§3Ὡς δὲ τοῖς σκέλεσιν, οὕτω καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ τὸ γυμνάσιον τοῦτο δικαιότατον ἐν παντὶ σχήματι λαμβάνειν ἐθιζομένων τὴν σφαῖραν.
As with the legs, so also for the hands this exercise is most equitable, since they are accustomed to receiving the ball in every posture.
ἀνάγκη γὰρ κἀνταῦθα τὴν ποικιλίαν τῶν σχημάτων ἄλλοτ’ ἄλλους τῶν μυῶν τείνειν σφοδρότερον, ὥστε πάντας ἐν μέρει πονοῦντας ἴσην ἔχειν ἀνάπαυλαν καὶ οὕτως ἐν μέρει πάντας ἐνεργοῦντάς τε καὶ ἀναπαυομένους οὔτ’ ἀργοὺς μένειν τὸ πάμπαν, οὔτε κόποις ἁλίσκεσθαι μόνους πονοῦντας.
For here too, the variety of postures must at different times stretch different muscles more violently, so that all of them, exerting themselves in turn, have equal rest, and thus, by all of them acting and resting in turn, they neither remain completely inactive, nor are they overcome by fatigue through exerting themselves alone.
ὄψιν δ’ ὅτι καὶ γυμνάζει, μαθεῖν ἔνεστιν ὑπομνησθέντας, ὡς, εἰ μή τις ἀκριβῶς τὴν ῥοπὴν τῆς σφαίρας, εἰς ὅ τι φέροιτο, προαισθάνοιτο, διαμαρτάνειν τῆς λαβῆς ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν αὐτόν.
And that it also exercises the sight, one can learn by being reminded that unless one accurately foresees the trajectory of the ball, where it is being carried, one must inevitably miss the catch.
τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὴν γνώμην θήγει τῇ φροντίδι τοῦ τε μὴ καταβαλεῖν καὶ τοῦ διακωλῦσαι.
And this also sharpens the mind through the care of not dropping it and of preventing [the opponent].
φροντὶς δὲ μόνη μὲν καταλεπτύνει, μιχθεῖσα δέ τινι γυμνασίῳ καὶ φιλοτιμίᾳ καὶ εἰς ἡδονὴν τελευτήσασα τὰ μέγιστα καὶ τὸ σῶμα πρὸς ὑγίειαν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν εἰς σύνεσιν ὀνίνησιν.
And care, while on its own it wears down [the body], when mixed with some exercise and ambition and ending in pleasure, benefits most greatly both the body toward health and the soul toward intelligence.
οὐ σμικρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτ’ ἀγαθόν, ὅταν ἄμφω τὸ γυμνάσιον ὠφελεῖν δύνηται, καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχήν, εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἑκάτερον ἀρετήν.
And this is no small benefit, when the exercise is able to help both, both body and soul, each toward its own virtue.
ὅτι δ’ ἀσκεῖν ἄμφω δύναται τὰς μεγίστας ἀσκήσεις, ἃς μάλιστα μετιέναι τοῖς στρατηγοῖς οἱ πόλεως βασιλεῖς νόμοι κελεύουσιν, οὐ χαλεπὸν κατιδεῖν.
And that it is able to practice both of the greatest activities, which the sovereign laws of the city command generals most of all to pursue, is not difficult to see.
ἐπιθέσθαι γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ καὶ λαβεῖν ἐπιθέμενον, καὶ ὀξυλαβῆσαι τὴν πρᾶξιν, καὶ σφετερίσασθαι τὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἢ βιασάμενον ἢ ἐξ ἀδοκήτου ἐπιθέμενον, καὶ φυλάξαι τὰ κτηθέντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν στρατηγῶν ἔργα· καὶ τὸ σύμπαν φάναι, φύλακά τε καὶ φῶρα δεινὸν εἶναι χρὴ τὸν στρατηγόν, καὶ ταῦτ’ αὐτοῦ τῆς ὅλης τέχνης τὸ κεφάλαιον.
For to attack in season and to capture [the ball] having attacked, and to be quick to grasp the action, and to appropriate the property of the opponents either by forcing one's way or by attacking unexpectedly, and to guard what has been acquired, are the works of good generals; and to speak overall, the general must be both a clever guardian and a clever thief, and these are the head of his whole art.
ἆρ’ οὖν ἄλλο τι γυμνάσιον οὕτω προεθίζειν ἱκανόν, ἢ φυλάττειν τὸ κτηθέν, ἢ ἀνασώζειν τὸ μεθεθέν, ἢ τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν γνώμην προαισθάνεσθαι;
Is there, then, any other exercise sufficient to pre-accustom one in this way, either to guard what has been acquired, or to recover what has been let go, or to foresee the mind of the opponents?
θαυμάζοιμ’ ἄν, εἴ τις εἰπεῖν ἔχοι.
I would wonder if anyone could say so.
τὰ πολλὰ γὰρ αὐτῶν αὐτὸ τοὐναντίον ἀργοὺς καὶ ὑπνηλοὺς καὶ βραδεῖς τὴν γνώμην ἐργάζεται.
For most of them, on the contrary, make [people] idle, sleepy, and slow in mind.
καὶ γὰρ καί, ὅσοι κατὰ παλαίστραν πονοῦσιν, εἰς πολυσαρκίαν μᾶλλον ἢ ἀρετῆς ἄσκησιν φέρει.
For indeed, for those who labor in the wrestling school, it leads to excess of flesh rather than the practice of virtue.
πολλοὶ γοῦν οὕτως ἐπαχύνθησαν, ὡς δυσχερῶς ἀναπνεῖν.
At least many have become so fat that they breathe with difficulty.
ἀγαθοί γ’ οὐδ’ ἂν οἱ τοιοῦτοι πολέμου γένοιντο στρατηγοὶ ἢ βασιλικῶν ἢ πολιτικῶν πραγμάτων ἐπίτροποι· θᾶττον ἂν τοῖς ὑσὶν ἢ τούτοις τις ὁτιοῦν ἐπιτρέψειεν.
Such men would not become good generals of war, nor stewards of royal or public affairs; one would sooner entrust anything to pigs than to them.
ἴσως δ’ οἰήσει με δρόμον ἐπαινεῖν καὶ τἆλλ’ ὅσα καταλεπτύνει τὸ σῶμα γυμνάσια.
Perhaps you will think that I praise running and all other exercises that wear down the body.
τὸ δ’ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει.
But this is not the case.
τὴν γὰρ ἀμετρίαν ἐγὼ πανταχοῦ ψέγω, καὶ πᾶσαν τέχνην ἀσκεῖν φημι χρῆναι τὸ σύμμετρον, καὶ εἴ τι μέτρου στερεῖται, τοῦτ’ οὐκ εἶναι καλόν.
For I censure immoderation everywhere, and I say that every art must practice proportion, and if anything lacks measure, this is not beautiful.
οὔκουν οὐδὲ τοὺς δρόμους ἐπαινῶ τῷ τε καταλεπτύνειν τὴν ἕξιν καὶ τῷ μηδεμίαν ἄσκησιν ἀνδρείας ἔχειν.
Therefore, neither do I praise running, both because it wears down the constitution and because it has no practice of courage.
οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῶν ὠκέως φευγόντων τὸ νικᾶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν συστάδην κρατεῖν δυναμένων, οὐδὲ διὰ τοῦτο Λακεδαιμόνιοι πλεῖστον ἠδύναντο τῷ τάχιστα θεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ μένοντες θαρρεῖν.
For victory does not belong to those who flee swiftly, but to those who are able to prevail in close combat, nor because of this were the Lacedaemonians most powerful by running fastest, but by remaining and being courageous.
εἰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ὑγίειαν ἐξετάζοις, ἐφ’ ὅσον ἀνίσως γυμνάζει τὰ μέρη τοῦ σώματος, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον οὐδ’ ὑγιεινόν.
And if you should examine it also with respect to health, to the extent that it exercises the parts of the body unequally, to that extent it is not even healthy.
ἀνάγκη γὰρ αὐτῷ τὰ μὲν ὑπερπονεῖν, τὰ δ’ ἀργεῖν παντελῶς.
For it is necessary for some parts to overwork, and others to be completely idle.
οὐδέτερον δ’ αὐτῶν ἀγαθόν, ἀλλ’ ἄμφω καὶ νόσων ὑποτρέφει σπέρματα καὶ δύναμιν ἄρρωστον ἐργάζεται.
And neither of them is good, but both cherish the seeds of diseases and produce a weak power.