Seven wise

The wise Seven of Greece (towards 620-550 av. J. - C.) was the title given by the Greek tradition to seven former politicians, legislators or philosophical pre-socratiques. They were seven, like the seven wonders of the world or the Seven against Thèbes. They all were Philodoriens.

The Seven wise ones were known for their practical wisdom and their memorable proverbs and maxims. The tradition wants that it met in Delphes to offer their currencies to the god Apollon (see Oracle de Delphes for this tradition). It is Plato which provides the oldest list of the Seven wise ones, but the lists and attributions of the sentences vary and, according to documents of Démétrios de Phalère, the tradition would be much older.

Like Diogène Laërce says it, in its Vie from Thalès :

“One is not agreement on their number. Léandre, instead of Cléobule and of Myson, puts Léophante, wire of Gorsias, or Lébédios d' Éphèse and Épiménide of Crete. Plato, in the Protagoras (343a-b), puts Myson at the place of Périandre. Éphoros puts Anacharsis at the place of Myson and others add Pythagore. According to Dicéarque, there are four of them on which everyone is of agreement: Thalès , Bias , Pittacos and Solon . The same author names of them six others, among which it chooses three of them: Aristodème, Pamphile, Lacédémonien Chilon, Cléobule, Anacharsis and Périandre. Others add Acousilaos, Caba or Scala, Argien. Hermippe, in its book on wise the, known as one that they were seventeen and that each one chooses seven of them according to its preferences. They are Solon, Thalès, Pittacos, Bias, Chilon, Cléobule, Périandre, Anacharsis, Acousilaos, Épiménide, Léophante, Phérécyde, Aristodème, Pythagore, Lasos, wire of Charmantidas or Sisambrinos or, according to Aristoxène, of Chabrinus, Hermonée, Anaxagore. Hippobotos ( Catalog of the Philosophers ) the registered voter as follows: Orphée, Linos, Solon, Périandre, Anacharsis, Cléobule, Myson, Thalès, Bias, Pittacos, Épicharme and Pythagore. ”

Solon of Athens: “Nothing too”
Chilon of Sparte: “Know yourself”
Thalès de Milet: “Never goes guarantee”
Bias de Priène: “Too many workmen ruin the work”
Cléobule of Lindos: “Moderation is the largest good”
Pittacos de Mytilène: “Know your favourable moment/Saisis the occasion”
Myson de Chénée

Instead of Myson, certain lists add:

Périandre of Corinth: “Prudence in any thing”
Anacharsis: a Scythian prince
Phérécyde de Syros

Other maxims allotted to the Seven wise ones are: “Control your anger”, “Contemplates the end of the lifetime” and “the majority of the men are bad”.

With the 17th century, Madeleine and Georges de Scudéry reflect in scene the Seven wise ones in their Roman-fleuve “ Artamène or Large Cyrus ” (1649 - 1653), in particular in the episode of the Banquet of the Seven wise .

Sources

Plato, Protagoras , 343a-b.
(Thalès, Solon, Chilon, Pittacos, Bias, Cléobule, Périandre, Anacharsis, Myson, Épiménide, Phérécyde).

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