Wednesday, February 09, 2011

 

Exemplaria Graeca Nocturna Versate Manu, Versate Diurna

Lord Chesterfield, Letters to his Son (undated), number CCII in 4th edition (London: J. Dodsley, 1774):
Let Greek, without fail, share some part of every day; I do not mean the Greek poets, the catches of Anacreon, or the tender complaints of Theocritus, or even the porter-like language of Homer's heroes; of whom all smatterers in Greek know a little, quote often, and talk of always; but I mean Plato, Aristoteles, Demosthenes, and Thucydides, whom none but adepts know. It is Greek that must distinguish you in the learned world, Latin alone will not: and Greek must be sought to be retained, for it never occurs like Latin.
On the other hand, Nicolás Gómez Dávila, Notas, 210 (tr. Michael Hendry), does recommend Homer:
The reading of Homer every morning, with the serenity, the tranquillity, the deep sensation of moral and physical well-being which it instills in us, is the best provision to endure the vulgarities of the day.

La lectura matutina de Homero, con la serenidad, el sosiego, la honda sensación de bienestar moral y físico, de salud perfecta, que nos infunde, es el mejor viático para soportar las vulgaridades del díia.



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