§4οὔτʼ οὖν ἀπαθεῖς ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων συμφορῶν ὁ λόγος ἀξιοῖ γίγνεσθαι τοὺς εὖ φρονοῦντας οὔτε δυσπαθεῖς· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἄτεγκτον καὶ θηριῶδες, τὸ δʼ ἐκλελυμένον καὶ γυναικοπρεπές.
Therefore, reason does not expect those of sound mind to become either listless or over-sensitive under such misfortunes; for the former is unyielding and brutal, while the latter is relaxed and effeminate.
εὐλόγιστος δʼ ὁ τὸν οἰκεῖον ὅρον ἔχων καὶ δυνάμενος φέρειν δεξιῶς τά τε προσηνῆ καὶ τὰ λυπηρὰ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ συμβαινόντων, καὶ προειληφὼς ὅτι καθάπερ ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ κλῆρός ἐστι τῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ δεῖ λαχόντα μὲν ἄρχειν ἀπολαχόντα δὲ φέρειν ἀνεπαχθῶς τὴν τύχην, οὕτω καὶ τῇ διανομῇ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνεγκλήτως καὶ πειθηνίως ἕπεσθαι.
But he who possesses his proper limit and is able to bear dexterously both the pleasant and the painful events that occur in life, and who has understood beforehand that just as in a democracy there is a lotting of offices, and it is necessary for the one who draws the lot to rule and for the one who fails to bear his fortune without resentment, so also one must follow the distribution of things without complaint and submissively—he is the man of good reason.
τοῦτο γὰρ οἱ μὴ δυνάμενοι ποιεῖν οὐδὲ τὰς εὐπραγίας ἂν ἐμφρόνως φέρειν δύναιντο καὶ μετρίως.
For those who are unable to do this would not even be able to bear prosperity sensibly and moderately.
τῶν μὲν γὰρ καλῶς λεγομένων ἐστὶν ἐν ὑποθήκης μέρει καὶ τοῦτο
"
μηδʼ εὐτύχημα μηδὲν ὧδʼ ἔστω μέγα,
ὃ σʼ ἐξεπαρεῖ μεῖζον ἢ χρεὼν φρονεῖν,
μηδʼ ἄν τι συμβῇ δυσχερές, δουλοῦ πάλιν,
ἀλλʼ αὑτὸς αἰεὶ μίμνε, τὴν σαυτοῦ φύσιν
σῴζων βεβαίως, ὥστε χρυσὸς ἐν πυρὶ
"
πεπαιδευμένων δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ σωφρόνων ἀνδρῶν πρὸς τε τὰς δοκούσας εὐτυχίας τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἀτυχίας φυλάξαι γενναίως τὸ πρέπον.
For among the things well said, this also is in the manner of a precept: "Let no good fortune be so great as to lift you up to think more highly than is proper, nor if anything difficult happens, be enslaved again, but remain always the same, preserving your nature securely, like gold in the fire." But it is the part of educated and self-controlled men, in the face of what seem to be good fortunes, to remain the same, and in misfortunes, to guard nobly what is fitting.
τῆς γὰρ εὐλογιστίας ἔργον ἐστὶν ἢ φυλάξασθαι τὸ κακὸν ἐπιφερόμενον ἢ διορθώσασθαι γενόμενον ἢ συστεῖλαι πρὸς τὸ βραχύτατον ἢ παρασκευάζειν αὑτῷ τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἄρρενα καὶ γενναίαν.
For it is the work of good reasoning either to guard against the incoming evil, or to correct it when it has happened, or to compress it to the shortest span, or to prepare for oneself a manly and noble endurance.
καὶ γὰρ περὶ τἀγαθὸν ἡ φρόνησις πραγματεύεται τετραχῶς, ἢ κτωμένη τἀγαθὰ ἢ φυλάττουσα ἢ αὔξουσα ἢ χρωμένη δεξιῶς οὗτοι τῆς φρονήσεως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετῶν εἰσι κανόνες, οἷς πρὸς ἀμφότερα χρηστέον.
For indeed, prudence deals with the good in four ways: either acquiring good things, or guarding them, or increasing them, or using them dexterously. These are the rules of prudence and of the other virtues, which must be used toward both conditions.
"
οὐκ ἔστιν γὰρ ὅστις πάντʼ ἀνὴρ εὐδαιμονεῖ
"
καὶ νὴ Δία· "
τό τοι χρεὼν οὐκ ἔστι μὴ χρεὼν ποιεῖν
" §5ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν φυτοῖς ποτὲ μὲν πολυκαρπίαι γίγνονται ποτὲ δʼ ἀκαρπίαι, καὶ ἐν ζῴοις ποτὲ μὲν πολυγονίαι ποτὲ δὲ καὶ ἀγονίαι, καὶ ἐν θαλάττῃ εὐδίαι τε καὶ χειμῶνες, οὕτω καὶ ἐν βίῳ πολλαὶ καὶ ποικίλαι περιστάσεις γιγνόμεναι πρὸς τὰς ἐναντίας περιάγουσι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τύχας.
"For there is no man who is happy in all things," and, by Zeus: "It is not possible to make what must be, not to be." For just as in plants sometimes great fruitfulness occurs and sometimes fruitlessness, and in animals sometimes great fertility and sometimes barrenness, and at sea both calms and storms, so also in life many and various circumstances, as they occur, turn men around to contrary fortunes.
εἰς ἃς διαβλέψας ἄν τις οὐκ ἀπεικότως εἴποι
"
οὐκ ἐπὶ πᾶσίν σʼ ἐφύτευσʼ ἀγαθοῖς,
Ἀγάμεμνον, Ἀτρεύς.
Looking toward which, one might not inappropriately say: "Atreus did not beget you, Agamemnon, for all good things.
δεῖ δέ σε χαίρειν καὶ λυπεῖσθαι· θνητὸς γὰρ ἔφυς.
You must both rejoice and grieve; for you were born mortal.
κἂν μὴ σὺ θέλῃς,
τὰ θεῶν οὕτω βουλόμενʼ ἔσται
"
καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ Μενάνδρου ῥηθὲν
"
εἰ γὰρ ἐγένου σύ, τρόφιμε, τῶν πάντων μόνος,
ὅτʼ ἔτικτεν ἡ μήτηρ σʼ, ἐφʼ ᾧ τε διατελεῖν
πράσσων ἃ βούλει καὶ διευτυχῶν ἀεί,
καὶ τοῦτο τῶν θεῶν τις ὡμολόγησέ σοι,
ὀρθῶς ἀγανακτεῖς·
Even if you do not wish it, the things of the gods will be so willed." And that which was said by Menander: "For if you, master, were born the only one of all, when your mother bore you, on condition that you should continue doing what you wish and being always fortunate, and some god agreed to this with you, you are rightly angry; for he has deceived you and done a strange thing.
ἔστι γάρ σʼ ἐψευσμένος,
ἄτοπόν τε πεποίηκʼ εἰ δʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς νόμοις
ἐφʼ οἷσπερ ἡμεῖς ἔσπασας τὸν ἀέρα
τὸν κοινόν, ἵνα σοι καὶ τραγικώτερον λαλῶ,
οἰστέον ἄμεινον ταῦτα καὶ λογιστέον.
But if on the same terms on which we do, you drew in the common air— to speak to you also in a rather tragic style— you must bear these things better and reflect.
τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τῶν λόγων, ἄνθρωπος εἶ,
οὗ μεταβολὴν θᾶττον πρὸς ὕψος καὶ πάλιν
ταπεινότητα ζῷον οὐδὲν λαμβάνει.
The sum of my words: you are a human being, than whom no creature more quickly takes a shift to height and back to lowliness.
καὶ μάλα δικαίως· ἀσθενέστατον γὰρ ὂν
φύσει μεγίστοις οἰκονομεῖται πράγμασιν,
ὅταν πέσῃ δέ, πλεῖστα συντρίβει καλά.
And very justly; for being by nature weakest, it is managed by the greatest matters, and when it falls, it shatters very many beautiful things.
σὺ δʼ οὔθʼ ὑπερβάλλοντα τρόφιμʼ ἀπώλεσας
ἀγαθά, τὰ νυνὶ τʼ ἐστὶ μέτριά σοι κακά.
But you, master, have not lost exceeding goods, and those which are now with you are moderate evils.
ὥστʼ ἀνὰ μέσον που καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ὂν φέρε. "
ἀλλʼ ὅμως τοιούτων ὄντων τῶν πραγμάτων ἔνιοι διὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην οὕτως εἰσὶν ἀβέλτεροι καὶ κεναυχεῖς, ὥστε μικρὸν ἐπαρθέντες ἢ διὰ χρημάτων περιουσίαν ἄφθονον ἢ διὰ μέγεθος ἀρχῆς ἢ διά τινας προεδρίας πολιτικὰς ἢ διὰ τιμὰς καὶ δόξας ἐπαπειλεῖν τοῖς ἥττοσι καὶ ἐξυβρίζειν, οὐκ ἐνθυμούμενοι τὸ τῆς· τύχης ἄστατον καὶ ἀβέβαιον, οὐδʼ ὅτι ῥᾳδίως τὰ ὑψηλὰ γίγνεται ταπεινὰ καὶ τὰ χθαμαλὰ πάλιν ὑψοῦται ταῖς ὀξυρρόποις μεθιστάμενα τῆς τύχης μεταβολαῖς.
So bear also what remains somewhere in the middle." Yet, although things are so, some because of their folly are so silly and vainly boastful that, having been raised up a little either by an abundant abundance of wealth, or by greatness of office, or by some political precedence, or by honors and reputations, they threaten those who are weaker and treat them insolently, not reflecting on the instability and uncertainty of fortune, nor that easily high things become low, and low things again are raised high, shifting with the quick-turning changes of fortune.
ζητεῖν οὖν ἐν ἀβεβαίοις βέβαιόν τι λογιζομένων ἐστὶ περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων οὐκ ὀρθῶς
"
τροχοῦ γὰρ περιστείχοντος ἄλλοθʼ ἡτέρα
ἁψὶς ὕπερθε γίγνετʼ ἄλλοθʼ ἡτέρα. "
To seek therefore something stable in unstable things is the part of those who do not reason correctly about matters: "For as the wheel rolls, now one rim is uppermost, now the other."