Zenobius 6.38
Hard are noble things
English
Proverb
Hard are noble things
Explanation
proverb mentioned by Plato. It came from this: Periander the Corinthian was at first democratic, but later changed his mind and turned from democrat to tyrant. Pittacus of Mitylene, hearing this and fearing for his own resolve, fled at the time when he was tyrant of the Mitylenaeans. When asked why he was withdrawing from power, Pittacus said: "How hard it is to be noble" — thinking, by reason of what had befallen Periander, that it was most difficult to keep his own resolve. Solon, hearing this, said: "Hard are noble things"; and from this it passed into proverb. Others take "hard" in the sense of "impossible." So that it is impossible to be good in everything.
Greek
Proverb
Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά
Explanation
παροιμία, ἧς μέμνηται καὶ Πλάτων. Ἐλέχθη δὲ ἐντεῦθεν· Περίανδρον τὸν Κορίνθιον κατ’ ἀρχὰς μὲν εἶναι δημοτικὸν, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν προαίρεσιν μεταβαλεῖν καὶ τυραννικὸν ἀπὸ δημοτικοῦ γενέσθαι· καὶ ταῦτα Πιττακὸν πυθόμενον τὸν Μιτυληναῖον καὶ δείσαντα περὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γνώμης, φυγεῖν τότε τυραννοῦντα Μιτυληναίων. Ἀλλὰ πυνθανομένων δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν ἀφίστατο τῆς ἐξουσίας, εἰπεῖν τὸν Πιττακὸν, Ὡς ἄρα χαλεπὸν ἐσθλὸν ἔμμεναι· νομίσαντα διὰ τὰ συμβάντα τῷ Περιάνδρῳ δυςχερέστατον εἶναι τηρῆσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην. Σόλωνα δὲ ταῦτα πυνθανόμενον εἰπεῖν, Χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά· καὶ ἐντεῦθεν εἰς παροιμίαν ἐλθεῖν. Ἄλλοι δὲ τὸ Χαλεπὸν ἀκούουσιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀδυνάτου. Ἀδύνατον οὖν εἶναι ἐφ’ ἅπαντα ἀγαθόν.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0098.tlg001.1st1K-grc1:6.38