财富、技艺与正义——从荷马《奥德赛》到阿里斯托芬《财神》

Wealth,Arts,and Justice: From Homer’s Odyssey to Aristophanes’ Plutus

古希腊人的财富观念从荷马的《奥德赛》到阿里斯托芬的《财神》发生了重大的变革。其间王政革新为民主政制。《奥德赛》中家财、家政与王政结合为一体,均系于奥德修斯的智慧与君王统治技艺。而奥德修斯的统治技艺与其生死命运又以宙斯的神性-正义这一神义论作为自身的基石。立法者梭伦实行民主改革后,商业与贸易(包括赚钱术)成为隐形的最高的统治性技艺,某种意义上还是正义的化身。悲剧诗人索福克勒斯、哲人柏拉图等对此做出深刻的反思。喜剧诗人阿里斯托芬《财神》的主人公则意欲通过财神让自己变得自足,以摆脱宙斯的统治,从而分离宙斯的神性与正义,同时取消一切技艺。这反讽地证明了神和人均无法自给自足的本性,二者皆非完满的存在者。

From Homer’s Odyssey to Aristophanes’Plutus,the ancient Greek view of wealth undergoes a great revolution.During this period,the monarchy changed into democracy.In Odyssey,the management of household property,family regulating and monarchy were united into a whole,which depended on Odysseus’wisdom and his kingly art.This art and his destiny are based on the theodicy,viz.Zeus’divinity and justice.After Solon,the lawmaker,carried out his democratic reform,business and trade(including the money making art)became the dominant but invisible art of ruling,and in some sense,the incarnation of justice,too.Sophocles,Plato and other ancient Greek authors made deep reflections on such a phenomenon.While the protagonist in the comic poet Aristophanes’Plutus would like to be a self-sufficient man through the power of Plutus,so as to get rid of Zeus’rule,Zeus’divinity and justice were then separated,and all arts were banned.It ironically turns out that neither gods nor human beings can be naturally self-sufficient,but both are imperfect beings.