TJic Rlictorica of Philodemus. 



285 



Section Il-d. 

 Politics depends on investigation and practice. 



We now pass to the last section. No system of politics has 

 ever been imagined except that offered by the rhetorical sophists. 

 Now since sophistic contributes nothing to produce political 

 ability, it follows that those who possess this ability have acquired 

 it without the help of scientific principles. 



After I. 122 the papyrus is so mutilated that no continuity between 

 cokimns remains, and often the meaning of any one column is doubtful. 

 I have given the only important passage in the last few columns. For the 

 sake of completeness I append a synopsis of the other columns. 



. . . it follows necessarily that the experience of the sophists 

 is transmitted not without method. 1. 24 . . . those emulated 

 among many peoples, Euphranor, Nicias, Nicomachus and 

 Hegesias^^ and many others. 



Prooemium, narration, demonstration, 

 mary. 



Unless he said that the Panegyric of 

 thenaic or the Busiris and the Helen 

 without method. 



What is true of the most inconsequential arts is true of 

 rhetoric. In these one with a suitable nature, who acquires the 

 principles and adds to them practice is able to produce the result ; 

 one who does not learn the principles, either from others or 

 from manuals, even if he aims at the desired goal always is 

 incapable of producing any of the results. So in rhetoric. 



A clever man without studying the technical works of the 

 sophists can study some sophist's speech and so learn to imitate 

 them. Biit how can he imitate it if it is a long way off? "How 

 can he help imitating it if it is very near?," says Epicurus.^^ 

 1. 16. How can they expect that there will be differences in the 

 written works when the art is the same ? How will they persuade 

 in medicine and many other sciences? But, as I said, the kinds 



exception-" and sum- 



Isocrates or the Pana- 

 and the Peace"^ were 



I, 136, 20 ^ 

 Suppl. 61, 

 19. 



I. 124, col. 

 XXV. 



I, 126, col. 

 XXVI. 



I, 127, col. 

 XXVII, . 

 1. 20. 



I, 128, col. 



XXVIII, 



1.9. 



I. 130. col. 

 XXIX. 



^* For Hegesias we should probably read with Wilamowitz, Hermes 

 XXXIV (1899), p. 636, Pausias. 



^Reading in 1. 5 inre^aipiaews with Fuhr, Rhein. Mus. LVII (1902) p. 432. 



"^Reading 1. 24 rbv trepi elprivris with Sandys, Class. Rev. IX (1895), p. 359. 

 The thought is the same as I, loo, 10 (v. p. .?o). 



""Por a better understanding of this column compare II, 251. 



