Book 4
§1 λέξω δὲ καὶ αὐτός, ἀφʼ οἵων τινῶν χρὴ τεκμαίρεσθαι τὰς ὠκείας τε καὶ γενναίας, καὶ τίσιν ἂν προσέχων τις τὸν νοῦν τὰς ἀγεννεῖς τε καὶ βραδείας ἀποκρίνειεν αὐτῶν.
§2 πρῶτα μὲν δὴ μακραὶ ἔστων ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς ἐπʼ οὐράν· ἓν γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτω τεκμήριον ἐς ὠκύτητά τε καὶ γενναιότητα εὕροις ἂν ἐπιλεγόμενος ταὐτὸν ἐπὶ πάσῃ ἰδέᾳ κυνός, ὡς τὸ μῆκος, καὶ τοὐναντίον τὴν βραχύτητα ἐς τὸ βραδὺ καὶ ἀγεννές. ὥστε ἤδη ἔγωγε εἶδον πολλὰ ἄλλα κακὰ ἐχούσας κύνας, ὅτι δὲ μακραὶ ἐτύγχανον, ὠκεῖαι ἦσαν καὶ θυμοειδεῖς.
§3 καὶ μὴν καὶ αἱ μείζους εἰ τὰ ἄλλα φαῦλαι τύχοιεν, κατʼ αὐτὸ τὸ μέγεθος εὐφυέστεραι τῶν σμικρῶν. φαῦλαι δὲ τῶν μεγάλων, ὅσαι τὰ μέλη ἀπαγεῖς καὶ ἀσύμμετροι· ὥστε φαυλότεραι ἂν εἶεν οὕτω γε ἔχουσαι τῶν σμικρῶν, εἰ τὰ ἄλλα κακὰ ἴσα προσείη αὐταῖς.
§4 ἐχόντων δὲ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἐλαφρὰς καὶ ἀρθρώδεις· εἰ δὲ γρυπαὶ σιμαὶ εἶεν, οὐ παρὰ μέγα διοίσει τοῦτο· οὐδʼ εἰ τὰ ὑπὸ τοῖς μετώποις ἰνώδη ἔχοιεν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐν μεγάλῳ ποιητέον. ἀλλʼ αἱ βαρυκέφαλοι μόναι πονηραί, καὶ ὅσαις παχέα τὰ ῥύγχη καὶ μὴ ἐς ὀξὺ ἀλλʼ ἀθρόως ἀπολήγοντα.
§5 τὰ δὲ ὄμματα ἔστω μεγάλα μετέωρα καθαρὰ λαμπρά, ἐκπλήττοντα τὸν θεώμενον. καὶ κράτιστα μὲν τὰ πυρωπὰ καὶ ὑπεραστράπτοντα, οἷα πορδάλεων λεόντων λυγκῶν· δεύτερα δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις τὰ μέλανα, εἰ τύχοι ἀναπεπταμένα τε καὶ γοργὰ ἰδεῖν· τρίτα δὲ τὰ χαροπά· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τὰ χαροπὰ φαῦλά ἐστιν, οὐδὲ φαύλων κυνῶν σύμβολα, εἰ τύχοι καθαρὰ καὶ γοργὰ ἰδεῖν.
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Hercher 1885
Teubner
Hercher & Eberhard, Teubner, 1885 · 1885
The Editor

Rudolf Hercher (1821–1878) was a German classical scholar who edited a wide range of Greek prose texts for the Teubner series, including the Greek epistolographers and several volumes of Greek historians. His output was prodigious, and while some of his editions have been superseded, many remain the most recent critical text available for minor Greek prose authors.

About This Edition

Hercher's Teubner editions, produced during the mid-19th century, provide critical texts of Greek prose authors — many of whom have received little editorial attention since. The editions are characterised by a thorough apparatus criticus and occasionally bold emendation. For many of the texts Hercher edited, no more recent critical edition exists.

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