§10ἢν δʼ ἐμοὶ πείθῃ, πρῶτον μέν σοι πολλὰ ἐπιδείξω παλαιῶν ἀνδρῶν ἔργα καὶ πράξεις θαυμαστὰς καὶ λόγους αὐτῶν ἀπαγγελῶ, καὶ πάντων ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔμπειρον ἀποφανῶ, καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, ὅπερ σοι κυριώτατόν ἐστι, κατακοσμήσω πολλοῖς καὶ ἀγαθοῖς κοσμήμασι — σωφροσύνῃ, δικαιοσύνῃ, εὐσεβείᾳ, πρᾳότητι, ἐπιεικείᾳ, συνέσει, καρτερίᾳ, τῷ τῶν καλῶν ἔρωτι, τῇ πρὸς τὰ σεμνότατα ὁρμῇ· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀκήρατος ὡς ἀληθῶς κόσμος.
"But if you obey me, first of all I shall show you many deeds of ancient men and their wonderful actions, and I shall recount their words, and I shall render you experienced, so to speak, in all things. And your soul, which is your most lordly part, I shall adorn with many good ornaments — with temperance, justice, piety, gentleness, fairness, understanding, endurance, love of beautiful things, and impulse towards the most venerable things; for these are truly the pure adornment of the soul.
λήσει δέ σε οὔτε παλαιὸν οὐδὲν οὔτε νῦν γενέσθαι δέον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα προόψει μετʼ ἐμοῦ, καὶ ὅλως ἅπαντα ὁπόσα ἐστί, τά τε θεῖα τά τʼ ἀνθρώπινα, οὐκ εἰς μακράν σε διδάξομαι.
Nor shall anything that is ancient escape your notice, nor what is now necessary to happen, but you will even foresee the future with me; and in short, I shall teach you before long all things whatsoever that exist, both divine and human.
§11καὶ ὁ νῦν πένης ὁ τοῦ δεῖνος, ὁ βουλευσάμενός τι περὶ ἀγεννοῦς οὕτω τέχνης, μετʼ ὀλίγον ἅπασι ζηλωτὸς καὶ ἐπίφθονος ἔσῃ, τιμώμενος καὶ ἐπαινούμενος καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀρίστοις εὐδοκιμῶν καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν γένει καὶ πλούτῳ προὐχόντων ἀποβλεπόμενος, ἐσθῆτα μὲν τοιαύτην ἀμπεχόμενος,
— δείξασα τὴν ἑαυτῆς· πάνυ δὲ λαμπρὰν ἐφόρει —
ἀρχῆς δὲ καὶ προεδρίας ἀξιούμενος.
And you, who are now poor, the son of so-and-so, who have been deliberating about such an ignoble craft, will after a little while be envied and emulated by all, honored and praised, held in high repute for the best achievements, and looked up to by those who excel in birth and wealth, wearing such clothing," — pointing to her own; and she was wearing a very splendid one — "and deemed worthy of office and the seat of honor.
κἄν που ἀποδημῇς, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοδαπῆς ἀγνὼς οὐδʼ ἀφανὴς ἔσῃ· τοιαῦτά σοι περιθήσω τὰ γνωρίσματα ὥστε τῶν ὁρώντων ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον κινήσας δείξει σε τῷ δακτύλῳ, οὗτος ἐκεῖνος λέγων. §12ἂν δέ τι σπουδῆς ἄξιον ἢ τοὺς φίλους ἢ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὅλην καταλαμβάνῃ, εἰς σὲ πάντες ἀποβλέψονται· κἄν πού τι λέγων τύχῃς, κεχηνότες οἱ πολλοὶ ἀκούσονται, θαυμάζοντες καὶ εὐδαιμονίζοντές σε τῆς δυνάμεως τῶν λόγων καὶ τὸν πατέρα τῆς εὐποτμίας.
And if you should travel abroad, you will not be unknown or obscure even in a foreign land; I shall bestow upon you such marks of recognition that each of those who see you, jogging his neighbor, will point at you with his finger, saying, 'That is he!' And if any matter worthy of serious attention should occupy either your friends or the whole city, all will look to you; and if you happen to speak anywhere, the multitude will listen open-mouthed, wondering at you and calling you happy because of your power of speech, and your father because of his good fortune.
ὃ δὲ λέγουσιν, ὡς ἄρα καὶ ἀθάνατοι γίγνονταί τινες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, τοῦτό σοι περιποιήσω· καὶ γὰρ ἢν αὐτὸς ἐκ τοῦ βίου ἀπέλθῃς, οὔποτε παύσῃ συνὼν τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις καὶ προσομιλῶν τοῖς ἀρίστοις.
And that which they say, namely that some among men even become immortal, this I shall procure for you; for even if you depart from life, you will never cease associating with the educated and conversing with the best.
ὁρᾷς τὸν Δημοσθένην ἐκεῖνον, τίνος υἱὸν ὄντα ἐγὼ ἡλίκον ἐποίησα.
You see that famous Demosthenes, whose son he was, and how great I made him.
ὁρᾷς τὸν Αἰσχίνην, ὡς τυμπανιστρίας υἱὸς ἦν, ἀλλʼ ὅμως αὐτὸν διʼ ἐμὲ Φίλιππος ἐθεράπευεν.
You see Aeschines, how he was the son of a tambourine-player, yet nevertheless because of me Philip courted him.
ὁ δὲ Σωκράτης καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπὸ τῇ Ἑρμογλυφικῇ ταύτῃ τραφείς, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα συνῆκεν τοῦ κρείττονος καὶ δραπετεύσας παρʼ αὐτῆς ηὐτομόλησεν ὡς ἐμέ, ἀκούεις ὡς παρὰ πάντων ᾄδεται.
And Socrates himself, though brought up under this Craft of Sculpturing, as soon as he understood the better course, and running away from her, deserted to me — you hear how he is sung of by all.
§13ἀφεὶς δὲ αὖ τοὺς τηλικούτους καὶ τοιούτους ἄνδρας καὶ πράξεις λαμπρὰς καὶ λόγους σεμνοὺς καὶ σχῆμα εὐπρεπὲς καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον καὶ προεδρίας καὶ δύναμιν καὶ ἀρχὰς καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ λόγοις εὐδοκιμεῖν καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ συνέσει εὐδαιμονίζεσθαι, χιτώνιόν τι πιναρὸν ἐνδύσῃ καὶ σχῆμα δουλοπρεπὲς ἀναλήψῃ καὶ μοχλία καὶ γλυφεῖα καὶ κοπέας καὶ κολαπτῆρας ἐν ταῖν χεροῖν ἕξεις κάτω νενευκὼς εἰς τὸ ἔργον, χαμαιπετὴς καὶ χαμαίζηλος καὶ πάντα τρόπον ταπεινός, ἀνακύπτων δὲ οὐδέποτε οὐδὲ ἀνδρῶδες οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερον οὐδὲν ἐπινοῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἔργα ὅπως εὔρυθμα καὶ εὐσχήμονα ἔσται σοι προνοῶν, ὅπως δὲ αὐτὸς εὔρυθμός τε καὶ κόσμιος ἔσῃ, ἥκιστα πεφροντικώς, ἀλλʼ ἀτιμότερον ποιῶν σεαυτὸν λίθων.
But if, on the other hand, you abandon such great and such men, and brilliant deeds, venerable words, decent appearance, honor, glory, praise, seats of honor, power, offices, being highly reputed for eloquence, and being called happy for wisdom, you will put on some dirty little tunic, assume a slavish appearance, and hold crowbars, chisels, mallets, and carving tools in your hands, bending down toward your work, earthbound, groveling, and humble in every way, never looking up, nor conceiving any manly or free thought, but taking thought indeed how your works shall be well-proportioned and graceful, but caring least of all how you yourself shall be well-proportioned and orderly, but rather making yourself cheaper than your stones."