Ἀγαθοῦ Δαίμονος
of the Good Spirit
Translated by William Hutton1 Apr 2001Vetting: high2 revisions
Translation
The ancients had a custom after dinner of drinking 'of the Good Spirit', by taking an extra quaff of unmixed [wine]; and they call this 'of the Good Spirit',1 but when they are ready to depart, 'of Zeus the Savior'. And this is what they called the second [day] of the month.2 But there was also in Thebes a hero-shrine of the Good Spirit.
But others say that the first drinking vessel was called this.3
Aristotle composed a book On the Good in which he delineated the unwritten doctrines of Plato. Aristotle mentions the composition in the first [book] of On the Soul, calling it On Philosophy.4
But others say that the first drinking vessel was called this.3
Aristotle composed a book On the Good in which he delineated the unwritten doctrines of Plato. Aristotle mentions the composition in the first [book] of On the Soul, calling it On Philosophy.4
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀγαθοῦ Δαίμονος· ἔθος εἶχον οἱ παλαιοὶ μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον πίνειν Ἀγαθοῦ Δαίμονος, ἐπιρροφοῦντες ἄκρατον, καὶ τοῦτο λέγειν Ἀγαθοῦ Δαίμονος, χωρίζεσθαι δὲ μέλλοντες, Διὸς Σωτῆρος. καὶ ἡμέραν δὲ τὴν δευτέραν τοῦ μηνὸς οὕτως ἐκάλουν. καὶ ἐν Θήβαις δὲ ἦν ἡρῷον Ἀγαθοῦ Δαίμονος. ἄλλοι δέ φασι τὸ πρῶτον ποτήριον οὕτω λέγεσθαι. ὅτι περὶ τἀγαθοῦ βιβλίον συντάξας Ἀριστοτέλης, τὰς ἀγράφους τοῦ Πλάτωνος δόξας ἐν αὐτῷ κατατάττει. καὶ μέμνηται τοῦ συντάγματος Ἀριστοτέλης ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ περὶ ψυχῆς, ἐπονομάζων αὐτὸ περὶ φιλοσοφίας.
Betacode
*)agaqou= *dai/monos: e)/qos ei)=xon oi( palaioi\ meta\ to\ dei=pnon pi/nein *)agaqou= *dai/monos, e)pirrofou=ntes a)/kraton, kai\ tou=to le/gein *)agaqou= *dai/monos, xwri/zesqai de\ me/llontes, *dio\s *swth=ros. kai\ h(me/ran de\ th\n deute/ran tou= mhno\s ou(/tws e)ka/loun. kai\ e)n *qh/bais de\ h)=n h(rw=|on *)agaqou= *dai/monos. a)/lloi de/ fasi to\ prw=ton poth/rion ou(/tw le/gesqai. o(/ti peri\ ta)gaqou= bibli/on sunta/cas *)aristote/lhs, ta\s a)gra/fous tou= *pla/twnos do/cas e)n au)tw=| katata/ttei. kai\ me/mnhtai tou= sunta/gmatos *)aristote/lhs e)n tw=| prw/tw| peri\ yuxh=s, e)ponoma/zwn au)to\ peri\ filosofi/as.
Notes (4)
- The first paragraph here is paralleled (in general terms) in Photius and other lexica, and also in the scholia to Aristophanes, Peace 300, where this genitive-case phrase occurs.
See also alpha 966. - 1cf. Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 15.675B-C (15.17 Kaibel), where the G.S. is equated, not necessarily correctly, with Dionysos. ↩
- 2cf. Hesychius s.v., and see generally J.D. Mikalson, The Sacred and Civil Calendar of the Athenian Year (Princeton 1975) 15 for this and other evidence and modern discussion (not confined to Athens). ↩
- 3From alpha 966. ↩
- 4Aristotle, de anima 404b19; cf. Alexander of Aphrodisias, Commentaries on Aristotle's Topics 75.32-35. ↩
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Revision history2 revisions · last 22 Dec 2011
- augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added notes; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — William Hutton