Crantor's Life
I. Crantor, a native of Soli, being admired very greatly in his own country, came to Athens and became a pupil of Xenocrates at the same time with Polemo.
I. Crantor was from Soli, where he was greatly admired. He came to Athens and became a pupil of Xenocrates at the same time as Polemo.
II. And he left behind him memorials, in the shape of writings, to the number of 30,000 lines, some of which, however, are by some writers attributed to Arcesilaus.
II. He left behind writings totaling 30,000 lines. Some writers, however, attribute some of these writings to Arcesilaus.
III. They say of him that when he was asked what it was that he was so charmed with in Polemo, he replied, “That he had never heard him speak in too high or too low a key.”
III. They say he was once asked what he found so appealing about Polemo. He replied, “I have never heard him speak in too high or too low a tone.”
IV. When he was ill he retired to the temple of Æsculapius, and there walked about, and people came to him from all quarters, thinking that he had gone thither, not on account of any disease, but because he wished to establish a school there.
IV. When he was ill, he went to the temple of Æsculapius and walked about there. People came to him from all quarters. They thought he had gone there not because he was ill, but because he wanted to establish a school there.
V. And among those who came to him was Arcesilaus, wishing to be recommended by him to Polemo, although he was much attached to him, as we shall mention in the life of Arcesilaus. But when he got well he became a pupil of Polemo, and was excessively admired on that account. It is said, also, that he left his property to Arcesilaus, to the amount of twelve talents; and that, being asked by him where he would like to be buried, he said:—
V. Arcesilaus was among those who came to him, hoping that he would recommend him to Polemo. Arcesilaus was very attached to him, however, as we shall mention in the life of Arcesilaus. But when he recovered, he became a pupil of Polemo and was greatly admired for doing so. It is also said that he left his property to Arcesilaus. It amounted to twelve talents. When Arcesilaus asked him where he would like to be buried, he said:
It is a happy fate to lie entombed In the recesses of a well-lov’d land.
It is a happy fate to be buried In a quiet corner of a beloved land.
VI. It is said also that he wrote poems, and that he sealed them up in the temple of Minerva, in his own country; and Theætetus the poet wrote thus about him:—
VI. He is also said to have written poems and sealed them up in the temple of Minerva in his own country. The poet Theætetus wrote this about him:
Crantor pleased men; but greater pleasure still He to the Muses gave, ere he aged grew. Earth, tenderly embrace the holy man, And let him lie in quiet undisturb’d.
Crantor pleased people, but he gave even greater pleasure To the Muses before he grew old. Earth, gently embrace this holy man, And let him rest in peace, undisturbed.
And of all writers, Crantor admired Homer and Euripides most; saying that the hardest thing possible was to write tragically and in a manner to excite sympathy, without departing from nature; and he used to quote this line out of the Bellerophon:—
Of all writers, Crantor most admired Homer and Euripides. He said the hardest thing possible was to write tragedy that stirred sympathy without departing from nature. He used to quote this line from Bellerophon:
Alas! why should I say alas! for we Have only borne the usual fate of man.
Alas! Why should I say alas? We have only suffered the fate common to all people.
The following verses of Antagoras the poet are also attributed to Crantor; the subject is love, and they run thus:—
The following verses about love are by the poet Antagoras, but they are also attributed to Crantor:
My mind is much perplexed; for what, O Love, Dare I pronounce your origin? May I Call you chiefest of the immortal Gods, Of all the children whom dark Erebus And Royal Night bore on the billowy waves Of widest Ocean? Or shall I bid you hail, As son of proudest Venus? or of Earth? Or of the untamed winds? so fierce you rove, Bringing mankind sad cares, yet not unmixed With happy good, so two-fold is your nature.
I am deeply puzzled. For what, O Love, Can I say is your origin? May I Call you the greatest of the immortal gods, Of all the children whom dark Erebus And royal Night bore on the rolling waves Of the vast Ocean? Or should I greet you As the son of proudest Venus? Or of Earth? Or of the wild winds? You roam so fiercely, Bringing people sorrow and worry, yet mingled With happiness and good. Your nature is twofold.
And he was very ingenious at devising new words and expressions; accordingly, he said that one tragedian had an unhewn (ἀπελέκητος) voice, all over bark; and he said that the verses of a certain poet were full of moths; and that the propositions of Theophrastus had been written on an oyster shell. But the work of his which is most admired is his book on Mourning.
He was very clever at inventing new words and expressions. For example, he said that one tragic playwright had an unhewn (ἀπελέκητος) voice, covered in bark. He said that a certain poet’s verses were full of moths. He also said that Theophrastus’s propositions had been written on an oyster shell. But his most admired work is his book on Mourning.
VII. And he died before Polemo and Crates, having been attacked by the dropsy; and we have written this epigram on him:—
VII. He died of dropsy before Polemo and Crates. We wrote this epigram about him:
The worst of sicknesses has overwhelmed you, O Crantor, and you thus did quit the earth, Descending to the dark abyss of Hell. Now you are happy there; but all the while The sad Academy, and your native land Of Soli mourn, bereaved of your eloquence.
The worst sickness overwhelmed you, Crantor, and so you left the earth, descending into the dark depths of Hell. Now you are happy there. But all the while, the grieving Academy and your native land of Soli mourn the loss of your eloquence.