The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus E-Book

Publius Syrus

• Herausgeber: Enhanced Media Publishing
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

The philosophy of the ancient Syrian-Roman Publius Syrus defies easy categorization. Part Stoic, part Epicurean, and even part Skeptic and Cynic, the wit and wisdom of this former slave turned playwright transcends doctrine and embraces humanism. His celebrated dramatic works are all but lost – what remains is a collection of over one thousand one-line quotations known as The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus – A Roman Slave.

Leseprobe

The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus

A Roman Slave

By Publius Syrus

Translated by Darius Lyman

Table of Contents

Title Page

The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus

Preface

The Life of Syrus

1-100

101-200

201-300

301-400

401-500

501-600

601-700

701-800

801-900

901-1000

1001-1087

Further Reading: The Lives of the Twelve Caesars - Volumes I and II (Illustrated)

The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus - A Roman Slave by Publius Syrus. Translated by Darius Lyman. First published in 1856. This edition published 2016 by Enhanced Media. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-365-72388-9.

Preface

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When The Edinburgh Review was established, the following motto was proposed for it: Tenui musam meditamur avend. The motto adopted reads as follows: The judge is condemned, when the criminal is acquitted.

This sentiment perhaps expressed the purpose of the Reviewers better than any other that could have been found—which was to bring to the trial of the public judgment, certain institutions of England, which if but once put on trial would most surely be condemned. Years since, I sought in vain for a copy of the work from which that motto was drawn. When at last a copy of Syrus came into my hands, it seemed strange that a writer of such wit and acuteness should not have been a great favorite with each of the Reviewers. That he was not, I could only account for by supposing that the original was seldom published by itself on account of its brevity; and that it was rarely translated, from the fact that many of the sayings derive their pith from the circumstance of their illustrating the character of personages represented in a play.

But whether the Edinburgh Reviewers knew much or little of Syrus, matters not. A writer whom these Reviewers had never read, who yet furnished their journal with a very appropriate motto, and with whom many of our popular proverbs originated, I here take the liberty to introduce to the people in a free English dress, knowing that if his noble shade is yet cognizant of his literary remains, he will thank me for bringing him before a public more capable of appreciating his good things than a Roman mob, and better able to practice his wiser moral precepts if so disposed, than most of the best of his contemporaries.

I would only bespeak the charity of the reader for the seeming insipidity to be found in some of the Sayings. As these were gleaned, after Syrus's day, from his Mimes or Plays, the compiler of them would be liable to such a mistake as he might make who should attempt to gather from the works of our great English dramatist a complete list of Shakespeare proverbs; that is, he would be likely to insert in his collection, many sayings which would be without meaning, except when taken in the proper connection of the play — and many maxims of doubtful morality, because originally fitted to the mouth of a Shylock; or an Iago.

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Translator.

The Life of Syrus

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Time has wrought Syrus a singular destiny, building up for him a second reputation on the ruins of a first. Of his plays, which were the admiration of the Romans, the ages have brought down to us only a few sayings which were dispersed through them. The sayings were for that age of secondary consideration; they are now his chief performance. Thus deprived of the glory he once had, he has conquered another, and the once celebrated dramatist has become posterity's famous gnomic poet.

Like Terence and Phaedrus, Syrus passed his early years in slavery; but as we have no evidence that he was born a slave, it is supposed he became one, when Syria, his native country, was reduced to a Roman province by Pompey (year of Rome 690; 64 BC). He was brought to Rome when about twelve years of age, by an inferior officer of the army, called Domitius, as report goes, and thereupon received the name Syrus, in accordance with the custom by which slaves took a name derived from that of their province.

The young Syrian was fair, and well formed, of lively wit, and ready at repartee. Domitius taking him one day to the house of his patron to pay his court, as was a client's duty, the latter was struck with the elegance of his manners, and the beauty of his person — "an excellent recommendation," as Syrus himself has said, and particularly at Rome. The patron begged his little slave of Domitius, and the present was of course immediately made.

Syrus soon surprised his new master with sallies of wit superior to his age and condition. They were one day crossing a court together, in which a slave afflicted with the dropsy lay idly basking in the sun.

"What are you doing there?" cried the master in an angry tone.

"He is only warming his water," said Syrus; and the master's anger vanished in a laugh.

On another occasion, his guests were discussing this question at table: what renders repose insupportable? The guests debated at great length without any prospect of agreement. The young slave had the audacity to throw in these words: "The feet of a gouty man;" sure of a pardon for his license from the patness of the remark—and the question was solved. On another occasion, pointing to an envious character who appeared that day more gloomy than usual — "Some misfortune, said he, has happened to that man, or some good fortune to someone else.''

The master of Syrus desired that a liberal education should grace such rare faculties, and accordingly gave him one. He afterwards added the gift of liberty, a kindness which Syrus never forgot, which substituted for the bonds of servitude, ties dearer to both.

"An affectionate freedman," said Syrus, "is a son acquired without the aid of nature."

At this period of his life it was, that according to the custom of freedmen, he took the name Publius which was doubtless the surname of his master. It has been long maintained by some, but without proof, that he received it much later in life, from the favor of the people.

Hardly had Syrus received his freedom, when he visited Italy, and there gave himself up to the composition of Mimes, a kind of theatrical exhibition at that time very popular. This species of drama must not be confounded with pantomime, in which dancing and gesture represented only a series of disconnected pictures, for Ovid informs us that his Art of Love was exhibited in this way nor with the Greek Mimes, in which the sentiment uttered was of more importance than the performance of the actors. The Mimes of the Romans, from which dancing was gradually banished, consisted at first of burlesque attitudes, and gross and often licentious farces, a species of entertainment more to the taste of the rabble than the regular Greek Mime and better adapted besides to representation in theaters which admitted eighty thousand spectators.

As it was the chief purpose of the Mimes to raise a laugh, they were used to represent the failings and eccentricities of the higher classes, and the vulgar language and solecisms of the lower. Good imitation was therefore their perfection, and they were so pleasing to the Romans that even in funeral processions, a band of mimics performed beside the chief mourners, whose leader imitated the voice and gestures of the deceased.

Emboldened by success, they soon began to act little scenes which had no connection with [...]