§6περὶ δὲ Γαΐου Καίσαρος ᾐδέσθην ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὡς ὑπʼ εὐτυχίας ἤρθη μέγιστος, εἰ μὴ τοῦτʼ αὐτὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν.
Regarding Gaius Caesar, I should have felt ashamed to say that he was raised to greatness by good fortune, had he not himself witnessed to this.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ Βρεντεσίου Πομπήιον διώκων ἀνήχθη πρὸ μιᾶς ἡμέρας νωνῶν Ἰανουαρίων, χειμῶνος ἐν τροπαῖς ὄντος, τὸ μὲν πέλαγος ἀσφαλῶς διεπέρασε, τῆς Τύχης τὸν καιρὸν ὑπερθεμένης·
For when, pursuing Pompey, he put out to sea from Brundisium on the day before the nones of January, at the time of the winter solstice, he crossed the open sea safely, because Fortune postponed the storm.
εὑρὼν δὲ τὸν Πομπήιον ἄθρουν καὶ πολὺν μὲν ἐν γῇ πολὺν δʼ ἐν θαλάττῃ μετὰ πασῶν ἅμα τῶν δυνάμεων καθεζόμενον αὐτὸς ὀλιγοστὸς ὢν, τῆς μετʼ Ἀντωνίου καὶ Σαβίνου στρατιᾶς αὐτῷ βραδυ - νούσης, ἐτόλμησεν εἰς ἀκάτιον μικρὸν ἐμβὰς καὶ λαθὼν τόν τε ναύκληρον καὶ τὸν κυβερνήτην ὥς τινος θεράπων ἀναχθῆναι.
But finding Pompey established with all his forces, numerous on land and numerous at sea, while he himself was with very few men, since the army with Antony and Sabinus was delaying, he dared to embark on a small boat and, undetected by both the shipowner and the helmsman, to put to sea as though he were someone's servant.
σκληρᾶς δὲ πρὸς τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦ ποταμοῦ γενομένης ἀντιμεταβάσεως καὶ κλύδωνος ἰσχυροῦ, μεταβαλλόμενον ὁρῶν τὸν κυβερνήτην ἀφεῖλεν ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἱμάτιον, καὶ ἀναδείξας ἑαυτόν,
ἴθι,
ἔφη,
γενναῖε, τόλμα καὶ δέδιθι,θι, μηδέν, ἀλλʼ ἐπιδίδου τῇ Τύχῃ τὰ ἱστία καὶ δέχου τὸ πνεῦμα, πιστεύων ὅτι Καίσαρα φέρεις καὶ τὴν Καίσαρος Τύχην. οὕτως ἐπέπειστο τὴν Τύχην αὐτῷ συμπλεῖν, συναποδημεῖν, συστρατεύεσθαι, συστρατηγεῖν, ἧς ἔργον ἦν γαλήνην μὲν ἐπιτάξαι θαλάττῃ, θέρος δὲ χειμῶνι, τάχος δὲ τοῖς βραδυτάτοις, ἀλκὴν δὲ τοῖς ἀθυμοτάτοις, τὸ δὲ τούτων ἀπιστότερον, φυγὴν Πομπηίῳ καὶ Πτολεμαίῳ ξενοκτονίαν, ἵνα καὶ Πομπήιος πέσῃ καὶ Καῖσαρ μὴ μιανθῇ.
When the struggle against the current of the river became harsh and the waves violent, seeing the helmsman turning back, he took the cloak from his head and, revealing himself, said: "Go on, brave man, be bold and fear nothing, but yield your sails to Fortune and receive the gale, trusting that you carry Caesar and Caesar's Fortune." So strongly was he convinced that Fortune was sailing with him, traveling with him, campaigning with him, and commanding with him; she whose task it was to command calm for the sea, summer for winter, speed for the slowest, and courage for the most disheartened, and, what was even more incredible than these, flight for Pompey and host-slaying for Ptolemy, so that Pompey might fall and Caesar remain unstained.
§7τί δέ;
And what of this?
ὁ τούτου μὲν υἱός, πρῶτος δʼ ἀναγορευθεὶς Σεβαστὸς ἄρξας δὲ τέτταρα καὶ πεντήκοντα ἔτη, οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐκπέμπων τὸν θυγατριδοῦν ἐπὶ στρατείαν εὔξατο τοῖς θεοῖς ἀνδρείαν μὲν αὐτῷ δοῦναι τὴν Σκιπίωνος, εὔνοιαν δὲ τὴν Πομπηίου, Τύχην δὲ τὴν αὑτοῦ;
His son, who was first proclaimed Augustus and ruled for fifty-four years, did he not himself, when sending his grandson out to campaign, pray to the gods to give him the bravery of Scipio, the popularity of Pompey, and his own Fortune?
καθάπερ ἔργῳ μεγάλῳ δημιουργὸν ἐπιγράψας ἑαυτῷ τὴν Τύχην, ἥτις αὐτὸν ἐπιθεῖσα Κικέρωνι καὶ Λεπίδῳ καὶ Πάνσᾳ καὶ Ἱρτίῳ καὶ Μάρκῳ Ἀντωνίῳ, ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀριστείαις καὶ χερσὶ καὶ νίκαις καὶ στόλοις καὶ πολέμοις καὶ στρατοπέδοις γενόμενον πρῶτον εἰς ὕψος ἄρασα καὶ καταβαλοῦσα τούτους, διʼ ὧν ἀνέβη, μόνον κατέλιπεν.
Just as if he had inscribed Fortune as the architect over himself for a great work; she who, having set him against Cicero, Lepidus, Pansa, Hirtius, and Mark Antony, and having raised him to the heights when he had become first by means of their exploits, hands, victories, fleets, wars, and legions, cast down these very men through whom he had ascended, and left him alone.
ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ἐπολιτεύετο Κικέρων καὶ Λέπιδος ἐστρατήγει καὶ Πάνσας ἐνίκα καὶ Ἵρτιος ἔπιπτε καὶ Ἀντώνιος ὕβριζεν.
For Cicero conducted public affairs for him, Lepidus served as general, Pansa was victorious, Hirtius fell, and Antony acted insolently.
ἐγὼ γὰρ καὶ Κλεοπάτραν τῆς τύχης Καίσαρος τἰθημι, περὶ ἣν ὡς ἕρμα κατέδυ καὶ συνετρίβη τηλικοῦτος αὐτοκράτωρ, ἵνʼ ᾖ μόνος Καῖσαρ.
For I attribute even Cleopatra to the fortune of Caesar, around whom, as around a reef, so great an emperor sank and was shattered, so that Caesar might be alone.
λέγεται δὲ πολλῆς οἰκειότητος αὐτοῖς καὶ συνηθείας ὑπαρχούσης πολλάκις σχολαζόντων εἰς παιδιὰν σφαίρας ἢ κύβων ἢ νὴ Δία θρεμμάτων ἁμίλλης, οἷον ὀρτύγων, ἀλεκτρυόνων, ἀεὶ νικώμενον Ἀντώνιον ἀπαλλάττεσθαι·
And it is said that, since there was much intimacy and familiarity between them, and they often spent their leisure playing ball or dice, or, by Zeus, in matches of domestic animals, such as quails and cocks, Antony always went away defeated.
καί τινα τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ μαντείᾳ σεμνυνόμενον πολλάκις παρρησιάζεσθαι καὶ νουθετεῖν,
ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τί σοι πρᾶγμα πρὸς τοῦτον ἔστι τὸν νεανίσκον;
And that a certain one of his associates, who prided himself on divination, often spoke frankly and admonished him: "My good sir, what business have you with this young man?
φεῦγʼ αὐτόν·
Avoid him!
ἐνδοξότερος εἶ, πρεσβύτερος εἶ, ἄρχεις πλειόνων, ἐνήθληκας πολέμοις, ἐμπειρίᾳ διαφέρεις·
You are more famous, you are older, you rule over more men, you have trained in wars, you excel in experience.
ἀλλʼ ὁ σὸς δαίμων τὸν τούτου φοβεῖται· καὶ ἡ τύχη σου καθʼ ἑαυτήν ἐστι μεγάλη κολακεύει δὲ τὴν τούτου·
But your daemon fears his daemon; and your fortune by itself is great, but it flatters his.
ἐὰν μὴ μακρὰν ᾖς, οἰχήσεται μεταβᾶσα πρὸς αὐτόν.
If you do not stay far away, it will depart, transferring itself to him."