Orations and Letters

...if it had been given (unless I had wished my Isocrates to be a short-lived original Greek: ἐφήμερον; refers here to something lasting only a day or intended for quick sale at a market thing of the next market-days), they will not wonder so much that I could not add an eighth [essay] to those seven, as it will be a wonder to them that those seven were even provided by me: given that the seventh remained half-finished original Greek: ἡμιτελής.

Truly, as for that eighth essay, so that all may see (and especially those who pursue me with malice born of envy and catch at every opportunity to slander me) how I was not unprepared for the things required for it, I will propose at least some specimen of my corrections—since there was no room for the full explanations I had intended for them. I shall begin with those corrections I applied to passages that others considered hopeless and therefore marked with an asterisk as "deplorable."

Of the three examples, I confess to have drawn two from my own Notebooks original: Schediasmatis; scholarly drafts or research notes. The first is in the Panegyric oration. For at the beginning of page 372, where you read:

"...wishing to take it away from him, * the friends original: αἵ φίλοι said this remained to him. So that it must become public property. For that man was in Piraeus."

In this passage, where you see the words "the friends" written (rightly marked with an asterisk, since no sense can be drawn from these words, nor does the sentence structure function), I offer a different reading from my Notebooks, based on my own conjecture: Pamphilus original: Πάμφιλον. The slip from Pamphilus to the friends was an easy error for a scribe to make, since the Greek letter 'p' [π] was likely faded original: ἐξίτηλος in the old manuscript. Furthermore, that the word for "it is necessary" original: δεῖ must be changed to the infinitive "to be necessary" original: δεῖν is so obvious that I do not think anyone would withhold their agreement.

The second passage appears in the Panathenaicus, at the end of page 250:

"...but I do not know how I happen to be carried away, though I ought to add what follows from the things I loved, * having become altogether far from the subject."

Since it is manifest that several words are missing from this spot, I fill it in this way:

"...but I do not know how I happen to be carried away. But though I ought to add that which follows the things I loved, I perceive that I have original: αἰσθάνομαί με become altogether far from the subject."

The order of those same words could also be: "...but I do not know how I happen to be carried away. For I perceive that, though I ought to add what follows... I have become altogether far..." Otherwise, after "carried away," one might read "and though I ought" instead of "for though I ought." I shall now await your judgment, as to whether I seem to have been an Oedipus A reference to Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx; Estienne is asking if he has successfully solved these textual riddles in these two places. In the first, I certainly think hardly anything else could be read for "the friends" than the name Pamphilus; but here, someone might perhaps say that Isocrates could have used a word other than "I perceive" (such as "I see").

The third passage, on page 272, line 15, seems to be able to be filled out as: "and for those concerning public affairs."

But I come to another on page 219 (the former), line 19, which likewise lacks a certain word: for there I write becoming servants original: θεράποντας γιγνομένους, because the word "serving" preceded it. Unless someone prefers becoming slaves original: δούλους γιγνομένους, though that noun is less common in prose and "being in bondage" preceded it.

On page 263, line 12, instead of "offenses" I read advantages or "excesses". Likewise on page 270, line 16, I read rule instead of "of the rulers." Page 284, line 2, "which is also foolish," and line 32, "better known." At line 36, I write from them instead of just "them." Page 285, line 24, "wondering," and line 28, "display."

Finally, to return to those passages suffering from the disease of omission original: elleimmatis; a Greek-derived term for a gap or lacuna in the text, I suspect on page 236, line three, that the phrase "having a reputation" is missing after "but" or after "irrational." And on page 283, at the end, I think the word "period" or "circuit" is missing before "nature."

These examples, whether I like it or not, are sufficient; and indeed they are enough since they are only (as I said) a specimen. Nothing, however, prevents you from adding other corrections to these, which were subjoined to the Seven Diatribes. Farewell.