§3#1Εἰσβάλλοντος τοῦ ἦρος, καὶ γάρ πως οὕτως συμβαίνει κινεῖσθαι τὰ τῆς ἐπανόδου, καθῆραι φημὶ χρῆναι τὸν παῖδα μετρίᾳ καθάρσει.
With the onset of spring, for indeed it so happens that the matters of your return are set in motion, I say that it is necessary to purge the child with a moderate purging.
ταύτης δ’ ἂν ἐπιστατήσειε καὶ προσταίη παρὼν ὁ Διονύσιος, εἰδὼς ἀκριβῶς ὅπως τε χρὴ παρασκευάσαι πρὸς τὴν κάθαρσιν τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ᾧτινι χρήσασθαι φαρμάκῳ καὶ ἐν πόσῳ καὶ ὁποίῳ καιρῷ·
Dionysius, being present, would supervise and manage this, knowing precisely both how it is necessary to prepare the body for the purging, and what medicine to use, and in what quantity, and at what time.
καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἤδη διέσκεπται.
And indeed, he has already deliberated with us about these things.
ὥστε τὸ μὲν σῶμα παρὸν ἔχεις Ἀθήνησι τοῦ Διονυσίου, τὴν ψυχήν τε καὶ τὴν γνώμην ἅμα ἐκείνῳ καὶ τὴν ἐμήν.
So that in Athens you have the body of Dionysius present, and along with him, his soul and mind, and also mine.
μετὰ δὲ τὴν κάθαρσιν, ὅταν ὅ τε Διονύσιος οἴχηται καὶ ὁ παῖς ὑπολείπηται κατὰ τὰς Ἀθήνας, ὧδε χρὴ διαιτᾷν αὐτόν.
But after the purging, when Dionysius has departed and the child is left behind in Athens, it is necessary to regulate his diet in this way.
ἕωθεν μὲν ἐκ τῆς κοίτης ἀναστὰς, πρὶν τοῖς διδασκάλοις φοιτᾷν, περιπατείτω μετρία μὴ σφόδρα συντόνῳ βαδίσματι.
In the morning, having risen from bed, before attending his teachers, let him walk with a moderate, not too vigorous, pace.
τὸ δ’ ἀπὸ τοῦδε μέχρι τοῦ τῆς παλαίστρας καιροῦ τοῖς μαθήμασι σχολαζέτω, καθότι σύνηθες, ἐπειδὰν δὲ πρῶτον αὐτῶν ἀπαλλαγῇ, περιπατήσας αὖθις, οὕτως εἰς τὸν παιδοτρίβην ἀπίτω.
From then until the time for the palaestra, let him devote his time to his studies, as is customary; and as soon as he is released from them, after walking again, let him thus go to the physical trainer.
χρὴ δὲ τοῦτον, εἴπερ τινα καὶ ἄλλον τῶν προνοησομένων τοῦ παιδὸς, ἱκανῶς εἶναι φρόνιμον.
And it is necessary that this man, if indeed anyone else among those who are to care for the child, should be sufficiently prudent.
ἔστι δὲ οὐ πάνυ τι ῥᾴδιον εὑρεθῆναι τοιοῦτον, ὡς ἂν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τῆς ἐκλογῆς γινομένης ἀπαιδεύτων τοὐπίπαν καὶ οὕτως ὀνωδῶν τε καὶ παχέων τὴν ψυχὴν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ σῶμα.
But it is not at all easy to find such a person, since the selection must be made from men who are for the most part uneducated, and as donkey-like and thick in soul as they are in body.
μὴ τοίνυν ὡς μικρὸν τοῦτο παρέλθοι σε, μηδὲ ἐπιτρέψεις τὸν παῖδα τῷ προστυχόντι, γινώσκων ὡς τὸ μὲν κεφάλαιον τῆς θεραπείας ἐν δυοῖν τούτοιν ἐστὶ τῇ χρήσει τοῦ δοθέντος σοι πρὸς ἐμοῦ φαρμάκου καὶ τοῖς γυμνασίοις.
Therefore, let this not pass you by as a small matter, nor entrust the child to the first person you meet, knowing that the chief part of the treatment consists in these two things: the use of the medicine given to you by me, and the gymnastics.
τὰ δ’ ἄλλα πάντα παρασκευή τις ὑπάρχει πρὸς ταῦτα.
All other things are but a preparation for these.
τὸν μὲν δὴ παιδοτρίβην συνεκλέξοιτό σοι Διονύσιος.
Indeed, let Dionysius help you select the physical trainer.
ἔστωσαν δ’ αὐτῷ σκοποὶ τῶν γυμνασίων, ἐν μὲν τῇ ποσότητι τό τε πρὶν κάμνειν ἀναπαύειν τὸν παῖδα καὶ τὸ θερμῆναι σύμπαν τὸ σῶμα καὶ κενῶσαι συμμέτρως.
And let his goals for the gymnastics be, as regards quantity, to rest the child before he tires, to warm the whole body, and to evacuate it moderately.
ἄμφω δ’ εἰς ἕνα καιρὸν τὸν αὐτὸν συμβαίη· ἡνίκα γὰρ αὐτάρκως ἐκκενοῦται τὸ περιττὸν, ἐκτεθέρμανται δὲ ἱκανῶς ἤδη τὸ σῶμα, τηνικαῦτα καταπαύων τις τὰ γυμνάσια πρὶν ἄρχεσθαι πονεῖν ἀναπαύσεται, τὸ δ’ ἐπέκεινα τοῦδε τοῦ καιροῦ γυμνάσιον ἅπτεται μὲν ἤδη τῶν στερεῶν σωμάτων καὶ συντήκει τὴν ἕξιν, ἀθροίζει δ’ ἔν τε τοῖς ἄρθροις μάλιστα καὶ τοῖς μυσὶ τὰ συντήγματα.
And may both of these happen at one and the same time; for when the surplus is sufficiently evacuated and the body is already adequately warmed, then by stopping the exercises, one will rest before pain begins. But exercise beyond this point already affects the solid parts of the body and melts down the constitution, and accumulates the waste products especially in the joints and the muscles.
κἀντεῦθεν ὅ τε κάματος ἕπεται τῆς δυνάμεως, εἶθ’ ἑλκώδης αἴσθησις, ἐπειδὰν κινῆσαί τι μόριον ἐπιχειρήσωσι, καὶ τοῦτ’ ἐστὶν ὁ κόπος.
And from this, fatigue of the faculty follows, and then a sore sensation whenever they try to move any part; and this is what fatigue (kopos) is.
οὐ μόνον τοίνυν φρόνιμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρίβωνα μετρίου γυμνασίου εἶναι χρὴ τὸν παιδοτρίβην, ὡς μήτε θᾶττον τοῦ δέοντος
Therefore, the physical trainer must be not only prudent, but also experienced in moderate exercise, so that neither faster than necessary