Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.59 — Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.59
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
There are five excellences of speech—pure Greek, lucidity, conciseness, appropriateness, distinction. By good Greek is meant language faultless in point of grammar and free from careless vulgarity. Lucidity is a style which presents the thought in a way easily understood; conciseness a style that employs no more words than are necessary for setting forth the subject in hand; appropriateness lies in a style akin to the subject; distinction in the avoidance of colloquialism. Among vices of style barbarism is violation of the usage of Greeks of good standing; while there is solecism when the sentence has an incongruous construction.
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.59 (on the Stoics), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.59
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII, tr. R. D. Hicks (Loeb, 1925). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesLists five virtues of good style, namely correct language, clarity, brevity, fitting the subject and avoiding slang, along with two faults, misusing words and building awkward sentences. A style guide that still holds up for plain, concise speaking.
Older wording
- “lucidity”
- — clarity, being easy to understand
- “colloquialism”
- — casual everyday speech
- “solecism”
- — a grammatical mistake or awkward construction
Themes and situations
- Speech and silence
- Nerves before a big moment
Quote cards
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