CHAPTER XXIV HARMONIOUSLY-BLENDED, OR INTERMEDIATE, COMPOSITION

The third kind of composition is the mean between the two already mentioned. I call it harmoniously blended for lack of a proper and better name. It has no form peculiar to itself, but is a sort of judicious blend of the two others and a selection from the most effective features of each. This kind, it seems to me, deserves to win the first prize; for it is a sort of mean, and excellence in life and conduct [and the arts] is a mean, according to Aristotle and the other philosophers of his school. As I said before, it is to be viewed not narrowly but broadly. It has many specific varieties. Those who have adopted it have not all had the same

1 δὲ PMV: δὴ F || εὐπρεπείας P   2 τε om. P   3 ἔχων τι] ἔχοντι P || περιφερὲς F: περιφανὲς PMV || καὶ εὐθύγραμμον F   4 ἄκρως F: ἄκραις PMV   5 πολὺ F: οἱ πολὺ PM: οἱ πολλοὶ V   7 συντελεῖται cum rasura P   8 δοκῶ FP: μοι δοκῶ MV   9 συνθέσεως FP: θέσεως MV   10 τρίτη EF: τρίτη τε PMV || δυεῖν FPM: δυοῖν V   11 εὔκρατον F: κοινὴν PMV || σπάνει τε PMV: ἐγὼ ἀντὶ F: τε delevit Usenerus || τε F: om. PMV   12 δή P || πως PMV: ὡς EF || ἐκείνων] ἐκείνου F   13 ἑκατέραι P || κρατίστων] κρατίστη· ὧν F: κρατίστων· ὧν E   14 αὐτὴ PV   15 τις ἐστὶ E: τις F: ἐστι PMV   16 καὶ τεχνῶν om. FE   17 ὅσοι] οἳ F || αἴρεσιν FP || δὲ PMVE   19 εἰδικὰς EF: ἰδίας PMV

8. καὶ: i.e. ‘by going through details as well (as by taking this general view).’

9. This chapter (c. 23) should be compared throughout with chapter 40 of the de Demosth., which begins ἡ δὲ μετὰ ταύτην ἡ γλαφυρὰ καὶ θεατρικὴ καὶ τὸ κομψὸν αἱρουμένη πρὸ τοῦ σεμνοῦ τοιαύτη, κτλ.

10. The treatment of the third harmony in this chapter seems somewhat curt and vague.

12. The third style (Dionysius means) has no special character of its own: it is a combination of the best things in the two others: this, in fact, constitutes its superiority, since, according to Aristotle, virtue is a mean (Aristot. Eth. Nic. ii. 5, 1106 b 27 μεσότης τις ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ἀρετή, στοχαστική γε οὖσα τοῦ μέσου).

13. ἐκλογή τις τῶν ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ κρατίστων: it is interesting to find Homer represented ( 248 8-10) as a kind of eclectic in style. There are many indications that Dionysius regards him as a diligent literary craftsman. See generally de Demosth. c. 41 init. τῆς δὲ τρίτης ἁρμονίας ... ῥήτορες.

16. καὶ τεχνῶν: it may possibly be better to bracket these words, as they are omitted by F as well as by E. But their retention would not be inconsistent with Aristotelian doctrine. Cp. Eth. Nic. ii. 5, 1106 b 8 εἰ δὴ πᾶσα ἐπιστήμη οὕτω τὸ ἔργον εὖ ἐπιτελεῖ, πρὸς τὸ μέσον βλέπουσα καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἄγουσα τὰ ἔργα (ὅθεν εἰώθασιν ἐπιλέγειν τοῖς εὖ ἔχουσιν ἔργοις ὅτι οὔτ’ ἀφελεῖν ἔστιν οὔτε προσθεῖναι, ὡς τῆς μὲν ὑπερβολῆς καὶ τῆς ἐλλείψεως φθειρούσης τὸ εὖ, τῆς δὲ μεσότητος σῳζούσης, οἱ δ’ ἀγαθοὶ τεχνῖται, ὡς λέγομεν, πρὸς τοῦτο βλέποντες ἐργάζονται), ἡ δ’ ἀρετὴ πάσης τέχνης ἀκριβεστέρα καὶ ἀμείνων ἐστίν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ φύσις, τοῦ μέσου ἂν εἴη στοχαστική. Reference may also be made to Politics iii. 13, 1284 b 7-13, and to Eth. Eud. ii. 1220 b 21 ἐν ἅπαντι συνεχεῖ καὶ διαιρετῷ ἐστιν ὑπεροχὴ καὶ ἔλλειψις καὶ μέσον, καὶ ταῦτα ἢ πρὸς ἄλληλα ἢ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, οἷον ἐν γυμναστικῇ, ἐν ἰατρικῇ, ἐν οἰκοδομικῇ, ἐν κυβερνητικῇ, καὶ ἐν ὁποιᾳοῦν πράξει, καὶ ἐπιστημονικῇ καὶ ἀνεπιστημονικῇ, καὶ τεχνικῇ καὶ ἀτέχνῳ, κτλ.

18. πρότερον: cp. 210 6-10.

19. Batteux (p. 257) well explains Dionysius’ meaning, and suggests the names of certain French authors who may be held to exemplify and adorn the ‘mean’ (‘middle’) style: “Denys d’Halicarnasse observe avec justesse que le mélange des deux extrêmes dans la composition mixte ne se fait pas dans un milieu précis, mais avec une certaine latitude; qu’on ne pouvait être plus près et plus loin de l’un des deux extrêmes; que le même auteur pouvait l’être plus dans une partie de son ouvrage, et l’être moins dans une autre partie. C’est ce que nous venons d’observer dans l’oraison funèbre de M. de Turenne, et qu’ainsi il n’est pas aisé de fixer avec précision la place des auteurs qui tiennent le milieu entre les deux compositions. Avec cette restriction, nous pouvons placer dans le milieu Fénelon, Racine, Despréaux, Molière, La Fontaine, Voltaire, qui ont les deux mérites de la force et de l’élégance, qui ont les nerfs et la grâce, les fruits et les fleurs.”

αὐτῇ οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ πάντες οὐδ’ ὁμοίως ἐπετήδευσαν, ἀλλ’
οἱ μὲν ταῦτα μᾶλλον, οἱ δ’ ἐκεῖνα, ἐπέτεινάν τε καὶ ἀνῆκαν
ἄλλως ἄλλοι τὰ αὐτά, καὶ πάντες ἐγένοντο λόγου ἄξιοι κατὰ
πάσας τὰς ἰδέας τῶν λόγων. κορυφὴ μὲν οὖν ἁπάντων καὶ
σκοπός,      5

ἐξ οὗ περ πάντες ποταμοὶ καὶ πᾶσα θάλασσα
καὶ πᾶσαι κρῆναι,

δικαίως ἂν Ὅμηρος λέγοιτο. πᾶς γὰρ αὐτῷ τόπος, ὅτου τις
ἂν ἅψηται, ταῖς τε αὐστηραῖς καὶ ταῖς γλαφυραῖς ἁρμονίαις
εἰς ἄκρον διαπεποίκιλται. τῶν δ’ ἄλλων ὅσοι τὴν αὐτὴν      10
μεσότητα ἐπετήδευσαν, ὕστεροι μὲν Ὁμήρου μακρῷ παρ’
ἐκεῖνον ἐξεταζόμενοι φαίνοιντ’ ἄν, καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς δὲ εἰ θεωροίη
τις αὐτούς, ἀξιοθέατοι, μελοποιῶν μὲν Στησίχορός τε καὶ
Ἀλκαῖος, τραγῳδοποιῶν δὲ Σοφοκλῆς, συγγραφέων δὲ Ἡρόδοτος,
ῥητόρων δὲ Δημοσθένης, φιλοσόφων δὲ κατ’ ἐμὴν δόξαν Δημόκριτός      15
τε καὶ Πλάτων καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης· τούτων γὰρ
ἑτέρους εὑρεῖν ἀμήχανον ἄμεινον κεράσαντας τοὺς λόγους. καὶ
περὶ μὲν τῶν χαρακτήρων ταῦθ’ ἱκανά. παραδείγματα γὰρ
τούτων οὐκ οἴομαι δεῖν φέρειν, φανερῶν πάνυ ὄντων καὶ οὐδὲν
δεομένων λόγου.      20

εἰ δέ τινι δοκεῖ καὶ πόνου πολλοῦ ταῦτα καὶ πραγματείας

[249]

aims nor the same methods; some have made more use of this method, others of that; while the same methods have been pursued with less or greater vigour by different writers, who have yet all achieved eminence in the various walks of literature. Now he who towers conspicuous above them all,

Out of whose fulness all rivers, and every sea, have birth,
And all upleaping fountains,[179]

is, we must admit, Homer. For whatever passage you like to take in him has had its manifold charms brought to perfection by a union of the severe and the polished forms of arrangement. Of the other writers who have cultivated the same golden mean, all will be found to be far inferior to Homer when measured by his standard, but still men of eminence when regarded in themselves: among lyric poets Stesichorus and Alcaeus, among tragedians Sophocles, among historians Herodotus, among orators Demosthenes, and among philosophers (in my opinion) Democritus, Plato, and Aristotle. It is impossible to find authors who have succeeded better in blending their writings into harmonious wholes. As regards types of composition the foregoing remarks will suffice. I do not think it necessary to quote specimen passages from the authors just mentioned, since they are known to all and need no illustration.

Now if any one thinks that these things are worth much toil

8 ἂν om. F || ὅτου EF: ὅπου M: τὸ οὗ P   9 ἅψοιτο EF || ταῖς γλαφυραῖς] ἀνθηραῖς EF   10 αὐτὴν EF: αὐτὴν ἐκείνωι P, MV   11 μὲν] μέντοι EF   13 Στησίχορος ... τραγῳδοποιῶν δὲ om. F   16 γὰρ F: δὲ PMV   19 φέρειν om. F   21 τινι MV (τῳ Demosth.): τι μοι F: τις P

5. Homer is a beacon (a watchtower) set upon a hill.—The close correspondence between Dionysius and Quintilian has often been illustrated in these notes; and with the present page should be compared Quintil. x. 1. 46 “igitur, ut Aratus ab Iove incipiendum putat, ita nos rite coepturi ab Homero videmur. hic enim, quemadmodum ex Oceano dicit ipse amnium fontiumque cursus initium capere, omnibus eloquentiae partibus exemplum et ortum dedit.”

10. Neither here nor elsewhere does Dionysius say anything about the poets of the Epic Cycle. Attention is called to his silence by T. W. Allen in the Classical Quarterly ii. 87.

13. Stesichorus: cp. de Imitat. B. vi. 2 ὅρα δὲ καὶ Στησίχορον ἔν τε τοῖς ἑκατέρων τῶν προειρημένων πλεονεκτήμασι κατορθοῦντα, κτλ.; Long. de Sublim. xiii. 3 (as to Stesichorus, Herodotus and Plato, in relation to Homer) μόνος Ἡρόδοτος Ὁμηρικώτατος ἐγένετο; Στησίχορος ἔτι πρότερον ὅ τε Ἀρχίλοχος, πάντων τε τούτων μάλιστα ὁ Πλάτων ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὁμηρικοῦ κείνου νάματος εἰς αὑτὸν μυρίας ὅσας παρατροπὰς ἀποχετευσάμενος.

14. Alcaeus: de Imitat. B. vi. 2 Ἀλκαίου δὲ σκόπει τὸ μεγαλοφυὲς καὶ βραχὺ καὶ ἡδὺ μετὰ δεινότητος κτλ.; Quintil. x. 1. 63 “Alcaeus in parte operis aureo plectro merito donatur, qua tyrannos insectatus multum etiam moribus confert; in eloquendo quoque brevis et magnificus et diligens et plerumque oratori similis: sed et lusit et in amores descendit, maioribus tamen aptior.”

Sophocles: Σοφοκλῆς δὲ ἔν τε τοῖς ἤθεσι καὶ τοῖς πάθεσι κτλ. (de Imitat., ut supra).

Herodotus: cp. D.H. pp. 10, 11, 12, etc.

15. Demosthenes: cp. D.H. pp. 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 23, etc., and Demetr. pp. 11, 12, etc.

Democritus: cp. Cic. Orat. 20, 67 “itaque video visum esse nonnullis, Platonis et Democriti locutionem, etsi absit a versu, tamen, quod incitatius feratur et clarissimis verborum luminibus utatur, potius poëma putandum quam comicorum poëtarum”; id. de Orat. i. 49 “quam ob rem, si ornate locutus est, sicut et fertur et mihi videtur, physicus ille Demokritus, materies illa fuit physici, de qua dixit, ornatus vero ipse verborum oratoris putandus est”; id. ib. i. 42 “Democritii ... ornati homines in dicendo et graves.”

16. Plato: cp. D.H. pp. 16, 19, 27-30, 36, etc. and Demetr. pp. 12, 13, 14, etc.

Aristotle: cp. de Imitat. B. vi. 4 παραληπτέον δὲ καὶ Ἀριστοτέλην εἰς μίμησιν τῆς τε περὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν δεινότητος καὶ τῆς σαφηνείας, καὶ τοῦ ἡδέος καὶ πολυμαθοῦς· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔστι μάλιστα παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου λαβεῖν.

μεγάλης ἄξια εἶναι, καὶ μάλα ὀρθῶς δοκεῖ κατὰ τὸν
Δημοσθένην· ἀλλ’ ἐὰν λογίσηται τοὺς ἐξακολουθοῦντας αὐτοῖς
κατορθουμένοις ἐπαίνους καὶ τὸν καρπὸν τὸν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ὡς
γλυκύς, εὐπαθείας ἡγήσεται τοὺς πόνους. Ἐπικουρείων δὲ
χορόν, οἷς οὐδὲν μέλει τούτων, παραιτοῦμαι· τὸ γὰρ “οὐκ      5
ἐπιπόνου τοῦ γράφειν ὄντος,” ὡς αὐτὸς Ἐπίκουρος λέγει, “τοῖς
μὴ στοχαζομένοις τοῦ πυκνὰ μεταπίπτοντος κριτηρίου” πολλῆς
ἀργίας ἦν καὶ σκαιότητος ἀλεξιφάρμακον.