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Aristotle

Rhetoric Section 1

Section 837 of 882

Canonical reference 3.4.1

Ancient Greek

ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν μεταφορά· διαφέρει γὰρ μικρόν· ὅταν μὲν γὰρ εἴπῃ τὸν Ἀχιλλέα ὡς δὲ λέων ἐπόρουσεν , εἰκών ἐστιν, ὅταν δὲ λέων ἐπόρουσε , μεταφορά· διὰ γὰρ τὸ ἄμφω ἀνδρείους εἶναι, προσηγόρευσεν μετενέγκας λέοντα τὸν Ἀχιλλέα.

English

J. H. Freese, 1926

The simile also is a metaphor; for there is very little difference. When the poet says of Achilles, he rushed on like a lion, it is a simile; if he says, a lion, he rushed on, it is a metaphor; for because both are courageous, he transfers the sense and calls Achilles a lion.

French AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-13

La comparaison est elle aussi une métaphore, car la différence est très faible. Lorsque le poète dit d’Achille: il s’élança comme un lion, c’est une comparaison; s’il dit: lion, il s’élança, c’est une métaphore. Car, puisque tous deux sont courageux, il opère un transfert de sens et appelle Achille un lion.

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