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Menander

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The truth, sometimes not sought for, comes forth to the light.

Menander (Greek: Μένανδρος, Ménandros; c. 342/341 – c. 290 BC) was a Greek playwright and the best-known representative of Athenian New Comedy. He was the author of more than a hundred comedies, of which a single one, Dyskolos, survives virtually complete.

Quotes

[edit]
Greek text cited from R. Kassel, C. Austin, Poetae Comici Graeci, vol. VI Menander (Berlin-Boston, 1998–2022), whose numbering is also followed.
Translations cited from F. G. Allinson, Menander. The Principal Fragments (Cambridge-London, 1921), unless otherwise noted.

Dyskolos (316 BC)

[edit]
Rest assured, for every piece of business the most businesslike thing is to choose the right moment.
In this part he most shows himself a man, whoever tolerates making himself equal to another, rich to poor. For this man will bear a change of fortune with self-control.
  • ζ[ῶ]ν οὗτος ἐπιεικῶς χρόνον
    πολὺν λελάληκεν ἡδέως ἐν τῷ βίῳ
    οὐδενί, προσηγόρευκε πρότερος δ᾿ οὐδένα
    πλὴν ἐξ ἀνάγκης, γειτνιῶν παριών τ᾿, ἐμὲ
    τὸν Πᾶνα· καὶ τοῦτ᾿ εὐθὺς αὐτῷ μεταμέλει,
    εὖ οἶδ᾿.
    • Pan: This man has lived here
      a reasonably long time and has gladly talked in his life
      to no one, has spoken first to no one
      except — of necessity, since he is a neighbor and passes by — me,
      Pan. And he immediately regrets it,
      I'm sure.
    • Lines 8–13 (tr. V. J. Rosivach, 2014)
  • εὖ τοῦτ᾿ ἴσθ᾿, ὅτι
    πρὸς πάντα πράγματ᾿ ἐστὶ πρακτικώτερον
    εὐκαιρία.
    • Chaereas: Rest assured,
      for every piece of business the most businesslike thing is
      to choose the right moment.
    • Lines 127–29 (tr. V. J. Rosivach, 2014)
  • τῶν δ᾿ ἀναγκαίων λέγειν
    πλείον᾿ οὐκ ἀνδρὸς νομίζω, πλὴν ἐκεῖνό γ᾿ ἴσθι, παῖ·
    ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ γὰρ βούλομ᾿ εἰπεῖν ὀλίγα σοι καὶ τοῦ τρόπου.
    εἰ τοιοῦτοι πάντες ἦσαν, οὔτε τὰ δικαστήρια
    ἦν ἄν, οὔθ᾿ αὑτοὺς ἀπῆγον εἰς τὰ δεσμωτήρια,
    οὔτε πόλεμος ἦν, ἔχων δ᾿ ἂν μέτρι᾿ ἕκαστος ἠγάπα.
    ἀλλ᾿ ἴσως ταῦτ᾿ ἔστ᾿ ἀρεστὰ μᾶλλον οὕτω· πράττετε.
    ἐκποδῶν ὑμῖν ⟨ὁ⟩ χαλεπὸς δύσκολός τ᾿ ἔσται γέρων.
    • Cnemon: To say more than what's necessary
      I don't think is appropriate for a man. Except know this, child —
      for I wish to tell you a little about me and my character —
      if everyone were like me there wouldn't be law courts,
      and they wouldn't take them away to prisons,
      and there wouldn't be wars, but having goods in measure each man would be happy.
      But perhaps those things are more pleasing. Act that way.
      This difficult and grouchy old man will be out of your way.
    • Lines 740–47 (tr. V. J. Rosivach, 2014)
    • Alternate translation (W. G. Arnott, 1960):
      • I don't hold with people saying more than they need; but there is one thing more, my child, that I'd like you to know. I just want to say a few things to you about life, and the way people behave. You know, if we were all kind to one another, there'd be no need for law courts, there'd be no arresting people and putting them into prison, and there would be no more war. Everyone would have his little bit, and be content. But maybe you like modern ways better? Well, live that way, then! This difficult and bad-tempered old man will soon be out of the way.
  • τρυφερὸς ὢν δίκελλαν ἔλαβες, ἔσκαψας, πονε[ῖν
    ἠθέλησας. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῷ μέρει μάλιστ᾿ ἀνὴρ
    δείκνυτ᾿, ἐξισοῦν ἑαυτὸν ὅστις ὑπομένει τινὶ
    εὐπορῶν πένητι· καὶ γὰρ μεταβολὴν οὗτος τύχ[ης
    ἐγκρατῶς οἴσει. δέδωκας πεῖραν ἱκανὴν τοῦ τρόπ[ου·
    διαμένοις μόνον τοιοῦτος.
    • Gorgias: Even if you were a softy, you took the mattock, you dug,
      you were willing to work. In this part he most shows himself a man,
      whoever tolerates making himself equal to another,
      rich to poor. For this man will bear a change of fortune
      with self-control. You have given a sufficient proof of your character. 
      I wish only that you remain as you are.
    • Lines 766–71 (tr. V. J. Rosivach, 2014)

Fragments

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The man dies young on whom the gods their love bestow.
Plays partially extant on papyrus
  • ὃν οἱ θεοὶ φιλοῦσιν ἀποθνῄσκει νέος.
    • The man dies young on whom the gods their love bestow.
    • Dis Exapaton, frg. 4 Κ.-Α.
    Compare Byron, Don Juan, IV, xii, 89
  • ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεὸς ἐπεφάνης.
    • You are by your epiphany a veritable "god from the machine."
    • Theophoroumene, frg. 6 K.-A.
    • See: Deus ex machina
  • τὸ καλῶς ἔχον που κρεῖττόν ἐστι καὶ νόμου.
    • That which turns out well is better than any law.
    • Karchedonios, frg. 5 K.-A. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • οὐθεὶς ἐπλούτησεν ταχέως δίκαιος ὤν.
τρυφᾶν γὰρ οὐκ ἠπίστασ᾿.
You knew not how to live in clover.
  • ταὐτόματον ἐστιν ὡς ἔοικέ που θεὸς
    σῴζει τε πολλὰ τῶν ἀοράτων πραγμάτων.
    • Chance is a kind of god, for it preserves many things which we do not observe.
    • Samia, lines 163–164
  • τρυφᾶν γὰρ οὐκ ἠπίστασ᾿.
    • You knew not how to live in clover.
    • Samia, line 376
  • αἰσθοῦ σαυτὸν ὄντα [
    ἄνθρωπον, ἄνθρωπον δὲ κα[
    ἵνα μὴ ᾿πιθυμῇς τῶν ὑπὲρ σ[ὲ πραγμάτων.
    ὅταν δ᾿ ἀγρυπνεῖν εἴπῃς, τίς ὁ [βίος σου σκοπῶν
    τὴν αἰτίαν γνώσῃ· περιπατεῖς [
    εἰσῆλθες εὐθύς, ἂν κοπιάσῃς τ[ὰ σκέλη.
    μαλακῶς ἐλούσω, πάλιν ἀναστ[ὰς περιπατεῖς
    πρὸς ἡδονήν. ὕπνος αὐτὸς ὁ βί[ος ἐστί σοι.
    τὸ πέρας· κακὸν ἔχεις οὐδέν, ἡ ν[όσος δέ σου
    ἔσθ᾿ ἣν διῆλθες (φορτικώτερο[ν δέ τι
    ἐπέρχεταί μοι, τρόφιμε, συγγνώ[μην δ᾿ ἔχε)·
    τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, οὐχ ἔχεις ὅπο[ι χέσῃς
    ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, εὖ ἴσθι.
    • Remember, [Pheidias],
      you're human, and [a poor man]'s human, too!
      So don't you crave for what's beyond [your reach]!
      When you complain of sleeplessness, what's really
      your [problem]? I'll tell you the cause. You stroll
      [all round the market], come straight home when [legs]
      are weary, bathe in luxury. Then up you get
      and [take a] pleasant [stroll. Your] life itself
      [is] sleep! So, finally, there's nothing wrong with you.
      This [sickness] you've described is—well, [a] rather coarse
      expression comes to mind—forgive me, master—
      the saying goes, you're so well off you don't
      have anywhere [to shit], I'd have you know!
    • Phasma, lines 6–18 (tr. W. G. Arnott, 2000)
Plays known from quotations only
  • χαλεπόν γε θυγάτηρ κτῆμα καὶ δυσδιάθετον.
    • A daughter is an embarrassing and ticklish possession.
    • Frg. 22 K.-A., Halieus (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • ζῶμεν γὰρ οὐχ ὡς θέλομεν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς δυνάμεθα.
    • We live, not as we wish to, but as we can.
    • Frg. 47 K.-A., Andria
    Compare Terence, Andria, 805:
    'ut quimus' aiunt, quando 'ut volumus' non licet.
    As the saying is, we do as we can since we can't as we would. (tr. J. Sargeaunt, 1918)
  • τὰ προσπεσόντα προσδοκᾶν ἅπαντα δεῖ
    ἄνθρωπον ὄντα· παραμένει γὰρ οὐδὲ ἕν.
    • Man must be prepared for every event of life, for there is nothing that is durable.
    • Frg. 50 K.-A., Androgynos (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • πάντ᾿ ἐστὶ τῷ καλῷ λόγῳ
    ἱερόν· ὁ νοῦς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ λαλήσων θεός.
    • All places are the temple of God, for it is the mind that prays to him.
    • Frg. 70 K.-A., Arrhephoros (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • ἀνδρὸς χαρακτὴρ ἐκ λόγου γνωρίζεται.
    • The character of man is known from his conversation.
    • Frg. 72 K.-A., Arrhephoros (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1873)
  • πλούτος δὲ πολλῶν ἐπικαλυμμ᾽ ἐστὶν κακῶν.
  • φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρήσθ᾿ ὁμιλίαι κακαί.
    • It must be that evil communications corrupt good dispositions.
    • Frg. 165 K.-A., Thaïs (tr. Hoyt's, 1922); quoted by Paul, 1 Cor. 15:33
  • κατὰ πολλὰ γ᾿ ἐστὶν οὐ καλῶς εἰρημένον
    τὸ γνῶθι σαυτόν· χρησιμώτερον γὰρ ἦν
    τὸ γνῶθι τοὺς ἄλλους.
    • In many ways the saying "Know thyself" is not well said. It were more practical to say: "Know other folks."
    • Frg. 181 K.-A., Thrasyleon
  • εὔπιστον ἀτυχῶν ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος φύσει·
    τὸν πλήσιον γὰρ οἴεται μᾶλλον φρονεῖν
    ὁ τοῖς λογισμοῖς τοῖς ἰδίοις πταίων ἀεί.
    • The unfortunate are credulous by nature;
      for he will rather think his neighbour wise
      who, when he schemes himself, is always tripping.
    • Frg. 286 K.-A., Parakatatheke (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897)
  • ἆρ᾿ ἐστὶν ἀρετῆς καὶ βίου διδάσκαλος
    ἐλευθέρου τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀγρός.
    • Men are taught virtue and a love of independence by living in the country.
    • Frg. 301 K.-A., Plokion (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • οὐ πανταχοῦ τὸ φρόνιμον ἁρμόττει παρόν·
    καὶ συμμανῆναι δ᾿ ἔνια δεῖ.
  • ἔρχεται τἀληθὲς εἰς φῶς ἐνίοτ᾿ οὐ ζητούμενον.
    • The truth, sometimes not sought for, comes forth to the light.
    • Frg. 328 K.-A., Rapizomene
      • Alternate translation (C. T. Ramage, 1864):
      • Truth, when not sought after, sometimes comes to light.
  • τρόπος ἔσθ᾿ ὁ πείθων τοῦ λέγοντος, οὐ λόγος.
    • It's the character of the speaker that does the persuading, not eloquence.
    • Frg. 362.7 K.-A., Hymnis
  • πολλῶν κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν θηρίων
    ὄντων, μέγιστόν ἐστι θηρίον γυνή.
    • Of all wild beasts on earth or in sea, the greatest is a woman.
    • Frg. 378 K.-A., Hypobolimaios (tr. Hoyt's, 1922)
Fragments of uncertain placement
  • τὰ σῦκα σῦκα, τὴν σκάφην σκάφην.
    • I call a fig a fig, a spade a spade.
    • Frg. 507 K.-A.; original phrasing not preserved.
  • οὐκ ἔστ᾿ ἄπιστον οὐδὲν ἐν θνητῷ βίῳ
    οὐδ᾿ ἂν γένοιτο· πολλὰ ποικίλλει χρόνος
    παράδοξα καὶ θαυμαστὰ καὶ ζώντων τρόποι.
    • In life of mortals there is not, nay, nor could there come to pass, a single thing beyond our credence. Time and men's ways embroider many an unexpected marvel on life's web.
    • Frg. 685 K.-A.
  • ἀεὶ δ᾿ ὁ σωθείς ἐστιν ἀχάριστον φύσει.
    • Thankless by nature always is the man who has been saved.
    • Frg. 701 K.-A.
  • μισῶ πονηρόν, χρηστὸν ὅταν εἴπῃ λόγον.
    • I hate a bad man saying what is good.
    • Frg. 704 K.-A.
  • ὡς χαρίεν ἔστ᾿ ἄνθρωπος, ἂν ἄνθρωπος ᾖ.
    • How charming a thing is man when he is man.
    • Frg. 707 K.-A.
  • οὐκ ἔστ᾿ ἀνοίας οὐδέν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ,
    τολμηρότερον.
  • ἀληθὲς εἶναι δεῖ τὸ σεμνόν, οὐ κενόν.
  • οὐθὲν σιωπῆς ἐστι χρησιμώτερον.
  • μειράκιον, οὔ μοι κατανοεῖν δοκεῖς, ὅτι
    ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἕκαστα κακίας σήπεται,
    καὶ πᾶν τὸ λυμαινόμενόν ἐστιν ἔνδοθεν.
    οἷον ὁ μὲν ἰὸς τὸν σίδηρον, ἂν σκοπῇς,
    τὸ δ᾿ ἱμάτιον οἱ σῆτες, ὁ δὲ θρὶψ τὸ ξύλον.
    ὃ δὲ τὸ κάκιστον τῶν κακῶν πάντων, φθόνος
    φθισικὸν πεποίηκε καὶ ποήσει καὶ ποεῖ.
    • My son, you do not see
      How everything that dies, dies by its own
      Corruption: all that injures is within.
      Rust is the poison of iron, moths of wool,
      And worms of wood; in you there is a poison
      Most deadly, which has made you sick to death
      And makes and shall make—envy.
    • Frg. 761 K.-A. (tr. G. Murray, 1938)
    Compare Plato, Republic, 609a–e; Matthew 15:11.
  • ὅστις δὲ διαβολαῖσι πείθεται ταχύ,
    ἤτοι πονηρὸς αὐτός ἐστι τοὺς τρόπους,
    ἢ παντάπασι παιδαρίου γνώμην ἔχει.
    • He that lends an easy and credulous ear to calumny is either a man of very ill morals, or has no more sense and understanding than a child.
    • Frg. 764 K.-A. (tr. Anonymous, 1715)
  • οὐκ ἔστι τόλμης ἐφόδιον μεῖζον βίου.
    • There is no better provision for life than impudence and a brazen face.
    • Frg. 773 K.-A. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • οὐχ αἱ τρίχες ποιοῦσιν αἱ λευκαὶ φρονεῖν.
    • 'Tis not white hair that engenders wisdom.
    • Frg. 776 K.-A.
  • εἰρήνη γεωργὸν κἀν πέτραις
    τρέφει καλῶς, πόλεμος δὲ κἀν πεδίῳ κακῶς.
    • Peace gives food to the husbandman, even in the midst of rocks; war brings misery to him, even in the most fertile plains.
    • Frg. 779 K.-A. (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864)
  • τὸ γαμεῖν, ἐάν τις τὴν ἀλήθειαν σκοπῇ,
    κακὸν μέν ἐστιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀναγκαῖον κακόν.
    • Marriage, if one will face the truth, is an evil, but a necessary evil.
    • Frg. 801 K.-A.
  • ἅπαντα τὰ ζῷ᾿ ἐστὶ μακαριώτερα
    καὶ νοῦν ἔχοντα μᾶλλον ἀνθρώπων πολύ.
    τὸν ὄνον ὁρᾶν ἔξεστι πρῶτα τουτονί·
    {οὗτος κακοδαίμων ἐστὶν ὁμολογουμένως.}
    τούτῳ κακὸν δι᾿ αὑτὸν οὐδὲν γίνεται,
    ἃ δ᾿ ἡ φύσις δέδωκεν, ⟨αὐτὰ⟩ ταῦτ᾿ ἔχει. ἡμεῖς δὲ χωρὶς τῶν ἀναγκαίων κακῶν
    αὐτοὶ παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἕτερα προσπορίζομεν.
    • All animals are more happy, and have more understanding, than man. Look, for instance, on yonder ass; all allow him to be miserable: his evils, however, are not brought on him by himself and his own fault; he feels only those which Nature has inflicted. We, on the contrary, besides our necessary ills, draw upon ourselves a multitude of others.
    • Frg. 844.1–8 K.-A. (tr. F. W. Blagdon, 1819)
  • τοῦτ᾿ ἔστι τὸ ζῆν, οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ζῆν μόνῳ.
    • This is living, not to live unto oneself alone.
    • Frg. 869 K.-A.
      • Paraphrased by T. W. Higginson, 1870:
      • To live is not to live for one’s self alone; let us help one another.

Monosticha

[edit]
Though this collection was transmitted under Menander's name, the vast majority of its items demonstrably belong to other authors.
Greek text cited from S. Jäkel, Menandri Sententiae (Leipzig, 1964), whose numbering is also followed.
  • Ἀνὴρ ὁ φεύγων καὶ πάλιν μαχήσεται.
  • Βροτοῖς ἅπασιν ἡ συνείδησις θεός.
  • γυναικὶ κόσμος ὁ τρόπος, οὐ τὰ χρυσία.
    • Manners, not jewels, are a woman's ornament.
    • 148
  • Ὑγίεια καὶ νοῦς ἀγαθὰ τῷ βίῳ πέλει.
  • οὐ γὰρ ἔρχεται μόνον.
    • [Old age] never comes alone.
    • 802

Misattributed

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  • οὔτ᾿ ἐκ χερὸς μεθέντα καρτερὸν λίθον
    οἷόν τ᾿ ἐπισχεῖν οὔτ᾿ ἀπὸ γλώσσης λόγον.
    • It is as easy to draw back a stone thrown with force from the hand, as to recall a word once spoken.
    • Euripides, fragment 1044 TrGF (tr. C. T. Ramage, 1864); misattributed to Menander due to a confusion in Stobaeus, Anthology III.36.14.
  • ὅταν δ᾿ ἄλυπος διὰ τέλους εἶναι θέλῃς,
    ἢ δεῖ θεόν σ᾿ εἶναι τιν᾿ ἢ τάχα δὴ νεκρόν.
    παρηγόρει δὲ τὰ κακὰ δι᾿ ἑτέρων κακῶν.
    • If you want to live your whole life free from pain you must become either a god or else a corpse. Consider other men's troubles and that will comfort you.
    • Comparison of Menander and Philistion, II.203–204 (tr. P. Vellacott, 1967); despite its title, the Comparison contains virtually no material from either poet (A. Körte, 1959:IX–X)
  • Whenever you do what is holy, be of good cheer, knowing that God Himself takes part with rightful courage.
    • Appears in the May 1879 issue of The Cornhill Magazine (vol. 39, p. 565), attributed to Menander. Does not occur in his works; likely a liberal development of Monosticha 188 (tr. T. B. Harbottle, 1897):
      • δίκαια δράσας συμμάχους ἕξεις θεούς.
      • He who does right has Heaven for his ally.

Quotes about Menander

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  • ὁ δὲ Μένανδρος μετὰ χαρίτων μάλισθ᾿ ἑαυτὸν αὐτάρκη παρέσχηκεν, ἐν θεάτροις ἐν διατριβαῖς ἐν συμποσίοις, ἀνάγνωσμα καὶ μάθημα καὶ ἀγώνισμα κοινότατον ὧν ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἐνήνοχε καλῶν παρέχων τὴν ποίησιν, δεικνὺς ὅ τι δὴ καὶ ὁποῖον ἦν ἄρα δεξιότης λόγου, ἐπιὼν ἁπανταχόσε μετὰ πειθοῦς ἀφύκτου καὶ χειρούμενος ἅπασαν ἀκοὴν καὶ διάνοιαν Ἑλληνικῆς φωνῆς. τίνος γὰρ ἄξιον ἀληθῶς εἰς θέατρον ἐλθεῖν ἄνδρα πεπαιδευμένον ἢ Μενάνδρου ἕνεκα;
    • Menander's charm makes him utterly satisfying, for in these works that present with universal appeal the splendours of Greece, society finds its culture, the schools their study, the theatre its triumph. The nature and possibilities of literary elegance were by him revealed for the first time. He has invaded every quarter of the world with his invincible glamour, bringing all hearts under the sway of the Greek language. What sound reason does the cultivated man ever find for entering a theatre, except Menander?
    • Plutarch, Comparison of Aristophanes and Menander, 854a–b (tr. S. R. Littlewood, 1939)
  • τῶν Μενάνδρου δραμάτων ὁμαλῶς ἁπάντων ἓν συνεκτικόν ἐστιν, ὁ ἔρως, οἷον πνεῦμα κοινὸν διαπεφοιτηκώς.
    • One thing regularly gives cohesion to all Menander's plays—Love, which pervades them like a universal spirit.
    • Plutarch, On Love, frg. 134 Sandbach (tr. F. H. Sandbach, 1969)
  • Menander, qui vel unus meo quidem iudicio diligenter lectus ad cuncta quae praecipimus effigenda sufficiat: ita omnem vitae imaginem expressit, tanta in eo inveniendi copia et eloquendi facultas, ita est omnibus rebus personis adfectibus accommodatus. [. . .] Atque ille quidem omnibus eiusdem operis auctoribus abstulit nomen, et fulgore quodam suae claritatis tenebras obduxit.
    • A careful reading of Menander alone would, in my judgement, be sufficient to develop all the qualities I am recommending: so complete is his representation of life, so rich his invention and so fluent his style, so perfectly does he adapt himself to every circumstance, character and emotion. [. . .] Indeed, he has robbed all the other authors in this genre of their name, and condemned them to obscurity by the brilliance of his fame.
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, X.1.69–72 (tr. D. A. Russell, 2002)

Sources

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  • Fragment # K.-A. = R. Kassel, C. Austin, Poetae Comici Graeci, vol. VI Menander (Berlin-Boston, 1998–2022)
Dyskolos
Compendiums
[edit]
Wikipedia
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