XVII. CRITIAS (Vorsokratiker 81. 885) 1. Hermogenes de ideis 2, 11, 10 (II p. 415, 28 Sp.): 廒庣 帠廔區 庥帢廔 怷廔怷 (庣巹帢) 庰弮彖廔裒 弮廔統 帢帢弇庢巹 彃 廒彖庣彃僇誕庣 庥帢廔 帤庣庢弮峟彖怷 廔裒 廔帠庥怷彖 庥帢廔 廔 怷弇弇廔 弇峟帠彖 廒怷帢彖庣庥彃剿, 庥帢庛帢庰怷 帤廔 廔棒 弇峟徆庣彖 庥帢巹, 廔庰 庰庣帣峎弇弇怷庣, 帤庣庰庥庣彖彃僇, 廔甩庰 5 庰廒僇諄敖 庥帢廔 帢廔棲 廒弮帢 彃 弮庰帠峟庛庰庣 庥帢廔 庰廔庥庣彖峸. 廒庰庣 帤廔 怷弇弇帢怷彃 庥帢廔 弮峎弇庣帢 廒彖 怷彃 帤庢弮庢帠怷庣庥怷彃 怷怷庣弮巹怷庣 庥帢廔 廔 廒弇庢庛庣彖彖 庰 庥帢巹 庣庛帢彖彖. 4 廔庰 庰庣帣峎弇弇怷庣 i. e. 庰廒 庰弮彖彃剿 庥帢廔 庰庣彃剿 弇峟帠庰庣彖 庰庣彃煙怷. 帤庢弮庢帠怷庣庥彃僇 怷怷庣弮巹彖 exstitisse collectionem Critiae nomine signatam Hermogenis verba docere videntur, sicut Antiphontis, Cephali, Demosthenis (Pollux VI 143) prooemia exstabant. Sed Demosthenis etiam nunc 56 prooemia congesta possidemus. Ipse quidem Cicero (ad Att. 16, 6, 4) ad manum se habere eiusmodi emolumentum testatur, cum dicit: de gloria librum ad te misi, at in eo prooemium id est, quod in Academico tertio. id evenit ob eam rem, quod habeo volumen prooemiorum. ex eo eligere soleo, cum aliquod 帠帠帢弮弮帢 institui. Itaque iam in Tusculano, qui non meminissem me abusum isto prooemio, conieci id in eum librum quem tibi misi. Mos erat oratoribus talia aut proprio ingenio comparare aut ab aliis ficta atque in lucem edita in usum suum convertere, sicut Andocidem et Lysiam fecisse constat.
2. Critiae Elegiarum fr. 7 D. (Stob. III 29, 11): 廒庥 弮庰弇峟庢 弇庰巹怷 廒 庰 廒帠帢庛怷巹. Cf. Eueni fr. B XX 6, Isocratis 15, 189 sq. al.
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XVII. Critias
1. Hermogenes, On Forms: [Kritias] too is magnificent in a similar way to Antiphon, with a tendency to be dignified and a habit of stating most things in a declaratory manner. However, his expression is purer and, when he exaggerates, he is still well organised, so that he is both clear despite the high tone and easy to follow. In many places, but especially in the prologues to deliberative speeches, he displays both truth and persuasion.
Hermogenes words seem to show that there was a collection of prologues to deliberative speeches carrying Critias name in the title, just as there were prologues of Antiphon, Cephalus, and Demosthenes (Pollux 6.143). But as far as Demosthenes is concerned, we still possess 56 proems gathered together. Cicero himself (Letters to Atticus 16.6.4) testifies to having such a work as he writes: I have sent you a book on glory, and it contains a proem that is in the Third Academic, too. This is because I happen to possess a volume of proems. Out of it I usually choose one when I decide to write something. So already in my Tusculan property I, who did not remember having already used up this proem, put it in the book I sent you. It was customary for orators either to put together such texts out of their own devices or to put into their own use ones that others had come up with and got published, as we know Andocides and Lysias did.
2. Critias, Elegies, fr. 7 D.: More are good through practice than by nature. Cf. Euenus fr. B XX 6, Isocrates 15.189 f. and elsewhere. |