηματικὸν μέρος αὐτῆς πλὴν ὀλίγων πάνυ θαυμαστῶς ἔχειν καὶ εἰς πάσας εἶναι τὰς χρείας εὔθετον, τὸ δὲ δημηγορικὸν οὐχ ἅπαν εἰς μίμησιν ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι.
11. κτῆμα ... χρῆμα, ‘a treasure and a tool,’ ‘a compliment and an implement’: similarly 264 14 φθόνῳ καὶ χρόνῳ (the reading of PMV), and 268 9 χρόνῳ τε πολλῷ καὶ πόνῳ, 184 25 ἀγνοίας ... προνοίας. Cp. the jingles found in the fragments of Gorgias, or in Aristophanes (ῥώμῃ ... γνώμῃ, Av. 637, 638; σχῆμα ... λῆμα, Ran. 463). Such rhyming tendencies (frequent in the orations of Cicero) are condemned in prose-writing by modern taste, though they have, in the course of centuries, found much acceptance in poetry.—For the antithesis in κτῆμα ... χρῆμα cp. Isocr. ad Demonicum 28, Cic. ad Fam. vii. 29, 30, Lucr. de Rer. Nat. iii. 971.
The Epitome (except Er) omits σοι, thus securing brevity at the price of rhythm, antithesis, and point. Cp. 66 13, where E omits οἰκειοτέρα.
14. κἀγώ: the καί gives a modest tone, as in Soph. Philoct. 192 εἴπερ κἀγώ τι φρονῶ (Jebb).
15. πολιτικούς: see Glossary, s.v.
τε καὶ ἕξει τυγχάνωσιν ὄντες· μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς μειρακίοις τε
καὶ νεωστὶ τοῦ μαθήματος ἁπτομένοις ὑμῖν, ὦ Ῥοῦφε Μετίλιε
πατρὸς ἀγαθοῦ, κἀμοὶ τιμιωτάτου φίλων.
διττῆς γὰρ οὔσης ἀσκήσεως περὶ πάντας ὡς εἰπεῖν τοὺς
λόγους, τῆς περὶ τὰ νοήματα καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ ὀνόματα, ὧν ἡ 5
μὲν τοῦ πραγματικοῦ τόπου μᾶλλον ἐφάπτεσθαι δόξειεν ἄν,
ἡ δὲ τοῦ λεκτικοῦ, καὶ πάντων ὅσοι τοῦ λέγειν εὖ στοχάζονται
περὶ ἀμφοτέρας τὰς θεωρίας τοῦ λόγου ταύτας σπουδαζόντων
ἐξ ἴσου, ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα καὶ τὴν ἐν τούτοις
φρόνησιν ἄγουσα ἡμᾶς ἐπιστήμη βραδεῖά ἐστι καὶ χαλεπὴ 10
νέοις, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀδύνατος εἰς ἀγενείων καὶ μειρακίων πεσεῖν
ἡλικίαν· ἀκμαζούσης γὰρ ἤδη συνέσεώς ἐστι καὶ πολιαῖς
κατηρτυμένης ἡλικίας ἡ τούτων κατάληψις οἰκειοτέρα, πολλῇ
μὲν ἱστορίᾳ λόγων τε καὶ ἔργων, πολλῇ δὲ πείρᾳ καὶ συμφορᾷ
παθῶν οἰκείων τε καὶ ἀλλοτρίων συναυξομένη· τὸ δὲ περὶ 15
τὰς λέξεις φιλόκαλον καὶ ταῖς νεαραῖς πέφυκε συνανθεῖν
οὐχ ἧττον ἡλικίαις. ἐπτόηται γὰρ ἅπασα νέου ψυχὴ περὶ
τὸν τῆς ἑρμηνείας ὡραϊσμόν, ἀλόγους τινὰς καὶ ὥσπερ ἐνθουσιώδεις
ἐπὶ τοῦτο λαμβάνουσα τὰς ὁρμάς· οἷς πολλῆς πάνυ
[67]
whatever their age and temperament, but especially to youths like you who are just beginning to take up the study.
We may say that in practically all speaking two things must have unremitting attention: the ideas and the words. In the former case, the sphere of subject matter is chiefly concerned; in the latter, that of expression; and all who aim at becoming good speakers give equally earnest attention to both these aspects of discourse. But the science which guides us to selection of matter, and to judgment in handling it, is hampered with difficulties for the young; indeed, for beardless striplings, its difficulties are insurmountable. The perfect grasp of things in all their bearings belongs rather to a matured understanding, and to an age that is disciplined by grey hairs,—an age whose powers are developed by prolonged investigation of discourse and action, and by many experiences of its own and much sharing in the fortunes of others. But the love of literary beauty flourishes naturally in the days of youth as much as in later life. For elegance of expression has a fascination for all young minds, making them feel impulses that are instinctive and akin to
1 τε καὶ PV: ἢ FM || τε om. F 2 νεωστὶ PMV: ἄρτι F || μετίλιε FP: μελίτιε EMV 3 καμοὶ P,MV: καὶ ἐμοὶ F 4 ἀσκήσεως EPMV: ὑποθέσεως F 5 νοήματα καὶ τὴν λέξιν ὧν EF 6 μᾶλλον ἐφάπτεσθαι om. M 9 τούτοις EPMV: αὐτοῖς F 10 ἐπιστημηι F1 11 καὶ EFMV: ἢ P 12 ἀγμαζούσης F1 || πολιαῖς κατηρτυμένης FMVs: κεκοσμημένης P 13 ἡλικίαις M2 (cf. v. 17 infra) || ἡ τούτων κατάληψις F γρ M: ἐστὶν ἡ τούτων κατάληψις E: ἡ τούτων γνῶσις ἐστὶν PMV || οἰκει[ο]τέρα cum litura F,PMV: om. E 15 συναυξανομένη PMV 16 φιλόκαλον EFP: φιλότιμον καὶ φιλόκαλον MV || πέφυκε συνανθεῖν Reiskius: πεφυκὸς συνανθεῖν P: συνανθεῖν εἴωθεν οὐχ ἧττον EF: πεφυκὸς συνανθεῖν (εἴωθεν addit M) οὐχ ἧττον MV 19 ἐπὶ τοῦτο EF2: ἐπὶ τοῦτον F1MV: om. P || τὰς EFM: om. PV
2. For the plural ὑμῖν cp. Long. xii. 5 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὑμεῖς [‘you Romans’] ἂν ἄμεινον ἐπικρίνοιτε.
Ῥοῦφε Μετίλιε: reference may be made to the editor’s article on ‘The Literary Circle of Dionysius of Halicarnassus’ in the Classical Review xiv. (year 1900), pp. 439-442. Dionysius clearly numbered many Romans among his friends and pupils. Dedicatory books, or poems, were not uncommon gifts on birthdays: compare
Ἀντίπατρος Πείσωνι γενέθλιον ὤπασε βίβλον
μικρήν, ἐν δὲ μιῇ νυκτὶ πονησάμενος.
ἵλαος ἀλλὰ δέχοιτο, καὶ αἰνήσειεν ἀοιδόν,
Ζεὺς μέγας ὡς ὀλίγῳ πειθόμενος λιβάνῳ.
Antipater Thessalonic.
Epigr. Anthol. Pal. ix. 93.
θύει σοὶ τόδε γράμμα γενεθλιακαῖσιν ἐν ὥραις,
Καῖσαρ, Νειλαίη Μοῦσα Λεωνιδέω.
Καλλιόπης γὰρ ἄκαπνον ἀεὶ θύος· εἰς δὲ νέωτα,
ἢν ἐθέλῃς, θύσει τοῦδε περισσότερα.
Leonidas Alexandr. ib. vi. 321.
3. Reiske’s conjecture ‹παῖ› is plausible rather than necessary: cp. Il. xxi. 109 πατρὸς δ’ εἴμ’ ἀγαθοῖο and Odyss. iv. 611 αἵματος εἶς ἀγαθοῖο.—In the words κἀμοὶ τιμιωτάτου φίλων Dionysius illustrates his own contention (in c. 25) that fragments of metrical lines are occasionally found in prose writings. [F, however, has καὶ ἐμοί.]
6. πραγματικοῦ ... λεκτικοῦ: see Gloss., s.v.
13. κατηρτυμένης: cp. the sense of ‘break in,’ as in Soph. Antig. 477 σμικρῷ χαλινῷ δ’ οἶδα τοὺς θυμουμένους | ἵππους καταρτυθέντας and Plut. Vit. Themist. c. 2 καὶ τοὺς τραχυτάτους πώλους ἀρίστους ἵππους γίνεσθαι φάσκων, ὅταν ἧς προσήκει τύχωσι παιδείας καὶ καταρτύσεως. So Plato Legg. 808 D (of a child regarded as ‘the most intractable of animals’) ὅσῳ μάλιστα ἔχει πηγὴν τοῦ φρονεῖν μήπω κατηρτυμένην.—On πολιαῖς (although supported by FMV) Usener candidly remarks “fort. πολιαῖς interpolatum.”—Against κατάληψις (notwithstanding its strong manuscript support) must be weighed: (1) Dionysius’ anti-Stoicism, (2) the likely intrusion of a comparatively late word.
14. συμφορᾷ: perhaps the meaning is ‘comparison of,’ as (according to a possible interpretation) τὰς ξυμφορὰς ... τῶν βουλευμάτων in Soph. Oed. Tyr. 44, 45.
15. συναυξομένη: the form αὐξάνω (and its compounds) does not seem to be used by Dionysius.
17. οὐχ ἧττον (EFMV) should be retained: cp. n. on line 13. The words can hardly be regarded as a gloss on καὶ ταῖς νεαραῖς, though εἴωθεν (see critical notes) is probably a gloss on πέφυκε, which would subsequently be changed to πεφυκός.
ἐπτόηται: not infrequent in earlier and in later Greek. Aesch. Prom. V. 856 ἐπτοημένοι φρένας (‘with their hearts wildly beating’), Plato Phaedo 68 C περὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας μὴ ἐπτοῆσθαι (so Rep. 439 D), Plut. Mor. 40 F βλὰξ ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ παντὶ λόγῳ φιλεῖ ἐπτοῆσθαι (quoted from Heracleitus), id. ib. 1128 B ἐπτοημένους περὶ τὰ ὄψα, Chrysostom de Sacerdotio c. 1 περὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ (i.e. the theatre) τέρψεις ἐπτοημένον.—For youth in relation to the arts of style cp. Plut. Vit. Demosth. c. 2 (last sentence).
18. ἑρμηνείας: see Gloss., s.v.
καὶ ἔμφρονος δεῖ τῆς πρώτης ἐπιστάσεώς τε καὶ ἀγωγῆς, εἰ
μέλλουσι μὴ πᾶν “ὅ τι κεν ἐπ’ ἀκαιρίμαν γλῶσσαν ἔπος ἔλθῃ”
λέγειν μηδ’ εἰκῇ συνθήσειν τὰ προστυχόντα ἀλλήλοις, ἀλλ’
ἐκλογῇ τε χρήσεσθαι καθαρῶν ἅμα καὶ γενναίων ὀνομάτων καὶ
συνθέσει ταῦτα κοσμήσειν μεμιγμένον ἐχούσῃ τῷ σεμνῷ τὸ 5
ἡδύ. εἰς δὴ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος, ὃ δεῖ πρῶτον νέοις ἀσκεῖσθαι,
“συμβάλλομαί σοι μέλος εἰς ἔρωτα” τὴν περὶ τῆς συνθέσεως
τῶν ὀνομάτων πραγματείαν ὀλίγοις μὲν ἐπὶ νοῦν ἐλθοῦσαν,
ὅσοι τῶν ἀρχαίων ῥητορικὰς ἢ διαλεκτικὰς συνέγραψαν τέχνας,
οὐδενὶ δ’ ἀκριβῶς οὐδ’ ἀποχρώντως μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἐξειργασμένην, 10
ὡς ἐγὼ πείθομαι. ἐὰν δ’ ἐγγένηταί μοι σχολή, καὶ
περὶ τῆς ἐκλογῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων ἑτέραν ἐξοίσω σοι γραφήν,
ἵνα τὸν λεκτικὸν τόπον τελείως ἐξειργασμένον ἔχῃς. ἐκείνην
μὲν οὖν τὴν πραγματείαν εἰς νέωτα πάλιν ὥραις ταῖς αὐταῖς
προσδέχου θεῶν ἡμᾶς φυλαττόντων ἀσινεῖς τε καὶ ἀνόσους, εἰ 15
δήποτε ἡμῖν ἄρα τούτου πέπρωται βεβαίως τυχεῖν· νυνὶ δὲ
ἣν τὸ δαιμόνιον ἐπὶ νοῦν ἤγαγέ μοι πραγματείαν δέχου.
κεφάλαια δ’ αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἃ πρόκειταί μοι δεῖξαι ταῦτα,
τίς τε ἐστὶν ἡ τῆς συνθέσεως φύσις καὶ τίνα ἰσχὺν ἔχει, καὶ
τίνων στοχάζεται καὶ πῶς αὐτῶν τυγχάνει, καὶ τίνες αἱ γενικώταται 20
αὐτῆς εἰσι διαφοραὶ καὶ τίς ἑκάστης χαρακτὴρ καὶ ποίαν
inspiration. Young people need, at the beginning, much prudent[69] oversight and guidance, if they are not to utter
What word soe’er may have sprung
To the tip of an ill-timed tongue,[87]
nor to form at random any chance combinations, but to select pure and noble words, and to place them in the beautiful setting of a composition that unites charm to dignity. So in this department, the first in which the young should exercise themselves, “for love’s service I lend you a strain,”[88] in the shape of this treatise on literary composition. The subject has occurred to but few of all the ancients who have composed manuals of rhetoric or dialectic, and by none has it been, to the best of my belief, accurately or adequately treated up to the present time. If I find leisure, I will produce another book for you—one on the choice of words, in order that you may have the subject of expression exhaustively treated. You may expect that treatise next year at the same festive season, the gods guarding us from accident and disease, if it so be that our destiny has reserved for us the secure attainment of this blessing. But now accept the treatise which my good genius has suggested to me.
The chief heads under which I propose to treat the subject are the following: what is the nature of composition, and where its strength lies; what are its aims and how it attains them; what are its principal varieties, what is the distinctive
1 ἐπιστάσεως EF: ἐπιστασίας PMV 3 μηδὲ PF1V || εἰκῆ sine iota PF2: εἰκεῖ F1 || ἀλλὰ PMV 4 τε χρήσεσθαι s: τε χρήσασθαι PMV: κεχρῆσθαι sine τε EF 5 τῶ σεμνῶ sine iota P: σεμνῶ[ι] cum litura F 6 ἐσ F 7 συμβάλλομέν F || μέλος M. Schmidt: μέρος libri || εἰς F: εἰς τὸν PMV || τὴν (ex τῆς) F,M: τὸν P,V in marg.: τὸ r || τῆς F: om. PMV 8 ὀλίγοις] οὐκ ὀλίγοις V in marg. || ἐλθοῦσαν ἐπινοῦν F 9 ἀρχομένων M || διαλεκτικὰς F: καὶ λεκτικὰς P: καὶ διαλεκτικὰς MV 10 et 11 δὲ PMV 10 ἀποχρώντως οὐδ’ ἀκριβῶς F || οὐδὲ PMV 12 σοι om. F 13 ἔχης P sine iota 15 ἀνούσους P 16 ἄρα om. F 17 δέχου F: προσδέχου PMV 18 δὲ PMV || ταῦτα δεῖξαι F 19 τε om. M 21 τίνες ἑκάστης χαρακτῆρες F
2. The reference is to the indiscretions of an impertinent tongue,—‘Whatever, without rhyme and reason, | Occurs to the tongue out of season’: Lat. quicquid in buccam. Cp. Lucian de conscrib. hist. c. 32 ἀναπλάττοντες ὅ τι κεν ἐπ’ ἀκαιρίμαν γλῶσσαν, φασίν, ἔλθῃ.
4. The κεχρῆσθαι of EF perhaps points to τε χρῆσθαι as the right reading. We should then have λέγειν ... συνθήσειν, χρῆσθαι ... κοσμήσειν: a combination of present and future infinitives which would be in keeping with Dionysius’ love of variety (μεταβολή).
6. “Write νέους. The dative with the passive present, though of course possible, is unlikely in Dionysius. ἀσκῶ can take two accusatives,” H. Richards in Classical Review xix. 252.
7. M. Schmidt’s conjecture μέλος (M. Schmidt Diatribe in Dithyrambum, Berol. 1845) seems to be established by Athenaeus xv. 692 D ἐπεὶ δ’ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ λόγου ἐσμέν, συμβαλοῦμαί τι μέλος ὑμῖν εἰς ἔρωτα, κατὰ τὸν Κυθήριον ποιητήν: cp. ib. vi. 271 B συμβαλοῦμαί τι καὶ αὐτὸς μέλος εἰς ἔρωτα τῷ σοφῷ καὶ φιλτάτῳ Δημοκρίτῳ.—In itself, however, συμβάλλομαι μέρος gives good sense (cp. Plato Legg. 836 D τί μέρος ἡμῖν ξυμβάλλοιτ’ ἂν πρὸς ἀρετήν;); and the repetition of μέρος might be deliberate,—‘to this part of the subject ... I contribute as my part.’—ἔρανον [corrupted into ἔρον, ἔρων, ἔρωτα] might be conjectured in place of ἔρωτα, if any considerable change were needed.
8. In estimating Dionysius’ obligations to his predecessors, it should be noticed that the correct reading here is not οὐκ ὀλίγοις (as in the editions of Reiske and Schaefer) but ὀλίγοις.—For συνθέσεως see Gloss., s.v.
11. Either (1) ἐὰν δ’ ἐγγένηταί μοι (without σχολή), or (2) ἐὰν δὲ γένηταί μοι σχολή, would be more natural. Cp. H. Richards in Classical Review, l.c.
12. Either Dionysius did not fulfil his design, or this treatise on the ‘choice of words’ has been lost. For other lost works of Dionysius see D.H. p. 7.
14. εἰς νέωτα: Hesychius, εἰς τὸ ἐπιὸν ἢ νέον ἔτος. Cp. Theophr. de c. Pl. iii. 16. 2 τὸν εἰς νέωτα καρπόν.
17. τὸ δαιμόνιον: cp. de Demosth. c. 58 ad f. ἐὰν δὲ σῴζῃ τὸ δαιμόνιον ἡμᾶς κτλ.
18. ταῦτα: compare 86 4, 90 15, 100 12, 27, 106 5, and contrast 98 20, 21, 100 16, 17, 18.
κρατίστην αὐτῶν εἶναι πείθομαι, καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις, τί ποτ’
ἐστὶ τὸ ποιητικὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ εὔγλωσσον καὶ μελιχρὸν ἐν ταῖς
ἀκοαῖς, ὃ πέφυκε τῇ συνθέσει τῆς πεζῆς λέξεως παρακολουθεῖν,
ποιητικῆς τε κατασκευῆς τὸν ἀποίητον ἐκμιμουμένης λόγον καὶ
σφόδρα ἐν τῇ μιμήσει κατορθούσης ποῦ τὸ κράτος, καὶ διὰ 5
ποίας ἂν ἐπιτηδεύσεως ἐγγένοιτο ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν. τοιαυτὶ
μὲν δή τινά ἐστιν ὡς τύπῳ περιλαβεῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν μέλλω λέγειν,
ἄρχεται δὲ ἐνθένδ’ ἡ πραγματεία.
