§14εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν σώματός τις ἀγαθὸν εἶναι φαίη, οὐδ’ αὐτῆς ταύτης αὐτοῖς μέτεστιν οὔτ’ οὖν ἀθλοῦσιν οὔτε καταλύσασιν· εἴ γε παρὰ μὲν τὸν τῆς ἀθλήσεως χρόνον ἐν πόνοις τε καὶ ταλαιπωρίαις εἰσίν, οὐ γυμναζόμενοι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀνάγκην ἐσθίοντες, ἡνίκα δὲ καὶ καταλύσαντες τύχοιεν, ἀνάπηροι τὰ πλεῖστα μέρη τοῦ σώματος γίγνονται.
And if anyone should say that the pleasure of the body is a good, not even of this very thing do they have a share, either while competing or when they have retired; since during the time of their training they are in pains and hardships, not only exercising but also eating under compulsion, and when they happen to have retired, they become disabled in most parts of their body.
τάχ’ οὖν ἐπὶ τῷ χρήματα πάντων ἀθροίζειν πλεῖστα σεμνύνονται· καὶ μὴν ἔστιν ὑμῖν θεάσασθαι πάντας αὐτοὺς ὀφείλοντας οὐ μόνον ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον καθ’ ὃν ἀθλοῦσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ καταλύσαντας τὴν ἄσκησιν, οὐδ’ ἂν εὕροις ἀθλητὴν οὐδένα πλουσιώτερον ἑνὸς τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων οἰκονόμων ἀνδρὸς πλουσίου.
Perhaps, then, they pride themselves on gathering the most money of all; and yet you can see all of them in debt, not only during the time in which they compete, but also when they have retired from their training, nor would you find any athlete richer than one of the ordinary stewards of a rich man.
ἐστὶ δ’ οὐδ’ αὐτὸ τὸ πλουτεῖν ἐξ ἐπιτηδεύματος ἀξιόλογον ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοιαύτην ἐπίστασθαι τέχνην ἣ καὶ ναυαγήσασι συνεκκολυμβήσει· ὅπερ οὔτε τοῖς διοικοῦσι τὰ τῶν πλουσίων οὔτε τοῖς τελώναις ἢ τοῖς ἐμπόροις ὑπάρχει.
And indeed, to be rich from a trade is not simply worthy of note in itself, but rather to understand such an art as will swim away together even with those who have been shipwrecked; which belongs neither to those who manage the property of the rich, nor to tax-collectors, nor to merchants.
καίτοι πλουτοῦσιν ἐξ ἐπιτηδευμάτων οὗτοι μάλιστα, ἀλλ’ ἐὰν ἀπολέσωσι τὰ χρήματα, συναπολλύουσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰς πράξεις, ἀφορμῆς μέν τινος χρημάτων εἰς αὐτὰς δεόμενοι, τῷ δ’ οὐκ ἔχειν ταύτην ἄρξασθαι τῆς ἀρχαίας πράξεως ἀδυνατοῦντες· οὐδὲ γὰρ δανείζει τις αὐτοῖς χωρὶς ἐνεχύρων ἢ ὑποθηκῶν.
And yet these people are rich from their trades most of all, but if they lose their money, they lose with them also their businesses, since they need some capital for them, and being unable to start their former business because they do not have this; for no one lends to them without securities or mortgages.
ὥστ’ εἰ καὶ πρὸς χρηματισμὸν ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ οὐκ ἄδοξον ἀξιοῖ τις ὑμᾶς παρεσκευάσθαι, τέχνην ἀσκητέον ἐστὶ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου καὶ παραμενοῦσαν.
So if anyone expects you to be prepared for a secure and not disreputable acquisition of wealth, an art must be practiced throughout the whole of life and one that will remain.
ἀλλὰ διττῆς οὔσης διαφορᾶς τῆς πρώτης ἐν ταῖς τέχναις (ἔνιαι μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν λογικαί τ’ εἰσὶ καὶ σεμναί, τινὲς δ’ εὐκαταφρόνητοι καὶ διὰ τῶν τοῦ σώματος πόνων, ἃς δὴ βαναύσους τε καὶ χειρωνακτικὰς ὀνομάζουσιν), ἄμεινον ἂν εἴη τοῦ προτέρου γένους τῶν τεχνῶν μετέρχεσθαί τινα.
But since there is a twofold primary distinction among the arts (for some of them are intellectual and noble, while others are contemptible and through the labors of the body, which indeed they call vulgar and manual), it would be better to pursue one of the former class of arts.
τὸ γάρ τοι δεύτερον γένος αὐτῶν ἐπιλείπειν εἴωθε γηρῶντας τοὺς τεχνίτας.
For the second class of them is accustomed to fail the artisans as they grow old.
εἰσὶ δ’ ἐκ τοῦ προτέρου γένους ἰατρική τε καὶ ῥητορικὴ καὶ μουσική, γεωμετρία τε καὶ ἀριθμητικὴ καὶ λογιστική, καὶ ἀστρονομία καὶ γραμματικὴ καὶ νομική· πρόσθες δ’ εἰ βούλει ταύταις πλαστικήν τε καὶ γραφικήν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν χειρῶν ἐνεργοῦσιν, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἰσχύος νεανικῆς δεῖται τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν.
And in the former class are medicine, rhetoric, music, geometry, arithmetic, calculation, astronomy, grammar, and law; and add to these, if you wish, sculpture and painting; for even if they operate through the hands, yet their work does not require youthful strength.
ἐκ τούτων οὗν τινα τῶν τεχνῶν ἀναλαμβάνειν τε καὶ ἀσκεῖν χρὴ τὸν νέον, ὅτῳ μὴ παντάπασιν ἡ ψυχὴ βοσκηματώδης ἐστί, καὶ μᾶλλόν γε τὴν ἀρίστην ἐν ταύταις, ἥτις ὡς ἡμεῖς φαμεν ἐστὶν ἰατρική.
Therefore, the young man whose soul is not altogether beast-like must take up and practice one of these arts, and indeed rather the best among them, which, as we say, is medicine.
τοῦτο δ’ αὐτὸ δεικτέον ἐφεξῆς.
And this very thing must be shown next.