Δεξιός
clever
Translated by George Pesely22 Oct 2000Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
The well-educated [man].
Also [sc. attested is the plural] dexioi, the well-educated [men].1
Aristophanes [writes]: "turning around always to the more comfortable side is the mark of a clever man, a natural Theramenes."2 This Theramenes was one of those active in politics. [Aristophanes] is mocking him for being changeable and adapting himself to the situation. This Theramenes3 was a teacher of Isocrates; [he was the] son of Hagnon, of the deme of Steiria. He committed many crimes, but two are the greatest and most shocking: the arraignment of the generals [who had been in command] at Arginousai, which he contrived together with Kallixenos,4 and the establishment of the Thirty upon the overthrow of the democracy.5 And so he met a death worthy of his course of life, for he was done away with by the Thirty themselves, after Kritias had condemned him.6 And some say that after fleeing to the altar he was dragged away.7 On account of the instability of his character they were accustomed to stigmatize him as "Kothornos" since he offered himself to either faction of those opposing one another in politics, catering to the opportunities and preferring his own advantage to keeping faith, inasmuch as the kothornos fits men and women as footwear.8 It appears that he also voted for the three penalties, to be exposed in stocks or to drink poison or to go into exile.9 He appears to be from the island of Keos, and not to be a genuine son of Hagnon, but adopted. Thucydides praises him.10 And [Aristophanes] attacks them as robbers.11
Also [sc. attested is the plural] dexioi, the well-educated [men].1
Aristophanes [writes]: "turning around always to the more comfortable side is the mark of a clever man, a natural Theramenes."2 This Theramenes was one of those active in politics. [Aristophanes] is mocking him for being changeable and adapting himself to the situation. This Theramenes3 was a teacher of Isocrates; [he was the] son of Hagnon, of the deme of Steiria. He committed many crimes, but two are the greatest and most shocking: the arraignment of the generals [who had been in command] at Arginousai, which he contrived together with Kallixenos,4 and the establishment of the Thirty upon the overthrow of the democracy.5 And so he met a death worthy of his course of life, for he was done away with by the Thirty themselves, after Kritias had condemned him.6 And some say that after fleeing to the altar he was dragged away.7 On account of the instability of his character they were accustomed to stigmatize him as "Kothornos" since he offered himself to either faction of those opposing one another in politics, catering to the opportunities and preferring his own advantage to keeping faith, inasmuch as the kothornos fits men and women as footwear.8 It appears that he also voted for the three penalties, to be exposed in stocks or to drink poison or to go into exile.9 He appears to be from the island of Keos, and not to be a genuine son of Hagnon, but adopted. Thucydides praises him.10 And [Aristophanes] attacks them as robbers.11
Greek original · Adler’s text
Δεξιός· ὁ εὐπαίδευτος. καὶ Δεξιοί, οἱ εὐπαίδευτοι. Ἀριστοφάνης· τὸ δὲ μεταστρέφεσθ' ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ μαλθακώτερον, δεξιοῦ πρὸς ἀνδρός ἐστι, καὶ φύσει Θηραμένους. οὗτος ὁ Θηραμένης τῶν τὰ πολιτικὰ πραττόντων ἦν. σκώπτει δὲ αὐτὸν ὡς εὐμετάβολον ὄντα καὶ πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν ἁρμόζοντα. ὁ δὲ Θηραμένης οὗτος διδάσκαλος Ἰσοκράτους, Ἅγνωνος παῖς, Στιριεὺς τῶν δήμων. τούτῳ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα παρανενόμηται, δύο δὲ τὰ μέγιστα καὶ σχετλιώτατα, ἥ τε τῶν ἐν Ἀργεννούσῃ στρατηγῶν ἀπαγωγή, ἣν αὐτὸς συνεστήσατο μετὰ Καλλιξένους, καὶ ἡ τῶν λʹ ἐπὶ καταλύσει τοῦ δήμου κατάστασις. τοιγάρτοι τῆς τοῦ βίου προαιρέσεως ἐπαξίως τῆς τελευτῆς ἔτυχεν· ὑπὸ γὰρ αὐτῶν τῶν λʹ ἀνῃρέθη, Κριτίου κρίναντος αὐτόν. ἔνιοι δέ φασι καὶ καταφυγόντα ἐπὶ τὴν ἑστίαν ἀποσπασθῆναι. τοῦτον διὰ τὴν ποικιλίαν τοῦ ἤθους Κόθορνον ἀπεκάλουν, ἐπειδὴ ἑκατέρᾳ στάσει τῇ τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων ἑαυτὸν παρετίθει, καθομιλῶν πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ἑαυτῷ τοῦ πιστοῦ προτάσσων, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ κόθορνος ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναιξὶ πρὸς τὰς ὑποδέσεις ἁρμόττει. δοκεῖ δὲ οὗτος καὶ τὰ τρία ψηφίσασθαι ἐπιζήμια, ἢ δημεύεσθαι ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ ἢ πιεῖν κώνειον ἢ ἐκφυγεῖν. δοκεῖ δὲ οὗτος ἀπὸ Κέω τῆς νήσου εἶναι, οὐκ εἶναι δὲ γνήσιος, ἀλλὰ ποιητὸς υἱὸς τοῦ Ἅγνωνος. ὁ δὲ Θουκυδίδης αὐτὸν ἐπαινεῖ. καὶ διαβάλλει αὐτοὺς ὡς ἅρπαγας.
Betacode
*decio/s: o( eu)pai/deutos. kai\ *decioi/, oi( eu)pai/deutoi. *)aristofa/nhs: to\ de\ metastre/fesq' a)ei\ pro\s to\ malqakw/teron, deciou= pro\s a)ndro/s e)sti, kai\ fu/sei *qhrame/nous. ou(=tos o( *qhrame/nhs tw=n ta\ politika\ pratto/ntwn h)=n. skw/ptei de\ au)to\n w(s eu)meta/bolon o)/nta kai\ pro\s to\n kairo\n a(rmo/zonta. o( de\ *qhrame/nhs ou(=tos dida/skalos *)isokra/tous, *(/agnwnos pai=s, *stirieu\s tw=n dh/mwn. tou/tw| polla\ me\n kai\ a)/lla paraneno/mhtai, du/o de\ ta\ me/gista kai\ sxetliw/tata, h(/ te tw=n e)n *)argennou/sh| strathgw=n a)pagwgh/, h(\n au)to\s sunesth/sato meta\ *kallice/nous, kai\ h( tw=n l# e)pi\ katalu/sei tou= dh/mou kata/stasis. toiga/rtoi th=s tou= bi/ou proaire/sews e)paci/ws th=s teleuth=s e)/tuxen: u(po\ ga\r au)tw=n tw=n l# a)nh|re/qh, *kriti/ou kri/nantos au)to/n. e)/nioi de/ fasi kai\ katafugo/nta e)pi\ th\n e(sti/an a)pospasqh=nai. tou=ton dia\ th\n poikili/an tou= h)/qous *ko/qornon a)peka/loun, e)peidh\ e(kate/ra| sta/sei th=| tw=n a)ntipoliteuome/nwn e(auto\n pareti/qei, kaqomilw=n pro\s tou\s kairou\s kai\ to\ sumfe/ron e(autw=| tou= pistou= prota/sswn, e)peidh\ kai\ o( ko/qornos a)ndra/si kai\ gunaici\ pro\s ta\s u(pode/seis a(rmo/ttei. dokei= de\ ou(=tos kai\ ta\ tri/a yhfi/sasqai e)pizh/mia, h)\ dhmeu/esqai e)n tw=| cu/lw| h)\ piei=n kw/neion h)\ e)kfugei=n. dokei= de\ ou(=tos a)po\ *ke/w th=s nh/sou ei)=nai, ou)k ei)=nai de\ gnh/sios, a)lla\ poihto\s ui(o\s tou= *(/agnwnos. o( de\ *qoukudi/dhs au)to\n e)painei=. kai\ diaba/llei au)tou\s w(s a(/rpagas.
Notes (11)
- See also delta 232, delta 233.↩
- 1(Again at delta 239.) From the scholia to Aristophanes, Frogs 1370. ↩
- 2Aristophanes, Frogs 538-541, with scholion. ↩
- 3For this material see already alpha 3764. ↩
- 4See Xenophon, Hellenica 1.7.4-35. ↩
- 5cf. Lysias 12.72-77 and Xenophon, Hellenica 2.3.1-2, 11-56. ↩
- 6A summary of this sentence reappears at kappa 2448 (under a non-existent headword). ↩
- 7Xenophon, Hellenica 2.3.52-55. ↩
- 8Xenophon, Hellenica 2.3.30-31, 47; cf. kappa 1909. ↩
- 9So the scholia to Aristophanes, Frogs 541. ↩
- 10Thucydides 8.68.4. ↩
- 11So the scholia to Aristophanes, Birds 1111. This is a comment on a line in which "they" are greedy Athenians in general; it is difficult to see what relevance this has to the present entry.
References
A. Andrewes, "The Arginousai Trial," Phoenix 28 (1974) 112-22
Peter Krentz, The Thirty at Athens. Ithaca and London, 1982
G.E. Pesely, "Hagnon," Athenaeum 67 (1989) 191-209
K.K. Smith, "The Use of the High-Soled Shoe or Buskin in Greek Tragedy of the Fifth and Fourth Centuries B.C.," Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 16 (1905) 121-64
Peter Krentz, The Thirty at Athens. Ithaca and London, 1982
G.E. Pesely, "Hagnon," Athenaeum 67 (1989) 191-209
K.K. Smith, "The Use of the High-Soled Shoe or Buskin in Greek Tragedy of the Fifth and Fourth Centuries B.C.," Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 16 (1905) 121-64
Linked from5 entries
- α3069Ἄπεστινis awayMeaning [he/she/it] is removed. Aristophanes [writes]: "he is away in Thrace guarding Eucrates." This man was a general of the Athenians, [also] called Stygax, a bribe-taker and a traitor who was killed by the Thirty.…
- α3764Ἀργέου υἱόςArgeas' son"And somehow the son of Argeas, contrary to the blow he intended, unfortunately struck his brother's chest [with his spear] and killed him." "Many other sins were committed by Theramenes, the teacher of Isocrates, but…
- δ232Δεξιός[on the] right [side], dexterous, courteous[Meaning] well-disposed, good, friendly. Also [sc. attested is the comparative] deciw/teros, meaning good. "And [he] bade anyone of them who [was] right and merciful to take courage." And decioi/ is what they used to…
- δ233Δεξιόςclever, fortunateAlso [meaning] one with aptitude. "In the time of Justinian, there was one Peter called Barsumês who sat at the money-exchange table and took shameful profits from this work, contriving rather well the theft in the case…
- δ239Δεξιοίclever[Meaning] those who are well-educated.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 18 Jun 2012
- augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- more keywords — David Whitehead
- added a note; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- augmented notes; added keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — George Pesely