§1717. (28).
17. (28).
Μέτρον ἔστω σοι παντὸς σίτου καὶ ποτοῦ ἡ πρώτη τῆς ὀρέξεως ἔμπλησις, ὄψον δὲ καὶ ἡδονὴ αὐτὴ ἡ ὄρεξις· καὶ οὔτε πλείονα τῶν δεόντων προσοίσῃ οὔτε ὀψοποιῶν δεηθήσῃ ποτῷ τε τῷ παραπεσόντι ἀρκεσθήσῃ.
Let the first satisfaction of desire be your measure of all food and drink, and let desire itself be your seasoning and pleasure; and you will neither consume more than what is necessary, nor will you need cooks, and you will be satisfied with whatever drink is at hand.
§1818. (29).
18. (29).
Τὰς σιτήσεις ποιοῦ μὴ πολυτελεῖς καὶ σκυθρωπάς, ἀλλὰ λαμπρὰς καὶ εὐτελεῖς, ἵνα μήτε διὰ τὰ σωματικὰ αἱ ψυχαὶ ταράττωνται μήτε φενακιζόμεναι πρὸς τῶν ἡδονῶν τῶν σωματικῶν ὀλιγωρῶσιν, ἔπειτα βλάπτωνται τρυφῶντα μὲν παραυτίκα, νοσοῦντα δὲ εἰσαῦθις τὰ σώματα.
Make your meals not costly and gloomy, but bright and frugal, so that your souls may neither be troubled by bodily things, nor, being deceived by bodily pleasures, become negligent, and consequently the bodies be harmed, while luxury-loving for the moment but falling ill hereafter.
§1919. (30).
19. (30).
Φρόντιζε, ὅπως σε μὴ τὰ ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ σιτία ἐπαίρῃ, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ εὐφρασία· ἐπεὶ τὰ μὲν ἀποσκυβαλίζεται καὶ συνεκρεῖ ὁ † ἔπαινος, ἡ δέ, κἂν ἡ ψυχὴ χωρισθῇ, διὰ παντὸς ἀκήρατος μένει.
See to it that it is not the food in your belly that elevates you, but the joy in your soul; since the former is excreted and †praise flows away with it, while the latter, even if the soul is separated, remains pure forever.
§2020. (31).
20. (31).
Ἐν ταῖς ἑστιάσεσι μέμνησο, ὅτι δύο ὑποδέχῃ, σῶμα καὶ ψυχήν, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν τῷ σώματι δῷς, τοῦτο εὐθὺς ἐξέχεας, ὅ τι δʼ ἂν τῇ ψυχῇ, διὰ παντὸς τηρεῖς.
In banquets, remember that you are entertaining two guests, body and soul; and whatever you give to the body, you immediately discard, but whatever you give to the soul, you keep forever.
§2121. (32).
21. (32).
Μὴ συγκεράσας ἅμα ὀργὴν πολυτελείᾳ προσενέγκῃς.
Do not serve anger mixed together with luxury.
πολυτέλεια μὲν 〈ἐμ〉πηδήασα τῷ σώματι μετʼ οὐ πολὺ οἴχεται, ἡ δὲ ὀργὴ ἐνδῦσα τῇ ψυχῇ ἐπὶ τὸ μήκιστον μένει.
Luxury, having leaped into the body, soon departs, but anger, having entered the soul, remains for the longest time.
σκόπει τοιγαροῦν, ὅπως μὴ ὑπʼ ὀργῆς ἐξαχθεὶς τοὺς δαιτυμόνας πολυτελῶς ὑβρίσῃς, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον μεθʼ ἡμερότητος εὐτελῶς εὐφράνῃς.
See to it, therefore, that you do not, carried away by anger, lavishly insult your guests, but rather delight them frugally with gentleness.
§2222. (12).
22. (12).
Αἰσχρὸν τοῖς τῶν μελιττῶν δωρήμασι γλυκάζοντα τὴν κατάποσιν τὸ τῶν θεῶν δῶρον πικράζειν τὸν λόγον τῇ κακίᾳ.
It is shameful, while sweetening your swallowing with the gifts of bees, to embitter with wickedness the gift of the gods, which is reason.
§2323. (33).
23. (33).
Μελέτω σοι ἐν τοῖς σιτίοις, ὅπως σοι οἱ ὑπουργοῦντες μὴ πλείους τῶν ὑπουργουμένων ὑπάρχωσιν· ἄτοπον γὰρ ὀλίγαις στιβάσι πολλὰς δουλεύειν ψυχάς.
In meals, let it be your care that those who serve do not exceed in number those who are served; for it is absurd for many souls to serve a few couches.
§2424. (34).
24. (34).
Ἄριστον μέν, εἰ κἀν ταῖς παρασκευαῖς χειρουργῶν κἀν ταῖς τροφαῖς ἑστιώμενος κοινωνεῖς τοῖς θεραπεύουσι τῶν παρόντων.
It is best if, both working with your own hands during preparations and being feasted during meals, you share what is present with those who serve you.
εἰ δὲ τὸ τοιόνδε δυσχερὲς τῷ καιρῷ ὑπάρχοι, μέμνησο, ὅτι μὴ κάμνων ὑπὸ καμνόντων ὑπουργῇ, ἐσθίων ὑπὸ μὴ ἐσθιόντων, πίνων ὑπὸ μὴ πινόντων, [ἐσθίων] λαλῶν ὑπὸ σιωπώντων, ἀνειμένος ὑπὸ συνεσταλμένων·
But if such a thing should be difficult due to the occasion, remember that you, not laboring, are served by those who labor; eating, by those who do not eat; drinking, by those who do not drink; speaking, by those who remain silent; relaxed, by those who are constrained.
καὶ οὔτε αὐτὸς φλεγμήνας ἄτοπον πείσῃ οὐθʼ ἕτερον ἀγριάνας χαλεπὸν ἐργάσῃ.
And thus you will neither puff up and suffer anything absurd, nor will you make another wild and commit any harsh deed.
§2525. (35).
25. (35).
Ἐρίζειν καὶ φιλονεικεῖν πάντῃ μὲν ἀνοίκειον, μάλιστα δὲ ἐν ταῖς παρὰ πότον ὁμιλίαις ἀπρεπές.
To strive and contend is in every way unsuitable, but especially unbecoming in conversations over drink.
οὔτε γὰρ ἂν μεθύων νήφοντα διδάξειέ τις οὔτʼ αὖ μεθύων πρὸς νήφοντος πεισθείη.
For neither could one who is drunk instruct one who is sober, nor again could one who is drunk be persuaded by one who is sober.
ἔνθα δʼ ἂν μὴ παρῇ πειθοῦς τέλος, εἰκῇ σε παρέχεις διατείνεσθαι.
And where the end of persuasion is not present, you offer yourself to strive in vain.
§2626. (36).
26. (36).
Οἱ τέττιγες μουσικοί, οἱ δὲ κοχλίαι ἄφωνοι· χαίρουσι δὲ οἱ μὲν ὑγραινόμενοι, οἱ δὲ ἀλεαινόμενοι·
Cicadas are musical, but snails are voiceless; the former delight in being warmed, the latter in being moistened.
ἔπειτα προκαλεῖται τοὺς μὲν ἡ δρόσος καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ ἐκδύνουσι, τοὺς δʼ αὖ διεγείρει ἀκμάζων ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ᾄδουσι.
Then, dew entices the latter, and they creep out upon it; but the blazing sun awakens the former, and they sing under it.
τοιγαροῦν εἰ βούλει μουσικὸς καὶ εὐάρμοστος ὑπάρχειν ἀνήρ, ἡνίκʼ ἂν ἐν τοῖς πότοις ὑπὸ τοῦ οἴνου δροσισθῇ ἡ ψυχή, τότε αὐτὴν μὴ ἔα προιοῦσαν μολύνεσθαι· ἀλλʼ ἡνίκʼ ἂν ἐν τοῖς συνεδρίοις ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου διαπυρωθῇ, τότε θεσπίζειν καὶ ᾄδειν τὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης κέλευε λόγια.
Therefore, if you wish to be a musical and well-harmonized man, when your soul is moistened by wine in drinking parties, do not allow it to go forth and be defiled; but when it is set on fire by reason in assemblies, then command it to utter and sing the oracles of justice.
§2727. (37).
27. (37).
Τὸν προσομιλοῦντα τριχῇ διασκοποῦ, ἢ ὡς ἀμείνονα ἢ ὡς ἥττονα ἢ ὡς ἴσον·
Examine your interlocutor in three ways: either as your superior, or as your inferior, or as your equal.
καὶ εἰ μὲν ἀμείνονα, ἀκούειν χρὴ καὶ πείθεσθαι αὐτῷ· εἰ δὲ ἥττονα, πείθειν· εἰ δὲ ἴσον, συμφωνεῖν· καὶ οὔποτε ἁλώσῃ φιλονεικίας.
And if superior, you should listen and obey him; if inferior, persuade him; if equal, agree with him; and you will never be caught in contention.
§2828. (38).
28. (38).
Ἄμεινον τῇ ἀληθεία συγχωρήσαντα τὴν δόξαν νικᾶν ἢ τῇ δόξῃ συγχωρήσαντα πρὸς τῆς ἀληθείας ἡττᾶσθαι.
It is better, by yielding to the truth, to conquer opinion, than, by yielding to opinion, to be defeated by the truth.
§2929. (39).
29. (39).
Ζητῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὐ ζητήσεις τὸ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου νικᾶν καὶ εὑρὼν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἕξεις τὸ μὴ νικᾶσθαι.
Seeking the truth, you will not seek to conquer by every means, and having found the truth, you will possess being unconquered.
§3030. (40).
30. (40).
Ἡ ἀλήθεια παρʼ αὑτῇ νικᾷ, ἡ δὲ δόξα παρὰ τοῖς ἔξω.
Truth conquers by itself, but opinion conquers among those who are without.