22. Dionysius shows good judgement in not subjecting Sappho’s Hymn to a detailed analysis, letter by letter.
24. ἐπὶ τῶν παραδειγμάτων, ‘in the light of the appropriate examples.’ Cp. [152] 3, [232] 23. The phrase sometimes indicates ‘familiar,’ ‘stock,’ or ‘previous’ examples; cp. de Demosth. c. 40 ἵνα δὲ μὴ δόξωμεν διαρτᾶν τὰς ἀκολουθίας, τοὺς ἀναγινώσκοντας ἐπὶ τὰ ἐν ἀρχαῖς ῥηθέντα παραδείγματα κελεύοντες ἀναστρέφειν, κτλ.—In [242] 2 infra, ‘with illustrations’ (no article in PMV, though F has τῶν).
ἄλλῳ καθ’ ἓν ἕκαστον τῶν ἐξηριθμημένων ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ κατὰ τὴν
προέκθεσιν τοῦ χαρακτῆρος ἐπιλέγεσθαί τε καὶ σκοπεῖν ἐπὶ
παραδειγμάτων κατὰ πολλὴν εὐκαιρίαν καὶ σχολήν· ἐμοὶ δ’
οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἀπόχρη παραδεῖξαι μόνον
ἀρκούντως ἃ βούλομαι τοῖς δυνησομένοις παρακολουθῆσαι. 5
ἑνὸς ἔτι παραθήσομαι λέξιν ἀνδρὸς εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν κατεσκευασμένου
χαρακτῆρα, Ἰσοκράτους τοῦ ῥήτορος, ὃν ἐγὼ
μάλιστα πάντων οἴομαι τῶν πεζῇ λέξει χρησαμένων ταύτην
ἀκριβοῦν τὴν ἁρμονίαν. ἔστι δὲ ἡ λέξις ἐκ τοῦ Ἀρεοπαγιτικοῦ
ἥδε· 10
πολλοὺς ὑμῶν οἴομαι θαυμάζειν, ἥντινά ποτε γνώμην
ἔχων περὶ σωτηρίας τὴν πρόσοδον ἐποιησάμην, ὥσπερ
τῆς πόλεως ἐν κινδύνοις οὔσης ἢ σφαλερῶς αὐτῇ τῶν
πραγμάτων καθεστώτων, ἀλλ’ οὐ πλείους μὲν τριήρεις ἢ
διακοσίας κεκτημένης, εἰρήνην δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν χώραν 15
ἀγούσης καὶ τῶν κατὰ θάλατταν ἀρχούσης, ἔτι δὲ συμμάχους
ἐχούσης πολλοὺς μὲν τοὺς ἑτοίμους ἡμῖν ἤν τι
δέῃ βοηθήσοντας, πολὺ δὲ πλείους τοὺς τὰς συντάξεις
ὑποτελοῦντας καὶ τὸ προσταττόμενον ποιοῦντας. ὧν
ὑπαρχόντων ἡμᾶς μὲν ἄν τις φήσειεν εἰκὸς εἶναι θαρρεῖν 20
ὡς πόρρω τῶν κινδύνων ὄντας, τοῖς δ’ ἐχθροῖς τοῖς ἡμετέροις
προσήκειν δεδιέναι καὶ βουλεύεσθαι περὶ σωτηρίας.
ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν οἶδ’ ὅτι τούτῳ χρώμενοι τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ
any one else, at your full leisure and convenience, to take each single point enumerated by me in describing the type, and to examine and review them with illustrations. But I really have no time to do this. It is quite enough simply to give an adequate indication of my views to all who will be able to follow in my steps.
I will quote a passage of one more writer who has fashioned himself into the same mould—Isocrates the orator. Of all prose-writers he is, I think, the most finished master of this style of composition. The passage is from the Areopagiticus, as follows:—
“Many of you, I imagine, are wondering what can be my view in coming before you to speak on the question of the public safety, as though the State were actually in danger, or its interests imperilled, and as though it did not as a matter of fact possess more than two hundred warships, and were not at peace throughout its borders and supreme at sea, and had not many allies ready to help us in case of need, and many more who regularly pay their contributions and perform their obligation. Under these circumstances it might be said that we have every reason for confidence on the ground that all danger is remote; and that it is our enemies who have reason to be afraid and to form plans for self-preservation. Now you, I know, are inclined on this account