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Sextus Empiricus

Against the Ethicists, Book XI of Against the Learned Section 117

Section 117 of 257

Canonical reference 11.117

Ancient Greek

Hermann Mutschmann and Jürgen Mau, editors · adversus-grc

ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ περὶ κακοῦ· οὔτε γὰρ ὁ ἐκτὸς ὢν αὐτοῦ ἀμέριμνός ἐστιν, ἱκανῶς ποινηλατούσης αὐτὸν τῆς τε κατὰ τὸ φεύγειν καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸ προφυλάττεσθαι ταραχῆς, οὔτε ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ καθεστῶς παῦλαν ἔχει τῶν βασάνων, σκεπτόμενος (Ξ 507), πῶς ἂν φύγοι αἰπύν ὄλεθρον.

English AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

The same argument applies to evil. One who is outside it is not free from care, since the disturbances involved in avoiding and guarding against it sufficiently hound him like avenging spirits. Nor does one who is in it have respite from torments, as he considers “how he might escape sheer destruction” (Iliad XIV 507).

French AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

Le même raisonnement vaut pour le mal. Celui qui en est exempt n’est pas sans souci, car le trouble de la fuite et celui de la précaution le poursuivent avec assez de violence. Celui qui s’y trouve plongé ne connaît aucune trêve à ses tourments, se demandant « comment échapper à la destruction abrupte ».

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