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[19]
ἐκεῖνο δὲ γέ φημι, τοιαύτας ἡμῖν τὰς ἀφορμὰς τῶν ἐπαινετικῶν τούτων λόγων εἶναι ὡς χρὴ τὸν ἐπαινοῦντα καὶ εἰκόσι καὶ ὁμοιώσεσι προσχρῆσθαι, καὶ σχεδὸν ἐν τούτῳ τὸ μέγιστόν ἐστιν εὖ εἰκάσαι: τὸ δὲ εὖ ὧδε μάλιστ᾽ ἂν ^ κρίνοιτο, οὐκ
ἤν τις τοῖς ὁμοίοις παραβάλλῃ οὐδ᾽ ἢν πρὸς τὸ ὑποδεέστερον ποιῆται τὴν παράθεσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἢν πρὸς τὸ ὑπερέχον ὡς οἷόν τε προσβιβάζῃ τὸ ἐπαινούμενον.
οἷον εἴ τις κύνα ἐπαινῶν εἴποι ἀλώπεκος εἶναι μείζω αὐτὸν ἢ αἰλούρου, ἆρά σοι δοκεῖ ὁ τοιοῦτος
ἐπαινεῖν εἰδέναι; οὐκ ἂν εἴποις. ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδ᾽
εἰ λύκῳ φαίη ἴσον αὐτὸν ὑπάρχειν, οὐδὲ οὕτως μεγαλωστὶ ἐπῄνεσεν. ἀλλὰ ποῦ τὸ ἴδιον τοῦ ἐπαίνου ἀποτελεῖται; ἢν ὁ κύων τῷ λέοντι ἐοικέναι λέγηται καὶ μέγεθος καὶ ἀλκήν. ὡς ὁ τὸν
Ὠρίωνος κύνα ἐπαινῶν ἔφη ποιητὴς λεοντοδάμαν
αὐτὸν οὗτος γὰρ δὴ κυνὸς ἐντελὴς ἔπαινος. καὶ πάλιν εἴ τις Μίλωνα τὸν ἐκ Κρότωνος ἢ Γλαῦκον τὸν ἐκ Καρύστου ἢ Πολυδάμαντα ἐπαινέσαι θέλων ἔπειτα λέγοι ἰσχυρότερον ἕκαστον
αὐτῶν γυναικὸς γενέσθαι, οὐκ ἂν οἴει γελασθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνοίᾳ τοῦ ἐπαίνου ; ὅπου γε καὶ εἰ
[p. 322] ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἔλεγεν ἀμείνω εἶναι αὐτόν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀπέχρησεν ἂν εἰς ἔπαινον. ἀλλὰ πῶς ἐπῄνεσε ποιητὴς εὐδόκιμος τὸν Γλαῦκον, 'οὐδὲ ‘ Πολυδεύκεος βίαν '’ φήσας ἀνατείνασθαι ἂν αὐτῷ ἐναντίας τὰς χεῖρας ' ‘οὐδὲ σιδάρεον Ἀλκμάνας τέκος ';’ ὁρᾷς ὁποίοις αὐτὸν θεοῖς εἴκασε: μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ
αὐτῶν ἐκείνων ἀμείνω ἀπέφαινεν. καὶ οὔτε αὐτὸς
ὁ Γλαῦκος ἠγανάκτησεν τοῖς ἐφόροις τῶν ἀθλητῶν θεοῖς ἀντεπαινούμενος, οὔτε ἐκεῖνοι ἠμύναντο ἢ
τὸν Γλαῦκον ἢ τὸν ποιητὴν ὡς ἀσεβοῦντα περὶ τὸν ἔπαινον, ἀλλὰ εὐδοκίμουν ἄμφω καὶ ἐτιμῶντο ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀλκῇ, ὁ Γλαῦκος,
ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς ἐπί τε τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ τούτῳ μάλιστα τῷ ᾁσματι. μὴ δὴ θαυμάσῃς εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰκάσαι βουλόμενος, ὅπερ ἦν τῷ ἐπαινοῦντι ἀναγκαῖον,
ὑψηλοτέρῳ ἐχρησάμην τῷ παραδείγματι, τοῦτο ὑποβαλόντος τοῦ λόγου.
Lucian. Works. with an English Translation by. A. M. Harmon. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1925. 4.
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