§325κρείσσων γὰρ οὔτις χρημάτων πέφυκ’ ἀνήρ,
πλὴν εἴ τις· ὅστις δ’ οὗτός ἐστιν οὐχ ὁρῶ.
For no man is by nature stronger than money, except perhaps someone; but who this is, I do not see.
§326ἀρ’ οἶσθ’ ὁθούνεχ’ οἱ μὲν εὐγενεῖς βροτῶν
πένητες ὄντες οὐδὲν ἀλφάνουσ’ ἔτι,
οἳ δ’ οὐδὲν ἦσαν πρόσθεν, ὄλβιοι δὲ νῦν,
δόξαν φέρονται τοῦ νομίσματος χάριν
καὶ συμπλέκοντες σπέρμα καὶ γάμους τέκνων;
Do you know that the noble of mortals, being poor, bring in nothing anymore, while those who were nothing before, but are now wealthy, win reputation for the sake of money, interweaving their lineage and the marriages of their children?
δοῦναι δὲ πᾶς τις μᾶλλον ὀλβίῳ κακῷ
πρόθυμός ἐστιν ἢ πένητι κἀγαθῷ.
And everyone is more eager to give to a wealthy bad man than to a poor but good one.
κακὸς δ’ ὁ μὴ ἔχων, οἱ δ’ ἔχοντες ὄλβιοι.
For he who has not is bad, and those who have are wealthy.
§327φιλοῦσι γάρ τοι τῶν μὲν ὀλβίων βροτοὶ
σοφοὺς τίθεσθαι τοὺς λόγους, ὅταν δέ τις
λειτῶν ἀπ’ οἴκων εὖ λέγῃ πένης ἀνήρ,
γελᾶν·
For indeed, mortals are accustomed to deem the words of the wealthy wise, but when a poor man from simple homes speaks well, to laugh.
ἐγὼ δὲ πολλάκις σοφωτέρους
πένητας ἄνδρας εἰσορῶ τῶν πλουσίων
καὶ 〈τοὺς〉 θεοῖσι μικρὰ θύοντας τέλη
τῶν βουθυτούντων ὄντας εὐσεβεστέρους.
But I often see poor men wiser than the rich, and those who sacrifice small offerings to the gods more pious than those who sacrifice oxen.
§328ὅστις δόμους μὲν ἥδεται πληρουμένους,
γαστρὸς δ’ ἀφαιρῶν σῶμα δύστηνος κακοῖ,
τοῦτον νομίζω κἂν θεῶν συλᾶν βρέτη
τοῖς φιλτάτοις τε πολέμιον πεφυκέναι.
Whoever delights in his house being filled, yet, wretched man, afflicts his body by taking away from his stomach, this man I think would even plunder the statues of the gods, and is by nature an enemy to his dearest ones.
§329φεῦ, τοῖσι γενναίοισιν ὡς ἁπανταχοῦ
πρέπει χαρακτὴρ χρηστὸς εἰς εὐψυχίαν.
Alas, how everywhere a noble character for courage is fitting for the well-born.
§330ἐς ταὐτὸν ἥκειν φημὶ ταῖς βροτῶν τύχαις
τόνδ’ ὃν καλοῦσιν αἰθέρ’, ᾧ τάδ’ ἔστι δή.
I say that this which they call ether, in whose power indeed these things are, comes to the same as the fortunes of mortals.
οὗτος θέρους τε λαμπρὸν ἐκπέμπει σέλας,
χειμῶνά τ’ αὔξει συντιθεὶς πυκνὸν νέφος,
θάλλειν τε καὶ μή, ζῆν τε καὶ φθίνειν ποεῖ· οὕτω δὲ θνητῶν σπέρμα τῶν μὲν εὐτυχεῖ
λαμπρᾷ γαλήνῃ, τῶν δὲ συννέφει πάλιν,
ζῶσίν τε σὺν κακοῖσιν, οἳ δ’ ὄλβου μέτα
φθίνουσ’ ἐτείοις προσφερεῖς μεταλλαγαῖς.
This sends forth bright light in summer, and increases winter by bringing together thick cloud, and makes things bloom and not bloom, live and wither; and so the seed of mortals, for some it has good fortune in a bright calm, but for others it clouds over again, and some live with misfortunes, while others wither in the midst of wealth, resembling the yearly changes.
§331φίλος γὰρ ἦν μοι, καί μ’ ἔρως ἕλοι ποτὲ
οὐκ εἰς τὸ μῶρον οὐδέ μ’ εἰς Κύπριν τρέπων.
For he was a friend to me, and may love seize me, not turning me to folly nor to Cypris.
§332δοκεῖς τὸν Ἅιδην σῶν τι φροντίζειν γόων
καὶ παῖδ’ ἀνήσειν τὸν σόν, εἰ θέλοις στένειν;
Do you think that Hades cares at all for your lamentations, and will release your child, if you wish to wail?
παῦσαι· βλέπουσα δ’ εἰς τὰ τῶν πέλας κακὰ
ῥᾴων γένοι’ ἄν, εἰ λογίζεσθαι θέλοις
ὅσοι τε δεσμοῖς ἐκμεμόχθηνται βροτῶν
ὅσοι τε γηράσκουσιν ὀρφανοὶ τέκνων,
τοὺς δ’ ἐκ μέγιστον ὀλβίας τυραννίδος
τὸ μηδὲν ὄντας·
Cease; and by looking at the misfortunes of your neighbors you would become lighter, if you would consider how many of mortals have been worn out by bonds, and how many grow old orphaned of children, and those who from a most wealthy tyranny have become nothing.
ταῦτά σε σκοπεῖν χρεών.
These things you must contemplate.
§333φεῦ φεῦ, παλαιὸς αἶνος ὡς καλῶς ἔχει· οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο χρηστὸς ἐκ κακοῦ πατρός.
Alas, alas, how well the ancient proverb holds: a good son could not come from a bad father.
§334πολλοῖς παρέστην κἀφθόνησα δὴ βροτῶν
ὅστις κακοῖσιν ἐσθλὸς ὢν ὅμοιος ᾖ,
λόγων ματαίων εἰς ἅμιλλαν ἐξιών.
I have stood by many and indeed envied that one of mortals who, being noble, is equal to the bad, going out into a contest of vain words.
τὸ δ’ ἦν ἄρ’ οὐκ ἀκουστὸν οὐδ’ ἀνασχετόν,
σιγᾶν κλύοντα δεινὰ πρὸς κακιόνων.
But it was, as it seems, not to be heard nor tolerated, to keep silent when hearing terrible things from worse men.
§335τυραννικόν τοι πόλλ’ ἐπίστασθαι λέγειν.
To know how to speak much is indeed a tyrannical thing.
§336εἰς δ’ εὐγένειαν ὀλίγ’ ἔχω φράσαι καλά· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐσθλὸς εὐγενὴς ἔμοιγ’ ἀνήρ,
ὁ δ’ οὐ δίκαιος κἂν ἀμείνονος πατρὸς
Ζηνὸς πεφύκῃ, δυσγενὴς εἶναι δοκεῖ.
But regarding noble birth I have few beautiful things to say; for to me the good man is noble, but the unjust man, even if he be born of a father better than Zeus, seems to be low-born.
§337μὴ νεῖκος, ὦ γεραιέ, κοιράνοις τίθου· σέβειν δὲ τοὺς κρατοῦντας ἀρχαῖος νόμος.
Do not start a strife with rulers, O old man; to revere those who hold power is an ancient law.
§338ὄντων δὲ παίδων καὶ πεφυκότος γένους
καινοὺς φυτεῦσαι παῖδας ἐν δόμοις θέλεις,
ἔχθραν μεγίστην σοῖσι συμβάλλων τέκνοις.
Though there are children and a lineage is born, you wish to plant new children in your house, bringing the greatest enmity upon your children.
§339πατέρα τε παισὶν ἡδέως συνεκφέρειν
φίλους ἔρωτας ἐκβαλόντ’ αὐθαδίαν,
παῖδάς τε πατρί· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ αὐθαίρετοι
βροτοῖς ἔρωτες οὐδ’ ἑκουσία νόσος.
And a father should gladly share the beloved passions with his children, casting out stubbornness, and children with their father; for indeed, loves are not self-chosen for mortals, nor is it a voluntary disease.
σκαιόν τι δὴ τὸ χρῆμα γίγνεσθαι φιλεῖ,
θεῶν ἀνάγκας ὅστις ἰᾶσθαι θέλει.
It is accustomed to be a foolish thing, whoever wishes to cure the necessities of the gods.
§340Κύπρις γὰρ οὐδὲν νουθετουμένη χαλᾷ,
ἤν τ’ αὗ βιάζῃ, μᾶλλον ἐντείνειν φιλεῖ,
κἄπειτα τίκτει πόλεμον· εἰς δ’ ἀνάστασιν
δόμων περαίνει πολλάκις τὰ τοιάδε.
For Cypris, being admonished, relaxes not at all, and if on the other hand you force her, she is accustomed to strain even more, and then she gives birth to war; and such things often end in the ruin of homes.
§341μή μοί ποτ’ εἴη χρημάτων νικωμένῳ
κακῷ γενέσθαι, μηδ’ ὁμιλοίην κακοῖς.
May it never happen to me to become bad, being conquered by wealth, nor may I associate with bad men.
§342. . τί μ’ ἄρτι πημάτων λελησμένην
ὀρθοῖς;
Why do you rouse me, who had just forgotten my sufferings?
§343θάρσει· τό τοι δίκαιον ἰσχύει μέγα.
Take courage; for justice indeed holds great power.
§344νέος, πόνοις δέ γ’ οὐκ ἀγύμναστος φρένας.
Young, but indeed not untrained in mind by labors.
§345ἐγὼ νομίζω πατρὶ φίλτατον τέκνα
παισίν τε τοὺς τεκόντας, οὐδὲ συμμάχους
ἄλλους γενέσθαι φήμ’ ἂν ἐνδικωτέρους.
I consider children dearest to a father, and to children those who begot them, and I would say that no other allies could be more rightful.
§346εἷς γάρ τις ἔστι κοινὸς ἀνθρώποις νόμος
καὶ θεοῖσι τοῦτο δόξαν, ὡς σαφῶς λέγω,
θηρσίν τε πᾶσι, τέκνα τίκτουσιν φιλεῖν· τὰ δ’ ἄλλα χωρὶς χρώμεθ’ ἀλλήλων νόμοις.
For there is a certain single common law for men, and this has been decreed for the gods, as I speak clearly, and for all wild beasts: that those who beget children should love them; but in other things we use laws separate from one another.