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Sextus Empiricus

Against the Ethicists, Book XI of Against the Learned Section 190

Section 190 of 257

Canonical reference 11.190

Ancient Greek

Hermann Mutschmann and Jürgen Mau, editors · adversus-grc

Καὶ μὴν περὶ μὲν παίδων ἀγωγῆς ἐν ταῖς διατριβαῖς ὁ αἱρεσιάρχης Ζήνων (fr. 250 Arn.) τοιαῦτά τινα διέξεισιν· ‟διαμηρίζειν δὲ μηδὲν μᾶλλον μηδὲ ἧσσον παιδικὰ ἢ μὴ παιδικά, μηδὲ θήλεα ἢ ἄρρενα· οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα παιδικοῖς ἢ μὴ παιδικοῖς, οὐδὲ θηλείαις ἢ ἄρρεσιν, ἀλλά τὰ αὐτὰ πρέπει τε καὶ πρέποντά ἐστιν.” καὶ πάλιν (fr. 251 Arn.)· “ διαμεμήρικας τὸν ἐρώμενον; οὐκ πότερον οὐκ ἐπερύμησας αὐτὸν διαμηρίσαι; καὶ μάλα. ἀλλὰ ἐπεθύμησας παρασχεῖν σοι αύτον, ἢ έφοβήθης κελεῦσαι; μὰ Δί’. ἀλλ’ ἐκέλευσας; καὶ μάλα.

English AI-generated translation, non-official

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

Now concerning the upbringing of children, Zeno, the founder of the school (fr. 250 Arn.), expounds certain doctrines of this kind in his discourses: “One should spread the thighs of neither a beloved nor a non-beloved, neither a female nor a male, any more or any less; for different things are not fitting and proper for beloveds and non-beloveds, or for females and males, but the same things.” And again (fr. 251 Arn.): “Have you spread your beloved’s thighs? Or did you not desire to spread them? Certainly I did. But did you desire him to grant himself to you, or were you afraid to command him? By Zeus, no. But did you command him? Certainly I did.

French AI-generated translation, non-official

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

Concernant l’éducation des enfants, Zénon, le fondateur de l’école, expose dans ses Entretiens (fr. 250 Arn.) des préceptes de ce genre: «Ne pas écarter les cuisses plus ni moins pour les favoris que pour ceux qui ne le sont pas, ni pour les femmes que pour les hommes; car ce ne sont pas des choses différentes qui conviennent aux favoris et aux autres, ni aux femmes et aux hommes, mais les mêmes choses leur siéent et leur conviennent.» Et encore (fr. 251 Arn.): «As-tu écarté les cuisses de ton bien-aimé? N’as-tu donc jamais désiré qu’il les écartât? Assurément. Mais désirais-tu qu’il s’offrît à toi, ou craignais-tu de le lui ordonner? Par Zeus, non. Mais tu le lui as ordonné? Assurément.

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