Plutarch’s Moralia
(153)τότε, κἀγὼ νῦν διηγήσομαι τὰς ἐρωτήσεις καὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις·
‘Τί πρεσβύτατον;’ ‘θεός,’” ἔφη Θαλῆς· “‘ἀγέννητον γάρ ἐστι.’
‘Τί μέγιστον;’ ‘τόπος· τἄλλα μὲν γὰρ ὁ Dκόσμος, τὸν δὲ κόσμον οὗτος περιέχει.’
‘Τί κάλλιστον;’ ‘κόσμος· πᾶν γὰρ τὸ κατὰ τάξιν τούτου μέρος ἐστί.’
‘Τί σοφώτατον;’ ‘χρόνος· τὰ μὲν γὰρ εὕρηκεν οὗτος ἤδη, τὰ δ᾿ εὑρήσει.’
‘Τί κοινότατον;’ ‘ἐλπίς· καὶ γὰρ οἷς ἄλλο μηδέν, αὕτη πάρεστι.’
‘Τί ὠφελιμώτατον;’ ‘ἀρετή· καὶ γὰρ τἄλλα τῷ χρῆσθαι καλῶς ὠφέλιμα ποιεῖ.’
‘Τί βλαβερώτατον;’ ‘κακία· καὶ γὰρ τὰ πλεῖστα1 βλάπτει παραγενομένη.’
‘Τί ἰσχυρότατον;’ ‘ἀνάγκη· μόνον γὰρ ἀνίκητον.’
‘Τί ῥᾷστον;’ ‘τὸ κατὰ φύσιν, ἐπεὶ πρὸς ἡδονάς γε πολλάκις ἀπαγορεύουσιν.’”
E10. Ἀποδεξαμένων δὲ πάντων τὸν Θαλῆν, ὁ Κλεόδωρος εἶπε, “τοιαῦτ᾿2 ἐρωτᾶν καὶ ἀποκρίνεσθαι βασιλεῦσιν, ὦ Νειλόξενε, προσῆκόν ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ προπίνων τὴν θάλατταν Ἀμάσιδι βάρβαρος ἐδεῖτο τῆς Πιττακοῦ βραχυλογίας, ᾗ πρὸς Ἀλυάττην ἐχρήσατο προστάττοντά τι καὶ γράφοντα Λεσβίοις
Dinner of the Seven Wise Men
in the order given,a I will repeat them, together with my answersb:
(a) ‘What is the oldest thing?’ ‘God,’” said Thales, “‘for God is something that has no beginning.’
(b) ‘What is greatest?’ ‘Space; for while the universe contains within it all else, this contains the universe.’
(c) ‘What is most beautiful?’ ‘The Universe; for everything that is ordered as it should be is a part of it.’
(d) ‘What is wisest?’ ‘Time; for it has discovered some things already, and shall discover all the rest.’
(e) ‘What is most common?’ ‘Hope; for those who have nothing else have that ever with them.’
(f) ‘What is most helpful?’ ‘Virtue; for it makes everything else helpful by putting it to a good use.’
(g) ‘What is most harmful?’ ‘Vice; for it harms the greatest number of things by its presence.’
(h) ‘What is strongest?’ ‘Necessity; for that alone is insuperable.’
(i) ‘What is easiest?’ ‘To follow Nature’s course; because people often weary of pleasures.’”
10. When all had expressed their satisfaction with Thales, Cleodorus said, “Asking and answering such questions is all right for kings. But the barbarian who would have Amasis drink up the ocean to do him honour needed the terse retort which Pittacus used to Alyattes, when the latter wrote and sent an overbearing command to the Lesbians. The only answer
- aEither Thales or a copyist has transposed (c) and (d).
- bMost of these sentiments are attributed to Thales in works of other authors, as well as in other places in the Moralia. It may suffice here to refer, for example, to Diogenes Laertius, i. 35. The two numbered (f) and (g) are rather suggestive of the Stoic school of philosophy.