{"id":120,"date":"2006-03-25T21:08:09","date_gmt":"2006-03-26T02:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/63.247.138.2\/~curculio\/?p=120"},"modified":"2006-03-25T21:11:10","modified_gmt":"2006-03-26T02:11:10","slug":"half-empty-or-half-full-take-your-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/?p=120","title":{"rendered":"Half-Empty or Half-Full? Take Your Pick."},"content":{"rendered":"

Those who<\/a> found the last epigram a bit morbid may wish to skip the first of this matched pair:<\/p>\n

“Posidippus, or Plato the Comic Poet” (A.P.<\/em> 9.359):<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u03a0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03bd \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b2\u03b9\u1f79\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf \u03c4\u1f71\u03bc\u1fc3 \u03c4\u03c1\u1f77\u03b2\u03bf\u03bd; \u03b5\u1f30\u03bd \u1f00\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u1fc7 \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd
\n    \u03bd\u03b5\u1f77\u03ba\u03b5\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c7\u03b1\u03bb\u03b5\u03c0\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f75\u03be\u03b9\u03b5\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b4\u1f79\u03bc\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2
\n\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u1f77\u03b4\u03b5\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f00\u03b3\u03c1\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03bc\u1f71\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u1f05\u03bb\u03b9\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u1f71\u03c3\u03c3\u1fc3
\n    \u03c4\u1f71\u03c1\u03b2\u03bf\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03be\u03b5\u1f77\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b4\u1fbf, \u1f22\u03bd \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u1f14\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b9, \u03b4\u1f73\u03bf\u03c2\u0387
\n\u1f22\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u1fc7\u03c2, \u1f00\u03bd\u03b9\u03b7\u03c1\u1f79\u03bd. \u1f14\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b3\u1f71\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd; \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f00\u03bc\u1f73\u03c1\u03b9\u03bc\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2
\n    \u1f14\u03c3\u03c3\u03b5\u03b1\u03b9\u0387 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u1f73\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2; \u03b6\u1fc7\u03c2 \u1f14\u03c4\u1fbf \u1f10\u03c1\u03b7\u03bc\u1f79\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2\u0387
\n\u03c4\u1f73\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1 \u03c0\u1f79\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9, \u03c0\u1f75\u03c1\u03c9\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f04\u03c0\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b2\u1f77\u03bf\u03c2\u0387 \u03b1\u1f31 \u03bd\u03b5\u1f79\u03c4\u03b7\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2
\n    \u1f04\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u03c2, \u03b1\u1f31 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f14\u03bc\u03c0\u03b1\u03bb\u03b9\u03bd \u1f00\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd\u1f73\u03b5\u03c2.
\n\u1f26\u03bd \u1f04\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03bd \u03b4\u03b9\u03c3\u03c3\u03bf\u1fd6\u03bd \u1f10\u03bd\u1f78\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f35\u03c1\u03b5\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2, \u1f22 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u1f73\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9
\n    \u03bc\u03b7\u03b4\u1f73\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u1fbf, \u1f22 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b8\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1f77\u03ba\u03b1 \u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03c4\u1f79\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd.<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What path of life should one pursue? In the market place are broils and business difficulties, and at home are anxieties; in the country there is too much labour, and at sea there is fear. In a foreign land there is apprehension if you possess anything, and if you are ill off, life is a burden. You are married? You won\u2019t be without cares. You are unmarried? You live a still more lonely life. Children are a trouble, and a childless life is a crippled one. Youth is foolish, and old age again is feeble. There is then, it seems, a choice between two things, either not to be born or to die at once on being born.<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Metrodorus (A.P.<\/em> 9.360):<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u03a0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03bd \u03b2\u03b9\u1f79\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf \u03c4\u1f71\u03bc\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03c1\u1f77\u03b2\u03bf\u03bd; \u03b5\u1f30\u03bd \u1f00\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u1fc7 \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd
\n    \u03ba\u1f7b\u03b4\u03b5\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03b9\u03bd\u03c5\u03c4\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f75\u03be\u03b9\u03b5\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b4\u1f79\u03bc\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2
\n\u1f04\u03bc\u03c0\u03b1\u03c5\u03bc\u1fbf\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f00\u03b3\u03c1\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03a6\u1f7b\u03c3\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c7\u1f71\u03c1\u03b9\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd \u03b4\u1f72 \u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u1f71\u03c3\u03c3\u1fc3
\n    \u03ba\u1f73\u03c1\u03b4\u03bf\u03c2. \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03be\u03b5\u1f77\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b4\u1fbf, \u1f22\u03bd \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u1f14\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b9, \u03ba\u03bb\u1f73\u03bf\u03c2\u0387
\n\u1f22\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u1fc7\u03c2, \u03bc\u1f79\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f36\u03b4\u03b1\u03c2. \u1f14\u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b3\u1f71\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd; \u03bf\u1f36\u03ba\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f04\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2
\n    \u1f14\u03c3\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9\u0387 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b3\u03b1\u03bc\u1f73\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2; \u03b6\u1fc7\u03c2 \u1f14\u03c4\u1fbf \u1f10\u03bb\u03b1\u03c6\u03c1\u1f79\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2.
\n\u03c4\u1f73\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1 \u03c0\u1f79\u03b8\u03bf\u03c2, \u1f04\u03c6\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f04\u03c0\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b2\u1f77\u03bf\u03c2\u0387 \u03b1\u1f31 \u03bd\u03b5\u1f79\u03c4\u03b7\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2
\n    \u1fe5\u03c9\u03bc\u03b1\u03bb\u1f73\u03b1\u03b9, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b9\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b4\u1fbf \u1f14\u03bc\u03c0\u03b1\u03bb\u03b9\u03bd \u03b5\u1f50\u03c3\u03b5\u03b2\u1f73\u03b5\u03c2.
\n\u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f04\u03c1\u03b1 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b4\u03b9\u03c3\u03c3\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f10\u03bd\u1f78\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f35\u03c1\u03b5\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2, \u1f22 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u1f73\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9
\n    \u03bc\u03b7\u03b4\u1f73\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u1fbf, \u1f22 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b8\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd\u0387 \u03c0\u1f71\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1 \u1f10\u03c3\u03b8\u03bb\u1f70 \u03b2\u1f77\u1ff3.<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pursue every path of life. In the market place are honours and prudent dealings, at home rest; in the country the charm of nature, and at sea profit; in a foreign country, if you have any possessions, there is fame, and if you are in want no one knows it but yourself. Are you married? Your house will be the best of houses. Do you remain unmarried? Your life is yet lighter. Children are darlings; a childless life is free from care. Youth is strong, and old age again pious. Therefore there is no choice between two things, either not to be born or to die; for all in life is excellent.<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

(translations from W. R. Paton’s Loeb)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Those who found the last epigram a bit morbid may wish to skip the first of this matched pair: “Posidippus, or Plato the Comic Poet” (A.P. 9.359): \u03a0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03bd \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b2\u03b9\u1f79\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf \u03c4\u1f71\u03bc\u1fc3 \u03c4\u03c1\u1f77\u03b2\u03bf\u03bd; \u03b5\u1f30\u03bd \u1f00\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u1fc7 \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd     \u03bd\u03b5\u1f77\u03ba\u03b5\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c7\u03b1\u03bb\u03b5\u03c0\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03c1\u1f75\u03be\u03b9\u03b5\u03c2\u0387 \u1f10\u03bd … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-epigrams","category-ephemerides"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curculio.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}