Texte grec :
| [30,40] πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἐξεμοῦσιν ὑπὸ πλησμονῆς·
γίγνεται δὲ μετὰ σπαραγμοῦ τε καὶ λύπης τῆς ἐσχάτης τὸ τὴν
ἡδονὴν ἐκβάλλειν. ὅστις δ´ ἂν ἰσχύσῃ, κουφίζεται καὶ ῥᾷον διάγει
τὸ λοιπόν. σπανίως δὲ τοῦτο συμβαίνει τὸ ἐθέλειν ἐξεμεῖν, ἀλλὰ
πολὺ μᾶλλον ἀεὶ πίνειν ἐθέλουσιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ παύονται τοῦ δίψους,
ἀλλ´ ἀεὶ σφοδρότερον ἔχουσι, καθάπερ οἱ τῷ οἴνῳ ἀκράτῳ χρωμένοι.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν τοιοῦτοί εἰσι καὶ καταισχύνουσι καὶ ὑβρίζουσι
τὴν χάριν τῶν θεῶν· οἱ δὲ μέτριοί τε καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς τῇ μὲν
ἡδονῇ πρᾴως χρῶνται καὶ διὰ χρόνου φοβούμενοι· ὥσπερ {δὲ} ἄνθρωπος
ἐλευθέριος κληθεὶς ὑπό τινος τῶν κρειττόνων, βασιλέως
ἢ δυνάστου, τοῦ μὲν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν ἀμελεῖ, πλὴν ὅσον ἀναγκαῖον,
προσέχει δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον καὶ τούτοις τέρπεται· κἀκεῖνοι μέθης
μὲν καὶ πεττῶν καὶ ἀστραγάλων ἀμελοῦσιν, ὁρῶσι δὲ τἄνδον
ὅπως ἔχει, καὶ τόν τε ἀνδρῶνα, ἐν ᾧ κατάκεινται, θαυμάζουσί τε
καὶ ζητοῦσιν ὅπως γέγονε, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα ὥσπερ γραφάς
τινας εὐειδεῖς καὶ καλὰς κατανοοῦσι, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην οἰκονομίαν τε
καὶ τάξιν καὶ τὰς ὥρας, ὡς εὖ τε καὶ ἐπισταμένως ἅπαντα
πράττουσι, καὶ προσέχουσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ μόνοι δὴ τοῦ κάλλους
(42) αἰσθάνονται. μέλει δ´ αὐτοῖς ὅπως μὴ δοκῶσιν ὡς τυφλοί τε
καὶ κωφοὶ μετειληφέναι τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπαλλαγέντες ἔχωσί
τι εἰπεῖν περὶ αὐτῶν, εἴ τις πυνθάνοιτο, ἅ τε εἶδον ἅ τε ἔγνωσαν.
καὶ ταῦτα φροντίζοντες καὶ μετὰ νοῦ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐμμελῶς μετέχοντες
διάγουσιν, εἷς ἑνὶ διαλεγόμενοι καὶ κατὰ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ὅμοιοι.
ἐνίοτε δὲ μεγάλης κραυγῆς γενομένης καὶ θορύβου παρὰ τῶν μεθυόντων
κἀκεῖσε ἀπέβλεψαν, ἔπειτα εὐθὺς πάλιν πρὸς ἑαυτοῖς ἐγένοντο.
(43) καὶ ἐπειδὰν ἀπιέναι δέῃ, οἱ μὲν ἄσωτοι καὶ ἀκρατεῖς ὑπὸ
τῶν ἀκολουθούντων ἕλκονται καὶ σύρονται μετὰ πόνων τε καὶ νοσημάτων
κεκραγότες καὶ οἰμώζοντες, οὐδὲν εἰδότες οὔτε ὅποι παρῆλθον
οὔτε ὅπως εἱστιάθησαν, κἂν πάνυ πολύν τις αὐτῶν μείνῃ
χρόνον. οἱ δὲ ὀρθοί τε καὶ ἀσφαλῶς τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ποσὶν ἀπίασι,
προσαγορεύσαντες τοὺς φίλους, φαιδροί τε καὶ γεγηθότες, ὡς οὐδὲν
(44) ἀσχημονήσαντες. ταῦτα οὖν ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπῶν καὶ πάντας ὁρῶν
ὡς ἐν ἰδίῳ οἴκῳ ὅπως ἕκαστος εἱστιᾶτο, τοὺς βελτίστους ἀεὶ παρ´
αὑτὸν καλεῖ, κἄν τῳ σφόδρα ἀρεσθεὶς τύχῃ, μένειν αὐτὸν κελεύει
καὶ συμπότην καὶ ἑταῖρον ἐποιήσατο, καὶ τοῦ νέκταρος ἤδη οὗτος
εὐωχεῖται. τοῦτο δὲ ἔοικε μὲν τῷ τῆς σωφροσύνης πώματι, διαυγέστερον
δέ ἐστιν ἐκείνου πολὺ καὶ καθαρώτερον, ὡς ἂν οἶμαι
θείας ὂν καὶ ἀληθοῦς εὐφροσύνης’.
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Traduction française :
| [30,40] Many too vomit from surfeit, and it is
accompanied by retching and the severest pain -
this casting out of the pleasure. But whoever
persists is relieved and gets on better for the future.
Yet it rarely happens that a person wishes to vomit;
much rather do they wish to keep on drinking.
For their thirst does not cease, but ever becomes more intense,
just as with people who use untempered wine.
(41) "Such, then, is the character of these people,
and they disgrace and insult the bounty of the gods ;
whereas the temperate and reasonable enjoy
pleasure in moderation and at intervals, owing to
their fear; and just as a gentleman who has been
invited by some superior, such as a king or a prince,
neglects the food and drink, except in so far as he
cannot avoid eating and drinking, and pays attention
to what is in the palace and enjoys this ; so the
reasonable neglect the drinking and draughts and
dice, and look at the state of the things within, admire
the banqueting-hall in which they are reclining,
try to learn how it was made, and observe everything
that is in it, just as they would some fair and beautiful
paintings ; and they notice the management also
and its orderly system, and the Seasons too, observing
how well and intelligently they do everything ;
they observe attentively all these things and alone
perceive their beauty. They are anxious also not
to appear to take part in all this like persons who are
blind and deaf, but they wish to have something to tell
about it when they leave, if anyone should ask them
about what they saw and observed. And throughout
the banquet they continue to take thought for these
things and to enjoy the pleasure intelligently and
moderately, while they debate man to man, or in
congenial groups of two or three. Sometimes, however,
when a great noise and disturbance is caused by
those who are drunk, they look in their direction
and then straightway again give attention to their
own concerns.
(43) "And when they have to depart, the dissolute
and intemperate are pulled and dragged away by
their slave attendants with discomforts and spells
of sickness, shouting and groaning the while, and
having no knowledge whatever where they have
been or how they have feasted, even if one or another
of them remains a very long time. But the others
depart erect and standing securely upon their own
feet after bidding farewell to their friends, joyous
and happy because they have done nothing unseemly.
God, therefore, looking upon these things
and observing all the banqueters, as if he were in his
own house, how each person has comported himself
at the banquet, ever calls the best to himself; and
if he happens to be especially pleased with any one,
he bids him remain there and makes him his boon
companion ; and thenceforth this man regales
himself with nectar. This resembles the beverage
of Sobriety, but is clearer by far than the other
and purer because, as I think, it belongs to divine
and true sobriety."
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