Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 3 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"Plutarch
Philosophy
Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 3 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"
Plutarch
Classical literature; Essays; Ethics; Philosophy
6. When I had done, Gaius, Florus’s son-in-law, said: Then it seems
you make no more reckoning or account of Democritus’s images, than of
those of Aegium or Megara; for he delivers that the envious send out
images which are not altogether void of sense or force, but full of the
disturbing and poisonous qualities of those from whom they come. Now
these being mixed with such qualities, and remaining with and abiding
in those persons that are overlooked, disturb and injure them both in
mind and body; for this, I think, is the meaning of that philosopher,
a man in his opinions and expressions admirable and divine. Very true,
said I, and I wonder that you did not observe that I took nothing from
those effluvia and images but life and will; lest you should imagine
that, now it is almost midnight, I brought in spectres and wise and
understanding images to terrify and fright you; but in the morning, if
you please, we will talk of those things.
_QUESTION VIII._
WHY HOMER CALLS THE APPLE-TREE ἀγλαόκαρπον, AND EMPEDOCLES
CALLS APPLES ὑπέρφλοια.
PLUTARCH, TRYPHO, CERTAIN GRAMMARIANS, LAMPRIAS THE ELDER.
1. As we were at supper in Chaeronea, and had all sorts of fruit at the
table, one of the company chanced to speak these verses,
The fig-trees sweet, the apple-trees that bear
Fair fruit, and olives green through all the year.[89]
Upon this there arose a question, why the poet calls apple-trees
particularly ἀγλαόκαρποι, _bearing fair fruit_. Trypho the
physician said, that this epithet was given comparatively in respect
of the tree, because, being small and no goodly tree to look upon, it
bears fair and large fruit. Somebody else said, that the particular
excellencies that are scattered amongst all other fruits are united in
this alone. As to the touch, it is smooth and clean, so that it makes
the hand that toucheth it odorous without defiling it; it is sweet to
the taste, and to the smell and sight very pleasing; and therefore
there is reason that it should be duly praised, as being that which
congregates and allures all the senses together.
2. This discourse we liked indifferently well. But whereas Empedocles
has thus written,
Why pomegranates so late do grow.
And apples bear a lovely show (ὑπέρφλοια);
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