§1τύχη τὰ θνητῶν πράγματʼ, οὐκ εὐβουλία
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Fortune, not good counsel, rules the affairs of mortals.
πότερον οὐδὲ δικαιοσύνη τὰ θνητῶν πράγματα οὐδʼ ἰσότης οὐδὲ σωφροσύνη οὐδὲ κοσμιότης, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τύχης μὲν καὶ διὰ τύχην Ἀριστείδης ἐνεκαρτέρησε τῇ πενίᾳ, πολλῶν χρημάτων κύριος γενέσθαι δυνάμενος, καὶ Σκιπίων Καρχηδόνα ἑλὼν οὐδὲν οὔτʼ ἔλαβεν οὔτʼ εἶδε τῶν λαφύρων, ἐκ τύχης δὲ καὶ διὰ τύχην Φιλοκράτης λαβὼν χρυσίον παρὰ Φιλίππου
πόρνας καὶ ἰχθῦς ἠγόραζε
καὶ Λασθένης καὶ Εὐθυκράτης ἀπώλεσαν Ὄλυνθον,
τῇ γαστρὶ μετροῦντες καὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν;
Is it indeed the case that neither justice nor equality nor temperance nor orderliness rule the affairs of mortals, but rather that by fortune and because of fortune Aristides endured poverty, though he was able to become master of much wealth, and Scipio, having taken Carthage, neither took nor saw any of the spoils, while by fortune and because of fortune Philocrates, having received gold from Philip, bought whores and fish, and Lasthenes and Euthycrates destroyed Olynthus, measuring happiness by their belly and the most shameful things?
ἀπὸ τύχης δʼ ὁ μὲν Φιλίππου Ἀλέξανδρος αὐτός τε τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἀπείχετο γυναικῶν καὶ τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας ἐκόλαζεν, ὁ δὲ Πριάμου δαίμονι κακῷ καὶ τύχῃ χρησάμενος συνεκοιμᾶτο τῇ τοῦ ξένου γυναικί, καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ἐνέπλησε πολέμου καὶ κακῶν τὰς δύο ἠπείρους;
And is it by fortune that Alexander, son of Philip, himself abstained from the captive women and punished those who insulted them, while the son of Priam, meeting with an evil demon and fortune, slept with the wife of his host, and having taken her, filled two continents with war and evils?
εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα γίγνεται διὰ τύχην, τί κωλύει καὶ τὰς γαλᾶς καὶ τοὺς τράγους καὶ τοὺς πιθήκους συνέχεσθαι φάναι διὰ τύχην ταῖς λιχνείαις καὶ ταῖς ἀκρασίαις καὶ ταῖς βωμολοχίαις;
For if these things happen because of fortune, what prevents us from saying that weasels, goats, and monkeys also are held fast, because of fortune, in their greediness, incontinence, and buffoonery?
§2Εἰ δʼ ἔστι σωφροσύνη καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἀνδρεία, πῶς λόγον ἔχει μὴ εἶναι φρόνησιν, εἰ δὲ φρόνησις, πῶς οὐ καὶ εὐβουλίαν;
But if temperance, justice, and courage exist, how is it reasonable that wisdom does not exist? And if wisdom exists, how is there not also good counsel?
ἥ τε γὰρ σωφροσύνη φρόνησίς τίς ἐστιν ὥς φασι καὶ εὐβουλία, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη τῆς φρονήσεως δεῖται παρούσης·
For temperance is a kind of wisdom, as they say, and good counsel, and justice requires wisdom to be present.
μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν εὐβουλίαν γέ τοι καὶ φρόνησιν ἐν μὲν ἡδοναῖς ἀγαθοὺς παρεχομένην ἐγκράτειαν καὶ σωφροσύνην καλοῦμεν, ἐν δὲ κινδύνοις καὶ πόνοις καρτερίαν καὶ ἀνδραγαθίαν, ἐν δὲ κοινωνήμασι καὶ πολιτείαις εὐνομίαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην.
Rather, we call good counsel and wisdom "self-control" and "temperance" when it renders us good in pleasures, "endurance" and "manliness" in dangers and toils, and "good order" and "justice" in associations and public affairs.
ὅθεν εἰ τὰ τῆς εὐβουλίας ἔργα τῆς τύχης δικαιοῦμεν εἶναι, ἔστω τύχης καὶ τὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ τὰ τῆς σωφροσύνης, καὶ νὴ Δία τὸ κλέπτειν τύχης ἔστω καὶ τὸ βαλλαντιοτομεῖν καὶ τὸ ἀκολασταίνειν, καὶ μεθέμενοι τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν εἰς τὴν τύχην ἑαυτοὺς ἀφῶμεν ὥσπερ ὑπὸ πνεύματος πολλοῦ κονιορτὸν ἢ συρφετὸν ἐλαυνομένους καὶ διαφερομένους.
Hence, if we deem the works of good counsel to belong to fortune, let the works of justice and of temperance also belong to fortune; and, by Zeus, let stealing, purse-cutting, and debauchery belong to fortune, and letting go of our own reasonings, let us abandon ourselves to fortune, driven and tossed about like dust or sweepings by a great wind.
εὐβουλίας τοίνυν μὴ οὔσης οὐδὲ βουλὴν εἰκὸς εἶναι περὶ πραγμάτων οὐδὲ σκέψιν οὐδὲ ζήτησιν τοῦ συμφέροντος, ἀλλʼ ἐλήρησεν εἰπὼν ὁ Σοφοκλῆς ὅτι
"
πᾶν τὸ ζητούμενον
ἁλωτόν, ἐκφεύγει δὲ τἀμελούμενον
"
καὶ πάλιν αὖ τὰ πράγματα διαιρῶν
"
τὰ μὲν διδακτὰ μανθάνω, τὰ δʼ εὑρετὰ
ζητῶ, τὰ δʼ εὐκτὰ παρὰ θεῶν ᾐτησάμην
"
τί γὰρ εὑρετὸν ἢ τί μαθητόν ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις, εἰ πάντα περαίνεται κατὰ τύχην;
Therefore, if good counsel does not exist, it is likely that there is neither counsel about affairs, nor consideration, nor search for what is advantageous, but Sophocles talked nonsense when he said, "Everything that is sought is catchable, but that which is neglected escapes," and again dividing affairs, "I learn what is teachable, I seek what is discoverable, and I asked the gods for what is to be prayed for." For what is discoverable or what is teachable for humans, if everything is accomplished according to fortune?
ποῖον δʼ οὐκ ἀναιρεῖται βουλευτήριον πόλεως ἢ ποῖον οὐ καταλύεται συνέδριον βασιλέως, εἰ ὑπὸ τῇ τύχῃ πάντʼ ἐστίν, ἣν τυφλὴν λοιδοροῦμεν, ὡς τυφλοὶ περιπίπτοντες αὐτῇ;
What council-chamber of a city is not abolished, or what senate of a king is not dissolved, if all things are under fortune, whom we revile as blind, while we fall into her like blind men ourselves?
τί δʼ οὐ μέλλομεν, ὅταν ὥσπερ ὄμματα τὴν εὐβουλίαν ἐκκόψαντες αὑτῶν τοῦ βίου τυφλὴν χειραγωγὸν λαμβάνωμεν;
And why should we not, when we have knocked out good counsel like our own eyes and take a blind guide for our life?