| Passage and Problem | Preferred Translation | Discussion Link |
| VS 35: Bailey translates 35 this way: "We should not spoil what we have by desiring what we do not have, but remember that what we have too was the gift of fortune." | Norman DeWitt (EAHP page __ ) "We must not spoil the enjoyment of the blessings we have by pining for those we have not but rather reflect tht these too are among the things desirable." Peter St Andre: "Don't ruin the things you have by wanting what you don't have, but realize that they too are things you once did wish for." Peter adds the note "[35] The word translated here as "ruin" (λυμαίνομαι) means, at root, to mistreat. The implication is that not honoring the good things you have achieved is a sign of disrespect and shows a lack of appreciation. See also Vatican Sayings #69 and #75. |
Discussion here. |
| VS 66: Bailey: Let us show our feeling for our lost friends not by lamentation but by meditation. | DeWitt p 327: "Let us show our sympathy with our friends, not by wailing, but by taking thought." Epicurus.net: "We show our feeling for our friends' suffering, not with laments, but with thoughtful concern." |
Discussion here |
Cyril Bailey sprinkled his commentaries with much criticism of Epicurus, and his translations need to be scrutinized for apparent bias or error.