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D051 - Aristotle'sPoetics - Chapter 2
D051 - Aristotle'sPoetics - Chapter 2
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Home » By Gregory Nagy » Aristotle’s Poetics, translation and commentary in progress, Chapter 2
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Aristotle’s Poetics, translation and
commentary in progress, Chapter 2
January 21, 2016 By Gregory Nagy listed under By Gregory Nagy Comments off Edit This
In the posting for 2015.11.27, I translated and commented on Chapter 1 of Aristotle’s Poetics. In the posting
here for 2016.01.21, I continue by translating and commenting on Chapter 2. For my overall strategy, I refer
back to my Introduction in the posting for 2015.11.27.
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Introduction
In the posting for 2015.11.27, I translated and commented on Chapter 1 of Aristotle’s Poetics. In the
posting here for 2016.01.21, I continue by translating and commenting on Chapter 2. For my overall Subscribe to this site to receive email
strategy, I refer back to my Introduction in the posting for 2015.11.27. updates about the latest research—just
one or two notices per week.
Aristotle’s Poetics Chapter 2
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1448a.1 Ἐπεὶ δὲ μιμοῦνται οἱ μιμούμενοι πράττοντας, ἀνάγκη δὲ τούτους ἢ σπουδαίους ἢ φαύλους εἶναι
(τὰ γὰρ ἤθη σχεδὸν ἀεὶ τούτοις ἀκολουθεῖ μόνοις, κακίᾳ γὰρ καὶ ἀρετῇ τὰ ἤθη διαφέρουσι πάντες), ἤτοι
βελτίονας ἢ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἢ χείρονας 1448a.5 ἢ καὶ τοιούτους, ὥσπερ οἱ γραφεῖς· Πολύγνωτος μὲν γὰρ
κρείττους, Παύσων δὲ χείρους, Διονύσιος δὲ ὁμοίους εἴκαζεν. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ τῶν λεχθεισῶν ἑκάστη
μιμήσεων ἕξει ταύτας τὰς διαφορὰς καὶ ἔσται ἑτέρα τῷ ἕτερα μιμεῖσθαι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον. καὶ γὰρ ἐν
ὀρχήσει καὶ αὐλήσει καὶ 1448a.10 κιθαρίσει ἔστι γενέσθαι ταύτας τὰς ἀνομοιότητας, καὶ [τὸ] περὶ τοὺς
λόγους δὲ καὶ τὴν ψιλομετρίαν, οἷον Ὅμηρος μὲν βελτίους, Κλεοφῶν δὲ ὁμοίους, Ἡγήμων δὲ ὁ Θάσιος
Now Online
ὁ τὰς παρῳδίας ποιήσας πρῶτος καὶ Νικοχάρης ὁ τὴν Δειλιάδα χείρους· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ περὶ τοὺς
διθυράμβους καὶ περὶ τοὺς 1448a.15 νόμους, ὥσπερ [γᾶς] Κύκλωπας Τιμόθεος καὶ Φιλόξενος μιμήσαιτο
ἄν τις. ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ διαφορᾷ καὶ ἡ τραγῳδία πρὸς τὴν κωμῳδίαν διέστηκεν· ἡ μὲν γὰρ χείρους ἡ δὲ
βελτίους μιμεῖσθαι βούλεται τῶν νῦν.
Notes
[1] Here and elsewhere, I translate spoudaios as ‘noble’ and phaulos as ‘base’. These words carry socio
economic meanings that are missing in such translations as ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Although Aristotle tends to
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avoid making such socioeconomic meanings explicit, they are nevertheless implicit. [[GN 2018.04.18.]]
[2] I translate homoios as ‘just about the same’ in order to emphasize that this word is derived from Indo
European *somos, which had meant ‘same’—and such a meaning still survives in the English cognate The Last Words of Socrates at
same. [[GN 2018.04.18.]]
the Place Where He Died
[3] I think that Aristotle has in mind here the meter that we know as the Homeric hexameter, which in
Who is the best of heroes,
Aristotle’s time was performed without the accompaniment of musical instruments and was merely recited
Achilles or Odysseus? And which
rather than sung. [[GN 2018.04.18.]]
is the best of epics, the Iliad or
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