§31.25.1ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων τῶν καιρῶν λοιπὸν ἤδη κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων πεῖραν αὑτῶν διδόντες ἀλλήλοις εἰς πατρικὴν καὶ συγγενικὴν ἦλθον αἵρεσιν καὶ φιλοστοργίαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
From this time forward, continually giving proof of themselves to one another in actual deeds, they came to have a fatherly and kindred affection and love for one another.
§31.25.2πρώτη δέ τις ἐνέπεσεν ὁρμὴ καὶ ζῆλος τῶν καλῶν τὸ τὴν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ δόξαν ἀναλαβεῖν καὶ παραδραμεῖν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τοὺς κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡλικίαν ὑπάρχοντας.
And the first impulse and zeal for noble things that fell upon him was to win a reputation for temperance, and in this respect to surpass those of his own age.
§31.25.3ὢν δὲ μέγας οὗτος καὶ δυσέφικτος ὁ στέφανος εὐθήρατος ἦν κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ὁρμὴν τῶν πλείστων.
Though this crown was great and hard to attain, it was easy to win at that time in Rome, because of the downward trend of most people toward the worse.
§31.25.4οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς ἐρωμένους τῶν νέων, οἱ δʼ εἰς ἑταίρας ἐξεκέχυντο, πολλοὶ δʼ εἰς ἀκροάματα καὶ πότους καὶ τὴν ἐν τούτοις πολυτέλειαν, ταχέως ἡρπακότες ἐν τῷ Περσικῷ πολέμῳ τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος εὐχέρειαν.
For some of the youth had abandoned themselves to male favorites, others to courtesans, and many to musical performances, drinking parties, and the extravagance in them, having quickly caught during the war with Perseus the Greek laxity in this regard.
§31.25.5καὶ τηλικαύτη τις ἐνεπεπτώκει περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἔργων ἀκρασία τοῖς νέοις ὥστε πολλοὺς μὲν ἐρώμενον ἠγορακέναι ταλάντου, πολλοὺς δὲ ταρίχου Ποντικοῦ κεράμιον τριακοσίων δραχμῶν.
And so great a lack of self-control regarding such deeds had fallen upon the youth, that many bought a favorite for a talent, and many a jar of Pontic salted fish for three hundred drachmae.
§31.25.5aἐφʼ οἷς καὶ Μάρκος ἀγανακτῶν εἶπέ ποτε πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ὅτι μάλιστʼ ἂν κατίδοιεν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προκοπὴν τῆς πολιτείας ἐκ τούτων, ὅταν πωλούμενοι πλεῖον εὑρίσκωσιν οἱ μὲν εὐπρεπεῖς παῖδες τῶν ἀγρῶν, τὰ δὲ κεράμια τοῦ ταρίχου τῶν ζευγηλατῶν.
At this Marcus also was indignant and once said to the people that they could best see the decline of the state for the worse from this, when handsome boys, when sold, fetched more than fields, and jars of salted fish more than plowmen.
§31.25.6συνέβη δὲ τὴν παροῦσαν αἵρεσιν οἷον ἐκλάμψαι κατὰ τοὺς νῦν λεγομένους καιροὺς πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τὸ καταλυθείσης τῆς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλείας δοκεῖν ἀδήριτον αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν τὴν περὶ τῶν ὅλων ἐξουσίαν, §31.25.7ἔπειτα διὰ τὸ πολλὴν ἐπίφασιν γενέσθαι τῆς εὐδαιμονίας περί τε τοὺς κατʼ ἰδίαν βίους καὶ περὶ τὰ κοινά, τῶν ἐκ Μακεδονίας μετακομισθέντων εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην χορηγίων.
It happened that this tendency burst out, as it were, at the times now mentioned, first because, since the kingdom in Macedonia had been destroyed, the universal power seemed to belong to them without dispute, and secondly because a great display of prosperity arose both in private lives and in public affairs, thanks to the resources transferred from Macedonia to Rome.
§31.25.8πλὴν ὅ γε Σκιπίων ὁρμήσας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἀγωγὴν τοῦ βίου καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ἀντιταξάμενος καὶ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ὁμολογούμενον καὶ σύμφωνον ἑαυτὸν κατασκευάσας κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐν ἴσως πέντε τοῖς πρώτοις ἔτεσι πάνδημον ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἐπʼ εὐταξίᾳ καὶ σωφροσύνῃ δόξαν.
But Scipio, having set out upon the opposite course of life and opposed all passions, and having made himself in every way consistent and harmonious in his life, in about the first five years established a universal reputation for good order and temperance.
§31.25.9μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τὸ περὶ τὰ χρήματα μεγαλοψυχίᾳ καὶ καθαρότητι διενεγκεῖν τῶν ἄλλων.
After this, he proceeded continuously to excel others in generosity and integrity regarding money.
§31.25.10πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος καλὴν μὲν ὑποδοχὴν εἶχε τὴν μετὰ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν πατρὸς συμβίωσιν, καλὰς δʼ ἐκ φύσεως ὁρμὰς αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸ δέον· πολλὰ δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ταὐτόματον συνήργησε πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ταύτην.
In this direction, he had an excellent foundation in his life with his natural father, and he himself had from nature noble impulses toward duty; and chance also assisted him in many ways in this enterprise.