Μᾶλλον ὁ Φρύξ
rather the Phrygian
Translated by David Whitehead19 Sep 2001Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
The proverb [arose] from the following: when the Seven Sages were asked by Croesus which living thing was happiest, some of them replied "wild beasts, for they die in defence of their independence"; others [said] "storks, for they have a natural justice apart from law";1 and Solon [said] "nobody -- until the day of his death".2 Aesop the Phrygian,3 the storyteller, was nearby and said "you [Croesus] surpass others as much as the sea surpasses rivers". When Croesus heard this he said "rather the Phrygian".
Greek original · Adler’s text
Μᾶλλον ὁ Φρύξ· ἡ παροιμία ἐνθένδε· οἱ ζʹ σοφοὶ ἐρωτώμενοι ὑπὸ Κροίσου, τίς τῶν ὄντων εὐδαιμονέστατος, οἱ μὲν ἀπεκρίναντο τὰ ἄγρια ζῷα· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῆς αὐτονομίας ἀποθνήσκει· οἱ δὲ πελαργούς· δίχα γὰρ νόμου τῇ φύσει τὸ δίκαιον ἔχουσι· Σόλων δέ, οὐδένα πρὸ τῆς τελευταίας ἡμέρας. παρεστὼς δὲ Αἴσωπος ὁ Φρύξ, ὁ λογοποιός, τοσοῦτον, εἶπεν, ὑπερέχεις τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσον θάλασσα ποταμῶν. ἀκούσας δὲ Κροῖσος εἶπε, μᾶλλον ὁ Φρύξ.
Betacode
*ma=llon o( *fru/c: h( paroimi/a e)nqe/nde: oi( z# sofoi\ e)rwtw/menoi u(po\ *kroi/sou, ti/s tw=n o)/ntwn eu)daimone/statos, oi( me\n a)pekri/nanto ta\ a)/gria zw=|a: u(pe\r ga\r th=s au)tonomi/as a)poqnh/skei: oi( de\ pelargou/s: di/xa ga\r no/mou th=| fu/sei to\ di/kaion e)/xousi: *so/lwn de/, ou)de/na pro\ th=s teleutai/as h(me/ras. parestw\s de\ *ai)/swpos o( *fru/c, o( logopoio/s, tosou=ton, ei)=pen, u(pere/xeis tw=n a)/llwn, o(/son qa/lassa potamw=n. a)kou/sas de\ *kroi=sos ei)=pe, ma=llon o( *fru/c.
Notes (3)
- This proverb is also in Photius (mu78 Theodoridis, from Pausanias the Atticist) and the paroemiographers (e.g. Zenobius 5.16).
For "Aesop the Phrgyian", and Croesus, see generally alphaiota 334. For the Seven Sages see OCD(4) s.v. - 1For this belief cf. pi 931. ↩
- 2Solon testimonium 220a Martina. ↩
- 3No proper name in Photius. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 9 Aug 2014
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- augmented notes — David Whitehead
- augmented note and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead