Greek translation - Epictetus Enchiridion 46

[Nooj]

Μηδαμοῦ σεαυτὸν εἴπῃς φιλόσοφον μηδὲ λάλει τὸ πολὺ ἐν ἰδιώταις περὶ τῶν θεωρημάτων, ἀλλὰ ποίει τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν θεωρημάτων· οἷον ἐν συμποσίῳ μὴ λέγε, πῶς δεῖ ἐσθίειν, ἀλλ’ ἔσθιε, ὡς δεῖ. μέμνησο γάρ, ὅτι οὕτως ἀφῃρήκει πανταχόθεν Σωκράτης τὸ ἐπιδεικτικόν, ὥστε ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν βουλόμενοι φιλοσόφοις ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ συσταθῆναι, κἀκεῖνος ἀπῆγεν αὐτούς. οὕτως ἠνείχετο παρορώμενος.

κἂν περὶ θεωρήματός τινος ἐν ἰδιώταις ἐμπίπτῃ λόγος, σιώπα τὸ πολύ· μέγας γὰρ ὁ κίνδυνος εὐθὺς ἐξεμέσαι, ὃ οὐκ ἔπεψας. καὶ ὅταν εἴπῃ σοί τις, ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶσθα, καὶ σὺ μὴ δηχθῇς, τότε ἴσθι, ὅτι ἄρχῃ τοῦ ἔργου. ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ πρόβατα οὐ χόρτον φέροντα τοῖς ποιμέσιν ἐπιδεικνύει πόσον, ἔφαγεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν νομὴν ἔσω πέψαντα ἔρια ἔξω φέρει καὶ γάλα· καὶ σὺ τοίνυν μὴ τὰ θεωρήματα τοῖς ἰδιώταις ἐπιδείκνυε, ἀλλ’ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν πεφθέντων τὰ ἔργα.

Never say that you are a philosopher and do not speak much to ignorant people about the theoremata, but do that which follows from the theoremata. That’s to say, in a symposium don’t say how one should eat, but eat as one should. Keep in mind that Sokrates shed off ostentation in every way, with the result that people came to him, wishing to be recommended by him to philosophers and lead them he did. In such a way was he content to be looked over.

If ever discussion concerning some theoremata should break open among the ignorant, be quite silent, as there is great danger in vomiting out too hastily what is undigested. And when someone should say to you that you know nothing and you are not stung by the remark, then know that you are commencing your work. Since even sheep show their shepherds how much they've eaten, not by producing (bearing?) fodder, but once they've digested it inside, produce (bear?) it outside as wool, not to mention milk, so then you too should not show the theoremata to the ignorant, rather show them the deeds that follow on from what has been digested.

I'm wondering what translation is appropriate for: καὶ τὰ πρόβατα οὐ χόρτον φέροντα.

 

[Imber Ranae]

χόρτον seems to mean 'meat' here: 'since even sheep that don't produce meat indicate to their shepherds how much they've eaten, but rather produce what they've grazed upon, after digesting it inside them, outwardly as wool and milk.'

 

[siluanus]

Nooj is on the right track.

"since even sheep don't show their shepherds how much they've eaten by producing fodder for them, but instead they digest their grazings internally and produce wool and milk externally"

Sheep don't eat meat-- they eat χόρτον.

τοῖς ποιμέσιν could go with either φέροντα or ἐπιδεικνύει or could be taken with both.

 

[Imber Ranae]

Is the idea then that they don't show how much they've eaten by regurgitating undigested fodder but by producing milk and wool? I don't see how sheep 'producing fodder' makes much sense, but maybe I'm missing something.

I made no implication of sheep eating meat, of course.

 

[siluanus]

"Is the idea then that they don't show how much they've eaten by regurgitating undigested fodder but by producing milk and wool?" Yes, exactly. They don't produce undigested fodder right away--they produce milk and wool after digesting the fodder. The idea seems to be that you have to digest ideas or theories, instead of just regurgitating them, before you can produce intelligent thoughts about them.