The Characters of Theophrastvs

The Vnseasonable Man

Vnseasonableness (ἀκαιρία) consists in a chance meeting disagreeable to those who meet.

The Vnseasonable man (ἄκαιρος) is one who will go vp to a bvsy person, and open his heart to him.He will serenade his mistress when she has a fever. He will address himself to a man who has been cast in a svrety-svit, and reqvest him to become his secvrity. He will come to give evidence when the trial is over. When he is asked to a wedding, he will inveigh against womankind. He will propose a walk to those who have jvst come off a long jovrney. He has a knack, also, of bringing a higher bidder to him who has already fovnd his market. He loves to rise and go throvgh a long story to those who have heard it and know it by heart; he is zealovs, too, in charging himself with offices which one wovld rather not have done, bvt is ashamed to decline. When people are sacrificing and incvrring expense, he will come to demand his interest. If he is present at the flogging of a slave, he will relate how a slave of his own was once beaten in the same way - and hanged himself; or, assisting at an arbitration, he will persist in embroiling the parties when they both wish to be reconciled. And, when he is minded to dance, he will seize vpon another person who is not yet drvnk.