The previous post in this series may be found here: http://wp.me/p1S7fR-241

Euripides was right to correct those who add the lyre to wine. It’s best to call for music when someone is a passion or depression, not merely as an added pleasure to pleasures.

You should consider it a fault for two to lie down together solely for pleasure and then live apart just because one of them is angry.

Especially at such times they shall call upon Aphrodite; she is the best the physician for their trouble. Doesn’t even the Poet write of Hera

I will free them from their angry quarrel

And lead them in love to their marriage bed.

Greek Text and Notes: 

SECTION 38

 

ὀρθῶς ὁ Εὐριπίδης αἰτιᾶται τοὺς τῇ λύρᾳ χρωμένους παρʼ οἶνον· ἔδει γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰς ὀργὰς καὶ τὰ πένθη μᾶλλον τὴν μουσικὴν παρακαλεῖν ἢ προσεκλύειν τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς ὄντας. νομίζετε οὖν ὑμεῖς ἁμαρτάνειν τοὺς ἡδονῆς ἕνεκα συγκαθεύδοντας ἀλλήλοις ὅταν δʼ ἐν ὀργῇ τινι γένωνται καὶ ε . ργἶἳ Ψ διαφορᾷ, χωρὶς ἀναπαυομένους καὶ μὴ τότε μάλιστα τὴν Ἀφροδίτην παρακαλοῦντας, ἰατρὸν οὖσαν τῶν τοιούτων ἀρίστην. ὥς που καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς διδάσκει, τὴν Ἥραν ποιῶν λέγουσαν ουʼ κόσμος

 

καὶ σφʼ ἄκριτα νείκεα λύσω

εἰς εὐνὴν ἀνέσασα ὁμωθῆναι φιλότητι

 

 

Plutarch, Moralia, ed. Gregorius N. Bernardakis, vol. 1 (Medford, MA: Teubner, 1888), 350–351.

 

ὀρθῶς ὁ Εὐριπίδης αἰτιᾶται

Euripides rightly charges/blames

 

τοὺς τῇ λύρᾳ χρωμένους παρʼ οἶνον

those with/by the lyre employ/make use of with wine

τοὺς …. Χρωμένους: substantive participle. Those making use of. These people are defined by their conduct; hence the use of a participle.

τῇ λύρᾳ: dative of direct object.

Para with accusative: spatial, along side of, near, by.

ἔδει γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰς ὀργὰς

for it is necessary at the time of outbursts of anger

Epi + accusative: the period of time.

The wraths: occasions of wrath/anger.

 

καὶ τὰ πένθη μᾶλλον τὴν μουσικὴν παρακαλεῖν

and at the time of sorrows especially

τὴν μουσικὴν παρακαλεῖν

for music to be called for

The infinitive completes the thought began by “it is necessary”

ἢ προσεκλύειν τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς ὄντας

or to set free those in their pleasures

τοὺς … ὄντας: in the state

προσεκλύειν: this appears to be a rare verb. Luein means to “set free, unloose”.  LSJ has an entry for

ἐκλύω [υ_,

A.v. λύω], set free, πόνων from labours, A.Pr.328; release, “ὕδατα” PTeb.49.6 (ii B. C.):—Pass., to be set free, “ἐκλέλυμαι πόθου” Thgn. 1339; “ἐκ δεσμῶν” Pl.Phd.67d:—Med., get one set free, release, “ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε δή σε κακῶν ἐκλύσομαι” Od.10.286; “τοῦ φόβου σ᾽ ἐξελυσάμην” S.OT 1003; “θανάτου νιν ἐκλύσασθε” E.Andr.818; “ἐξελυσάμην βροτοὺς τὸ μὴ μολεῖν” A.Pr.237: c. acc. pers. only, “ἐξελύσαντο τοὺς Ἀργείους” X.HG 7.1.25: abs., ἐξελυσάμην I delivered him from danger, S.Aj.531.

 

II. unloose, ἐ. τόξα unstring a bow, Hdt.2.173; “ἐ. ἁρμούς” E.Hipp.825; σκαιὸν ἐκλύσων στόμα likely to let loose a foolish tongue, S.Aj.1225.

 

2. make an end of, ἐξέλυσας..σκληρᾶς ἀοιδοῦ δασμόν paid it off, Id.OT 35; “ἐπίπονον ἁμέραν” Id.Tr.654; “μόχθον” E.Ph.695; “ἔριν καὶ φιλονικίαν” D.9.14; ἐξελύσατε (v.l. -λύσασθε) “τὰς παρασκευάς” Id.18.26.

 

3. relax, Arist.HA610a27; “τῆς φροντίδος τὸ ἀκριβές” Luc.Dom. 17:— Pass., to be faint, fail, Hp.Aph.2.41, Isoc.15.59, D.19.224, Phld.Ir. p.69 W., etc.; “πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον” Isoc.4.150; ἐκλυθῆναι τοῖς σώμασι, τῇ ψυχῇ, Arist.Fr.144, Plb.29.17.4 (so intr. in Act., J.BJ1.33.5), etc.; of things, to be unserviceable, “τὰ τῶν πλοίων ἐκλελυμένα” Arist.Pol. 1320b37; ἐκλύεται ὁ ῥοῦς, τὰ ῥεύματα, cease, Plb.4.43.9, 4.41.5.

 

4. Medic., ἐ. κοιλίαν relax the bowels, Dsc.4.169.

 

5. pay in full, “δάνειον” Plu.Caes.12 (Pass.).

 

b. purchase, Herod.6.91.

 

6. resolve a doubt, in Pass., A.D.Synt.176.24; also τὰ ὑπ᾽ ἀμφιβολίαν πίπτοντα ἐκλύεται τοῦ ἀμφιβόλου ib.311.11.

 

7. dissolve, “τι ὄξει” Gal.11.106.

 

III. intr., to break up, depart, LXX 2 Ma.13.16

 

The pros- appears to be an intensive; although I can find no separate entry for this verb in either LSJ or BDAG. Perseus gives this as the sole use of the verb in any text.  Babbitt translates the clause, “rather than to be made an added attraction for those who are engaged in their pleasures”. Goodwin gives, “not to heighten the voluptuousness of those that are already drowned in jollity and delight.”

 

νομίζετε οὖν ὑμεῖς

Therefore you [must/should] consider

Imperative

 

 

ἁμαρτάνειν τοὺς ἡδονῆς ἕνεκα συγκαθεύδοντας ἀλλήλοις

to be error though sleeping together for the sake of pleasure

 

The infinitive ἁμαρτάνειν to error; NT, to sin.

 

δʼ ἐν ὀργῇ τινι γένωνται καὶ διαφορᾷ

but when in anger one become separate

 

χωρὶς ἀναπαυομένους

without refreshing/rest

 

καὶ μὴ τότε μάλιστα τὴν Ἀφροδίτην παρακαλοῦντας

and then do not especially Aphrodite to call upon

especially then ought they not to call upon Aphrodite

 

ἰατρὸν οὖσαν τῶν τοιούτων ἀρίστην

a physician being of this [matter] [the] best

 

ὥς που καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς διδάσκει

as from this the poet teaches

Homer is “the poet”.

 

τὴν Ἥραν ποιῶν λέγουσαν ουʼ κόσμος

that Hera makes saying not cosmos

When he has Hera say

 

 

καὶ σφʼ ἄκριτα νείκεα λύσω

 

and from the two [their] disorder quarrel I will free

 

 

εἰς εὐνὴν ἀνέσασα ὁμωθῆναι φιλότητι

the marriage bed settled to be united in love/friendship