Achilles Schools Antilochus in Word Choice (Accius, Myrmidons, 452-7)
“Antilochus, this behavior that you declare obstinacy
I call constancy and desire to practice it.
To conquer and to be called constant
Is something I suffer happily; but I do not tolerate being called obstinate.
Constancy qualifies the brave; untrained men are obstinate.
You add the sense of fault and erase what should be praised.”
Tu pertinaciam esse, Antiloche, hanc praedicas,
Ego pervicaciam aio et ea me uti volo;
Nam pervicacem dici me esse et vincere
Perfacile patior, pertinacem nihil moror.
Haec fortis sequitur, illam indocti possident.
Tu addis quod vitio est, demis quod laudi datur.
Accius, Lucius Accius? A Romen tragedian and scholar who was born before the third Punic War and lived through the time of Sulla.
If the evening at the office gets any worse i am going to tell my boss, ‘Tu addis quod vitio est, demis quod laudi datur’.