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§§ 68—70. His affected airs as he sullenly slinks along the sides of the streets, so far from showing a modest reserve, really indicate an unsociable character. All this solemn guise is purposely put on, to veil his real disposition, while it serves to repel the approaches of his fellow-men. He has never contributed to the needs of any one of all the citizens of Athens, but as a usurer, who counts his neighbours' needs his own good fortune, he has ejected relations of his from their homes, and shown himself ruthless in the exaction of interest from his debtors. ἃ πέπλασται κ.τ.λ. explained by the contrast immediately after, τοῖς ἁπλῶς ὡς πεφύκασι βαδίζουσι καὶ φαιδροῖς. ἃ πέπλασται καὶ βαδίζει instead of ἢν ἔχει πεπλασμἐνην ὄψιν καὶ τὸ σεμνὸν βάδισμα, is a fresh instance (like ὧν διεφθάρκει in § 27) of the fondness of the Greeks for throwing into the verb what in other languages would be naturally expressed by a substantive. ἐσκυθρωπακώς Or. 54 § 34 μεθ᾽ ημἑραν μὲν εσκυθρωπάκασι καὶ λακωνίζειν φασὶ... For this and similar words expressing sullen and morose demeanour the student should read the speech of Hercules in Eur. Alc. 773—802. For a similar passage, showing how keenly the behaviour of persons walking in the streets was criticised at Athens, we may compare Or. 37 (Pant.) § 52 where the defendant anticipates that the plaintiff will bring up against him his fast walking and loud talking, and his constantly carrying a stick. After contrasting their respective characters he adds (§ 55) τοιοῦτος ἐγὼ ὁ ταχὺ βαδίζων καὶ τοιοῦτος σὺ ὁ ἀτρέμας. Again Plato, Char mid.p. 159 B, expressly mentions ‘walking quietly in the streets’ as a mark of σωφροσύνη, σωφρονύνη τὸ κοσμἰως πάντα πράττειν καὶ ἡσυχῇ ἔν τε ταῖς ὁδοῖς βαδίζειν καὶ διαλέγεσθαι. Aristotle ascribes κίνησις βραδεῖα and φωνὴ βαρεῖα to his μεγαλόψυχος (Eth. IV 9=3), and Theophrastus characterises the ‘Arrogant man’ (ὁ ὑπερήφανος) as δεινὸς... ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς πορευόμενος μὴ λαλεῖν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι, κάτω κεκυφώς, Cf. Alexis ap. Athen. I p. 21 § 38 ἓν γὰρ νομίζω τοῦτο τῶν ἀνελευθέρων εἶναι, τὸ βαδίζειν ἀρρύθμως ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς. Soph. fragm, 234 b ὡς νῦν τάχος στείχωμεν: οὐ γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως σπουδῆς δικαίας μῶμος ἅψεταί ποτε. Alciphron I 34 § 1 ἐξ οὗ φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπενόησας, σεμνός τις ἐγένου καὶ τὰς ὀφρῦς ὑπὲρ τοὺς κροτάφους ἐπῆρας. εἶτα σχῆμα ἔχων καὶ βιβλίδιον μετὰ χεῖρας εἰς τἠν Ἀκαδημίαν σοβεῖς. Cf. supr. § 63 ἴσα βαίνων κ.τ.λ. and infr. § 77. σχέσει cf. τὸ σχῆμα inf. § 69; 19 § 251; Plat. Gorg. 511 E περιπατεῖ ἐν μετρίῳ σχήματι, [διάγειν ἐν σχέσει seems unlike Demosthenes. The same may be said of ποιεῖν ἀοίκητον, ‘to deprive of a home,’ § 70. P.] ἁπλῶς 37 § 43 ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς πέφυκα ζῆν. τοῖς ..φαιδροῖς ..προσέλθοι τις ἂν καὶ δεηθείη The ‘Surly man’ (ὁ αὐθάδης) is characterised by Theophrastus as apt προσαγορευθεὶς μὴ ἀντιπροσειπεῖν, and the ‘Arrogant man’ as προσελθεῖν (to greet) πρότερος οὐδενὶ θελῆσαι. —φαιδροῖς, ‘cheerful,’ ‘bright’ (as we say). δεηθείη καὶ ἐπαγγείλειεν ‘prefer a request and make a promise (or proposal).’ The two words are correlative to one another like ‘asking and granting a favour.’ ἐπαγγείλειεν is due to H. Wolf. For ἐπαγγέλλω, cf. Or. 47 §§ 66 f. Dobree unnecessarily suggests ‘Quaere an potest=ἐπαγγείλαιτο, i.e. opem peteret.’ This would involve a needless repetition of the idea of δεηθείη. [Besides, ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι is rather ‘to make a profession of,’ ‘to propose that some one should accept your service’ in some matter. P.] πεπλασμένοις καὶ σκυθρωποῖς ‘Affected and sullen characters.’
Select Private Orations of Demosthenes, Part II. J. E. Sandys, Litt. D., and F. A. Paley, M.A., LL.D. 1910. Cambridge University Press.
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