Memnon ou la sagesse humaine

A self‑appointed philosopher, Memnon resolves to achieve perfect wisdom by stripping away every passion. He sketches a flawless program: shun love, avoid excess, secure a modest fortune, and keep friendships free of conflict. Confident that such restraint guarantees happiness, he drafts his plan in the quiet of his study.

But the world intrudes when two women walk beneath the plane trees outside his window—a weary older figure and a strikingly beautiful young Ninivian. Their presence unsettles his rational calculations, drawing him into a conversation that tests the limits of his newly‑crafted doctrine. As he offers counsel to the distressed youth, listeners are invited to watch the clash between lofty ideals and the messy realities of human emotion.