--- title: "On Hunting · Κυνηγετικός" author: "Xenophon" translator: "Edgar Carew Marchant" languages: [grc, en] shelf: "Classical Greek" section: 12 of 13 url: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/12/ cite: "Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant, On Hunting · Κυνηγετικός, section 12. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/12/" --- # On Hunting · Κυνηγετικός *Xenophon, tr. Edgar Carew Marchant* Hunting with hounds, and its training in virtue. > Greek: ed. Edgar Carew Marchant, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0032.tlg014, CC BY-SA 4.0). > English: Edgar Carew Marchant, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0032.tlg014.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included. > Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence. ## 12. Chapter 12 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/12/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/xenophon-on-hunting/12/#p-N [¶0] 1. With the practical side of hunting I have finished. But the advantages that those who have been attracted by this pursuit will gain are many. For it makes the body healthy, improves the sight and hearing, and keeps men from growing old; and it affords the best training for war. > Greek: 1. περὶ μὲν αὐτῶν τῶν πράξεων τῶν ἐν τοῖς κυνηγεσίοις εἴρηται. ὠφελήσονται δʼ οἱ ἐπιθυμήσαντες τούτου τοῦ ἔργου πολλά· ὑγίειάν τε γὰρ τοῖς σώμασι παρασκευάζει καὶ ὁρᾶν καὶ ἀκούειν μᾶλλον, γηράσκειν δὲ ἧττον, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον μάλιστα παιδεύει. [¶1] 2. In the first place, when marching over rough roads under arms, they will not tire: accustomed to carry arms for capturing wild beasts, they will bear up under their tasks. Again, they will be capable of sleeping on a hard bed and of guarding well the place assigned to them. > Greek: 2. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὰ ὅπλα ὅταν ἔχοντες πορεύωνται ὁδοὺς χαλεπάς, οὐκ ἀπεροῦσιν· ἀνέξονται γὰρ τοὺς πόνους διὰ τὸ εἰθίσθαι μετὰ τούτων αἱρεῖν τὰ θηρία. ἔπειτα εὐνάζεσθαί τε σκληρῶς δυνατοὶ ἔσονται καὶ φύλακες εἶναι ἀγαθοὶ τοῦ ἐπιταττομένου. [¶2] 3. In an attack on the enemy they will be able to go for him and at the same time to carry out the orders that are passed along, because they are used to do the same things on their own account when capturing the game. If their post is in the van they will not desert it, because they can endure. > Greek: 3. ἐν δὲ ταῖς προσόδοις ταῖς πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἅμα οἷοί τε ἔσονται ἐπιέναι καὶ τὰ παραγγελλόμενα ποιεῖν διὰ τὸ οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ αἱρεῖν τὰς ἄγρας. τεταγμένοι δὲ ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν οὐ λείψουσι τὰς τάξεις διὰ τὸ καρτερεῖν δύνασθαι. [¶3] 4. In the rout of the enemy they will make straight for the foe without a slip over any kind of ground, through habit. If part of their own army has met with disaster in ground rendered difficult by woods and defiles or what not, they will manage to save themselves without loss of honour and to save others. For their familiarity with the business will give them knowledge that others lack. > Greek: 4. ἐν φυγῇ δὲ τῶν πολεμίων ὀρθῶς καὶ ἀσφαλῶς διώξονται τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐν παντὶ χωρίῳ διὰ συνήθειαν. δυστυχήσαντος δὲ οἰκείου στρατοπέδου ἐν χωρίοις ὑλώδεσι καὶ ἀποκρήμνοις ἢ ἄλλως χαλεποῖς οἷοί τʼ ἔσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ σῴζεσθαι μὴ αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἑτέρους σῴζειν· ἡ γὰρ συνήθεια τοῦ ἔργου παρέξει αὐτοῖς πλέον τι εἰδέναι. [¶4] 5. Indeed, it has happened before now, when a great host of allies has been put to flight, that a little band of such men, through their fitness and confidence, has renewed the battle and routed the victorious enemy when he has blundered owing to difficulties in the ground. For men who are sound in body and mind may always stand on the threshold of success. > Greek: 5. καὶ ἤδη τινὲς τῶν τοιούτων πολλοῦ ὄχλου συμμάχων τρεφθέντος τῇ αὑτῶν εὐταξίᾳ καὶ θράσει διὰ δυσχωρίαν ἁμαρτόντας τοὺς πολεμίους νενικηκότας ἀναμαχόμενοι ἐτρέψαντο· ἀεὶ γὰρ ἔστι τοῖς τὰ σώματα καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς εὖ ἔχουσιν ἐγγὺς εἶναι τοῦ εὐτυχῆσαι. [¶5] 6. It was because they knew that they owed their successes against the enemy to such qualities that our ancestors looked after the young men. For in spite of the scarcity of corn it was their custom from the earliest times not to prevent hunters from hunting over any growing crops; and, in addition, not to permit hunting at night within a radius of many furlongs from the city, so that the masters of that art might not rob the young men of their game. > Greek: 6. εἰδότες δὲ καὶ οἱ πρόγονοι ἡμῶν ὅτι ἐντεῦθεν ηὐτύχουν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν νέων ἐποιήσαντο· σπανίζοντες γὰρ καρπῶν τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐνόμισαν ὅμως τοὺς κυνηγέτας μὴ κωλύειν διὰ μηδενὸς τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ γῇ φυομένων ἀγρεύειν· [¶6] 7. In fact they saw that this is the only one among the pleasures of the younger men that produces a rich crop of blessings. For it makes sober and upright men of them, because they are trained in the school of truth (and they perceived that to these men they owed their success in war, as in other matters); and it does not keep them from any other honourable occupation they wish to follow, like other and evil pleasures that they ought not to learn. > Greek: 7. πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ μὴ νυκτερεύειν ἐντὸς πολλῶν σταδίων, ἵνα μὴ ἀφαιροῖντο τὰς θήρας αὐτῶν οἱ ἔχοντες ταύτην τὴν τέχνην. ἑώρων γὰρ ὅτι τῶν νεωτέρων ἡ ἡδονὴ μόνη αὕτη πλεῖστα ἀγαθὰ παρασκευάζει. σώφρονάς τε γὰρ ποιεῖ καὶ δικαίους διὰ τὸ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ παιδεύεσθαι. [¶7] 8. Of such men, therefore, are good soldiers and good generals made. For they whose toils root out whatever is base and froward from mind and body and make desire for virtue to flourish in their place—they are the best, since they will not brook injustice to their own city nor injury to its soil. > Greek: 8. τά τε ἄλλα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου διὰ τούτων εὐτυχοῦντες ᾐσθάνοντο· καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἴ τι βούλονται ἐπιτηδεύειν καλῶν οὐδενὸς ἀποστερεῖ ὥσπερ ἕτεραι κακαὶ ἡδοναί, ἃς οὐ χρὴ μανθάνειν. ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων οὖν στρατιῶταί τε ἀγαθοὶ καὶ στρατηγοὶ γίγνονται. ὧν γὰρ οἱ πόνοι τὰ μὲν αἰσχρὰ καὶ ὑβριστικὰ ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἀφαιροῦνται, ἐπιθυμίαν δʼ ἀρετῆς ἐνηύξησαν, οὗτοι ἄριστοι· οὐ γὰρ ἂν περιίδοιεν οὔτε τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀδικουμένην οὔτε τὴν χώραν πάσχουσαν κακῶς. [¶8] 10. Some say that it is not right to love hunting, because it may lead to neglect of one’s domestic affairs. They are not aware that all who benefit their cities and their friends are more attentive to their domestic affairs than other men. > Greek: 10. λέγουσι δέ τινες ὡς οὐ χρὴ ἐρᾶν κυνηγεσίων, ἵνα μὴ τῶν οἰκείων ἀμελῶσιν, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι οἱ τὰς πόλεις καὶ τοὺς φίλους εὖ ποιοῦντες πάντες τῶν οἰκείων ἐπιμελέστεροί εἰσιν. [¶9] 11. Therefore, if keen sportsmen fit themselves to be useful to their country in matters of vital moment, neither will they be remiss in their private affairs: for the state is necessarily concerned both in the safety and in the ruin of the individual’s domestic fortunes. Consequently such men as these save the fortunes of every other individual as well as their own. > Greek: 11. εἰ οὖν οἱ φιλοκυνηγέται παρασκευάζουσιν αὑτοὺς τῇ πατρίδι χρησίμους εἶναι εἰς τὰ μέγιστα, οὐδʼ ἂν τὰ ἴδια ἀργοῖτο· σὺν γὰρ τῇ πόλει καὶ σῴζεται καὶ ἀπόλλυται τὰ οἰκεῖα ἑκάστου. ὥστε πρὸς τοῖς αὑτῶν καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἰδιωτῶν οἱ τοιοῦτοι σῴζουσι. [¶10] 12. But many of those who talk in this way, blinded by jealousy, choose to be ruined through their own evil rather than be saved by other men’s virtue. For most pleasures are evil, and by yielding to these they are encouraged either to say or to do what is wrong. > Greek: 12. πολλοὶ δὲ ὑπὸ φθόνου ἀλόγιστοι τῶν ταῦτα λεγόντων αἱροῦνται διὰ τὴν αὑτῶν κακίαν ἀπολέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἑτέρων ἀρετῇ σῴζεσθαι· αἱ γὰρ ἡδοναὶ αἱ πολλαὶ καὶ κακαί· ὧν ἡττώμενοι ἢ λέγειν ἢ πράττειν ἐπαίρονται τὰ χείρω. [¶11] 13. Then by their frivolous words they make enemies, and by their evil deeds bring diseases and losses and death on themselves, their children and their friends, being without perception of the evils, but more perceptive than others of the pleasures. Who would employ these to save a state? > Greek: 13. εἶτα ἐκ μὲν τῶν ματαίων λόγων ἔχθρας ἀναιροῦνται, ἐκ δὲ τῶν κακῶν ἔργων νόσους καὶ ζημίας καὶ θανάτους καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ παίδων καὶ φίλων, ἀναισθήτως μὲν τῶν κακῶν ἔχοντες, τῶν δὲ ἡδονῶν πλέον τῶν ἄλλων αἰσθανόμενοι, οἷς τίς ἂν χρήσαιτο εἰς πόλεως σωτηρίαν; [¶12] 14. From these evils, however, everyone who loves that which I recommend will hold aloof, since a good education teaches a man to observe laws, to talk of righteousness and hear of it. > Greek: 14. τούτων μέντοι τῶν κακῶν οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἀφέξεται ἐρασθεὶς ὧν ἐγὼ παραινῶ· παίδευσις γὰρ καλὴ διδάσκει χρῆσθαι νόμοις καὶ λέγειν περὶ τῶν δικαίων καὶ ἀκούειν. [¶13] 15. Those, then, who have given themselves up to continual toil and learning hold for their own portion laborious lessons and exercises, but they hold safety for their cities. But if any decline to receive instruction because of the labour and prefer to live among untimely pleasures, they are by nature utterly evil. > Greek: 15. οἱ μὲν οὖν παρασχόντες αὑτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ ἀεί τι μοχθεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκεσθαι ἑαυτοῖς μὲν μαθήσεις καὶ μελέτας ἐπιπόνους ἔχουσι, σωτηρίαν δὲ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν πόλεσιν· οἱ δὲ μὴ θέλοντες διὰ τὸ ἐπίπονον διδάσκεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἐν ἡδοναῖς ἀκαίροις διάγειν, φύσει οὗτοι κάκιστοι. [¶14] 16. For they obey neither laws nor good words, for because they toil not, they do not discover what a good man ought to be, so that they cannot be pious or wise men; and being without education they constantly find fault with the educated. > Greek: 16. οὔτε γὰρ νόμοις οὔτε λόγοις ἀγαθοῖς πείθονται· οὐ γὰρ εὑρίσκουσι διὰ τὸ μὴ πονεῖν οἷον χρὴ τὸν ἀγαθὸν εἶναι· ὥστε οὔτε θεοσεβεῖς δύνανται εἶναι οὔτε σοφοί· τῷ δὲ ἀπαιδεύτῳ χρώμενοι πολλὰ ἐπιτιμῶσι τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις. [¶15] 17. In these men’s hands, therefore, nothing can prosper. All discoveries that have benefited mankind are due to the better sort. Now the better sort are those who are willing to toil. And this has been proved by a great example. > Greek: 17. διὰ μὲν οὖν τούτων οὐδὲν ἂν καλῶς ἔχοι· διὰ δὲ τῶν πονούντων ἅπασαι αἱ ὠφέλειαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ηὕρηνται· ἀμείνους οὖν οἱ θέλοντες πονεῖν. [¶16] 18. For among the ancients the companions of Cheiron to whom I referred learnt many noble lessons in their youth, beginning with hunting; from these lessons there sprang in them great virtue, for which they are admired even today. That all desire Virtue is obvious, but because they must toil if they are to gain her, the many fall away. > Greek: 18. καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιδέδεικται μεγάλῳ παραδείγματι· τῶν γὰρ παλαιοτέρων οἱ παρὰ Χείρωνι ὧν ἐπεμνήσθην νέοι ὄντες ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν κυνηγεσίων πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ ἔμαθον· ἐξ ὧν ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς μεγάλη ἀρετή, διʼ ἣν καὶ νῦν θαυμάζονται· ἧς ὅτι μὲν ἐρῶσιν ἅπαντες εὔδηλον, ὅτι δὲ διὰ πόνων ἔστι τυχεῖν αὐτῆς, οἱ πολλοὶ ἀφίστανται. [¶17] 19. For the achievement of her is hidden in obscurity, whereas the toils inseparable from her are manifest. It may be that, if her body were visible, men would be less careless of virtue, knowing that she sees them as clearly as they see her. > Greek: 19. τὸ μὲν γὰρ κατεργάσασθαι αὐτὴν ἄδηλον, οἱ δὲ πόνοι οἱ ἐν αὐτῇ ἐνόντες φανεροί. ἴσως μὲν οὖν, εἰ ἦν τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς δῆλον, ἧττον ἂν ἠμέλουν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀρετῆς, εἰδότες ὅτι ὥσπερ αὐτοῖς ἐκείνη ἐμφανής ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπʼ ἐκείνης ὁρῶνται. [¶18] 20. For when he is seen by his beloved every man rises above himself and shrinks from what is ugly and evil in word or deed, for fear of being seen by him. > Greek: 20. ὅταν μὲν γάρ τις ὁρᾶται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐρωμένου, ἅπας ἑαυτοῦ ἐστι βελτίων καὶ οὔτε λέγει οὔτε ποιεῖ αἰσχρὰ οὐδὲ κακά, ἵνα μὴ ὀφθῇ ὑπʼ ἐκείνου. [¶19] 21. But in the presence of Virtue men do many evil and ugly things, supposing that they are not regarded by her because they do not see her. Yet she is present everywhere because she is immortal, and she honours those who are good to her, but casts off the bad. Therefore, if men knew that she is watching them, they would be impatient to undergo the toils and the discipline by which she is hardly to be captured, and would achieve her. > Greek: 21. ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐκ οἰόμενοι ἐπισκοπεῖσθαι πολλὰ κακὰ καὶ αἰσχρὰ ἐναντίον ποιοῦσιν, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐκείνην οὐχ ὁρῶσιν· ἡ δὲ πανταχοῦ πάρεστι διὰ τὸ εἶναι ἀθάνατος καὶ τιμᾷ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὴν ἀγαθούς, τοὺς δὲ κακοὺς ἀτιμάζει. εἰ οὖν εἰδεῖεν τοῦτο, ὅτι θεᾶται αὐτούς, ἵεντο ἂν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόνους καὶ τὰς παιδεύσεις αἷς ἁλίσκεται μόλις, καὶ κατεργάζοιντο ἂν αὐτήν.