§8ἐπαινέσειε δ’ ἄν τις καὶ τὸν Ἀθήνησι νομοθέτην, ὃς τὸν μὴ διδάξαντα τέχνην ἐκώλυε πρὸς τοῦ παιδὸς τρέφεσθαι.
One might also praise the lawmaker in Athens, who prevented a father who did not teach his son an art from being supported by him.
τέχνης 〈γὰρ〉 ἁπάσης κατ’ ἐκεῖνον μάλιστα τὸν χρόνον ἀσκουμένης ἡνίχ’ ὡραιότατα φαίνεται τὰ σώματα, πολλοῖς συνέβη περιβλέπτοις διὰ κάλλος γεγενημένοις ἀμελῆσαι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ψυχῆς, εἶθ’ ὕστερον ὅτ’ οὐδὲν ὄφελος λέγειν ‘εἴθ’ ὤφελεν τὸ κάλλος, ὅ με διώλεσε, κακῶς ὀλέσθαι’. τηνικαῦτα δ’ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὸ τοῦ Σόλωνος εἰσέρχεται σκοπεῖσθαι κελεύοντος ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα τὸ τέλος τοῦ βίου.
For since every art is practiced especially at that time when the body appears at its prime, it has happened to many who became objects of admiration because of their beauty that they neglected their own soul, and then later, when there is no use, they say: 'Would that my beauty, which destroyed me, had perished miserably!' At that time, Solon's saying also comes to their mind, bidding them especially to look to the end of life.
εἶτα καὶ τῷ γήρᾳ λοιδοροῦνται, δέον ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ τὸν Εὐριπίδην ἐπαινοῦσι λέγοντα οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι περαιτέρω τὸ κάλλος ἢ μέσον λαβεῖν.
Then they also rail at old age, whereas they ought to blame themselves, and they praise Euripides who says that it is not safe for beauty to go further than the middle of life.
ἄμεινον οὖν ἐστιν ἐγνωκότας τὴν μὲν τῶν μειρακίων ὥραν τοῖς ἠρινοῖς ἄνθεσιν ἐοικυῖαν ὀλιγοχρόνιόν τε τὴν τέρψιν ἔχουσαν ἐπαινεῖν 〈ἐκεῖνόν〉 τε καὶ τὴν Λεσβίαν λέγουσαν ‘ὁ μὲν γὰρ καλὸς ὅσσον ἰδεῖν πέλεται 〈καλός〉, ὁ δὲ κἀγαθὸς αὐτίκα καὶ καλὸς ἔσται’, πείθεσθαι δὲ καὶ Σόλωνι τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἐνδεικνυμένῳ, τὸ δὲ γῆρας καθάπερ χαλεπὸν ἐφεδρεύοντα χειμῶνα, δεόμενον οὐχ ὑποδημάτων μόνον καὶ ἐσθῆτος ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκήσεως ἐπιτηδείας καὶ μυρίων ἄλλων, παρασκευάζεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸ καθάπερ ἀγαθὸν κυβερνήτην ἐκ πολλοῦ πρὸς χειμῶνα· μοχθηρὸν γὰρ τὸ ‘ῥεχθέν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω’. πρὸς τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ φαίη τις εἶναι χρήσιμον ἀνάσκητον νέου κάλλος;
Therefore, it is better, recognizing that the bloom of youth is like spring flowers and has a short-lived pleasure, to praise both him and the Lesbian woman who says: 'For the beautiful man is beautiful so far as to look upon, but the good man will at once also be beautiful,' and also to obey Solon who shows the same opinion, and to prepare for old age, just as a grim winter lying in wait, which needs not only shoes and clothing but also a suitable dwelling and countless other things, just as a good captain prepares long beforehand for a storm; for wretched is the saying 'even a fool understands after it is done.' For to what would anyone say that the untrained beauty of a youth is useful?
ἆρά γ’ εἰς πόλεμον;
Is it for war?
καὶ μὴν οὐκ 〈ἂν〉 ἀστόχως τις ἐπιφωνήσειε τοῖς τοιούτοις ‘ἀλλὰ σύγ’ ἱμερόεντα μετέρχεο ἔργα γάμοιο’ 〈ἢ〉 ‘ἀλλ’ εἰς οἶκον ἰοῦσα τὰ σ’ αὐτῆς ἔργα κόμιζε’. καὶ γὰρ ὁ Νιρεὺς ‘κάλλιστος μὲν ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθεν, ἀλλ’ ἀλαπαδνὸς ἔην’, καὶ διὰ τοῦθ’ ἅπαξ αὐτοῦ μόνον ἐμνημόνευσεν Ὅμηρος ἐν νεῶν καταλόγῳ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τῆς τῶν καλλίστων ἀνδρῶν ἀχρηστίας, ὅταν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχῃ μηδὲν ἄλλο τῶν εἰς τὸν βίον χρησίμων.
Indeed, one would not inappropriately quote to such people: 'But do thou go after the lovely works of marriage' or 'But going to the house, attend to thine own works.' For Nireus also 'came to Ilium as the most beautiful man, but he was weak,' and for this reason Homer mentioned him only once in the catalogue of ships, to demonstrate, in my opinion, the uselessness of the most beautiful men when they possess nothing else useful for life.
οὐδὲ μὴν εἰς πόρον χρημάτων, εἴ τινες τῶν κακοδαιμόνων λέγειν τολμῶσι, τὸ κάλλος ἐστὶ χρήσιμον.
Nor indeed is beauty useful for obtaining money, even if some of the wretched dare to say so.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐλευθέριός τε καὶ ἔνδοξος καὶ βέβαιος χρηματισμὸς ἀπὸ τέχνης γίγνεσθαι πέφυκεν, ὁ δ’ ἀπὸ σώματος καὶ κάλλους αἰσχρός ἐστι καὶ διὰ παντὸς ἐπονείδιστος.
For liberal, glorious, and secure moneymaking naturally comes from an art, whereas that from body and beauty is shameful and thoroughly disgraceful.
χρὴ τοίνυν τὸν νέον πειθόμενον τῷ παλαιῷ παραγγέλματι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μορφὴν ἐν κατόπτρῳ θεασάμενον, εἰ μὲν καλὸς εἴη τὴν ὄψιν, ἀσκῆσαι τοιαύτην εἶναι καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, ἄτοπον ἡγησάμενον ἐν καλῷ σώματι ψυχὴν αἰσχρὰν οἰκεῖν, εἰ δ’ αἰσχρὸς αὑτῷ φαίνοιτο τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἰδέαν εἶναι, τοσῷδε μᾶλλον ἐπιμεληθῆναι τῆς ψυχῆς, ἵν’ ἔχῃ λέγειν τὸ Ὁμηρικόν ‘ἄλλος δ’ αὖτ’ εἶδος ἀκιδνότερος πέλει ἀνήρ· ἀλλὰ θεὸς μορφὴν ἔπεσι στέφει, οἳ δέ τ’ ἐς αὐτὸν τερπόμενοι λεύσσουσιν· ὃ δ’ ἀσφαλέως ἀγορεύει αἰδοῖ μειλιχίῃ, μετὰ δὲ πρέπει ἀγρομένοισιν· ἐρχόμενον δ’ ἀνὰ ἄστυ θεὸν ὣς εἰσορόωσιν’. ἐξ ἁπάντων τοίνυν τῶν εἰρημένων τοῖς γε μὴ παντάπασιν ἀνοήτοις ἐναργῶς φαίνεται μήτ’ ἐπὶ γένους λαμπρότητι μήτ’ ἐπὶ πλούτῳ τε καὶ κάλλει θαρρήσαντας καταφρονῆσαι τέχνης ἀσκήσεως.
Therefore, the youth, obeying the ancient precept, having looked at his own form in a mirror, if he should be beautiful in appearance, must train his soul to be likewise, thinking it absurd for an ugly soul to dwell in a beautiful body; but if the form of his body should appear ugly to him, he must care for his soul so much the more, so that he may have reason to say the Homeric passage: 'Another man, again, is weaker in form; but a god crowns his form with words, and people look upon him with delight; and he speaks securely with mild respect, and stands out among those gathered; and as he goes through the city they look upon him as a god.' Therefore, from all that has been said, it is clearly manifest to those who are not completely foolish, that they must not, relying on the brilliance of lineage or on wealth and beauty, despise the study of an art.
αὐτάρκη μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα· κάλλιον δ’ ἴσως προσθεῖναι καὶ τὸ τοῦ Διογένους οἷον ἀγαθόν τινα ἐπῳδόν.
These things, then, are sufficient; but it is perhaps better to add also the story of Diogenes as a sort of good charm.
ὃς ἑστιώμενος παρά τινι τῶν μὲν ἑαυτοῦ πάντων ἀκριβῶς προνενοημένῳ, μόνου δ’ ἑαυτοῦ παντάπασιν ἠμεληκότι, χρεμψάμενος ὡς πτύσων εἶτ’ ἐν κύκλῳ περισκοπήσας εἰς οὐδὲν μὲν τῶν πέριξ ἔπτυσεν, αὐτῷ δὲ μόνῳ προσέπτυσε τῷ δεσπότῃ τῆς οἰκίας.
Who, being entertained by someone who had carefully provided for all his own things but had completely neglected himself alone, cleared his throat as if to spit, then looking around in a circle, spat on none of the surroundings, but spat directly upon the master of the house himself.
ἀγανακτοῦντος δ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτῶντος οὐδὲν ἔφησεν ὁρᾶν οὕτως ἠμελημένον τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ὡς ἐκεῖνον.
When the master was indignant and asked the reason, Diogenes said he saw nothing in the house so neglected as him.
τοὺς γὰρ τοίχους ἅπαντας ἀξιολόγοις γραφαῖς κεκοσμῆσθαι, τὸ δ’ ἔδαφος ἐκ ψήφων πολυτελῶν συγκεῖσθαι θεῶν εἰκόνας ἔχον [ἐξ αὐτῶν] διατετυπωμένας, ἅπαντά 〈τε〉 τὰ σκεύη λαμπρὰ καὶ καθαρὰ καὶ τὴν στρωμνὴν καὶ τὰς κλίνας εἰς κάλλος ἐξησκῆσθαι, μόνον δ’ ἐκεῖνον ὁρᾶν ἠμελημένον.
For all the walls were adorned with remarkable paintings, the floor was composed of costly pebbles having images of gods fashioned from them, and all the utensils were bright and clean, and the bedding and couches were beautifully fashioned, but he saw that man alone neglected.
εἴθισται δ’ ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις εἰς τοὺς ἀτιμοτάτους τῶν παρόντων τόπων ἀποπτύειν.
And it is the custom for all men to spit into the most worthless of the available places.
μὴ τοίνυν ἐάσῃς, ὦ μειράκιον, ἄξιον τοῦ προσπτύεσθαι γενέσθαι σεαυτόν, μηδ’ ἂν ἅπαντά σοι τἄλλα κάλλιστα διακεῖσθαι δοκῇ.
Therefore, young man, do not allow yourself to become worthy of being spat upon, even if all other things seem to you to be in the most beautiful condition.
σπάνιον μὲν γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ τυχεῖν αὐτῶν ὁμοῦ πάντων, ὡς εὐγενῆ τε καὶ πλούσιον εἶναι καὶ καλὸν ἅμα τὸν αὐτόν.
For it is rare also to obtain all of them together, so as to be of noble birth, rich, and beautiful at the same time.
εἰ δ’ ἄρα καὶ συνέλοι ποτέ, δεινὸν ἂν εἴη μόνον ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτὸν κατάπτυστον εἶναι.
But if indeed they should ever come together, it would be a terrible thing if, among all his possessions, he alone were detestable.