§27εἶναι βούλου τὰ περὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα φιλόκαλος, ἀλλὰ μὴ καλλωπιστής.
Desire to be elegant in matters of dress, but not a fop.
ἔστι δὲ φιλοκάλου μὲν τὸ μεγαλοπρεπές, καλλωπιστοῦ δὲ τὸ περίεργον.
For magnificence belongs to the elegant, but affectation to the fop.
ἀγάπα τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἀγαθῶν μὴ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν κτῆσιν ἀλλὰ τὴν μετρίαν ἀπόλαυσιν.
Value of your existing goods not the excessive possession but the moderate enjoyment.
καταφρόνει τῶν περὶ τὸν πλοῦτον σπουδαζόντων μέν, χρῆσθαι δὲ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι μὴ δυναμένων· παραπλήσιον γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι πάσχουσιν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἵππον κτήσαιτο καλὸν κακῶς ἱππεύειν ἐπιστάμενος.
Despise those who are earnest about wealth, but unable to use what they have; for such people experience something similar to what one would if he should acquire a beautiful horse but know how to ride badly.
§28πειρῶ τὸν πλοῦτον χρήματα καὶ κτήματα κατασκευάζειν.
Try to make your wealth both usable goods and possessions.
ἔστι δὲ χρήματα μὲν τοῖς ἀπολαύειν ἐπισταμένοις, κτήματα δὲ τοῖς κτᾶσθαι δυναμένοις.
For it is usable goods for those who know how to enjoy them, but possessions for those who are able to acquire them.
τίμα τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν οὐσίαν δυοῖν ἕνεκεν, τοῦ τε ζημίαν μεγάλην ἐκτῖσαι δύνασθαι, καὶ τοῦ φίλῳ σπουδαίῳ δυστυχοῦντι βοηθῆσαι· πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἄλλον βίον μηδὲν ὑπερβαλλόντως ἀλλὰ μετρίως αὐτὴν ἀγάπα.
Value your existing property for two reasons: both to be able to pay off a great penalty, and to help an earnest friend who is in misfortune; but for the rest of life, value it in no way excessively but moderately.
§29στέργε μὲν τὰ παρόντα, ζήτει δὲ τὰ βελτίω.
Content yourself with your present circumstances, but seek better ones.
μηδενὶ συμφορὰν ὀνειδίσῃς· κοινὴ γὰρ ἡ τύχη καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἀόρατον.
Reproach no one with misfortune; for fortune is common to all and the future is invisible.
τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς εὖ ποίει· καλὸς γὰρ θησαυρὸς παρʼ ἀνδρὶ σπουδαίῳ χάρις ὀφειλομένη.
Do good to the good; for a debt of gratitude owed by an earnest man is a beautiful treasure.
τοὺς κακοὺς εὖ ποιῶν ὅμοια πείσει τοῖς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας κύνας σιτίζουσιν· ἐκεῖναί τε γὰρ τοὺς διδόντας ὥσπερ τοὺς τυχόντας ὑλακτοῦσιν, οἵ τε κακοὶ τοὺς ὠφελοῦντας ὥσπερ τοὺς βλάπτοντας ἀδικοῦσι.
By doing good to the wicked, you will experience the same as those who feed other people's dogs; for those dogs bark at those who give to them just as at passers-by, and the wicked wrong those who help them just as those who harm them.
§30μίσει τοὺς κολακεύοντας ὥσπερ τοὺς ἐξαπατῶντας· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ πιστευθέντες τοὺς πιστεύσαντας ἀδικοῦσιν.
Hate flatterers just like deceivers; for both, when trusted, wrong those who trusted them.
ἐὰν ἀποδέχῃ τῶν φίλων τοὺς πρὸς τὸ φαυλότατον χαριζομένους, οὐχ ἕξεις ἐν τῷ βίῳ τοὺς πρὸς τὸ βέλτιστον ἀπεχθανομένους.
If you accept those of your friends who humor you toward what is worst, you will not have in life those who incur your hatred for the sake of what is best.
γίγνου πρὸς τοὺς πλησιάζοντας ὁμιλητικός, ἀλλὰ μὴ σεμνός· τὸν μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὑπεροπτικῶν ὄγκον μόλις ἂν οἱ δοῦλοι καρτερήσειαν, τὸν δὲ τῶν ὁμιλητικῶν τρόπον ἅπαντες ἡδέως ὑποφέρουσιν.
Be affable toward those who approach you, but not haughty; for slaves could hardly endure the pomp of the arrogant, but everyone gladly tolerates the manner of the affable.
§31ὁμιλητικὸς δʼ ἔσει μὴ δύσερις ὢν μηδὲ δυσάρεστος μηδὲ πρὸς πάντας φιλόνικος, μηδὲ πρὸς τὰς τῶν πλησιαζόντων ὀργὰς τραχέως ἀπαντῶν, μηδʼ ἂν ἀδίκως ὀργιζόμενοι τυγχάνωσιν, ἀλλὰ θυμουμένοις μὲν αὐτοῖς εἴκων, πεπαυμένοις δὲ τῆς ὀργῆς ἐπιπλήττων· μηδὲ παρὰ τὰ γελοῖα σπουδάζων, μηδὲ παρὰ τὰ σπουδαῖα τοῖς γελοίοις χαίρων (τὸ γὰρ ἄκαιρον πανταχοῦ λυπηρόν)· μηδὲ τὰς χάριτας ἀχαρίστως χαριζόμενος, ὅπερ πάσχουσιν οἱ πολλοί, ποιοῦντες μέν, ἀηδῶς δὲ τοῖς φίλοις ὑπουργοῦντες· μηδὲ φιλαίτιος ὤν, βαρὺ γάρ, μηδὲ φιλεπιτιμητής, παροξυντικὸν γάρ.
And you will be affable by not being quarrelsome, nor unpleasant, nor contentious toward all, nor meeting the angers of those who approach you harshly, not even if they happen to be angry unjustly, but yielding to them when they are angry, and reproving them when they have ceased from anger; nor being serious alongside jokes, nor rejoicing in jokes alongside serious matters (for the untimely is everywhere painful); nor granting favors ungraciously, which many people do—doing indeed, but unpleasantly serving their friends; nor being fond of finding fault, for it is burdensome, nor being fond of reproving, for it is irritating.
§32μάλιστα μὲν εὐλαβοῦ τὰς ἐν τοῖς πότοις συνουσίας· ἐὰν δέ ποτέ σοι συμπέσῃ καιρός, ἐξανίστασο πρὸ μέθης.
Above all, beware of associations in drinking parties; but if ever an occasion happens to you, rise and depart before drunkenness.
ὅταν γὰρ ὁ νοῦς ὑπὸ οἴνου διαφθαρῇ, ταὐτὰ πάσχει τοῖς ἅρμασι τοῖς τοὺς ἡνιόχους ἀποβαλοῦσιν· ἐκεῖνά τε γὰρ ἀτάκτως φέρεται διαμαρτόντα τῶν εὐθυνούντων, ἥ τε ψυχὴ πολλὰ σφάλλεται διαφθαρείσης τῆς διανοίας.
For when the mind is corrupted by wine, it suffers the same as chariots that have lost their charioteers; for those chariots are carried along in disorder, missing those who direct them, and the soul stumbles many times when the intellect is corrupted.
ἀθάνατα μὲν φρόνει τῷ μεγαλόψυχος εἶναι, θνητὰ δὲ τῷ συμμέτρως τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἀπολαύειν.
Think immortal thoughts by being high-minded, but mortal thoughts by moderately enjoying your existing goods.
§33ἡγοῦ τὴν παιδείαν τοσούτῳ μεῖζον ἀγαθὸν εἶναι τῆς ἀπαιδευσίας, ὅσῳ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα μοχθηρὰ πάντες κερδαίνοντες πράττουσιν, αὕτη δὲ μόνη καὶ προσεζημίωσε τοὺς ἔχοντας· πολλάκις γάρ, ὧν τοῖς λόγοις ἐλύπησαν, τούτων τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν τιμωρίαν ἔδοσαν.
Consider that education is a so much greater good than lack of education, in as much as everyone practices other bad things while gaining a profit, but this one alone even brings loss in addition to those who possess it; for often, they pay the penalty in deeds for those things by which they gave offence in words.
οὓς ἂν βούλῃ ποιήσασθαι φίλους, ἀγαθόν τι λέγε περὶ αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀπαγγέλλοντας· ἀρχὴ γὰρ φιλίας μὲν ἔπαινος, ἔχθρας δὲ ψόγος.
Whomever you wish to make your friends, say something good about them to those who will report it; for the beginning of friendship is praise, but of enmity, blame.
§34βουλευόμενος παραδείγματα ποιοῦ τὰ παρεληλυθότα τῶν μελλόντων· τὸ γὰρ ἀφανὲς ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ ταχίστην ἔχει τὴν διάγνωσιν.
When deliberating, make past events examples for future ones; for the unseen has its quickest determination from the seen.
Βουλεύου μὲν βραδέως, ἐπιτέλει δὲ ταχέως τὰ δόξαντα.
Deliberate slowly, but execute quickly what has been decided.
ἡγοῦ κράτιστον εἶναι παρὰ μὲν τῶν θεῶν εὐτυχίαν, παρὰ δʼ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν εὐβουλίαν.
Consider that the best thing from the gods is good fortune, but from ourselves, good counsel.
περὶ ὧν ἂν αἰσχύνῃ παρρησιάσασθαι, βούλῃ δέ τισι τῶν φίλων ἀνακοινώσασθαι, χρῶ τοῖς λόγοις ὡς περὶ ἀλλοτρίου τοῦ πράγματος· οὕτω γὰρ τὴν ἐκείνων τε γνῶσιν αἰσθήσει, καὶ σεαυτὸν οὐ καταφανῆ ποιήσεις.
Concerning things which you are ashamed to speak of openly, but wish to consult with some of your friends, use your words as if about another's affair; for thus you will both perceive their opinion and not make yourself conspicuous.