Texte grec :
| [4,0] ΠΕΡΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑΣ Δ.
(1) Φασί ποτε Ἀλέξανδρον Διογένει συμβαλεῖν οὐ πάνυ τι σχολάζοντα
πολλὴν ἄγοντι σχολήν. ἦν γὰρ ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς Μακεδόνων
τε καὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν, ὁ δὲ φυγὰς ἐκ Σινώπης. ταῦτα δὲ λέγουσι
καὶ γράφουσι πολλοί*, τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον οὐχ ἧττον θαυμάζοντες
καὶ ἐπαινοῦντες, ὅτι τοσούτων ἄρχων καὶ τῶν τότε μέγιστον δυνάμενος
οὐχ ὑπερεώρα πένητος ἀνθρώπου συνουσίαν νοῦν ἔχοντος
(2) καὶ δυναμένου καρτερεῖν. οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι χαίρουσι φύσει πάντες
τιμωμένην ὁρῶντες φρόνησιν ὑπὸ τῆς μεγίστης ἐξουσίας τε καὶ
δυνάμεως, ὥστε οὐ μόνον τἀληθῆ διηγοῦνται περὶ τῶν τοιούτων,
ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ πλάττουσιν ὑπερβάλλοντες, προσέτι καὶ τἄλλα
ἀφαιρούμενοι τῶν φρονίμων, οἷον χρήματα καὶ τιμὰς καὶ τὴν τοῦ
σώματος δύναμιν, ὅπως διὰ μόνην δόξωσι τιμᾶσθαι τὴν ξύνεσιν.
(3) ὡς δὲ εἰκὸς ἐκείνοις γενέσθαι τὴν ξυνουσίαν {ἐκείνην}, εἴποιμ´ ἄν,
ἐπειδὴ καὶ τυγχάνομεν σχολὴν ἄγοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων πραγμάτων.
ἦν μὲν γάρ, ὥς φασιν, ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ἀνθρώπων φιλοτιμότατος
καὶ μάλιστα δόξης ἐραστὴς καὶ τοῦ καταλιπεῖν ὡς μέγιστον αὑτοῦ
ὄνομα ἐν πᾶσιν Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις, καὶ ἐπεθύμει γε τιμᾶσθαι
σχεδὸν οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων μόνον πανταχοῦ, ἀλλ´ εἴ πως
δυνατὸν ἦν, ὑπό τε τῶν ὀρνίθων καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι θηρίων.
|
|
Traduction française :
| [4,0] THE FOURTH DISCOURSE ON KINGSHIP.
(1) THEY tell us that once upon a time Alexander when
not over busy met Diogenes, who had an abundance
of time on his hands. For the one was king of Macedonia
and many other countries beside, while the
other was an exile from Sinope ; and there are many
who in speaking and writing of this encounter give
no less admiration and credit to Alexander than to
Diogenes because, although he was ruler over so
many people and had greater power than any other
man of his day, he did not disdain to converse with a
poor man who had intelligence and the power of
endurance. For all men without exception are
naturally delighted when they see wisdom honoured
by the greatest power and might ; hence they not
only relate the facts in such cases but add extravagant
embellishments of their own ; nay more,
they strip their wise men of all else, such as wealth,
honours, and physical strength, so that the high
regard in which they are held may appear to be
due to their intelligence alone. And so I should
like on this occasion to tell what in all likelihood
was the nature of their conversation, since it
happens too that I have nothing else that demands
my attention.
(4) Now it should be explained that Alexander was by
common report the most ambitious of men and the
greatest lover of glory. He was anxious to leave his
name the greatest among all the Greeks and barbarians
and longed to be honoured, not onlyas one
might put itby mankind the world over, but, if it
were at all possible, by the birds of the air and the
beasts of the mountains.
|
|
