§40καί σε οὐκ ἄν τις ἄλλος δέξαιτο ἔξωρον ἤδη γεγονότα καὶ τοῖς γεγηρακόσιν ἵπποις ἐοικότα, ὧν οὐδὲ τὸ δέρμα ὁμοίως χρήσιμον.
And no one else would receive you, who have already become past your prime and resemble old horses, whose very skin is no longer similarly useful.
ἄλλως τε καὶ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ ἀπωσθῆναι διαβολὴ πρὸς τὸ μεῖζον εἰκαζομένη μοιχὸν ἢ φαρμακέα σε ἤ τι τοιοῦτον ἄλλο δοκεῖν ποιεῖ· ὁ μὲν γὰρ κατήγορος καὶ σιωπῶν ἀξιόπιστος, σὺ δὲ Ἕλλην καὶ ῥᾴδιος τὸν τρόπον καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀδικίαν εὔκολος.
Moreover, the slander arising from being cast out, being conjectured for the worse, makes you seem to be an adulterer, or a poisoner, or something else of that sort; for the accuser is believable even when silent, while you are a Greek, easy in your ways, and prone to every wrongdoing.
τοιούτους γὰρ ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς εἶναι οἴονται, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· δοκῶ γάρ μοι καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης δόξης αὐτῶν, ἣν ἔχουσι περὶ ἡμῶν, κατανενοηκέναι τὴν αἰτίαν.
For they think that we are all such, and very reasonably so; for I think I have also understood the reason for such an opinion of theirs which they have about us.
πολλοὶ γὰρ εἰς τὰς οἰκίας παρελθόντες ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν ἄλλο χρήσιμον εἰδέναι μαντείας καὶ φαρμακείας ὑπέσχοντο καὶ χάριτας ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐρωτικοῖς καὶ ἐπαγωγὰς τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ ταῦτα πεπαιδεῦσθαι λέγοντες καὶ τρίβωνας ἀμπεχόμενοι καὶ πώγωνας οὐκ εὐκαταφρονήτους καθειμένοι.
For many, having entered into their houses, since they know nothing else useful, have promised divinations, love-potions, and charms for love-affairs, and spells against enemies, and that too while claiming to be educated, wearing philosopher's cloaks, and letting down not contemptible beards.
εἰκότως οὖν τὴν ὁμοίαν περὶ πάντων ὑπόνοιαν ἔχουσιν, οὓς ἀρίστους ᾤοντο τοιούτους ὁρῶντες, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπιτηροῦντες αὐτῶν τὴν ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ συνουσίᾳ κολακείαν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸ κέρδος δουλοπρέπειαν.
Naturally, therefore, they hold the same suspicion about all, seeing those whom they thought the best to be such, and especially observing their flattery at dinners and other social gatherings, and their servility for gain.
§41ἀποσεισάμενοι δὲ αὐτοὺς μισοῦσι, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως, καὶ ἐξ ἅπαντος ζητοῦσιν ὅπως ἄρδην ἀπολέσωσιν, ἢν δύνωνται· λογίζονται γὰρ ὡς ἐξαγορεύσουσιν αὐτῶν τὰ πολλὰ ἐκεῖνα τῆς φύσεως ἀπόρρητα ὡς ἅπαντα εἰδότες ἀκριβῶς καὶ γυμνοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐπωπτευκότες.
But having shaken them off, they hate them, and very naturally, and seek by all means to destroy them utterly, if they can; for they calculate that they will blab out those many secrets of their character, as knowing everything accurately and having beheld them naked.
τοῦτο τοίνυν ἀποπνίγει αὐτούς· ἅπαντες γὰρ ἀκριβῶς ὅμοιοί εἰσιν τοῖς καλλίστοις τούτοις βιβλίοις, ὧν χρυσοῖ μὲν οἱ ὀμφαλοί, πορφυρᾶ δὲ ἔκτοσθεν ἡ διφθέρα, τὰ δὲ ἔνδον ἢ Θυέστης ἐστὶν τῶν τέκνων ἑστιώμενος ἢ Οἰδίπους τῇ μητρὶ συνὼν ἢ Τηρεὺς δύο ἀδελφὰς ἅμα ὀπυίων.
This, then, chokes them; for all of them are exactly like these most beautiful books, whose bosses are golden and the parchment-cover purple on the outside, but inside there is either Thyestes feasting on his children, or Oedipus sleeping with his mother, or Tereus marrying two sisters at once.
τοιοῦτοι καὶ αὐτοί εἰσι, λαμπροὶ καὶ περίβλεπτοι, ἔνδον δὲ ὑπὸ τῇ πορφύρᾳ πολλὴν τὴν τραγῳδίαν σκέποντες· ἕκαστον γοῦν αὐτῶν ἢν ἐξειλήσῃς, δρᾶμα οὐ μικρὸν εὑρήσεις Εὐριπίδου τινὸς ἢ Σοφοκλέους, τὰ δʼ ἔξω πορφύρα εὐανθὴς καὶ χρυσοῦς ὁ ὀμφαλός.
Such are they too, splendid and admired, but on the inside, under the purple, concealing much tragedy; at any rate, if you unroll each of them, you will find no small drama of some Euripides or Sophocles, while the outside is bright purple and the boss is golden.
ταῦτα οὖν συνεπιστάμενοι αὑτοῖς, μισοῦσι καὶ ἐπιβουλεύουσιν εἴ τις ἀποστὰς ἀκριβῶς κατανενοηκὼς αὐτοὺς ἐκτραγῳδήσει καὶ πρὸς πολλοὺς ἐρεῖ.
Knowing these things therefore about themselves, they hate and plot against anyone who, having departed and understood them accurately, might dramatize them and tell them to many.
§42βούλομαι δʼ ὅμως ἔγωγε ὥσπερ ὁ Κέβης ἐκεῖνος εἰκόνα τινὰ τοῦ τοιούτου βίου σοι γράψαι, ὅπως εἰς ταύτην ἀποβλέπων εἰδῇς εἴ σοι παριτητέον ἐστὶν εἰς αὐτήν.
But nevertheless, I wish to paint you a picture of such a life, just like that Cebes, so that looking at it, you may know whether you ought to enter into it.
ἡδέως μὲν οὖν Ἀπελλοῦ τινος ἢ Παρρασίου ἢ Ἀετίωνος ἢ καὶ Εὐφράνορος ἂν ἐδεήθην ἐπὶ τὴν γραφήν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἄπορον νῦν εὑρεῖν τινα οὕτως γενναῖον καὶ ἀκριβῆ τὴν τέχνην, ψιλὴν ὡς οἷόν τέ σοι ἐπιδείξω τὴν εἰκόνα.
Now, gladly would I have asked some Apelles, or Parrhasius, or Aetion, or even Euphranor for the painting; but since it is difficult now to find anyone so noble and accurate in his art, I will show you the picture bare, as far as is possible.
καὶ δὴ γεγράφθω προπύλαια μὲν ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἐπίχρυσα καὶ μὴ κάτω ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους, ἀλλʼ ἄνω τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ λόφου κείμενα, καὶ ἡ ἄνοδος ἐπὶ πολὺ καὶ ἀνάντης καὶ ὄλισθον ἔχουσα, ὡς πολλάκις ἤδη πρὸς τῷ ἄκρῳ ἔσεσθαι ἐλπίσαντας ἐκτραχηλισθῆναι διαμαρτόντος τοῦ ποδός.
And let there be painted, indeed, high and gilded portals, lying not down on the ground but up high on a hill, and the ascent long, steep, and slippery, so that many, who hoped they would already be near the top, slip and break their necks because their foot missed its footing.
ἔνδον δὲ ὁ Πλοῦτος αὐτὸς καθήσθω χρυσοῦς ὅλος, ὡς δοκεῖ, πάνυ εὔμορφος καὶ ἐπέραστος.
And inside let Wealth himself sit, all golden as it seems, very beautiful and desirable.
ὁ δὲ ἐραστὴς μόλις ἀνελθὼν καὶ πλησιάσας τῇ θύρᾳ τεθηπέτω ἀφορῶν εἰς τὸ χρυσίον.
And let the lover, having with difficulty climbed up and approached the door, stand amazed, gazing at the gold.
παραλαβοῦσα δʼ αὐτὸν ἡ Ἐλπίς, εὐπρόσωπος καὶ αὕτη καὶ ποικίλα ἀμπεχομένη, εἰσαγέτω σφόδρα ἐκπεπληγμένον τῇ εἰσόδῳ.
And Hope, she too fair-faced and wearing variegated garments, taking him by the hand, let her lead him in, utterly astounded by the entrance.
τοὐντεῦθεν δὲ ἡ μὲν Ἐλπὶς ἀεὶ προηγείσθω, διαδεξάμεναι δʼ αὐτὸν ἄλλαι γυναῖκες, Ἀπάτη καὶ Δουλεία, παραδότωσαν τῷ Πόνῳ, ὁ δὲ πολλὰ τὸν ἄθλιον καταγυμνάσας τελευτῶν ἐγχειρισάτω αὐτὸν τῷ Γήρᾳ ἤδη ὑπονοσοῦντα καὶ τετραμμένον τὴν χρόαν.
And from then on let Hope always lead the way, and let other women, Deceit and Slavery, taking him in turn, hand him over to Toil, and he, after having thoroughly worn out the miserable man, let him at last deliver him to Old Age, already falling ill and changed in his color.
ὑστάτη δὲ ἡ Ὕβρις ἐπιλαβομένη συρέτω πρὸς τὴν Ἀπόγνωσιν.
And last, let Insolence lay hold of him and drag him to Despair.
ἡ δὲ Ἐλπὶς τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου ἀφανὴς ἀποπτέσθω, καὶ μηκέτι καθʼ οὓς εἰσῆλθε τοὺς χρυσοῦς θυρῶνας, ἔκ τινος δὲ ἀποστρόφου καὶ λεληθυίας ἐξόδου ἐξωθείσθω γυμνὸς προγάστωρ ὠχρὸς γέρων, τῇ ἑτέρᾳ μὲν τὴν αἰδῶ σκέπων, τῇ δεξιᾷ δὲ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἄγχων.
And Hope from that moment, vanishing, let her fly away, and no longer through the golden portals by which he entered, but through some back and hidden exit let there be thrust out a naked, pot-bellied, pale old man, covering his nakedness with one hand, and choking himself with his right hand.
ἀπαντάτω δʼ ἐξιόντι ἡ Μετάνοια δακρύουσα εἰς οὐδὲν ὄφελος καὶ τὸν ἄθλιον ἐπαπολλύουσα.
And let Repentance meet him as he goes out, weeping to no purpose and utterly destroying the wretched man.
τοῦτο μὲν ἔστω τὸ τέλος τῆς γραφῆς.
Let this indeed be the end of the painting.
σὺ δʼ οὖν, ὦ ἄριστε Τιμόκλεις, αὐτὸς ἤδη ἀκριβῶς ἐπισκοπῶν ἕκαστα ἐννόησον, εἴ σοι καλῶς ἔχει παρελθόντα εἰς τὴν εἰκόνα κατὰ ταύτας τὰς θύρας ἐκείνης τῆς ἔμπαλιν αἰσχρῶς οὕτως ἐκπεσεῖν.
And do you, O best Timocles, now yourself accurately examining each detail, consider if it is well for you, having entered into the picture through these gates, to be cast out from the opposite side so shamefully.
ὅ τι δʼ ἂν πράττῃς, μέμνησο τοῦ σοφοῦ λέγοντος ὡς θεὸς ἀναίτιος, αἰτία δὲ ἑλομένου.
But whatever you do, remember the wise man saying that God is blameless, but the cause is in him who chooses.