Δημοχάρης
Demochares
Translated by David Whitehead7 Oct 2001Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
A nephew of Demosthenes.1 Concerning him, Timaios2 says that, having acted like a rent-boy with the upper parts of his body he was unworthy to blow the sacred flame,3 and that in his [sexual] habits he had surpassed the handbooks of Botrys and Philainis and the other writers of obscenities.4 Polybius says against Timaios: these scurrilous assertions and insinuations no educated man would put forward - and not even someone selling his body in a brothel. But Timaios, so as not even to appear trustworthy in his libel and in his scandalous behaviour generally, has told another lie against the man, dragging in as his witness some worthless comic poet.5 In fact Demochares was considered worthy, by the Athenians, of election as general and of other honours, in none of which could he have been successful if he was wrestling with such disadvantages.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Δημοχάρης· ἀδελφιδοῦς Δημοσθένους. περὶ οὗ Τίμαιός φησιν ἡταιρηκέναι μὲν τοῖς ἄνω μέρεσι τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ εἶναι δὲ ἄξιον τὸ ἱερὸν πῦρ φυσᾶν, ὑπερβεβηκέναι δὲ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τὰ Βότρυος ὑπομνήματα καὶ τὰ Φιλαινίδος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀναισχυντότερα γράφων. Πολύβιος δὲ λέγει πρὸς Τίμαιον· ταύτην δὲ τὴν λοιδορίαν καὶ τὰς ἐμφάσεις οὐχ οἷον ἄν τις διέθετο πεπαιδευμένος ἀνήρ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν ἀπὸ τέγους ἄχρι τοῦ σώματος εἰργασμένων οὐδείς. οὐδ' ἵνα πιστὸς φανῇ κατὰ τὴν αἰσχρολογίαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀναισχυντίαν, καὶ προσκατέψευσται τἀνδρός, κωμικόν τινα μάρτυρα προσεπισπασάμενος ἀνώνυμον. ἠξιώθη δὲ ὁ Δημοχάρης καὶ στρατηγίας παρ' Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τιμῶν, ὧν οὐδὲν αὐτῷ συνεξέδραμε, τοιαύταις ἀτυχίαις παλαίοντι.
Betacode
*dhmoxa/rhs: a)delfidou=s *dhmosqe/nous. peri\ ou(= *ti/maio/s fhsin h(tairhke/nai me\n toi=s a)/nw me/resi tou= sw/matos, ou)k ei)=nai de\ a)/cion to\ i(ero\n pu=r fusa=n, u(perbebhke/nai de\ toi=s e)pithdeu/masi ta\ *bo/truos u(pomnh/mata kai\ ta\ *filaini/dos kai\ tw=n a)/llwn a)naisxunto/tera gra/fwn. *polu/bios de\ le/gei pro\s *ti/maion: tau/thn de\ th\n loidori/an kai\ ta\s e)mfa/seis ou)x oi(=on a)/n tis die/qeto pepaideume/nos a)nh/r, a)ll' ou)de\ tw=n a)po\ te/gous a)/xri tou= sw/matos ei)rgasme/nwn ou)dei/s. ou)d' i(/na pisto\s fanh=| kata\ th\n ai)sxrologi/an kai\ th\n a)/llhn a)naisxunti/an, kai\ proskate/yeustai ta)ndro/s, kwmiko/n tina ma/rtura prosepispasa/menos a)nw/numon. h)ciw/qh de\ o( *dhmoxa/rhs kai\ strathgi/as par' *)aqhnai/ois kai\ tw=n a)/llwn timw=n, w(=n ou)de\n au)tw=| sunece/drame, toiau/tais a)tuxi/ais palai/onti.
Notes (5)
- c.360-275 BC. See generally OCD(4) s.v. (p.434); FGrH 75. The present entry derives from Polybius 12.13.1-5.↩
- 1For whom see generally delta 454, delta 455, delta 456. ↩
- 2FGrH 566 F35. ↩
- 3See further on this at omega 263; and cf. eta 617. ↩
- 4Cf. beta 411, (phi 307). ↩
- 5Cf. epsilon 1069, epsilon 1070. The poet, mentioned later, is Archedicus.
References
G. Marasco, Democare di Leuconoe (Florence 1984)
Linked from6 entries
- α4261ἈστυάνασσαAstyanassaHandmaid of Menelaus' wife Helen; [the one] who first invented the sexual positions and wrote about forms of sexual intercourse; Philainis and Elephantine later imitated her, women who acted out such vulgarities in…
- β93Βάναυσοςvulgar, mechanical, banausic, plebeian"As regards his administration, the things he took pride in were those in which a vulgar tax-collector would take pride. For he used to boast about the fact that there was a lot of profitable trade in the city and that…
- β411Βοτρυοσταγῆ ἔρνηshoots dripping with grapes"[That he] had surpassed in his practices the works of Botrys and those of Philaenis and others who wrote more shamefully."
- ε555Ἐκ παντὸς ξύλουout of every timber[sc. This version of the proverb] leaves out "something light might come". It is also said of things easily despised when seen, but necessary. But others [say that it relates] to things which have the reputation of…
- ε1069Ἔμφασινimpression[Meaning] pretence, thought; or size. Polybius [writes]: "Philip retreated in confusion, creating an impression that he had returned for one of the operations in the Peloponnese". "This defence [read: abuse] and…
- ε1070Ἔμφασιςimpression[Meaning] display. Polybius [writes]: "this abuse and impressions no educated man would have proffered, nor even one selling his body in a brothel. But [Timaeus], in order to gain credence for his shameful words and the…
Neighbouring entries
Revision history6 revisions · last 3 Aug 2014
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- more keywords — David Whitehead
- added keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, added keywords, set status — William Hutton
- added keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — David Whitehead