Texte grec :
| [4,105] ἔτι δέ τινας οὗτος τῶν ὑπ´ αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων εἰς γυναικεῖον μετέβαλε
βίον τε καὶ σχῆμα, ὥσπερ οἱ μῦθοί φασι τοὺς μεταβαλόντας ἐξ ἀνθρώπων εἰς
ὄρνιθας
(106) ἢ θηρία, ἐὰν τύχωσι τοιαύτης ἡττηθέντες ἡδονῆς· πάλιν δὲ
κἀνταῦθα διττὴ χορηγία πέφηνεν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀσθενής τε καὶ
ἄτολμος ἐκ τούτου τοῦ γένους δαίμων ἐπί τε τὰς γυναικείας νόσους
καὶ ἄλλας αἰσχύνας, ὁπόσαις πρόσεστι ζημία καὶ ὀνείδη, προσάγει
ῥᾳδίως· ὅπου δὲ {ἡδονῶν τινων} τιμωρίαι πρόσεισι, θανάτοις ἢ
δεσμοῖς κολάζουσαι τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας ἢ χρημάτων πολλῶν
(107) ἐκτίσεσιν, οὐ πάνυ τι πρὸς ταῦτα ἐφίησιν. ὁ δὲ ἀτενέστερός τε
καὶ θρασύτερος πάντα ἁπλῶς ὑπερβαίνειν ἀναγκάζει τά τε ἀνθρώπινα
καὶ τὰ θεῖα. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀσθενής τε καὶ ἄτολμος ἔνθα
προσθέμενος τὴν τοιαύτην αἰσχύνην ὁμολογεῖ οὐδενὸς ἀνδρείου
πράγματος ἁπτόμενος, ἀλλὰ παραχωρῶν τῶν κοινῶν καὶ πολιτικῶν
(108) πράξεων τοῖς ἄμεινον βεβιωκόσιν· ὁ δὲ ἰταμὸς καὶ ἄτρεστος, πολλὰς
ὕβρεις τε καὶ αἰσχύνας ὑπομείνας, ὀστράκου, φασί, μεταπεσόντος,
στρατηγὸς ἢ δημαγωγὸς πέφηνεν ὀξὺ καὶ διάτορον βοῶν, ὥσπερ
οἱ τῶν δραμάτων ὑποκριταὶ ἀπορρίψας μεταξὺ τὴν γυναικείαν
στολήν, ἔπειτα στρατιώτου τινὸς ἢ ῥήτορος στολὴν ἁρπάσας περιέρχεται
συκοφάντης καὶ φοβερός, ἀντίον πᾶσι βλέπων. ἆρ´ οὖν
ἀρρενωπόν τι καὶ σεμνὸν εἶδος τῷ τοιούτῳ δαίμονι πρέπει ἢ
μᾶλλον ὑγρόν τε καὶ μαλθακόν; οὐκοῦν τὸ οἰκεῖον αὐτῷ σχῆμα
προσθήσομεν, οὐχ ὃ πλαττόμενος ἐνδύεται πολλάκις {ἀνδρεῖον καὶ φοβερόν}·
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Traduction française :
| [4,105] And, further, this spirit has sometimes changed
those possessed by it to the life and the garb of women,
just as the myths relate
of those who transformed human beings into birds or
beasts, if they were unfortunate enough to have be-
corne enslaved to an appetite of such a nature.
"But here again we find a contrast in our examples.
There is, first in this class, the weak and unventuresome
spirit, which easily leads men into effeminate vices
and other kinds of misconduct which involve loss
and disgrace, but, where certain indulgences are
followed by punishments that inflict upon the
culprit death or imprisonment or heavy fines, altogether
avoids inciting the victim to those extremes.
There is, however, the more aggressive and audacious
spirit, which compels its victim to overleap absolutely
all bounds, both human and divine. Now while the
weak and unventuresome spirit no sooner gets involved
than he acknowledges his shameful weakness
by taking up no manly occupation, but leaving social
and civic activities to those who have lived a better
life, the bold and impetuous spirit, after enduring
many a rebuff and humiliation, by a sudden turn of
fortune's wheel, as they say, emerged as a general or
as a popular leader with shrill and piercing voice, and,
like actors on the stage, discards his feminine attire
for the time being and then, having seized that of a
general or orator, stalks about as a blackmailer and
an object of terror, looking all the world in the eye.
(109) "Now does a manly and grave appearance befit
such a spirit, or rather a weak and effeminate one ?
Therefore we shall dress him up in his proper attire,
not in the brave and awe-inspiring clothes which he
often assumes when playing a part.
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