A Supposed Testimony to Bion of Borysthens

Extract

In his Index Bioneus, containing all instances in which Bion of Borysthenes is mentioned or quoted in ancient literature, O. Hense also included a reference to Philodemus, Rhetorica 2.55 Sudhaus, where τ⋯ν Βορυσθενίτην is mentioned, but gave no further treatment of this item. In my edition of the testimonies to and fragments of Bion I did not include this passage, not because the name Bion does not occur, but because I did not think that it really was a reference to Bion. As M. Gigante and G. Indelli have objected to this procedure and seem to be convinced that the passage really is a definite reference to Bion of Borysthenes, I think it deserves a somewhat closer interpretation. I start by giving the crucial text:

Τ[ί] γ⋯ρ μ⋯λλον αἰσχρ⋯ν

ἧν] σιωπ⋯ν, Ἱσοκράτην

δ' ⋯⋯ν λέγειν ἢ κατ⋯ πό-

λιν ζ[⋯ν], Μάνην δ⋯ [σ]κα-

π[αν]εύειν ⋯⋯ν, κ[⋯ν τ]⋯ι

γ⋯]ι διατρ[ί]βειν, ⋯π[ικ]υ-

μα]τί[ζ]εσθαι δ⋯ τ⋯ν [φο]ίνι-

κα κ]α⋯ τ⋯ν Βορυσθε[νείτη]ν,

κα⋯ ⋯σɸ]α[λέστ]ατα [μ]⋯ν ὅ[λον

τ⋯ν βίον] ἰδιω[τεύειν,

Θεμι]στο[κ]λέα δ[⋯ οτ]ρα-

τεύειν] ⋯⋯ν.

In this part of his Rhetorica Philodemus attacks the philosophical schools which pursue the study of rhetoric, and especially Aristotle. Philodemus takes as his starting point a well known parody of a line from Euripides, Philoctetes (fr. 796 Nauck), by which Aristotle is said to have justified his teaching of rhetoric: αἰσχρ⋯ν σιωπ⋯ν, Ἱσοκράτην δ' ⋯⋯ν λέγειν which was quoted already in Rhetorica 2.50 Sudhaus. Philodemus here sets out to prove that the attitude of Aristotle is wrong by ridiculing his view that it is shameful to abstain from a certain activity and leave it to someone else.