Πένταθλος
pentathlete
Translated by David Whitehead10 Oct 2001Vetting: high11 revisions
Translation
Democritus of Abdera [used to be called this], because he studied physics, ethics, mathematics and general knowledge, and had wide experience of arts and crafts.1 The saying "speech [is] the insult of Hermes" is his.2
Greek original · Adler’s text
Πένταθλος· ὁ Δημόκριτος ὁ Ἀβδηρίτης. ἤσκητο γὰρ τὰ φυσικά, τὰ ἠθικά, μαθηματικὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐγκυκλίους λόγους, καὶ περὶ τεχνῶν πᾶσαν εἶχεν ἐμπειρίαν. τούτου ἐστὶ καὶ τό, λόγος Ἑρμοῦ αἰκίη.
Betacode
*pe/ntaqlos: o( *dhmo/kritos o( *)abdhri/ths. h)/skhto ga\r ta\ fusika/, ta\ h)qika/, maqhmatika\ kai\ tou\s e)gkukli/ous lo/gous, kai\ peri\ texnw=n pa=san ei)=xen e)mpeiri/an. tou/tou e)sti\ kai\ to/, lo/gos *(ermou= ai)ki/h.
Notes (2)
- From Diogenes Laertius 9.37.
- 1For Democritus see generally delta 447, delta 448. For other, similar applications of the term pentathlete see [Longinus], On the Sublime 34.1 (on Hyperides, upsilon 294), and epsilon 2898 (Eratosthenes). (For a real pentathlete see phi 144.) ↩
- 2In D.L. the phrase is quite different: "speech [is] the shadow of action",
lo/gos e)/rgou skih/ . The Suda's unparalleledlo/gos *(Ermou= ai)ki/h is thus surely an error, but perhaps not a mindless one; the notion may also be reflected in the exchange between Prometheus and Hermes in (?)Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 961-970. ↩
Neighbouring entries
Revision history11 revisions · last 9 Jul 2016
- cosmeticules — Catharine Roth
- coding — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- expanded notes; more keywords — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- added keyword — Catharine Roth
- augmented note 1; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added note 2 as speculation — Ross Scaife ✝
- Translated — David Whitehead