§19.15.1παυσαμένου δʼ αὐτοῦ μικρὸν ἐπισχὼν ὁ Φαβρίκιος εἶπε· περὶ μὲν τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἥτις ἐστὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἢ κατὰ τὰς κοινὰς πράξεις ἢ κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον βίον, οὐδὲν ἐμὲ δεῖ ἐπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ λέγειν, ἐπειδὴ πέπυσαι παρʼ ἑτέρων· οὐδέ γε περὶ τῆς πενίας, ὅτι μοι γήδιον μικρόν ἐστι κομιδῆ καὶ φαῦλον οἰκίδιον καὶ οὔτʼ ἀπὸ δανεισμάτων οὔτʼ ἀπʼ ἀνδραπόδων ὁ βίος· φαίνῃ γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἀκριβῶς ἀκηκοέναι παρʼ
When he had finished speaking, Fabricius, after waiting a moment, said: "Concerning my virtue, such as it is in relation to me either in public affairs or in private life, there is no need for me to speak about myself, since you have already learned of it from others; nor indeed concerning my poverty, that I have only a very small piece of land and a mean dwelling, and that my livelihood comes neither from loans nor from slaves; for you seem to have heard accurately of these things also from others.
§19.15.2ἑτέρων. περὶ δὲ τοῦ κάκιόν με Ῥωμαίων τινὸς πράττειν διʼ ἀπορίαν καὶ μηδὲν εἶναί μοι πλέον ἀσκοῦντι καλοκαγαθίαν, ὅτι τῶν πλουσίων οὐκ εἰμί, κακῶς ὑπείληφας, εἴτʼ ἀκούσας τινὸς εἴτʼ αὐτὸς εἰκάζων.
But regarding your belief that I fare worse than any other Roman because of my lack of resources, and that there is no advantage to me in practicing virtue because I am not among the wealthy, you have conceived a wrong opinion, whether you heard it from someone or inferred it yourself.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐδεμία πώποτε κακοδαιμονίας αἴσθησις παρὰ τὸ μὴ πολλὰ κεκτῆσθαι γέγονεν οὐδʼ ἔστιν, οὐδʼ ὠδυράμην τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ τύχην οὔτʼ ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς πράγμασιν οὔτʼ ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις.
For as for me, no feeling of unhappiness has ever arisen, nor does it exist now, from my not possessing much, nor have I ever lamented my own fortune either in public affairs or in private matters.
§19.15.3τί γὰρ καὶ παθὼν ἐγκαλοίην ἂν αὐτῇ;
For indeed, what could have happened to me that I should complain of fortune?
πότερον, ὅτι μοι τῶν καλῶν καὶ περιμαχήτων, ἐφʼ οἷς ἅπασα φύσις ἐσπούδακεν εὐγενής, οὐδενὸς ἐξεγένετο παρὰ τῆς πατρίδος μεταλαβεῖν διὰ πενίαν;
Is it because, on account of my poverty, it was not granted to me to receive from my country any share in those beautiful and coveted things for which every noble nature is eager?
ὃς ἄρχω τε τὰς μεγίστας ἀρχὰς καὶ πρεσβεύω τὰς ἐπιφανεστάτας πρεσβείας καὶ σεβασμοὺς ἱερῶν πιστεύομαι τοὺς ἁγιωτάτους καὶ γνώμην ἀγορεύειν ἀξιούμενος περὶ τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων καλοῦμαι ἐν ᾧ προσήκει με τόπῳ, ἐπαινοῦμαί τε καὶ ζηλοῦμαι καὶ οὐδενὸς δεύτερός εἰμι τῶν μέγιστα δυναμένων καὶ παράδειγμα τοῖς ἄλλοις εἶναι δοκῶ καλοκαγαθίας, οὐδὲν ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς οὐσίας εἰς ταῦτα δαπανῶν, §19.15.4ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδείς.
I, who hold the greatest offices, and serve on the most illustrious embassies, and am entrusted with the holiest management of sacred rites, and, being deemed worthy to declare my opinion on the most urgent matters, am called upon in my proper place, and am praised and envied, and am second to none of those who possess the greatest power, and am thought to be an example of virtue to others, while spending nothing from my own property for these things, just as no one of the others does either.
οὐ γὰρ ἐνοχλεῖ τοῖς ἑκάστου βίοις ἡ πόλις ἡ Ῥωμαίων ὥσπερ τινὲς ἕτεραι, ἐν αἷς ὁ κοινὸς μὲν πλοῦτος ὀλίγος ἐστίν, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν πολύς, ἀλλʼ αὐτὴ παρέχει τοῖς πρὸς τὰ κοινὰ προσιοῦσιν ἅπαντα, ὅσων δέονται, λαμπρὰς καὶ μεγαλοπρεπεῖς ὑποτιθεῖσα χορηγίας· ὥστε μηδὲν ἀτιμότερον εἶναι τὸν πενέστατον τοῦ πλουσιωτάτου κατὰ τὴν ἐπαξίωσιν τῶν καλῶν, ἀλλὰ πάντας εἶναι Ῥωμαίους, ὅσοι ἂν ὦσι διὰ καλοκαγαθίαν τούτων ἄξιοι τῶν τιμῶν, ἀλλήλοις ἴσους.
For the Roman state does not oppress the lives of individuals like some other states, in which the public wealth is small but that of private citizens is great; but she herself provides to those who enter public life everything that they need, furnishing brilliant and magnificent support; so that the poorest man is in no way less honored than the richest in being deemed worthy of noble things, but all Romans, as many as are worthy of these honors through their virtue, are equal to one another.
§19.15.5ὁπότε δὲ πενόμενος οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦτʼ ἔλαττον ἔχω τῶν πολλὰ κεκτημένων, τί παθὼν ἂν κατηγόρησα τῆς τύχης, ὅτι οὐχ ὑμῖν ὅμοιον ἐμὲ ἐποίησε τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν, οἷς ὁ πολὺς θησαυρίζεται χρυσός;
And since, though poor, I have nothing less on this account than those who possess much, what could possess me to accuse fortune because she did not make me like you kings, in whose hands great gold is stored?
ἀλλὰ μὴν ἔν γε τοῖς ἰδίοις τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω κακοδαιμονίας, ὥστʼ ἐν ὀλίγοις πάνυ τῶν μακαρίων ἐμαυτὸν εἶναι δοκῶ παρὰ τοὺς πλουσίους ἐξετάζων, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ μέγιστον φρονῶ, ἐπειδὴ τὰ μὲν ἀναγκαῖα τὸ λυπρὸν ἀπόχρη μοι γήδιον φιλεργοῦντι καὶ ταμιευομένῳ παρέχειν, §19.15.6τὰ δʼ ἔξω τῶν ἀναγκαίων οὐ βιάζεται ζητεῖν ἡ φύσις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τροφὴ πᾶσα ἡδεῖά μοι, ἣν ἂν ὁ λιμὸς σκευάσῃ, καὶ ποτὸν ἅπαν γλυκύ, ὅταν ἡ δίψα πορίσῃ, καὶ ὕπνος μαλθακός, ὅταν ἡγήσηται κόπος, ἐσθής τε ἡ παρέχουσα μὴ ῥιγοῦν αὐταρκεστάτη, καὶ σκεῦος ὅ τι ἂν εὐτελέστατον τῶν δυναμένων τὰς αὐτὰς παρέχειν χρείας οἰκειότατον.
Furthermore, in my private affairs I am so far from unhappiness that I think myself to be among the very few of the blessed when comparing myself with the wealthy; and I take the greatest pride in this, since the necessaries of life my poor little piece of land is sufficient to provide for me, who love work and am frugal; while my nature does not compel me to seek things beyond what is necessary; on the contrary, any food is pleasant to me which hunger seasons, and every drink is sweet when thirst provides it, and sleep is soft when weariness goes before, and clothing which keeps me from shivering is most sufficient, and whatever utensil is cheapest, among those capable of rendering the same services, is most suitable.
§19.15.7ὥστʼ οὐδὲ κατὰ τοῦτο δίκαιος εἴην ἂν τῆς τύχης κατηγορεῖν, ἥ μοι τοσαύτην παρέσχεν οὐσίαν, ὅσην ἡ φύσις ἐβούλετο ἔχειν· τῶν δʼ ὑπερβαλλόντων οὔτε πόθον ἐνέφυσεν οὔτʼ εὐπορίαν ἔδωκεν.
So that in this respect also I would not be justified in accusing fortune, which has provided me with as much substance as nature wished me to have; and as for superfluous things, she neither implanted a desire for them nor gave an abundance of them."