§31.29.1λοιποῦ δʼ ὄντος τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀνδρείαν μέρους καὶ κυριωτάτου σχεδὸν ἐν πάσῃ μὲν πολιτείᾳ μάλιστα δʼ ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ, μεγίστην ἔδει καὶ τὴν ἄσκησιν περὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ποιήσασθαι.
The remaining part being that which concerned courage—which is the most important part in almost every state, and especially in Rome—it was necessary for him to make the greatest training in this part as well.
§31.29.2καλὸν μὲν οὖν τι πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ἐπιβολὴν αὐτῷ καὶ διὰ τῆς τύχης ἐγένετο συνέργημα.
Consequently, a wonderful piece of assistance was brought to him for this enterprise even by fortune.
§31.29.3τῶν γὰρ ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ βασιλικῶν μεγίστην ποιουμένων σπουδὴν περὶ τὰς κυνηγεσίας καὶ Μακεδόνων ἀνεικότων τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους τόπους πρὸς τὴν τῶν θηρίων συναγωγήν, §31.29.4ταῦτα συνέβη τὰ χωρία τετηρῆσθαι μὲν ἐπιμελῶς, καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον, πάντα τὸν τοῦ πολέμου χρόνον, κεκυνηγῆσθαι δὲ μηδέποτε τῶν τεττάρων ἐτῶν διὰ τοὺς περισπασμούς· ᾗ καὶ θηρίων ὑπῆρχε πλήρη παντοδαπῶν.
For as the kings of Macedonia showed the greatest enthusiasm for hunting, and the Macedonians had set apart the most suitable places for the gathering of wild beasts, it happened that these districts, though carefully preserved during the whole period of the war just as before, had never been hunted in for four years because of other distractions; and thus they were full of all kinds of wild beasts.
§31.29.5τοῦ δὲ πολέμου λαβόντος κρίσιν, ὁ Λεύκιος καλλίστην ὑπολαμβάνων καὶ τὴν ἄσκησιν καὶ τὴν ψυχαγωγίαν ὑπάρχειν τοῖς νέοις τὴν περὶ τὰ κυνηγέσια, τούς τε κυνηγοὺς συνέστησε τοὺς βασιλικοὺς τῷ Σκιπίωνι καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τὴν περὶ τὰ κυνηγέσια παρέδωκε τούτῳ πᾶσαν·
When the war was decided, Lucius, considering that hunting was the finest training and recreation for young men, introduced the royal huntsmen to Scipio and handed over to him all the authority over the hunting.
§31.29.6ἧς ἐπιλαβόμενος ὁ προειρημένος καὶ νομίσας οἱονεὶ βασιλεύειν, ἐν τούτῳ κατεγίνετο πάντα τὸν χρόνον, ὅσον ἐπέμεινε τὸ στρατόπεδον μετὰ τὴν μάχην ἐν τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ.
Having taken hold of this, the aforementioned Scipio, thinking himself almost a king, occupied himself with this during the whole time that the army remained in Macedonia after the battle.
§31.29.7γενομένης δὲ μεγάλης ἐνθουσιάσεως περὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος, ὡς κατά τε τὴν ἡλικίαν ἀκμαίως ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν οἰκείως διακειμένου, καθάπερ εὐγενοῦς σκύλακος, ἐπίμονον αὐτοῦ συνέβη γενέσθαι τὴν περὶ τὰς κυνηγεσίας ὁρμήν.
A great enthusiasm for this pursuit having arisen in him, since he was at the prime of his age and naturally well-disposed to it like a well-bred puppy, his impulse for hunting became permanent.
§31.29.8διὸ καὶ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην καὶ προσλαβὼν τὸν τοῦ Πολυβίου πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἐνθουσιασμόν, ἐφʼ ὅσον οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν νέων περὶ τὰς κρίσεις καὶ τοὺς χαιρετισμοὺς ἐσπούδαζον, κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν ποιούμενοι τὴν διατριβήν, καὶ διὰ τούτων
συνιστάνειν ἑαυτοὺς ἐπειρῶντο τοῖς πολλοῖς, §31.29.9ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὁ Σκιπίων ἐν ταῖς κυνηγεσίαις ἀναστρεφόμενος καὶ λαμπρὸν ἀεί τι ποιῶν καὶ μνήμης ἄξιον καλλίω δόξαν ἐξεφέρετο τῶν ἄλλων.
Therefore, when he returned to Rome and added Polybius's enthusiasm for this pursuit to his own, while the rest of the young men were busy with lawsuits and greetings, spending their time in the Forum, and trying by these means to recommend themselves to the public, to that same extent Scipio, occupying himself in hunting and always performing some brilliant and memorable deed, won a more beautiful reputation than the others.
§31.29.10οἷς μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἐπαίνου τυχεῖν, εἰ μὴ βλάψαιέν τινα τῶν πολιτῶν· ὁ γὰρ τῶν κρίσεων τρόπος τοῦτʼ ἐπιφέρειν εἴωθεν· §31.29.11ὁ δʼ ἁπλῶς οὐδένα λυπῶν ἐξεφέρετο τὴν ἐπʼ ἀνδρείᾳ δόξαν πάνδημον, ἔργῳ πρὸς λόγον ἁμιλλώμενος.
For the others could not obtain praise unless they injured some of their fellow citizens; for the practice of lawsuits is accustomed to bring this about; but he, without causing annoyance to anyone, won a general reputation for courage, contending by deeds against words.
§31.29.12τοιγαροῦν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ τοσοῦτον παρέδραμε τοὺς καθʼ αὑτὸν ὅσον οὐδείς πω μνημονεύεται Ῥωμαίων, καίπερ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁδὸν πορευθεὶς ἐν φιλοδοξίᾳ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι πρὸς τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἔθη καὶ νόμιμα.
Consequently, in a short time he outstripped his contemporaries to such an degree as no Roman is remembered to have done, although he had traveled the opposite path to all the others in seeking fame contrary to Roman customs and institutions.