Marcus Tullius Cicero · Complete work
Chapter 26
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SECTION 97quod si in scena, id est in contione, in qua rebus fictis et adumbratis loci plurimum est, tamen verum valet, si modo id patefactum et illustratum est, quid in amicitia fieri oportet, quae tota veritate perpenditur? in qua nisi, ut dicitur, apertum pectus videas tuumque ostendas, nihil fidum, nihil exploratum habeas, ne amare quidem aut amari, cum id quam vere fiat ignores. quamquam ista assentatio, quamvis perniciosa sit, nocere tamen nemini potest nisi ei, qui eam recipit atque ea delectatur. ita fit ut is assentatoribus patefaciat auris suas maxime, qui ipse sibi assentetur et se maxime ipse delectet.
SECTION 98omnino est amans sui virtus; optime enim se ipsa novit quamque amabilis sit intellegit: ego autem non de virtute nunc loquor, sed de virtutis opinione. virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt. hos delectat assentatio, his fictus ad ipsorum voluntatem sermo cum adhibetur, orationem illam vanam testimonium esse laudum suarum putant. nulla est igitur haec amicitia, cum alter verum audire non volt, alter ad mentiendum paratus est. nec parasitorum in comoediis assentatio faceta nobis videretur, nisi essent milites gloriosi. magnas vero agere gratias Thais mihi? satis erat respondere magnas. ingentis, inquit Semper auget assentator id, quod is, cuius ad voluntatem dicitur, volt esse magnum.
SECTION 99quam ob rem, quamquam blanda ista vanitas apud eos valet, qui ipsi illam adlectant et invitant, tamen etiam graviores constantioresque admonendi sunt, ut animadvertant ne callida assentatione capiantur.aperte enim adulantem nemo non videt, nisi qui admodum est excors: callidus ille et occultus ne se insinuet studiose cavendum est. nec enim facillime agnoscitur, quippe qui etiam adversando saepe assentetur et litigare se simulans blandiatur atque ad extremum det manus vincique se patiatur, ut is, qui illusus sit, plus vidisse videatur. quid autem turpius quam illudi? quod ut ne accidat magis cavendum est: ut me hodie ante omnis comicos stultos sense versaris atque illusseris lautissime!
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from all 27 Latin chapters and 104 sections for fidelity, philosophical precision, rhetorical clarity, structure, and cadence.
SECTION 97But if truth prevails even upon the stage—that is, in a public assembly, where there is ample scope for fiction and mere semblance—provided only that the truth is laid bare and brought into the light, what ought to happen in friendship, which is measured wholly by truth? Unless in friendship, as the saying goes, you see an open heart and reveal your own, you can have nothing trustworthy, nothing certain—not even the assurance that you love or are loved, since you do not know how genuine that love is. And yet this flattery, pernicious though it may be, can harm no one except the man who welcomes it and takes pleasure in it. Thus it happens that the man who most readily opens his ears to flatterers is the one who flatters himself and takes the greatest delight in himself.
SECTION 98Virtue, to be sure, loves itself; for it knows itself perfectly and understands how lovable it is. But I am not now speaking of virtue, but of the reputation for virtue. For many wish not so much to possess virtue itself as to appear to possess it. Such men delight in flattery; when a feigned speech is fashioned to suit their wishes, they take that hollow language as testimony to their own praises. There is no friendship, then, when one man is unwilling to hear the truth and the other is prepared to lie. Nor would the flattery of parasites in comedies seem witty to us if there were no swaggering soldiers.
“Does Thais truly offer me great thanks?”
It would have been enough to answer, “Great thanks.”
“No—enormous thanks,” he says.
The flatterer always magnifies whatever the man whose wishes he is serving wants to be considered great.
SECTION 99Therefore, although this flattering falsehood has its power chiefly over those who themselves entice and invite it, even men of greater seriousness and constancy must be warned to take care lest they be caught by cunning flattery.
For no one fails to recognize open adulation unless he is utterly witless; but great care must be taken that the subtle and secret flatterer does not insinuate himself. He is not at all easy to recognize, since he often flatters even while opposing us, cajoles us while pretending to quarrel, and at last surrenders and allows himself to be defeated, so that the man who has been made a fool of may seem to have shown the greater insight. But what is more shameful than to be made a fool of? All the more care must be taken that this does not happen:
“How splendidly today you have handled and fooled me,More than all the foolish old men of comedy!”
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 27 Latin chapters and 104 sections.
SECTION 97But if truth has power even on the stage—that is, in a public assembly, where there is so much room for fiction and mere outlines of reality—provided only that the truth is uncovered and brought to light, what must happen in friendship, which is judged entirely by truth? Unless, as the saying goes, you see your friend’s heart laid open and show him your own, you can have nothing trustworthy, nothing certain—not even the assurance that you love or are loved, since you do not know how sincerely either is being done. Yet although such flattery is destructive, it can harm no one except the person who accepts it and takes pleasure in it. And so the man who opens his ears widest to flatterers is the man who flatters himself and takes the greatest pleasure in himself.
SECTION 98Virtue certainly loves itself, for it knows itself perfectly and understands how lovable it is. But I am not now speaking about virtue; I am speaking about the belief that one possesses virtue. Far more people wish to appear endowed with virtue than actually possess it. Such people delight in flattery. When fabricated words adapted to their wishes are offered to them, they consider that empty speech testimony to their own praises. This, then, is no friendship at all, when one man does not want to hear the truth and the other is ready to lie. Nor would the flattery of parasites in comedies seem amusing to us if there were no swaggering soldiers.
“Does Thais really give me great thanks?”
It would have been enough to answer, “Great thanks.”
“Enormous thanks,” he says.
The flatterer always magnifies whatever the person whose wishes he is serving wants to be considered great.
SECTION 99Therefore, although this flattering insincerity has influence with those who themselves attract and invite it, even more serious and steadfast people must be warned to take care not to be caught by clever flattery.
Everyone except a complete fool can recognize an open flatterer. Careful attention is needed to keep the clever and concealed flatterer from insinuating himself into one’s favor. He is not at all easy to recognize, since he often flatters even by disagreeing: pretending to argue, he fawns, and in the end he throws up his hands and allows himself to be defeated, so that the man who has been made a fool of may appear to have shown greater insight. But what is more shameful than being made a fool of? All the greater care must therefore be taken to prevent that from happening:
“How splendidly today, beyond all the foolish old men of comedy, you have manipulated and mocked me!”