§41εἶτα λανθάνουσιν ἔνδον ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις στάσεις καὶ διαφορὰς αὑτοῖς ἐγκαταλείποντες.
Then, without realizing it, they leave behind for themselves factions and dissensions within their palaces.
καίτοι χρὴ τοὺς ὀρθῶς βασιλεύοντας μὴ μόνον τὰς πόλεις ἐν ὁμονοία πειρᾶσθαι διάγειν, ὧν ἂν ἄρχωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς οἴκους τοὺς ἰδίους καὶ τοὺς τόπους ἐν οἷς ἂν κατοικῶσιν· ἅπαντα γὰρ ταῦτα σωφροσύνης ἔργα καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἐστίν. §42οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ γνώμην ἔσχον οὐδὲ περὶ τῆς παιδοποιίας τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν βασιλέων, οὐδʼ ᾠήθην δεῖν τοῖς μὲν ἐκ ταπεινοτέρας ποιήσασθαι τῶν παίδων τοὺς δʼ ἐκ σεμνοτέρας, οὐδὲ τοὺς μὲν νόθους αὐτῶν τοὺς δὲ γνησίους καταλιπεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντας ἔχειν τὴν αὐτὴν φύσιν καὶ πρὸς πατρὸς καὶ πρὸς μητρὸς ἀνενεγκεῖν, τῶν μὲν θνητῶν εἰς Εὐαγόραν τὸν πατέρα, τῶν δʼ ἡμιθέων εἰς Αἰακίδας, τῶν δὲ θεῶν εἰς Δία, καὶ μηδένα τῶν ἐξ ἐμοῦ γενομένων ἀποστερηθῆναι ταύτης τῆς εὐγενείας. §43πολλῶν δέ με προτρεπόντων ἐμμένειν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τούτοις, οὐχ ἥκιστα κἀκεῖνο παρεκάλεσεν, ὅτι τῆς μὲν ἀνδρίας καὶ τῆς δεινότητος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων ἑώρων καὶ τῶν κακῶν ἀνδρῶν πολλοὺς μετέχοντας, τὴν δὲ δικαιοσύνην καὶ σωφροσύνην ἴδια κτήματα τῶν καλῶν κἀγαθῶν ὄντα.
And yet, those who rule rightly ought to try to keep not only the cities in harmony which they govern, but also their own private households and the places in which they dwell; for all these are the works of temperance and of justice. And I did not hold the same opinion as most kings even concerning the procreation of children, nor did I think I ought to have some of my children by a woman of lower status and others by one of higher status, nor to leave behind some of them as illegitimate and others as legitimate, but rather that all should have the same noble nature and trace their lineage both on their father's and on their mother's side, referring, on the side of mortals, to my father Evagoras, on the side of demigods, to the Aeacidae, and on the side of the gods, to Zeus; and that no one of those born of me should be deprived of this nobility of birth. And although many things urged me to abide by these practices, not least did this also encourage me, namely, that I saw many even of the wicked sharing in courage and cleverness and the other qualities of good repute, but justice and temperance being the exclusive possessions of the noble and good.
κάλλιστον οὖν ὑπέλαβον, εἴ τις δύναιτο ταύταις ταῖς ἀρεταῖς προέχειν τῶν ἄλλων, ὧν οὐδὲν μέρος τοῖς πονηροῖς μέτεστιν, ἀλλὰ γνησιώταται καὶ βεβαιόταται καὶ μεγίστων ἐπαίνων ἄξιαι τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι. §44τούτων ἕνεκα καὶ ταῦτα διανοηθεὶς περιττοτέρως τῶν ἄλλων ἤσκησα τὴν σωφροσύνην καὶ προειλόμην τῶν ἡδονῶν οὐ τὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς μηδεμίαν τιμὴν ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἐπὶ ταῖς δόξαις ταῖς διʼ ἀνδραγαθίαν γιγνομέναις.
Therefore, I considered it finest if one could excel others in those virtues in which the wicked have no share, but which happen to be the most genuine, the most stable, and worthy of the greatest praise. For these reasons, and having thus reflected, I practiced temperance more extraordinarily than others, and chose of pleasures not those arising from deeds that bring no honor, but those arising from the reputations that come through manly virtue.
χρὴ δὲ δοκιμάζειν τὰς ἀρετὰς οὐκ ἐν ταῖς αὐταῖς ἰδέαις ἁπάσας, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν δικαιοσύνην ἐν ταῖς ἀπορίαις, τὴν δὲ σωφροσύνην ἐν ταῖς δυναστείαις, τὴν δʼ ἐγκράτειαν ἐν ταῖς τῶν νεωτέρων ἡλικίαις. §45ἐγὼ τοίνυν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς καιροῖς φανήσομαι πεῖραν τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ φύσεως δεδωκώς.
And we ought to test virtues not all in the same situations, but justice in times of need, temperance in positions of power, and self-control in the years of youth. I, then, shall be seen to have given proof of my own nature on all occasions.
ἐνδεὴς μέν γε χρημάτων καταλειφθεὶς οὕτω δίκαιον ἐμαυτὸν παρέσχον ὥστε μηδένα λυπῆσαι τῶν πολιτῶν· λαβὼν δʼ ἐξουσίαν ὥστε ποιεῖν ὅ τι ἂν βούλωμαι, σωφρονέστερος τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἐγενόμην· τούτων δʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἐκράτησα ταύτην ἔχων τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἐν ᾗ τοὺς πλείστους ἂν εὕροιμεν πλεῖστα περὶ τὰς πράξεις ἐξαμαρτάνοντας. §46καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν ἑτέροις μὲν ἴσως ἂν ὤκνουν εἰπεῖν, οὐχ ὡς οὐ φιλοτιμούμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις, ἀλλʼ ὡς οὐκ ἂν πιστευθεὶς ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων· ὑμεῖς δʼ αὐτοί μοι μάρτυρές ἐστε πάντων τῶν εἰρημένων·
For indeed, when I was left in want of money, I showed myself so just as to grieve none of the citizens; and when I obtained authority to do whatever I wished, I became more temperate than private citizens; and I mastered both of these while being of that age in which we would find most people committing the greatest errors in their actions. And perhaps I would have hesitated to say these things before others, not as though I did not pride myself on what has been done, but as though I would not be believed from what is said; but you yourselves are my witnesses of all that has been said.
ἄξιον μὲν οὖν καὶ τοὺς φύσει κοσμίους ὄντας ἐπαινεῖν καὶ θαυμάζειν, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ τοὺς μετὰ λογισμοῦ τοιούτους ὄντας· §47οἱ μὲν γὰρ τύχῃ καὶ μὴ γνώμῃ σωφρονοῦντες τυχὸν ἂν καὶ μεταπεισθεῖεν· οἱ δὲ πρὸς τῳ πεφυκέναι καὶ διεγνωκότες ὅτι μέγιστόν ἐστι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρετή, δῆλον ὅτι πάντα τὸν βίον ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ τάξει διαμενοῦσιν.
Therefore, while it is worthy to praise and admire those who are orderly by nature, it is even more so to praise those who are such with rational reflection; for those who are temperate by chance and not by judgment might perhaps also be persuaded to change; whereas those who, in addition to being so by nature, have also decided that virtue is the greatest of goods, will clearly remain in this rank throughout their whole life.
διὰ τοῦτο δὲ πλείους ἐποιησάμην τοὺς λόγους καὶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν προειρημένων, ἵνα μηδεμίαν ὑπολίπω πρόφασιν ὡς οὐ δεῖ ποιεῖν ὑμᾶς ἑκόντας καὶ προθύμως, ἅττʼ ἂν ἐγὼ συμβουλεύσω καὶ προστάξω.
And for this reason I have spoken at greater length both about myself and about the other matters mentioned before, in order that I might leave no pretext for your not doing, willingly and eagerly, whatever I may advise and command.