§1.1ἔστι δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν Νομᾶ τοῦ βασιλέως χρόνων, καθʼ οὓς γέγονε, νεανικὴ διαφορά, καίπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰς τοῦτον κατάγεσθαι τῶν στεμμάτων ἀκριβῶς δοκούντων.
There is also a vigorous dispute about the times of King Numa, the period in which he lived, even though the genealogies from the very beginning seem to trace down accurately to him.
ἀλλὰ Κλώδιός τις ἐν ἐλέγχῳ χρόνων οὕτω γάρ πως ἐπιγέγραπται τὸ βιβλίον ἰσχυρίζεται τὰς μὲν ἀρχαίας ἐκείνας ἀναγραφὰς ἐν τοῖς Κελτικοῖς πάθεσι τῆς πόλεως ἠφανίσθαι, τὰς δὲ νῦν φαινομένας οὐκ ἀληθῶς συγκεῖσθαι διʼ ἀνδρῶν χαριζομένων τισὶν εἰς τὰ πρῶτα γένη καὶ τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους οἴκους ἐξ οὐ προσηκόντων εἰσβιαζομένοις.
However, a certain Clodius, in his "Examination of Times"—for that is roughly how his book is entitled—asserts that those ancient records vanished during the Celtic calamities of the city, and that those now visible were untruthfully compiled by men who were currying favor with certain persons who were forcing their way into the foremost clans and the most illustrious families from no proper connection.
§1.2λεγομένου δὲ οὖν ὡς Νομᾶς γένοιτο Πυθαγόρου συνήθης, οἱ μὲν ὅλως ἀξιοῦσι μηδὲν Ἑλληνικῆς παιδεύσεως Νομᾷ μετεῖναι, καθάπερ ἢ φύσει δυνατὸν καὶ αὐτάρκη γενέσθαι πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἢ βελτίονι Πυθαγόρου βαρβάρῳ τινὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποδοῦναι παίδευσιν οἱ δὲ Πυθαγόραν μὲν ὀψὲ γενέσθαι, τῶν Νομᾶ χρόνων ὁμοῦ τι πέντε γενεαῖς ἀπολειπόμενον,
It being said, therefore, that Numa was an associate of Pythagoras, some altogether maintain that Numa had no share at all in Greek education, as if he were either by nature capable and self-sufficient for virtue, or it were better to attribute the king's education to some barbarian superior to Pythagoras; while others say that Pythagoras lived late, falling short of Numa's times by nearly five generations.
§1.3Πυθαγόρου δὲ τὸν Σπαρτιάτην Ὀλύμπια νενικηκότα στάδιον ἐπὶ τῆς ἑκκαιδεκάτης Ὀλυμπιάδος, ἧς ἔτει τρίτῳ Νομᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν κατέστη, πλανηθέντα περὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν συγγενέσθαι τῷ Νομᾷ καὶ συνδιακοσμῆσαι τὴν πολιτείαν, ὅθεν οὐκ ὀλίγα τοῖς Ῥωμαϊκοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τῶν Λακωνικῶν ἀναμεμῖχθαι Πυθαγόρου διδάξαντος, ἄλλως δὲ Νομᾶς γένος μὲν ἦν ἐκ Σαβίνων, Σαβῖνοι δὲ βούλονται Λακεδαιμονίων ἑαυτοὺς ἀποίκους γεγονέναι.
But they say that Pythagoras the Spartan, who won the stadion race at the sixteenth Olympiad (in the third year of which Numa was established in the kingship), having wandered around Italy, associated with Numa and helped him arrange the constitution, whence not a few Laconian practices have been mixed with Roman customs, since Pythagoras taught them; and moreover, Numa was by birth from the Sabines, and the Sabines wish themselves to have been colonists of the Lacedaemonians.
§1.4τοὺς μὲν οὖν χρόνους ἐξακριβῶσαι χαλεπόν ἐστι, καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ὀλυμπιονικῶν ἀναγομένους, ὧν τὴν ἀναγραφὴν ὀψέ φασιν Ἱππίαν ἐκδοῦναι τὸν Ἠλεῖον, ἀπʼ οὐδενὸς ὁρμώμενον ἀναγκαίου πρὸς πίστιν ἃ δὲ παρειλήφαμεν ἡμεῖς ἄξια λόγου περὶ Νομᾶ, διέξιμεν ἀρχὴν οἰκείαν λαβόντες.
Now, to verify the chronology precisely is difficult, and especially those dates which are traced back from the list of Olympic victors, whose record they say Hippias of Elis published late, starting from no authority necessary for credibility. But those worthy of mention that we ourselves have received concerning Numa, we shall relate, taking an appropriate beginning.