XX. EUENUS PARIUS

1. Platο Apol. 20 B (Socrates ad Calliam): τίς τῆς τοιαύτης ἀρετῆς, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης τε καὶ πολιτικῆς, ἐπιστήμων ἐστίν;... καὶ πόσου διδάσκει; Εὔηνος, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες, Πάριος πέντε μνῶν.

Sud. s. v. Φίλιστος (ubi tamen non solum duorum homonymorum sed etiam Philisci memoria permixta videtur): Φίλιστος Ναυκρατίτης ἢ Συρακούσιος, Ἀρχωνίδου υἱός, μαθητὴς δὲ ἦν Eὐήνου τοῦ ἐλεγειοποιοῦ. ὃς πρῶτος κατὰ τὴν ῥητορικὴν τέχνην ἱστορίαν ἔγραψε. συνέταξε δὲ Τέχνην ῥητορικήν, Αἰγυπτιακὰ ἐν βιθλίοις ιβʼ etc.

 

2. Schol. ad Epicteti Diatr. 4, 9, 9 – 10, Arethae, ut videtur: οὐ σοφισταί (sc. Ἀριστείδης καὶ Εὔηνος);

Duos Euenos elegiarum poetas Eratosthenes distinxerat (v. Harpocratio s. v. Eὔηνος), quorum alter, si quidem fuit, quin idem fuerit atque sophista, non dubitandum est. Proposui, quae ad rhetoricam disciplinam pertinere videbantur.

 

3. Plato Phaedr. 267 A: τί μήν; καὶ ἔλεγχόν γε καὶ ἐπεξέλεγχον ὡς ποιητέον ἐν κατηγορίᾳ τε καὶ ἀπολογίᾳ. τὸν δὲ κάλλιστον Πάριον Εὔηνον ἐς μέσον οὐκ ἄγομεν, ὃς ὑποδήλωσίν τε πρῶτος εὗρε καὶ παρεπαίνους; οἳ δʼ αὐτὸν καὶ παραψόγους φασὶν ἐν μέτρῳ λέγειν μνήμης χάριν. σοφὸς γὰρ ἁνήρ.

 

Ausonius quidem Centonis nupt. p. 218, 17 P.: ‘quid Euenum? Quem Menander sapientem vocavit.’ Nisi forte Plato et Menander inter se confunduntur.

 

4. Hermias p. 238, 5 (p. 191 Ast): παρεπαίνους δὲ λέγει, ἵνα ἄντικρυς μὴ ἐπαινῇ, δοκῇ δὲ ἐπαινεῖν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ψέγειν.

2 Fort. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ <παραψόγους κατὰ τὸ> ψέγειν.

Usener, Kl. Schr. I 32 (Quaest. Anax. p. 41).

 

5. Elegeiοn fr. 1 D. (Athen. 367 d, cf. Stob. II 2, 10):

πολλοῖς ἀντιλέγειν μὲν ἔθος περὶ παντὸς ὁμοίως,

ὀρθῶς δʼ ἀντιλέγειν, οὐκέτι τοῦτʼ ἐν ἔθει.

καὶ πρὸς μὲν τούτους ἀρκεῖ λόγος εἷς ὁ παλαιός·

‘σοὶ μὲν ταῦτα δοκοῦντʼ ἔστω, ἐμοὶ δὲ τάδε.’

τοὺς ξυνετοὺς δʼ ἄν τις πείσειε τάχιστα λέγων εὖ,

οἵπερ καὶ ῥᾴστης εἰσὶ διδασκαλίας.

 

6. Epon fr. 9 D. (Aristot. Eth. Nic. 1152 a 32):

φημὶ πολυχρονίην μελέτην ἔμεναι, φίλε, καὶ δὴ

ταύτην ἀνθρώποισι τελευτῶσαν φύσιν εἶναι.

Vide e. g. B XVII 2, Isocr. 15, 187, Philod. rhet. I 49, 14 S., Iulius Victοr p. 373, 10 H.

 

 

7. Anaximenes p. 11, 22 H: οἱ μὲν γὰρ Πάριοι λεγόμενοι σοφισταὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ τεκεῖν αὐτοὶ διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν ϯ ἄμουσον οὐ στέργουσιν ἀλλὰ χρήματα λαβόντες ἀποκηρύττουσι.

2 Corruptum ἄμουσον. Fortasse ἄ<μισθα διακονήματα> Μουσῶν.

Cf. Plato Phaedonis 60 D sq. et Apol. 20 B. Eueni schola intellegi videtur, ad τεκεῖν cf. Themistius II p. 46, 12 Dind.

 

8. Quint. inst. 1, 10, 17: Archytas atque Euenus(?) etiam subiectam grammaticen musicae putaverunt.

1 Euenus B x x x nus A.

Denique Εὔηνος ἐν τοῖς εἰς Εὔνομον ἐρωτικοῖς laudatur ab Artemidoro Onirocr. I 4 p. 11, 28 H., quod opusculum generis epideictici fuisse putat Reitsenstein (RE. VI 976), aptius fortasse Παιγνίων nomen.

 

XX. Evenus of Paros

1. Plato, Apology 20 B (Socrates to Callias): Who has knowledge of that kind of excellence, that of a man and a citizen? […] what is his price for his teaching?” “Evenus,” he said, “Socrates, from Paros, five minae.”

Sud. s. v. Philistus (where however not only the memory of the two homonyms but also that of Philistus seems mixed up): ‘Philistus of Naucratis or of Syracuse, son of Archonides, he was a student of Evenus the elegiac poet. He was the first to write a history of the art of rhetoric. He also composed a rhetorical treatise, Egyptian Chronicles, in 12 books etc.’

 

2. Scholion on Epictetus Diatribes: Aristides and Evenus were not sophists.

Two elegiac poets named Evenus were distinguished by Eratosthenes (see Harpocration, s. v. Evenos). One of them, if it was he, was no doubt this same one and a sophist. I have included what seems to pertain to the discipline of rhetoric.

 

3. Plato, Phaedrus 267 A: Of course. And he tells how refutation and further refutation must be accomplished, both in accusation and in defence. Shall we not bring the illustrious Parian, Evenus, into our discussion, who invented covert allusion and indirect praises? And some say that he also wrote indirect censures, composing them in verse as an aid to memory; for he is a clever man.

Also Ausonius Cento nuptialis p. 218, 17 P.: ‘Why Evenus? Whom Menander calls a clever man.’ But perhaps he is confusing Menander and Plato.

 

4. Hermias: [Evenus] uses incidental praise in order that he might avoid praising them openly, at the same time seem to be praising them; the same with blame.

 

Usener, Kl. Schr. I 32 (Quaest. Anax. p. 41).

 

5. Elegeion fr. 1: Many have the habit of debating about anything, but how to debate correctly is not a habit. And with these people the old saying alone is enough: ‘Let’s agree to disagree’.  The ones with understanding, however, one can persuade quickly by speaking well – those who are also the fastest to learn things.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Epon [?] fr. 9: I say that practice must last long, my friend; and then, finally, it becomes people’s second nature.

 

See e. g. B XVII 2; Isocr. 15.187; Philod. On Rhetoric 1.49, 14 S.; Iulius Victοr p. 373, 10 H.

 

7. Anaximenes, Rhetoric to Alexander Ep. 15 1421a33-4 The so-called Parian Sophists, since they do not give birth (to speeches) themselves–because of their uncultured laziness–do not like them but make money by auctioning them off.

Cf. Plato Phaedo 60 D f., Apology 20 B. This passage seems to refer to Evenus’ school; on ‘creating’ see Themistius II p. 46, 12 Dind.

 

8. Quintilian 1.10.17: Archytas and Evenus (?) thought that grammar too is subject to music.

 

Finally, Artemidorus Onirocr. 1.4 p. 11, 28 H. cites ‘Evenus in the Erotics to Eunomos, a work that Reitsenstein (RE. VI 976) deems to have belonged to the epideictic genre, but is perhaps more appropriately called Games.