§282κακῶν γὰρ ὄντων μυρίων καθ’ Ἑλλάδα
οὐδὲν κάκιόν ἐστιν ἀθλητῶν γένους· οἳ πρῶτα μὲν ζῆν οὔτε μανθάνουσιν εὖ
οὔτ’ ἂν δύναιντο· πῶς γὰρ ὅστις ἔστ’ ἀνὴρ
γνάθου τε δοῦλος νηδύος θ’ ἡσσημένος
κτήσαιτ’ ἂν ὄλβον εἰς ὑπερβολὴν πατρός;
For though there are myriad evils throughout Greece, there is nothing worse than the race of athletes; who first of all neither learn to live well, nor could they; for how could a man who is a slave to his jaw and overcome by his belly acquire wealth to surpass his father's?
οὐδ’ αὖ πένεσθαι κἀξυπηρετεῖν τύχαις
οἷοί τ’· ἔθη γὰρ οὐκ ἐθισθέντες καλὰ
σκληρῶς μεταλλάσσουσιν εἰς τἀμήχανον.
Nor again are they able to be poor and to serve fortunes; for not being accustomed to good habits, they transition harshly into helplessness.
λαμπροὶ δ’ ἐν ἥβῃ καὶ πόλεως ἀγάλματα
φοιτῶσ’· ὅταν δὲ προσπέσῃ γῆρας πικρόν,
τρίβωνες ἐκβαλόντες οἴχονται κρόκας.
They walk about brilliant in youth and as ornaments of the city; but when bitter old age falls upon them, like worn-out cloaks they cast away their threads and vanish.
ἐμεμψάμην δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἐλλήνων νόμον,
οἳ τῶνδ’ ἕκατι σύλλογον ποιούμενοι
τιμῶσ’ ἀχρείους ἡδονὰς δαιτὸς χάριν.
And I blame also the custom of the Greeks, who on account of these make a gathering and honor useless pleasures for the sake of a feast.
τίς γὰρ παλαίσας εὖ, τίς ὠκύπους ἀνὴρ
ἢ δίσκον ἄρας ἢ γνάθον παίσας καλῶς
πόλει πατρῴᾳ στέφανον ἤρκεσεν λαβών;
For what wrestler who has wrestled well, what swift-footed man, or who by lifting a discus or striking a jaw well has defended his ancestral city by receiving a crown?
πότερα μαχοῦνται πολεμίοισιν ἐν χεροῖν
δίσκους ἔχοντες ἢ δι’ ἀσπίδων χερὶ
θείνοντες ἐκβαλοῦσι πολεμίους πάτρας;
Will they fight with enemies with discuses in their hands, or by striking with their hand through shields will they drive the enemies out of their fatherland?
οὐδεὶς σιδήρου ταῦτα μωραίνει πέλας
στάς.
No one plays the fool in these things when standing near iron.
ἄνδρας χρὴ σοφούς τε κἀγαθοὺς
φύλλοις στέφεσθαι, χὥστις ἡγεῖται πόλει
κάλλιστα σώφρων καὶ δίκαιος ὢν ἀνήρ,
ὅστις τε μύθοις ἔργ’ ἀπαλλάσσει κακὰ
μάχας τ’ ἀφαιρῶν καὶ στάσεις· τοιαῦτα γὰρ
πόλει τε πάσῃ πᾶσί θ’ Ἕλλησιν καλά.
Wise and good men ought to be crowned with leaves, and whoever leads the city best as a prudent and just man, and whoever by words averts evil deeds, taking away battles and factions; for such things are noble both for every city and for all Greeks.
§283τοὺς ὄνους τοὺς λαρκαγωγοὺς ἐξ ὄρους οἴσειν ξύλα
The donkeys, carriers of baskets, are to carry wood from the mountain.
§284σχοινίνας γὰρ ἵπποισι φλοίνας ἡνίας πλέκει.
For he weaves rope-like, bark-made reins for the horses.
§285ἐγὼ τὸ μὲν δὴ πανταχοῦ θρυλούμενον
κράτιστον εἶναι φημὶ μὴ φῦναι βροτῷ·
I indeed declare that which is rumored everywhere to be best for a mortal: not to be born.
τρισσῶν δὲ μοιρῶν ἐγκρινῶ νικᾶν μίαν,
πλούτου τε χὥτῳ σπέρμα γενναῖον προσῇ
πενίας τ’· ἀριθμὸν γὰρ τοσόνδε προυθέμην.
But among three fortunes I judge one to conquer: wealth, and the one to whom a noble seed is present, and poverty; for I proposed this number.
ὁ μὲν ζάπλουτος, εἰς γένος δ’ οὐκ εὐτυχής,
ἀλγεῖ μὲν ἀλγεῖ, παγκάλως δ’ ἀλγύνεται
ὄλβου διοίγων θάλαμον ἥδιστον χερί.
He who is very rich, but unfortunate in birth, grieves indeed, but grieves very luxuriously, opening the sweetest chamber of wealth with his hand.
ἔξω δὲ βαίνων τοῦδε τὸν πάρος χρόνον
πλουτῶν ὑπ’ ἄτης ζεῦγλαν ἀσχάλλει πεσών.
But stepping outside of this, falling into the yoke because of the ruin of his former rich time, he is distressed.
ὅστις δὲ γαῦρον σπέρμα γενναῖόν τ’ ἔχων
βίου σπανίζει, τῷ γένει μὲν εὐτυχεῖ,
πενίᾳ δ’ ἐλάσσων ἐστίν, ἐν δ’ ἀλγύνεται
φρονῶν, ὑπ’ αἰδοῦς δ’ ἔργ’ ἀπωθεῖται χερῶν.
But whoever, having a proud and noble seed, lacks livelihood, is fortunate in birth, but is inferior in poverty, and grieves in his mind, and by shame thrusts away the works of his hands.
ὁ δ’ οὐδὲν οὐδείς, διὰ τέλους δὲ δυστυχῶν
τοσῷδε νικᾷ· τοῦ γὰρ εὖ τητώμενος
οὐκ οἶδεν, ἀεὶ δυστυχῶν κακῶς τ’ ἔχων.
But he who is nothing and nobody, being unfortunate to the end, conquers in this much: for being deprived of the good, he does not know it, being always unfortunate and in a bad state.
οὕτως ἄριστον μὴ πεπειρᾶσθαι καλῶν.
Thus it is best not to have experienced good things.
ἐκεῖνο γὰρ μεμνήμεθ’· οἷος ἦν ποτε
κἀγὼ μετ’ ἀνδρῶν ἡνίκ’ ηὐτύχουν βίῳ
For we remember that: what kind of man I too once was among men when I was fortunate in life.
§286φησίν τις εἶναι δῆτ’ ἐν οὐρανῷ θεούς;
Does anyone indeed say that there are gods in heaven?
οὐκ εἰσίν, οὐκ εἶσ’, εἴ τις ἀνθρώπων θέλει
μὴ τῷ παλαιῷ μῶρος ὢν χρῆσθαι λόγῳ.
There are not, there are not, if a man is willing not to use the old story being a fool.
σκέψασθε δ’ αὐτοί, μὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις
γνώμην ἔχοντες.
Consider it yourselves, not having your mind based on my words.
φήμ’ ἐγὼ τυραννίδα
κτείνειν τε πλείστους κτημάτων τ’ ἀποστερεῖν
ὅρκους τε παραβαίνοντας ἐκπορθεῖν πόλεις· καὶ ταῦτα δρῶντες μᾶλλόν εἰσ’ εὐδαίμονες
τῶν εὐσεβούντων ἡσυχῇ καθ’ ἡμέραν.
I say that tyranny kills most people, deprives them of possessions, and plunders cities by breaking oaths; and doing these things they are more prosperous than those who live piously in quiet day by day.
πόλεις τε μικρὰς οἶδα τιμώσας θεούς,
αἳ μειζόνων κλύουσι δυσσεβεστέρων
λόγχης ἀριθμῷ πλείονος κρατούμεναι.
And I know small cities honoring gods, which obey greater and more impious ones, being conquered by a greater number of spears.
οἶμαι δ’ ἂν ὑμᾶς, εἴ τις ἀργὸς ὢν θεοῖς
εὔχοιτο καὶ μὴ χειρὶ συλλέγοι βίον,
τὰ θεῖα πυργοῦσιν αἱ κακαί τε συμφοραί.
And I think that if anyone, being idle, should pray to the gods and not gather life with his hand, you would think... bad misfortunes build up divine things.
§287τοῖς πράγμασιν γὰρ οὐχὶ θυμοῦσθαι χρεών· μέλει γὰρ αὐτοῖς οὐδέν· ἀλλ’ οὑντυγχάνων
τὰ πράγματ’ ὀρθῶς ἢν τιθῇ, πράσσει καλῶς.
For one ought not to be angry with circumstances; for they care nothing; but if the one who encounters them disposes circumstances rightly, he fares well.
§288δόλοι δὲ καὶ σκοτεινὰ μηχανήματα
χρείας ἀνάνδρου φάρμαχ’ ηὕρηται βροτοῖς.
For deceits and dark devices have been found by mortals as remedies for unmanly need.
§289νείκη γὰρ ἀνδρῶν φόνια καὶ μάχας χρεὼν
δόλοισι κλέπτειν· τῆς δ’ ἀληθείας ὁδὸς
φαύλη τίς ἐστι· ψεύδεσιν δ’ Ἄρης φίλος.
For it is necessary to steal away the bloody strifes and battles of men by deceits; for the path of truth is somewhat weak, and Ares is fond of falsehoods.
§290ἀεὶ γὰρ ἄνδρα σκαιὸν ἰσχυρὸν φύσει
ἧσσον δέδοικα τἀσθενοῦς τε καὶ σοφοῦ.
For I always fear a foolish man who is strong by nature less than a weak and wise one.
§291ὦ παῖ, νέων τοι δρᾶν μὲν ἔντονοι χέρες,
γνῶμαι δ’ ἀμείνους εἰσὶ τῶν γεραιτέρων· ὁ γὰρ χρόνος δίδαγμα ποικιλώτατον.
O child, the hands of the young are intense for action, but the counsels of the older are better; for time is the most varied teaching.
§292πρὸς τὴν νόσον τοι καὶ τὸν ἰατρὸν χρεὼν
ἰδόντ’ ἀκεῖσθαι, μὴ ἐπιτὰξ τὰ φάρμακα
διδόντ’, ἐάν μὴ ταῦτα τῇ νόσῳ πρέπῃ.
For one ought to heal having looked at the disease and the doctor, not giving medicines uniformly, unless these are suitable for the disease.
νόσοι δὲ θνητῶν αἵ μέν εἰσ’ αὐθαίρετοι,
αἳ δ’ ἐκ θεῶν πάρεισιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ νόμῳ
ἰώμεθ’ αὐτάς.
And some of the diseases of mortals are self-chosen, and others are present from the gods, but we heal them by law.
ἀλλά σοι λέξαι θέλω,
εἰ θεοί τι δρῶσιν αἰσχρόν, οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί.
But I wish to say to you, if the gods do anything shameful, they are not gods.