§11οὐ τοίνυν ἄξιον οὐδὲ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ἀγωνίαν παρορᾶν, ἀλλὰ πέμποντας ἐς παιδοτρίβου τοὺς παῖδας ἱκανῶς ταῦτα διαπονεῖν, ἅμα μὲν τῆς τῶν σωμάτων εὐρυθμίας ἕνεκεν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς ῥώμην· καλοῦ γὰρ γήρως θεμέλιος ἐν παισὶν ἡ τῶν σωμάτων εὐεξία.
Therefore, it is not right to overlook even the training of the bodies, but sending the children to the gymnastics master, we must have them sufficiently work out these things, at once for the sake of the body's harmony, and at the same time for strength; for the good condition of the bodies in childhood is the foundation of a fair old age.
καθάπερ οὖν ἐν εὐδίᾳ τὰ πρὸς τὸν χειμῶνα προσῆκε παρασκευάζειν, οὕτως ἐν νεότητι τὴν εὐταξίαν καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐφόδιον εἰς τὸ γῆρας ἀποτίθεσθαι.
Just as, therefore, in fair weather it is fitting to prepare for winter, so in youth one must lay up orderliness and temperance as provision for old age.
οὕτω δὲ δεῖ ταμιεύεσθαι τὸν τοῦ σώματος πόνον, ὡς μὴ καταξήρους γινομένους πρὸς τὴν τῆς παιδείας ἐπιμέλειαν ἀπαγορεύειν κατὰ γὰρ Πλάτωνα ὕπνοι καὶ κόποι μαθήμασι πολέμιοι.
And one must so manage the labor of the body that, becoming not utterly exhausted, they do not give up on the care of education; for according to Plato, sleep and fatigue are enemies to learning.
καὶ τί ταῦτα;
And why speak of these things?
ἀλλʼ ὅπερ πάντων ἐστὶ κυριώτατον τῶν εἰρημένων σπεύδω λέγειν.
But I hasten to say what is the most sovereign of all that has been mentioned.
πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς στρατιωτικοὺς ἀγῶνας τοὺς παῖδας ἀσκητέον ἐν ἀκοντισμοῖς αὐτοὺς καταθλοῦντας καὶ τοξείαις καὶ θήραις.
For one must train the children for military contests, practicing them in javelin-throwing, archery, and hunting.
τὰ
γὰρ
τῶν ἡττωμένων
ἐν ταῖς μάχαις
ἀγαθὰ τοῖς νικῶσιν ἆθλα πρόκειται
πόλεμος δʼ ἐσκιατραφημένην σωμάτων ἕξιν οὐ δέχεται, ἰσχνὸς δὲ στρατιώτης πολεμικῶν ἀγώνων ἐθὰς ἀθλητῶν καὶ πολεμίων φάλαγγας διωθεῖ.
For the goods of those defeated in battles are set before the victors as prizes; and war does not admit a body-habit nurtured in the shade, but a lean soldier accustomed to military contests pushes through the phalanxes of athletes and enemies alike.
τί οὖν ἄν τις εἴποι;
What then might someone say?
σὺ δὲ δὴ περὶ τῆς ἐλευθέρων ἀγωγῆς ὑποσχόμενος παραγγέλματα δώσειν ἔπειτα φαίνῃ τῆς μὲν τῶν πενήτων καὶ δημοτικῶν παραμελῶν ἀγωγῆς, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς πλουσίοις ὁμονοεῖς τὰς ὑποθήκας διδόναι. πρὸς οὓς οὐ χαλεπὸν ἀπαντῆσαι.
"You, having promised to give precepts concerning the education of free-born children, then appear to neglect the education of the poor and common people, and to agree to give your counsels to the rich alone." To whom it is not difficult to reply.
ἐγὼ γὰρ μάλιστʼ ἂν βουλοίμην πᾶσι κοινῇ χρήσιμον εἶναι τὴν ἀγωγήν· εἰ δέ τινες ἐνδεῶς τοῖς ἰδίοις πράττοντες ἀδυνατήσουσι τοῖς ἐμοῖς χρῆσθαι παραγγέλμασι, τὴν τύχην αἰτιάσθωσαν, οὐ τὸν ταῦτα συμβουλεύοντα.
For I should most of all wish that this education be useful to all in common; but if some, faring poorly in their private means, are unable to make use of my precepts, let them blame fortune, and not him who advises these things.
πειρατέον μὲν οὖν εἰς δύναμιν τὴν κρατίστην ἀγωγὴν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν παίδων καὶ τοῖς πένησιν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, τῇ γε δυνατῇ χρηστέον.
One must, therefore, endeavor to the best of one's power to provide the best education of children even for the poor; but if not, one must at least use what is possible.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τῷ λόγῳ παρεφορτισάμην, ἵνʼ ἐφεξῆς καὶ τἄλλα τὰ φέροντα πρὸς τὴν ὀρθὴν τῶν νέων ἀγωγὴν συνάψω.
And indeed, I have introduced these things by the way in my discourse, so that I may next connect the other things that contribute to the right education of the youth.
§12κἀκεῖνό φημι, δεῖν τοὺς παῖδας ἐπὶ τὰ καλὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἄγειν παραινέσεσι καὶ λόγοις, μὴ μὰ Δία πληγαῖς μηδʼ αἰκισμοῖς.
And I say that too, that one must lead children to noble pursuits by admonitions and words, not, by Zeus, by blows or abuses.
δοκεῖ γάρ που ταῦτα τοῖς δούλοις μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἐλευθέροις πρέπειν· ἀποναρκῶσι γὰρ καὶ φρίττουσι πρὸς τοὺς πόνους, τὰ μὲν διὰ τὰς ἀλγηδόνας τῶν πληγῶν, τὰ δὲ καὶ διὰ τὰς ὕβρεις.
For these things seem, I suppose, to be more fitting for slaves than for the free-born; for they become numb and shudder at labors, partly because of the pains of the blows, and partly also because of the insults.
ἔπαινοι δὲ καὶ ψόγοι πάσης εἰσὶν αἰκίας ὠφελιμώτεροι τοῖς ἐλευθέροις, οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ καλὰ παρορμῶντες οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἀνείργοντες.
But praise and blame are more beneficial to the free-born than any abuse, the former urging them on to noble things, and the latter restraining them from base ones.
δεῖ δʼ ἐναλλάξ καὶ ποικίλως χρῆσθαι ταῖς ἐπιπλήξεσι καὶ τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, κἀπειδάν ποτε θρασύνωνται, ταῖς ἐπιπλήξεσιν ἐν αἰσχύνῃ ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ πάλιν ἀνακαλεῖσθαι τοῖς ἐπαίνοις καὶ μιμεῖσθαι τὰς τίτθας, αἵτινες ἐπειδὰν τὰ παιδία κλαυθμυρίσωσιν, εἰς παρηγορίαν πάλιν τὸν μαστὸν ὑπέχουσι.
And one must use reproofs and praises alternately and in various ways, and whenever they grow bold, put them to shame with reproofs, and again recall them with praises, imitating nurses, who, whenever the little children weep, offer the breast again for comfort.
δεῖ δʼ αὐτοὺς μηδὲ τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις ἐπαίρειν καὶ φυσᾶν· χαυνοῦνται γὰρ ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς τῶν ἐπαίνων καὶ θρύπτονται.
But one must not puff them up and inflate them with encomiums; for they become conceited and spoiled by excessive praises.