§1.6.17ταῦτα μὲν οὖν σχεδὸν τὰ ὁμολογούμενα ἀγαθά ἐστιν·
These, then, are pretty much the admitted goods.
§1.6.18ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀμφισβητησίμοις ἐκ τῶνδε οἱ συλλογισμοί.
But in the case of doubtful goods, the arguments are derived from the following.
ᾧ τὸ ἐναντίον κακόν, τοῦτʼ ἀγαθόν.
That of which the contrary is an evil, is a good.
§1.6.19καὶ οὗ τὸ ἐναντίον τοῖς ἐχθροῖς συμφέρει· οἷον εἰ τὸ δειλοὺς εἶναι μάλιστα συμφέρει τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, δῆλον ὅτι ἀνδρεία μάλιστα ὠφέλιμον τοῖς πολίταις.
And that of which the contrary is expedient to enemies; for example, if to be cowardly is most expedient to enemies, it is clear that courage is most beneficial to the citizens.
§1.6.20καὶ ὅλως ὃ οἱ ἐχθροὶ βούλονται ἢ ἐφʼ ᾧ χαίρουσι, τοὐναντίον τούτου ὠφέλιμον φαίνεται· διὸ εἴρηται
"
ἦ κεν γηθήσαι Πρίαμος. "
ἔστι δʼ οὐκ ἀεὶ τοῦτο, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ· οὐδὲν γὰρ κωλύει ἐνίοτε ταὐτὸ συμφέρειν τοῖς ἐναντίοις· ὅθεν λέγεται ὡς τὰ κακὰ συνάγει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅταν ᾖ ταὐτὸ βλαβερὸν ἀμφοῖν.
And in general, that of which the contrary to what enemies wish or in what they rejoice appears beneficial; wherefore it is said: "Indeed Priam would rejoice." But this is not always the case, but for the most part; for nothing prevents the same thing from being sometimes expedient to opponents; whence it is said that "evils bring men together," when the same thing is harmful to both.
§1.6.21καὶ οὗ μὴ ἔστιν ὑπερβολή, τοῦτο ἀγαθόν, ὃ δʼ ἂν ᾖ μεῖζον ἢ δεῖ, κακόν.
And that of which there is no excess is a good, but whatever is greater than it should be is an evil.
§1.6.22καὶ οὗ ἕνεκα πολλὰ πεπόνηται ἢ δεδαπάνηται· φαινόμενον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν ἤδη, καὶ ὡς τέλος τὸ τοιοῦτον ὑπολαμβάνεται, καὶ τέλος πολλῶν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ἀγαθόν.
And that for the sake of which much labor has been spent or expense incurred; for it is already an apparent good, and such a thing is assumed as an end, and as an end of many things, and the end is a good.
ὅθεν ταῦτʼ εἴρηται
"
κὰδ δέ κεν εὐχωλὴν Πριάμῳ
"
καὶ
"
αἰσχρόν τοι δηρόν τε μένειν. "
καὶ ἡ παροιμία δὲ τὸ ἐπὶ θύραις τὴν ὑδρίαν. §1.6.23καὶ οὗ οἱ πολλοὶ ἐφίενται, καὶ τὸ περιμάχητον φαινόμενον· οὗ γὰρ πάντες ἐφίενται, τοῦτο ἀγαθὸν ἦν, οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ ὥσπερ πάντες φαίνονται. §1.6.24καὶ τὸ ἐπαινετόν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἀγαθὸν ἐπαινεῖ.
Whence these sayings: "And they would leave Priam a boast" and "It is a shameful thing indeed to remain long." And the proverb, "to break the water-pot at the door." And that which the many aim at, and what appears to be an object of contention; for that which all aim at was a good, and the many appear as equivalent to "all." And that which is praiseworthy; for no one praises what is not good.
καὶ ὃ οἱ ἐχθροὶ καὶ οἱ φαῦλοι ἐπαινοῦσιν· ὥσπερ γὰρ πάντες ἤδη ὁμολογοῦσιν, εἰ καὶ οἱ κακῶς πεπονθότες· διὰ γὰρ τὸ φανερὸν ὁμολογοῖεν ἄν, ὥσπερ καὶ φαῦλοι οὓς οἱ φίλοι ψέγουσι καὶ οὓς οἱ ἐχθροὶ μὴ ψέγουσιν (διὸ λελοιδορῆσθαι ὑπέλαβον Κορίνθιοι ὑπὸ Σιμωνίδου ποιήσαντος
"
κορινθίοις δʼ οὐ μέμφεται τὸ Ἴλιον). "
And that which enemies and bad people praise; for this is as if everyone already agreed, even those who have suffered from them; for they would agree because of its obviousness, just as those whom friends blame and enemies do not blame are bad (wherefore the Corinthians assumed they had been insulted by Simonides when he wrote: "And Ilium does not find fault with the Corinthians").
§1.6.25καὶ ὃ τῶν φρονίμων τις ἢ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ἢ γυναικῶν προέκρινεν, οἷον Ὀδυσσέα Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ Ἑλένην Θησεὺς καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον αἱ θεαὶ καὶ Ἀχιλλέα Ὅμηρος.
And that which some of the wise, or of good men or women, have preferred; for instance, Athena preferred Odysseus, Theseus Helen, the goddesses Alexander, and Homer Achilles.
§1.6.26καὶ ὅλως τὰ προαιρετά· προαιροῦνται δὲ πράττειν τά τε εἰρημένα καὶ τὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς κακὰ καὶ τὰ τοῖς φίλοις ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ δυνατά·
And in general, things that are objects of choice; and people choose to do the things mentioned, and what is bad for enemies, and what is good for friends, and what is possible.
§1.6.27ταῦτα δὲ διχῶς ἐστιν, τά τε γενόμενα ἂν καὶ τὰ ῥᾳδίως γιγνόμενα·
And these are of two kinds: those which might happen, and those which happen easily.
ῥᾴδια δὲ ὅσα ἢ ἄνευ λύπης ἢ ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ· τὸ γὰρ χαλεπὸν ὁρίζεται ἢ λύπῃ ἢ πλήθει χρόνου.
And easy things are those which are done either without pain or in a short time; for what is difficult is defined either by pain or by length of time.
καὶ ἐὰν ὡς βούλονται· βούλονται δὲ ἢ μηδὲν κακὸν ἢ ἔλαττον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ (τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἐὰν ἢ λανθάνῃ ἢ ἡ τιμωρία μικρὰ ᾖ).
And if things happen as they wish; and they wish either for no evil or for less evil than the good (and this will be the case if it is either undetected or the punishment is small).
§1.6.28καὶ τὰ ἴδια, καὶ ἃ μηδείς, καὶ τὰ περιττά· τιμὴ γὰρ οὕτω μᾶλλον.
And things that are one's own, and what no one else has, and extraordinary things; for in this way there is more honor.
καὶ τὰ ἁρμόττοντα αὐτοῖς· τοιαῦτα δὲ τά τε προσήκοντα κατὰ γένος καὶ δύναμιν, καὶ ὧν ἐλλείπειν οἴονται καὶ ἂν μικρὰ ᾖ· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἧττον προαιροῦνται ταῦτα πράττειν.
And things that are suited to them; and such are those that are fitting according to birth and power, and those which they think they lack, even if they are small; for they choose to do these no less.
§1.6.29καὶ τὰ εὐκατέργαστα. δυνατὰ γὰρ καὶ ῥᾴδια·
And things that are easily accomplished; for they are possible and easy.
εὐκατέργαστα δὲ ἃ πάντες ἢ οἱ πολλοὶ ἢ οἱ ὅμοιοι ἢ οἱ ἥττους κατώρθωσαν.
And easily accomplished are those which all, or many, or equals, or inferiors have successfully done.
καὶ ἃ χαριοῦνται τοῖς φίλοις, ἢ ἃ ἀπεχθήσονται τοῖς ἐχθροῖς.
And things by which they will please friends, or make themselves hated by enemies.
καὶ ὅσα οὓς θαυμάζουσι προαιροῦνται πράττειν.
And whatever those whom they admire choose to do.
καὶ πρὸς ἃ εὐφυεῖς εἰσιν καὶ ἔμπειροι· ῥᾷον γὰρ κατορθώσειν οἴονται.
And things for which they are naturally fitted and experienced; for they think they will succeed more easily.
καὶ ἃ μηδεὶς φαῦλος· ἐπαινετὰ γὰρ μᾶλλον.
And what no bad person does; for they are more praiseworthy.
καὶ ὧν ἐπιθυμοῦντες τυγχάνουσιν, οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἡδὺ ἀλλὰ καὶ βέλτιον φαίνεται.
And what they happen to desire; for it appears not only pleasant but also better.
§1.6.30καὶ μάλιστα ἕκαστοι πρὸς ἃ φιλοτοίουτοι, οἷον οἱ φιλόνικοι εἰ νίκη ἔσται, οἱ φιλότιμοι εἰ τιμή, οἱ φιλοχρήματοι εἰ χρήματα, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ὡσαύτως.
And especially what each class is particularly fond of; for instance, the lovers of victory if there will be victory, the lovers of honor if honor, the lovers of money if money, and others in like manner.
περὶ μὲν οὖν ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ συμφέροντος ἐκ τούτων ληπτέον τὰς πίστεις.
Concerning the good and the expedient, then, from these things we must derive our proofs.