Ἔνθεσις
mouthful
Translated by David Whitehead4 May 2007Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] bit, morsel. Aristophanes [writes]: "if only you would disgorge the mouthful as easily as you found [it]". In reference to those who have enjoyed unexpected esteem. The "you found" [part], that of overcoming something by labour and toil, is1 proof of the judgement and discrimination of the labourer; but "to find" is simply a matter of contingent good luck, and not2 an instance of the judgement of the finder. Thus [the phrase is used] not of someone who has succeeded in what he achieved by foresight, but simply of someone who found a finding.