§21.1οἰκέτας δὲ πολλοὺς ἐκτᾶτο, τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ὠνούμενος μάλιστα τοὺς μικροὺς καὶ δυναμένους ἔτι τροφὴν καὶ παίδευσιν ὡς σκύλακας ἢ πώλους ἐνεγκεῖν.
He acquired many slaves, purchasing from among the captives especially those who were young and still capable, like puppies or colts, of receiving rearing and training.
τούτων οὐδεὶς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς οἰκίαν ἑτέραν, εἰ μὴ πέμψαντος αὐτοῦ Κάτωνος ἢ τῆς γυναικός.
None of these entered another person's house unless Cato himself or his wife sent him.
ὁ δʼ ἐρωτηθεὶς, τί πράττοι Κάτων, οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνετο πλὴν ἀγνοεῖν.
And when asked what Cato was doing, he would answer nothing but that he did not know.
§21.2ἔδει δὲ ἢ πράττειν τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων οἴκοι τὸν δοῦλον ἢ καθεύδειν καὶ σφόδρα τοῖς κοιμωμένοις ὁ Κάτων ἔχαιρε, πρᾳοτέρους τε τῶν ἐγρηγορότων νομίζων καὶ πρὸς ὁτιοῦν βελτίονας χρῆσθαι τῶν δεομένων ὕπνου τοὺς ἀπολελαυκότας, οἰόμενος δὲ τὰ μέγιστα ῥᾳδιουργεῖν ἀφροδισίων ἕνεκα τοὺς δούλους ἔταξεν ὡρισμένου νομίσματος ὁμιλεῖν ταῖς θεραπαινίσιν, ἑτέρᾳ δὲ γυναικὶ μηδένα πλησιάζειν.
A slave had either to do some necessary work at home or to sleep; and Cato was extremely pleased with those who slept, thinking that they were gentler than those who were awake, and that those who had enjoyed their sleep were better for any service than those who stood in need of it. Believing also that slaves commit the greatest mischief because of their sexual passions, he ordered them to consort with the female slaves for a fixed fee, but allowed no one to approach any other woman.
§21.3ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν οὖν ἔτι πένης ὢν καὶ στρατευόμενος πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐδυσκόλαινε τῶν περὶ δίαιταν, ἀλλʼ αἴσχιστον ἀπέφαινε διὰ γαστέρα πρὸς οἰκέτην ζυγομαχεῖν.
In the beginning, therefore, while he was still poor and on campaign, he made no complaint about anything regarding his living, but declared it most shameful to quarrel with a servant for the sake of his belly.
ὕστερον δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιδιδόντων ποιούμενος ἑστιάσεις φίλων καὶ συναρχόντων ἐκόλαζεν εὐθὺς μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον ἱμάντι τοὺς ἀμελέστερον ὑπουργήσαντας ὁτιοῦν ἢ σκευάσαντας.
But later, as his wealth increased, when he gave entertainments for his friends and colleagues in office, he would immediately after dinner punish with a lash those who had been careless in serving or preparing anything.
§21.4ἀεὶ δέ τινα στάσιν ἔχειν τοὺς δούλους ἐμηχανᾶτο καὶ διαφορὰν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὑπονοῶν τὴν ὁμόνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ δεδοικώς.
He always contrived to have some strife and discord among his slaves, suspecting and fearing their harmony.
τοὺς δʼ ἄξιον εἰργάσθαι τι θανάτου δόξαντας ἐδικαίου κριθέντας ἐν τοῖς οἰκέταις πᾶσιν ἀποθνῄσκειν, εἰ καταγνωσθεῖεν.
And those who seemed to have committed some crime worthy of death he deemed it right to be tried among all their fellow slaves and, if found guilty, to be put to death.
§21.5ἁπτόμενος δὲ συντονώτερον πορισμοῦ τὴν μὲν γεωργίαν μᾶλλον ἡγεῖτο διαγωγὴν ἢ πρόσοδον, εἰς δʼ ἀσφαλῆ πράγματα καὶ βέβαια κατατιθέμενος τὰς ἀφορμάς ἐκτᾶτο λίμνας, ὕδατα θερμά, τόπους κναφεῦσιν ἀνειμένους, ἔργα πίσσια, χώραν ἔχουσαν αὐτοφυεῖς νομὰς καὶ ὕλας, ἀφʼ ὧν αὐτῷ χρήματα προσῄει πολλὰ μηδʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ Διός, ὥς φησὶν αὐτός, βλαβῆναι δυναμένων.
Applying himself more vigorously to gain, he regarded agriculture more as an amusement than as a source of income; and investing his capital in safe and secure business, he acquired ponds, hot springs, grounds abandoned to fullers, pitch works, and land with natural pastures and woods, from which large revenues came to him, which, as he says himself, could not be damaged even by Jupiter.
§21.6ἐχρήσατο δὲ καὶ τῷ διαβεβλημένῳ μάλιστα τῶν δανεισμῶν ἐπὶ ναυτικοῖς τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον, ἐκέλευε τοὺς δανειζομένους ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ πολλοὺς παρακαλεῖν, γενομένων δὲ πεντήκοντα καὶ πλοίων τοσούτων αὐτὸς εἶχε μίαν μερίδα διὰ Κουϊντίωνος ἀπελευθέρου τοῖς δανειζομένοις συμπραγ ματ ευ ο μὲν ου καὶ συμπλέοντος.
He also practiced that most notorious of moneylending, bottomry, in this manner: he required the borrowers to bring together many partners; and when there were fifty of them, and as many ships, he himself took one share through his freedman Quintio, who did business with the borrowers and sailed with them.
ἦν δʼ οὖν οὐκ εἰς ἅπαν ὁ κίνδυνος, ἀλλʼ εἰς μέρος μικρὸν ἐπὶ κέρδεσι μεγάλοις.
Thus the risk was not for the whole, but only for a small part, with great prospects of profit.
§21.7ἐδίδου δὲ καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν τοῖς βουλομένοις ἀργύριον οἱ δʼ ἐωνοῦντο παῖδας, εἶτα τούτους ἀσκήσαντες καὶ διδάξαντες ἀναλώμασι τοῦ Κάτωνος μετʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἀπεδίδοντο.
He also lent money to those of his slaves who wished it. They would buy boys with it, and then, after training and teaching them at Cato's expense, would sell them back after a year.
πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ κατεῖχεν ὁ Κάτων, ὅσην ὁ πλείστην διδοὺς ἐωνεῖτο τιμὴν ὑπολογιζόμενος.
Many of these Cato would keep for himself, paying the highest price offered by other buyers and deducting it from their accounts.
§21.8προτρέπων δὲ τὸν υἱὸν ἐπὶ ταῦτα φησὶν οὐκ ἀνδρός, ἀλλὰ χήρας γυναικὸς εἶναι τὸ μειῶσαί τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων.
Inciting his son to these practices, he said that to diminish one's inheritance was not the part of a man, but of a widow.
ἐκεῖνο δʼ ἤδη σφοδρότερον τοῦ Κάτωνος, ὅτι θαυμαστὸν ἄνδρα καὶ θεῖον εἰπεῖν ἐτόλμησε πρὸς δόξαν, ὃς ἀπολείπει πλέον ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ὃ προσέθηκεν οὗ παρέλαβεν.
But that was a more violent saying of Cato's, that he dared to declare, as a matter of glory, that man to be admirable and divine who leaves in his accounts more of what he has added than what he received.