§1.1μάλιστα δʼ ἄν τις εὐδαιμονίσειε τοῦ τέλους Λεύκουλλον, ὅτι πρὸ τῆς μεταβολῆς, ἣν ἤδη κατὰ τῆς πολιτείας ἐτεκταίνετο τοῖς ἐμφυλίοις πολέμοις τὸ πεπρωμένον, ἔφθη προαποθανὼν καὶ καταλύσας ἐν νοσούσῃ μέν, ἔτι δʼ ἐλευθέρᾳ τῇ πατρίδι τὸν βίον.
Most of all, one might deem Lucullus happy because of his end, since before the revolution which fate was already planning against the constitution by means of the civil wars, he anticipated it by dying beforehand, ending his life in a country that was indeed ailing, but still free.
καὶ τοῦτό γε πάντων αὐτῷ πρὸς Κίμωνα κοινότατόν ἐστι.
And this, indeed, of all things, is most common to him and Cimon.
§1.2καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος οὔπω συντεταραγμένων τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν, ἀλλʼ ἀκμὴν ἐχόντων ἐτελεύτησεν, ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου μέντοι καὶ στρατηγῶν, οὐκ ἀπειρηκὼς οὐδʼ ἀλύων, οὐδέ τῶν ὅπλων καὶ τῶν στρατηγιῶν καὶ τῶν τροπαίων ἔπαθλον ποιούμενος εὐωχίας καὶ πότους, ὥσπερ Πλάτων ἐπισκώπτει τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ὀρφέα, τοῖς εὖ βεβιωκόσι φάσκοντας ἀποκεῖσθαι γέρας ἐν?δου μέθην αἰώνιον.
For he too died while Greek affairs were not yet thrown into confusion but were still at their height, and moreover, while in the camp and commanding as general, not failing nor being distracted, nor making arms and generalships and trophies the prize for feasting and drinking, just as Plato mocks the followers of Orpheus, who assert that for those who have lived well, there lies in store in Hades an eternal drunkenness as a reward.
§1.3σχολὴ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἡσυχία καὶ διατριβὴ περὶ λόγους ἡδονήν τινα καὶ θεωρίαν ἔχοντας εὐπρεπέστατον ἀνδρὶ πρεσβύτῃ καὶ πεπαυμένῳ πολέμων καὶ πολιτείας παραμύθιον τὸ δʼ ἐφʼ ἡδονὴν, ὡς τέλος, καταστρέψαντα τὰς καλὰς πράξεις ἤδη λοιπὸν Ἀφροδίσια τῶν πολέμων καὶ στρατηγιῶν ἄγοντα παίζειν καὶ τρυφᾶν οὐκ ἄξια τῆς καλῆς Ἀκαδημείας, οὐδέ τὸν Ξενοκράτη ζηλοῦντος, ἀλλʼ ἐγκεκλικότος πρὸς τὸν Ἐπίκουρον.
Now, leisure, quiet, and passing time in discussions that contain some pleasure and contemplation are a most fitting consolation for an elderly man who has retired from wars and politics; but to turn noble deeds in the end toward pleasure as a goal, and henceforth to spend the rest of time playing and luxury-loving, celebrating the festivals of Aphrodite instead of wars and generalships, is not worthy of the beautiful Academy, nor does it belong to one who emulates Xenocrates, but rather to one who has leaned toward Epicurus.
§1.4ὃ καὶ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν ὑπεναντίως γὰρ ἡ νεότης τοῦ μὲν ἐπίψογος καὶ ἀκόλαστος γεγονέναι δοκεῖ, τοῦ δὲ πεπαιδευμένη καὶ σώφρων, βελτίων οὖν ᾧ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιον ἡ μεταβολή·
Which is indeed wonderful; for in opposite ways, the youth of the one is thought to have been blameworthy and dissolute, while that of the other was educated and temperate.
χρηστοτέρα γὰρ ἡ φύσις, ἐν ᾗ γηρᾷ μὲν τὸ χεῖρον, ἐπακμάζει δὲ τὸ ἄμεινον.
Therefore, he in whom the change was toward the better is superior; for that nature is more excellent in which the worse part grows old and the better part flourishes.
καὶ μὴν ὁμοίως γε πλουτήσαντες οὐχ ὁμοίως διέθεντο τὸν πλοῦτον.
And indeed, having acquired wealth in a similar way, they did not manage their wealth similarly.
§1.5οὐ γὰρ ἄξιον ὁμοιῶσαι τῷ νοτίῳ τείχει τῆς ἀκροπόλεως, ὃ τοῖς ὑπὸ Κίμωνος κομισθεῖσιν ἐτελέσθη χρήμασι, τοὺς ἐν Νέᾳ πόλει θαλάμους καὶ τὰς περικλύστους ἀπόψεις, ἃς Λούκουλλος ἀπὸ τῶν βαρβαρικῶν ἐξῳκοδόμει λαφύρων οὐδέ γε τῇ Κίμωνος τραπέζῃ τὴν Λουκούλλου παραβαλεῖν, τῇ δημοκρατικῇ καὶ φιλανθρώπῳ τὴν πολυτελῆ καὶ σατραπικήν.
For it is not fitting to compare the chambers in Neapolis and the lookouts surrounded by water, which Lucullus built from barbarian spoils, with the southern wall of the Acropolis, which was completed with the money brought by Cimon; nor to compare Cimon's table with that of Lucullus, the democratic and philanthropic one with the luxurious and satrap-like one.
§1.6ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ μικρᾶς δαπάνης πολλοὺς καθʼ ἡμέραν διέτρεφεν, ἡ δʼ εἰς ὀλίγους τρυφῶντας ἀπὸ πολλῶν παρεσκευάζετο χρημάτων, εἰ μὴ νὴ Δία τῶν πραγμάτων ἐποίει διαφορὰν ὁ χρόνος·
For the one supported many every day at small expense, while the other was prepared with great wealth for a few who lived in luxury, unless, by Zeus, the time made a difference in these matters.
ἄδηλον γὰρ, εἰ καὶ Κίμων ἀπὸ τῶν πράξεων καὶ στρατηγιῶν εἰς ἀπόλεμον καὶ ἀπολίτευτον γῆρας ἀφεὶς αὑτόν ἔτι μᾶλλον ἂν ἐχρήσατο σοβαρᾷ καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἀνειμένῃ διαίτῃ· καὶ γὰρ φιλοπότης καὶ πανηγυρικὸς καὶ τὰ πρὸς γυναῖκας, ὡς προείρηται, διαβεβλημένος.
For it is unclear whether Cimon, if he also had abandoned himself to an warless and politics-free old age after his actions and generalships, would have used an even more arrogant lifestyle relaxed toward pleasure; for he was indeed fond of drinking, celebratory, and, as has been said before, slandered regarding women.
§1.7αἱ δὲ περὶ τὰς πράξεις καὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας κατορθώσεις ἡδονὰς ἑτέρας ἔχουσαι τῶν χειρόνων ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀσχολίαν ποιοῦσι καὶ λήθην ταῖς πολιτικαῖς καὶ φιλοτίμοις φύσεσιν.
But successes in actions and contests, having other pleasures, cause distraction from and forgetfulness of worse desires in political and honor-loving natures.
εἰ γοῦν καὶ Λούκουλλος ἐτελεύτησεν ἀγωνιζόμενος καὶ στρατηγῶν, οὐδʼ ἂν ὁ ψογερώτατος καὶ φιλομεμφότατος εὑρεῖν μοι δοκεῖ διαβολὴν ἐπʼ αὐτόν, καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς διαίτης.
At any rate, if Lucullus also had died while contesting and commanding as general, not even the most censorious and fault-finding person would, I think, have found cause for slander against him. And this is what concerns their lifestyle.