§35ὅ τι ἂν ἀκριβῶσαι βουληθῇς ὧν ἐπίστασθαι προσήκει τοὺς βασιλεῖς, ἐμπειρίᾳ μέτιθι καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ· τὸ μὲν γὰρ φιλοσοφεῖν τὰς ὁδούς σοι δείξει, τὸ δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων γυμνάζεσθαι δύνασθαί σε χρῆσθαι τοῖς πράγμασι ποιήσει.
Whatever you wish to master accurately among the things which it is fitting for kings to know, pursue by experience and philosophy; for study of philosophy will show you the paths, while training yourself in the actual deeds themselves will make you able to handle affairs.
θεώρει τὰ γιγνόμενα καὶ τὰ συμπίπτοντα καὶ τοῖς ἰδιώταις καὶ τοῖς τυράννοις· ἂν γὰρ τὰ παρεληλυθότα μνημονεύῃς, ἄμεινον περὶ τῶν μελλόντων βουλεύσει.
Observe what happens and what befalls both private individuals and rulers; for if you remember the past, you will deliberate better about the future.
§36δεινὸν ἡγοῦ τῶν μὲν ἰδιωτῶν τινας ἐθέλειν ἀποθνήσκειν, ἵνα τελευτήσαντες ἐπαινεθῶσι, τοὺς δὲ βασιλεῖς μὴ τολμᾶν χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τούτοις, ἐξ ὧν ζῶντες εὐδοκιμήσουσιν.
Deem it strange that, while some of private individuals are willing to die in order that they may be praised after they have ended their lives, kings do not dare to practice those habits from which they will gain good reputation while alive.
βούλου τὰς εἰκόνας τῆς ἀρετῆς ὑπόμνημα μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ σώματος καταλιπεῖν.
Wish to leave behind the likeness of your virtue rather than that of your body as a memorial.
μάλιστα μὲν πειρῶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν καὶ σαυτῷ καὶ τῇ πόλει διαφυλάττειν· ἐὰν δʼ ἀναγκασθῇς κινδυνεύειν, αἱροῦ καλῶς τεθνάναι μᾶλλον ἢ ζῆν αἰσχρῶς.
Try above all to preserve safety both for yourself and for the city; but if you are forced to run risks, choose to die honorably rather than to live disgracefully.
§37ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις μέμνησο τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ φρόντιζε ὅπως μηδὲν ἀνάξιον τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης πράξεις.
In all your deeds remember your kingship, and take care that you do nothing unworthy of this honor.
Μὴ περιίδῃς τὴν σαυτοῦ φύσιν ἅπασαν ἅμα διαλυθεῖσαν· ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ θνητοῦ σώματος ἔτυχες, πειρῶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀθάνατον τὴν μνήμην καταλιπεῖν.
Do not allow your whole nature to be dissolved at once; but since you have received a mortal body, try to leave behind an immortal memory of your soul.
§38μελέτα περὶ καλῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων λέγειν, ἵνα συνεθισθῇς ὅμοια τοῖς εἰρημένοις φρονεῖν.
Practice speaking about noble habits, so that you may be accustomed to think things similar to what you have spoken.
ἅττʼ ἄν σοι λογιζομένῳ φαίνηται βέλτιστα, ταῦτα τοῖς ἔργοις ἐπιτέλει.
Whatever seems best to you upon reflection, perform these in your deeds.
ὧν τὰς δόξας ζηλοῖς, μιμοῦ τὰς πράξεις.
Emulate the actions of those whose reputations you envy.
ἃ τοῖς αὑτοῦ παισὶν ἂν συμβουλεύσειας, τούτοις αὐτὸς ἐμμένειν ἀξίου.
Demand of yourself to abide by those things which you would advise your own children to do.
χρῶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἢ ζήτει βελτίω τούτων.
Use what has been said, or seek better than these.
§39σοφοὺς νόμιζε μὴ τοὺς ἀκριβῶς περὶ μικρῶν ἐρίζοντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς εὖ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων λέγοντας, μηδὲ τοὺς τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις εὐδαιμονίαν ὑπισχνουμένους, αὐτοὺς δʼ ἐν πολλαῖς ἀπορίαις ὄντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μέτρια μὲν περὶ αὑτῶν λέγοντας, ὁμιλεῖν δὲ καὶ τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δυναμένους, καὶ μὴ διαταραττομένους ἐν ταῖς τοῦ βίου μεταβολαῖς, ἀλλὰ καλῶς καὶ μετρίως καὶ τὰς συμφορὰς καὶ τὰς εὐτυχίας φέρειν ἐπισταμένους.
Deem those to be wise not who dispute strictly about small matters, but who speak well about the greatest things, nor those who promise happiness to others while being themselves in many difficulties, but those who speak moderately about themselves and are able to deal with both affairs and people, and who are not troubled in the changes of life, but know how to bear both misfortunes and good fortunes well and moderately.
§40καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ πολλὰ τῶν λεγομένων ἐστὶν ἃ καὶ σὺ γιγνώσκεις· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐμὲ τοῦτο παρέλαθεν, ἀλλʼ ἠπιστάμην ὅτι τοσούτων ὄντων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων οἱ μέν τι τούτων εἰρήκασιν, οἱ δʼ ἀκηκόασιν, οἱ δʼ ἑτέρους ποιοῦντας ἑωράκασιν, οἱ δʼ αὐτοὶ τυγχάνουσιν ἐπιτηδεύοντες.
And do not wonder if many of the things said are what you also know; for this did not escape my notice either, but I knew that, since there is so great a multitude of both ordinary people and rulers, some of them have said some of these things, others have heard them, others have seen other people doing them, and others happen to be practicing them themselves.
§41ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις χρὴ τούτοις ζητεῖν τὰς καινότητας, ἐν οἷς οὔτε παράδοξον οὔτʼ ἄπιστον οὔτʼ ἔξω τῶν νομιζομένων οὐδὲν ἔξεστιν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἡγεῖσθαι τοῦτον χαριέστατον, ὃς ἂν τῶν διεσπαρμένων ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἄλλων διανοίαις ἀθροῖσαι τὰ πλεῖστα δυνηθῇ καὶ φράσαι κάλλιστα περὶ αὐτῶν.
Indeed, one must not seek novelties in these discourses, in which it is not permitted to say anything paradox, or incredible, or outside of what is customary, but one must consider him to be most accomplished who is able to collect the most of what is scattered in the minds of others and to speak most beautifully about them.
§42ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνό μοι πρόδηλον ἦν, ὅτι τὰ συμβουλεύοντα καὶ τῶν ποιημάτων καὶ τῶν συγγραμμάτων μάτων χρησιμώτατα μὲν ἅπαντες νομίζουσιν, οὐ μὴν ἥδιστά γʼ αὐτῶν ἀκούουσιν, ἀλλὰ πεπόνθασιν ὅπερ πρὸς τοὺς νουθετοῦντας· καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνους ἐπαινοῦσι μέν, πλησιάζειν δὲ βούλονται τοῖς συνεξαμαρτάνουσιν ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῖς ἀποτρέπουσιν.
Since that was also quite clear to me, that while all people consider those poems and writings which give advice to be most useful, they certainly do not listen to them with the greatest pleasure, but have the same feeling as they do toward those who admonish; for indeed, they praise them, but prefer to associate with those who share in their sins rather than with those who turn them away.
§43σημεῖον δʼ ἄν τις ποιήσαιτο τὴν Ἡσιόδου καὶ Θεόγνιδος καὶ Φωκυλίδου ποίησιν· καὶ γὰρ τούτους φασὶ μὲν ἀρίστους γεγενῆσθαι συμβούλους τῶ βίῳ τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ταῦτα δὲ λέγοντες αἱροῦνται συνδιατρίβειν ταῖς ἀλλήλων ἀνοίαις μᾶλλον ἢ ταῖς ἐκείνων ὑποθήκαις.
And one might take as proof the poetry of Hesiod, Theognis, and Phocylides; for indeed, people say that these men were the best advisors for human life, but while saying this, they choose to spend their time with one another's follies rather than with their precepts.
§44ἔτι δʼ εἴ τις ἐκλέξειε τῶν προεχόντων ποιητῶν τὰς καλουμένας γνώμας, ἐφʼ αἷς ἐκεῖνοι μάλιστʼ ἐσπούδασαν, ὁμοίως ἂν καὶ πρὸς ταύτας διατεθεῖεν· ἥδιον γὰρ ἂν κωμῳδίας τῆς φαυλοτάτης ἢ τῶν οὕτω τεχνικῶς πεποιημένων ἀκούσαιεν.
Moreover, if anyone should select the so-called maxims of the prominent poets, on which those men bestowed their greatest efforts, people would be similarly disposed toward them as well; for they would listen more gladly to the cheapest comedy than to those works so artistically composed.
καὶ τί δεῖ καθʼ ἓν ἕκαστον λέγοντα διατρίβειν;
And why must I spend time speaking of each single instance?
§45ὅλως γὰρ εἰ ʼθέλοιμεν σκοπεῖν τὰς φύσεις τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, εὑρήσομεν τοὺς πολλοὺς αὐτῶν οὔτε τῶν σιτίων χαίροντας τοῖς ὑγιεινοτάτοις οὔτε τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τοῖς καλλίστοις οὔτε τῶν πραγμάτων τοῖς βελτίστοις οὔτε τῶν θρεμμάτων τοῖς ὠφελιμωτάτοις, ἀλλὰ παντάπασιν ἐναντίας τῷ συμφέροντι τὰς ἡδονὰς ἔχοντας, καὶ δοκοῦντας καρτερικοὺς καὶ φιλοπόνους εἶναι τοὺς τῶν δεόντων τι ποιοῦντας·
For in general, if we should wish to examine the natures of men, we shall find most of them enjoying neither the healthiest of foods, nor the noblest of habits, nor the best of affairs, nor the most useful of domestic animals, but having pleasures entirely contrary to their utility, and deeming those who do any of their duties to be patient of hardship and industrious.