Xenophon, Memorabilia

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Xenophon, Memorabilia

Editions and translations: Greek | English
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V. But if Self-control too is a fair and noble possession, let us now consider whether he led men up to that virtue by discourse like the following:

“My friends, if we were at war and wanted to choose a leader most capable of helping us to save ourselves and conquer the enemy, should we choose one whom we knew to be the slave of the belly, or of wine, or lust, or sleep? How could we expect that such an one would either save us or defeat the enemy? [2] Or if at the end of our life we should wish to appoint a guardian to educate our boys or protect our girls or to take care of our goods, should we think a loose liver a trustworthy man to choose? Should we entrust live stock or storehouses or the management of works to a vicious slave? Should we be willing to take as a gift a page or an errandboy with such a character? [3] Surely then, if we should refuse a vicious slave, the master must look to it that he does not grow vicious himself? For whereas the covetous, by robbing other men of their goods, seem to enrich themselves, a vicious man reaps no advantage from the harm he does to others. If he is a worker of mischief to others, he brings much greater mischief on himself, if indeed the greatest mischief of all is to ruin not one's home merely, but the body and the soul. [4] In social intercourse what pleasure could you find in such a man, knowing that he prefers your sauces and your wines to your friends, and likes the women¹ better than the company? Should not every man hold self-control to be the foundation of all virtue, and first lay this foundation firmly in his soul? [5] For who without this can learn any good or practise it worthily? Or what man that is the slave of his pleasures is not in an evil plight body and soul alike? From my heart I declare that every free man should pray not to have such a man among his slaves; and every man who is a slave to such pleasures should entreat the gods to give him good masters: thus, and only thus, may he find salvation.”

[6] Such were his words; but his own self-control was shown yet more clearly by his deeds than by his words. For he kept in subjection not only the pleasures of the body, but those too that money brings, in the belief that he who takes money from any casual giver puts himself under a master and endures the basest form of slavery.

¹ Employed to entertain the guests at the banquet.

There are a total of 38 comments on and cross references to this page.

Cross references from Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges:
1394 [GENITIVE OF SEPARATION]: tôn allôn aphairoumenoi chrêmata
2353 [PROTASIS AND APODOSIS COMBINED]
1069 [COMPARATIVE]: douleuein douleian oudemias hêtton aischran

Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
420 [Der Genetiv zugleich als Vertreter des Ablativs.]
462 [Weglassung des Artikels.]
411 [Doppelter Akkusativ.]
417 [Fortsetzung.]
417 [Fortsetzung.]

Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
483 [Weglassung des Partizips ôn.]
500 [Konfirmatives dê.]
560 [Optativ ohne und mit an.]
577 [Bemerkungen über besondere Eigentümlichkeiten des hypothetischen Satzgefüges.]
545 [b) Grund. Gar.]
577 [Bemerkungen über besondere Eigentümlichkeiten des hypothetischen Satzgefüges.]
509 [Ge (dor., böot., elisch ga)).]
589 [Von den Satzfragen.]
510 [Die Modaladverbien der Negation ou und mê).]
541 [Bemerkungen über den Gebrauch des ê und des Genetivs bei dem Komparative.]

Cross references from T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8:
8, 46, 1

Cross references from Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898):
omen [Omen]

Cross references from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890) (eds. William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin):
v1p48 [Section of the same.]

Cross references from William Watson Goodwin, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb:
361 [Object Infinitive and Indirect Questions.]
587 [hôste with the Infinitive.]
713 [Section IX: Causal Sentences.]
800 [Infinitive with tou, tôi, and to, as a Noun, in various Constructions.]
770 [Infinitive of Purpose.]
374 [Clauses with mê after Verbs of Fearing, etc.]
506 [III. Potential Optative or Indicative (with an) in the Protasis.]

Cross references from Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek:
42, 542 [Names of gods in oaths. ]

Cross references from James Adam, The Republic of Plato:
2, 373A

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This text is based on the following book(s):
Xenophon. Xenophon in Seven Volumes, 4. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; William Heinemann, Ltd., London. 1979.
OCLC: 7127629
ISBN: 0674991869

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