Philosophical and Literary Miscellany

Aristophanes’ Wealth. Argument? original: "hypothesis" none.

How troublesome a thing it is, O Zeus and gods,
To become the slave of a master who has lost his mind.
For if the servant happens to give the best advice,
But it does not please his owner to act upon it,
The servant must necessarily share in the misfortunes.
For the god The speaker refers to "daimon" here, implying fate or a divine power governing their lot. does not allow the natural master
To control his own body, but rather the one who purchased him.
And so it is; but as for Loxias Loxias is a title for the god Apollo, specifically in his role as the giver of oracles at Delphi.,
Who chants his prophecies from his gold-beaten tripod,
I lay this just complaint against him: that
Being a doctor and a wise seer, as they say,
He has sent my master away in a state of "black bile" The original term "melancholonta" suggests madness or a frantic state, which the Greeks attributed to an excess of black bile.,
Who now follows behind a blind man,
Doing the exact opposite of what he ought to do.
For we who can see usually lead the blind;
But this man follows, and forces me to do the same,
And that without answering a single grunt to my questions.
I simply cannot keep silent,
Unless you tell me why on earth we are following this man,
O Master; I will cause nothing but trouble for you.
For you surely won't beat me while I am wearing this sacred wreath! Carion wears a laurel wreath because they are returning from the Oracle at Delphi; such wreaths traditionally afforded the wearer religious protection from violence.
By Zeus, I will take the wreath away, so that you may suffer if you annoy me at all,
So that you suffer even more! For I will not stop being a nuisance
Until you tell me who this fellow is;
For I ask out of goodwill toward you, very much so.
Well, I will not hide it from you; for of my servants
I consider you the most faithful—and the most thieving.
I shall tell you: although I am a righteous man...

This Latin inscription identifies the volume as belonging to Giovanni Cardinal Salviati.