So it was with her, said she; while she commended your skill in modelling and the idea of the
portraits, she did not recognize the likeness. She
was not worthy of such compliments, not by a great
deal, nor was any other mere woman. Therefore she
absolves you from honouring her thus, and pays her
homage to your patterns and models. You may
praise her in the ordinary, human way, but do not
let the sandal be too large for her foot; “it might
hamper me,” she said, “when I walk about in it.”
 
Furthermore, she enjoined it upon me to tell you
this. “I hear many say (whether it is true or not,
you men know Women did not attend the Olympic games. ) that even at the Olympic games
the victors are not allowed to set up statues greater
than life-size, but the Hellanodicae take care that
not one of them shall exceed the truth, and the
scrutiny of the statues is more strict than the examination of the athletes. So be on your guard for
fear we incur the imputation of falsifying in the
matter of height, and then the Hellanodicae overturn our statue.”
 
That is what she said; and now it is for you,
Lycinus, to see how you can refurbish the book




 

and do away with everything of that sort; do not
offend against Heaven! Really, she took it very
ill, shuddered as it was read, and besought the
goddesses to be merciful to her. It is excusable,
too, that she should feel as a woman naturally
would. Indeed, if the truth must out, I myself
had somewhat the same opinion. To be sure, when
I heard it first I did not see a single fault in what
you had written, but now that she has pointed them
out, I myself begin to think as she does about it.
My experience in this matter has been just about
like that of us all when we look at things. If we
see. them too close, under our very eyes, we can
distinguish nothing accurately, but if we stand off
and look at them from the right distance, all the
points come out clearly, those that are good and
also those that are not.
 
Truly, to liken a female human being to Aphrodite and to Hera, what else is it but outright
cheapening of the goddesses? In such matters the
less is not made greater by the comparison, but
rather the greater is lessened by being dragged
down to the lower level. If two people were walking together, one of whom was very tall and the
other quite humble in stature, and it should be
needful to equalize them so that the one would not
tower above the other, this could not be accomplished
by the shorter through stretching himself, however
much he were to raise himself on tiptoe. No, if
they are to look alike in size, the latter will stoop
and make himself appear shorter. Just so in such
comparisons; it is not so true that a man becomes

 

greater if he is likened to a god, as that the divine
is inevitably minimized by being forced down to
match what is defective. If it were for lack of
earthly objects of comparison that one let one’s
speech range to those in Heaven, one would be less
open to the charge of acting impiously therein.
But in your case, though you had so many examples
of fair women at command, you made bold to liken
her to Aphrodite and Hera without any need.