"He saw that all the sparks of virtue and humanity were not extinguished in Amphinomus; he therefore warns him with great solemnity to forsake the Suitors; he imprints conviction upon his mind, tho' ineffectually, and shews by it that when he falls by the hand of Ulysses in the succeeding parts of the Odyssey, his death is not a revenge but a punishment."
— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744), Broome, W. and Fenton, E.
Place of Publication
London
Date
1725-6
Metaphor
"He saw that all the sparks of virtue and humanity were not extinguished in Amphinomus; he therefore warns him with great solemnity to forsake the Suitors; he imprints conviction upon his mind, tho' ineffectually, and shews by it that when he falls by the hand of Ulysses in the succeeding parts of the Odyssey, his death is not a revenge but a punishment."
Metaphor in Context
Then hear my words, and grave them in thy mind!]
There never was a finer lecture of Morality read in any of the schools of the Philosophers, than this which Ulysses delivers to Amphinomus ; he ushers it in with great solemnity, and speaks to all mankind in the person of Amphinomus . It is quoted by a variety of Authors; Pliny in his Preface to his natural History, lib. 7. has wrote a dissertation on this sentence.
Of all that breathes or grov'ling creeps on earth
Must vain is Man , &c.
Aristotle and Maximus Tyrius quote it; and Plutarch twice refers to it. Homer considers Man both with respect to the errors of the mind, and the calamities incident to the body; and upon a review of all mortal creatures, he attributes to man the unhappy superiority in miseries. But indeed Homer is so plain that he needs no interpretation, and any words but his own must disgrace him. Besides, this speech is beautiful in another view, and excellently sets forth the forgiving temper of Ulysses: He saw that all the sparks of virtue and humanity were not extinguished in Amphinomus; he therefore warns him with great solemnity to forsake the Suitors; he imprints conviction upon his mind, tho' ineffectually, and shews by it that when he falls by the hand of Ulysses in the succeeding parts of the Odyssey, his death is not a revenge but a punishment.
(Bk. 18, notes)
There never was a finer lecture of Morality read in any of the schools of the Philosophers, than this which Ulysses delivers to Amphinomus ; he ushers it in with great solemnity, and speaks to all mankind in the person of Amphinomus . It is quoted by a variety of Authors; Pliny in his Preface to his natural History, lib. 7. has wrote a dissertation on this sentence.
Of all that breathes or grov'ling creeps on earth
Must vain is Man , &c.
Aristotle and Maximus Tyrius quote it; and Plutarch twice refers to it. Homer considers Man both with respect to the errors of the mind, and the calamities incident to the body; and upon a review of all mortal creatures, he attributes to man the unhappy superiority in miseries. But indeed Homer is so plain that he needs no interpretation, and any words but his own must disgrace him. Besides, this speech is beautiful in another view, and excellently sets forth the forgiving temper of Ulysses: He saw that all the sparks of virtue and humanity were not extinguished in Amphinomus; he therefore warns him with great solemnity to forsake the Suitors; he imprints conviction upon his mind, tho' ineffectually, and shews by it that when he falls by the hand of Ulysses in the succeeding parts of the Odyssey, his death is not a revenge but a punishment.
(Bk. 18, notes)
Categories
Provenance
HDIS
Citation
Over 30 entries in ESTC (1725, 1726, 1745, 1752, 1753, 1758, 1760, 1761, 1763, 1766, 1767, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1778, 1790, 1792, 1795, 1796).
The Odyssey of Homer. Translated from the Greek, 5 vols. (London: Printed for Bernard Lintot, 1725-26).
The Odyssey of Homer. Translated from the Greek, 5 vols. (London: Printed for Bernard Lintot, 1725-26).
Date of Entry
10/28/2003
Date of Review
09/19/2006
