Texte grec :
| [3,20] καὶ τοίνυν ὃ μάλιστα οἴεται, χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς ἐπαινουμένοις, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ
τούτου καὶ μάλιστα ἀποτυγχάνειν· τοὐναντίον γὰρ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι μᾶλλον
ἢ χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς μὴ τελέως κούφοις.
(21) αὐτίκα ὁ τὸν πένητα μακαρίζων ὡς πλούσιον
αὐτὸς μὲν ψεύδεται, τῷ δὲ μακαριζομένῳ τὴν πενίαν ὀνειδίζει. πάλιν ὁ τὸν
αἴσχιστον ὡς καλὸν ἐπαινῶν ἄλλο τι ἢ προφέρει τὸ αἶσχος αὐτῷ; ἢ ὁ τὸν
ἀνάπηρον ὁλόκληρον εἶναι λέγων
πῶς ἂν χαρίζοιτο ὑπομιμνήσκων τῆς ἀτυχίας; ὁ δὲ αὖ τὸν ἀνόητον
ὡς φρόνιμον ὑμνῶν, οὗτος ἂν τυχὸν ἁπάντων εἴη πιθανώτερος
διὰ τὴν ἄνοιαν τοῦ ἀκούοντος καὶ τοσούτῳ γε μείζονα ἐργάζεται
βλάβην· ἀναπείθει γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ βουλεύεσθαι καὶ μὴ τοῖς φρονίμοις
ἐπιτρέπειν.
(22) {ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὸν δειλὸν ὡς ἀνδρεῖον θαυμάζων,
οὗτος δικαιότατα χρῆται τῇ ἀνοίᾳ τοῦ κολακευομένου· τάχιστα γὰρ
ἂν οἶμαι ἀπόλοιτο πειθόμενος αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας τὰ ἔργα ἐπιχειρῶν.}
(23) καθόλου δὲ φωραθεὶς μὲν ὁ κόλαξ οὐ καταγιγνώσκεται
μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισεῖται· δοκεῖ γὰρ καταγελῶν λέγειν· πείσας δὲ
ὡς ἀληθῶς λέγει οὐ μεγάλης τινὸς τυγχάνει χάριτος. τί γὰρ καὶ
δοκεῖ χαρίζεσθαι τἀληθῆ λέγων;
(24) πολύ γε μὴν πονηρότερός ἐστι τῶν ψευδομένων μαρτύρων.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐ διαφθείρουσι τὸν δικαστήν,
ἀλλὰ μόνον ἐξαπατῶσιν· ὁ δὲ κολακεύων ἅμα δεκάζει τῷ ἐπαίνῳ.
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Traduction française :
| [3,20] And, further, it seems to me that the flatterer fails
worst just where he is most confident that he is
succeeding—namely, in pleasing those whom he
praises. Nay, he is odious rather than pleasing to
them unless they be utter fools. For example, he
who congratulates a poor man on his wealth not only
lies himself, but holds up to scorn the poverty of the
man he congratulates. Again, does not he who
praises a most ugly person for his beauty simply cast
his ugliness in his teeth ? Or how could he who calls
a cripple able-bodied please him by reminding him of
his misfortune ?—The man, however, who lauds the fool
for his wisdom is perhaps the most convincing of all
on account of the stupidity of his hearer and thus does
all the greater harm, since he induces the fellow to
take his own counsel and not trust to intelligent men.
But the man who extols the coward as a hero makes
the most justifiable use of the folly of him who is flattered ;
since, if the craven believes him and attempts
to perform heroic deeds, he will come to grief all the
more speedily.—Yet, generally speaking, when the
flatterer is found out, he is not only condemned,
but hated as well, since his words are thought to be
mockery; while, if he convinces one of the truth of
his words, he gets no very great thanks. For what
great favour is he thought to confer by simply telling
the truth ? Besides, he is a much greater rascal than
a lying witness : for the latter does not corrupt the
judge, he merely deceives him; but the flatterer
corrupts at the same time that he praises.
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