§74ὅσον αὐτός τε ἐβούλετο καὶ τοῦ γένους ἡ πρόσθεν ἀπῄτει τάξις.
as much as he himself wished and the former order of his family demanded.
οἷα γὰρ οἷα ταυτηνὶ τὴν μακαρίαν ἡμέραν καὶ θεοῖς κεχαρισμένην ἑτέρα μετʼ οὐ πολὺ διαδέξεται, δυοῖν ἀρχαῖν ἔτους ἑνὸς εἰς ταυτὸν συνιουσῶν·
For what a day, what a blessed day, pleasing to the gods, will succeed this one before long, as two beginnings of one year meet in the same point!
ἥ τε γὰρ παροῦσά σοι τῆς γενέσεως ἀρχὴ μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν ἐπάγουσα τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰς τέλος, ἥ τε αὐτίκα διαδεξομένη ταύτην ἑτέρα πάλιν ἀρχὴ, καὶ ταῦθʼ ἑνὸς ὄντος ἔτους καὶ ταὐτοῦ, καθέστηκε, τὸ πατρῷόν σοι προγονικὸν ἐπὶ χρηστῇ τύχῃ τροφεῖον ἀποδιδοῦσα.
For the present beginning of your birth, bringing the year as a greatest good from the beginning to the end, and the other new beginning that will immediately succeed it, and this although it is of one and the same year, has been established, rendering to you under good fortune your paternal, ancestral return for nurture.
καί μοι δοκεῖ προλαβὼν ὁ θεὸς τὴν ἐπὶ παίδων νενομισμένην τιμὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς τῶν ἱερῶν Ἀσκληπείων ἄθλοις ἀποδοῦναί σοι πατρόθεν, ὡς πολλάκις εἴρηται, καὶ τῶν ἄνωθεν πρὸς τοῦ πατρὸς εἰς σὲ καθηκουσῶν, ὥσθʼ ἅμα τε πεπληρωκέναι πᾶν ὅσον ἦν θέμις καὶ μεταβαίνοντα λοιπὸν ἐκ παίδων εἰς ἄνδρας, ᾗπερ οὖν ὁ βασίλειος τάττει νόμος, ἀποδεδόσθαι λοιπὸν ἤδη ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς σὲ τιμαῖς, ἃς τοῖς τηλικούτοις ἀνδρουμένοις ἤδη νέμει.
And it seems to me that the god, anticipating the customary honor for children, has rendered it to you from your father, as has been said many times, in the contests of the sacred Asclepieia, coming down to you from your ancestors on your father's side, so that you have at once fulfilled all that was lawful, and in passing henceforth from children to men, just as the royal law ordains, you are now committed to the honors from the king to you, which he distributes to those of such an age who are already becoming men.
πάντως οὐ πόρρω μαντικῆς ἡμῖν ἐστιν Ἀπόλλων, ὅσον χρησταὶ μὲν ἐλπίδες ἐκεῖναι, χρησταὶ δὲ αἱ νῦν εἰς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμῖν αὐτίκα ἥξουσαι.
In any case, Apollo is by no means far from prophecy for us, inasmuch as those hopes are good, and good too are those that will now immediately come before our eyes.
ἐγὼ μέν γε ἤδη τινὸς κουφότητος αἰσθάνεσθαί μοι δοκῶ, καθάπερ Διομήδης Ὁμήρῳ πεποίηται πρὸς τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἐλαφρός τε ὁμοῦ τὰ μέλη καὶ καθαρὸς τὰς ὄψεις, καὶ κατέχειν ἐμαυτὸν ὑπʼ εὐφροσύνης οὐκ ἔχω.
For my part, I seem to feel already a certain lightness, just as Diomedes in Homer is made by Athena light in his limbs and at the same time clear in his eyes, and I cannot contain myself for joy.
καλοὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ κοσμεῖν ἴσως ἁρμόττοντες καὶ οἱ παρελθόντες ἤδη σοι τῆς γενέσεως ἐνιαυτοὶ δηλοῦν ἅπαντα τὰ σοὶ προσόντα, πολὺ δέ μοι δοκεῖ καλλίων ἐκείνων ὅδε ὁ νυνὶ παρὼν εἶναι, μόνον τῶν μετʼ αὐτὸν ἡττησόμενος, τὰ δʼ ἄλλα τοὺς ἐξήκοντας ἤδη νικῶν· ἐν ᾧ σε προσβλέψομεν οἰκεῖοί τε καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ διδάσκαλοι καὶ ἡλικιῶται καὶ πᾶν φίλιον γένος ἡδίω προσβάλλοντα τὴν ὄψιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁλουργίδος τῆς ἱερᾶς τοῦ σωτῆρος, πρέποντά τε τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ ἔτους τὴν τῆς ἡλικίας ὥραν ἀτεχνῶς ἀστέρι ὀπωρινῷ §75ἐναλίγκιον καὶ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὴν αἴγλην ἀφιέντα· ἁρμόττων τε ἀγωνοθέτης οὑτοσὶ τῷ προελομένῳ.
For though your past years of birth were beautiful, and perhaps fitting to adorn and display all the qualities that belong to you, yet this present year seems to me far more beautiful than those, destined to be surpassed only by those that follow it, but conquering the other years that have already passed; in which year we, your household, kinsmen, teachers, companions, and all friendly folk, shall gaze upon you presenting a sweeter sight from the sacred purple of the Savior, matching the season of the year with the season of your youth, literally like an autumn star and shedding its brightness like that star; and this president of the games is fitting for him who chose him.
σὰ ταῦτα, ὦ δέσποτα, οὕτω γὰρ ἄμεινον εἰς ἀρχὴν ἀναγαγεῖν τὸν λόγον ἐπευξάμενον αὖθις, σὰ ταῦτα.
These things are yours, O Lord, for thus it is better to lead the discourse back to the beginning by praying again, these things are yours.
φέρʼ οὖν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν τοὺς οἴακας ἑλὼν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἤδη κατέχεις, ἔκσωζε τὸν οἶκον, διδοὺς μὲν ἐκ τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως τούτῳ τιμὰς ἅσπερ οἱ τούτου πρόγονοι παρὰ τῶν ἐκείνου προγόνων ἐκαρποῦντο, διδοὺς δὲ αὐτῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ γένει τῷ βασιλέως τὸν αἰῶνα πάντα διοικεῖν ὥσπερ οὖν ἔλαχεν ἐκ Διὸς, τούτῳ τε τὸ πεπρωμένον ἐν εὐδαιμονίᾳ διάγειν παρασχὼν χρόνον παισὶν ἐκ παίδων τὴν διαδοχὴν τοῦ γένους τῇ τε πόλει καὶ σεαυτῷ διαφύλαττε.
Come then, take the helm yourself for us, just as you already hold it, and save the house, granting to this boy from the great king honors such as his ancestors enjoyed from the king's ancestors, and granting to the king himself and to the king's family to rule for all eternity, just as they have received from Zeus, and allowing this boy to pass his destined time in happiness, preserve the succession of his house from children to children, both for the city and for yourself.