§3131. (8).
31. (8).
Ἐλευθερία καὶ δουλεία, τὸ μὲν ἀρετῆς ὄνομα, τὸ δὲ κακίας, ἄμφω δὲ προαιρέσεως ἔργα.
Freedom and slavery, the one is a name of virtue, the other of vice, and both are works of choice.
οἶς δὲ προαίρεσις οὐ κοινωνεῖ, τούτων ψαύει μὲν οὐδέτερον· τύχη δὲ δεσπόζειν εἴωθε σώματος καὶ ὅσα τῶν ἀμφὶ σῶμα προαιρέσεως ἀκοινώνητα.
But neither of them touches those things in which choice has no share; rather, fortune is accustomed to rule over the body and all those things around the body that do not share in choice.
οὐδεὶς γὰρ δοῦλος τὴν προαίρεσιν ὑπάρχων ἐλεύθερος.
For no one who is a slave in his choice is free.
§3232. (9).
32. (9).
Κακὸς δεσμὸς σώματος μὲν τύχη, ψυχῆς δὲ κακία.
A bad bond of the body is fortune, but of the soul, vice.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὸ σῶμα λελυμένος, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν δεδεμένος δοῦλος· ὁ δʼ αὖ τὸ σῶμα δεδεμένος, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν λελυμένος ἐλεύθερος.
For he who is released in body but bound in soul is a slave; whereas he who is bound in body but released in soul is free.
§3333. (10).
33. (10).
Τὸν μὲν τοῦ σώματος δεσμὸν λύει καὶ φύσις διὰ θανάτου καὶ κακία διὰ χρημάτων, τὸν δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρετὴ διὰ μαθήσεως καὶ ἐμπειρίας καὶ ἀσκήσεως.
The bond of the body is dissolved both by nature through death and by vice through money, but that of the soul is dissolved by virtue through learning, experience, and practice.
§3434. (11).
34. (11).
Εἰ βούλει ἀταράχως καὶ εὐαρέστως ζῆν, πειρῶ τοὺς συνοικοῦντάς σοι σύμπαντας ἀγαθοὺς ἔχειν·
If you wish to live untroubled and content, try to have all those who dwell with you be good.
ἕξεις δὲ ἀγαθούς, εἰ τοὺς μὲν ἑκόντας παιδεύοις, τοὺς δὲ ἄκοντας ἔπειτα κεχειρωμένους ἀπολύοις.
And you will have them good if you educate those who are willing, and then set free those who are unwilling after they have been subdued.
συμφεύξεται γὰρ τοῖς φυγοῦσιν ἡ μοχθηρία ἅμα καὶ ἡ δουλεία, συναπολειφθήσεται δὲ τοῖς συμμένουσί σοι ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ ἐλευθερία.
For wickedness and slavery will flee together with those who run away, while goodness and freedom will remain together with those who stay with you.
§3535. (41).
35. (41).
Βέλτιον μετὰ ἑνὸς ἐλευθέρου ζῶντα ἄφοβον καὶ ἐλεύθερον ὑπάρχειν ἢ μετὰ πολλῶν δουλεύειν.
It is better to live with one free man, being fearless and free, than to be a slave with many.
§3636. (42).
36. (42).
Ὅπερ φεύγεις παθεῖν, τοῦτο μὴ ἐπιχείρει διατιθέναι· φεύγεις δὲ δουλείαν, φυλάσσου τὸ δουλεύεσθαι.
What you avoid suffering yourself, do not attempt to inflict on others; you avoid slavery, so guard against owning slaves.
ὑπομένων γὰρ δουλεύεσθαι αὐτὸς ὑπάρχειν πρότερον ἔοικας δοῦλος· οὔτε γὰρ κακίᾳ ἀρετὴ κοινωνεῖ οὔτε ἐλευθερία δουλείᾳ.
For if you tolerate being served by slaves, you yourself seem to be first a slave; for neither does virtue share with vice, nor freedom with slavery.
§3737. (43).
37. (43).
Ὥσπερ ὁ ὑγιαίνων οὐκ ἂν ὑπὸ νοσούντων βούλοιτο θεραπεύεσθαι οὐδὲ τοὺς συνοικοῦντας ἑαυτῷ νοσεῖν, οὕτως οὐδʼ ὁ ἐλεύθερος ἀνάσχοιτʼ ἂν ὑπὸ δούλων ὑπηρετεῖσθαι ἢ τοὺς συμβιοῦντας ἑαυτῷ δουλεύειν.
Just as a healthy person would not wish to be cared for by the sick, nor for those who live with him to be sick, so neither would a free man tolerate being served by slaves, or for those who live with him to be enslaved.
§3838. (44).
38. (44).
Εἰ βούλει δούλων ἐκτὸς ὑπάρχειν, αὐτὸς ἀἀπολύθητι δουλείας· ἔσῃ δʼ ἐλεύθερος, ἐὰν ἀπολυθῇς ἐπιθυμίας.
If you wish to be without slaves, be yourself released from slavery; and you will be free if you are released from desire.
οὔτε γὰρ Ἀριστείδης οὔτε Ἐπαμεινώνδας οὔτε Λυκοῦργος πλουτοῦντες καὶ δουλευόμενοι ὁ μὲν δίκαιος, ὁ δὲ σωτήρ, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἀνηγορεύθησαν· ἀλλʼ ὅτι πενόμενοι τὴν Ἑλλάδα δουλείας ἀπέλυον.
For neither Aristides, nor Epaminondas, nor Lycurgus was proclaimed, the one just, the other savior, and the third a god, because they were wealthy and had slaves, but because they, being poor, released Greece from slavery.
§3939. (45).
39. (45).
Εἰ βούλει σοι τὴν οἰκίαν εὖ οἰκεῖσθαι, μιμοῦ τὸν Σπαρτιάτην Λυκοῦργον.
If you wish your house to be well-administered, imitate Lycurgus the Spartan.
ὃν γὰρ τρόπον οὗτος οὐ τείχεσι τὴν πόλιν ἔφραξεν, ἀλλʼ ἀρετῇ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ὠχύρωσε καὶ διαπαντὸς ἐτήρησεν ἐλευθέραν τὴν πόλιν, οὕτω καὶ σὺ μὴ μεγάλην αὐλὴν περιβάλλου καὶ πύργους ὑψηλοὺς ἀνίστα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας εὐνοίᾳ καὶ πίστει καὶ φιλίᾳ στήριζε· καὶ οὐδὲν εἰς αὐτὴν εἰσελεύσεται βλαβερόν, οὐδʼ ἂν τὸ σύμπαν τῆς κακίας παρατάξηται στῖφος.
For in the same manner as he did not fortify the city with walls, but secured the inhabitants with virtue and kept the city free forever, so you too should not enclose a large courtyard and erect lofty towers, but strengthen the inhabitants with goodwill, trust, and friendship; and nothing harmful will enter into it, not even if the entire host of vice should draw itself up in battle array.
§40(75) 40. (46).
(75) 40. (46).
Μὴ πίναξι καὶ γραφαῖς τὴν οἰκίαν σου περίβαλλε, ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνῃ κατάγραφε.
Do not surround your house with tablets and paintings, but decorate it with temperance.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀλλοῖον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐστιν ἐπίκαιρος γοητεία, τὸ δὲ σύμφυτος καὶ ἀνεξάλειπτος καὶ ἀίδιος οἰκίας κόσμος.
For the former is a temporary enchantment of the eyes, but the latter is an inherent, indelible, and eternal ornament of a house.
§4141. (47).
41. (47).
Ἀντὶ βοῶν ἀγέλης πειρῶ φίλων ἀγέλας ἐναγελάζεσθαί σου τῇ οἰκίᾳ.
Instead of a herd of oxen, try to gather herds of friends into your house.
§4242. (48).
42. (48).
Ὥσπερ λύκος ὅμοιον κυνί, οὕτω καὶ κόλαξ καὶ μοίχὸς καὶ παράσιτος ὅμοιον φίλῳ.
As a wolf resembles a dog, so a flatterer, an adulterer, and a parasite resemble a friend.
πρόσεχε τοιγαροῦν, μὴ ἀντὶ κυνῶν φυλάκων λάθῃς λυμεῶνας εἰσδεχόμενος λύκους.
Pay attention, therefore, lest instead of watchdog guardians you secretly receive destructive wolves.
§4343. (49).
43. (49).
Τὸ μὲν γύψῳ λευκανθίζουσαν σπουδάζειν θαυμάζεσθαι τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπειροκάλου, τὸ δὲ ἦθος χρηστότητι κοινωνίας λαμπρύνειν φιλοκάλου ἅμα καὶ φιλανθρώπου.
To be eager for one's house to be admired because it is whitened with plaster is the mark of a tasteless person; but to brighten one's character with the goodness of association is the mark of a lover of beauty and, at the same time, a lover of humanity.
§4444. (50).
44. (50).
Ἐὰν θαυμάζῃς τὰ μικρὰ πρὸ τῶν μεγάλων, καταφρονήσῃ· ἐὰν δὲ καταφρονήσῃς τῶν μικρῶν μεγάλως, θαυμασθήσῃ.
If you admire small things rather than great ones, you will be despised; but if you greatly despise small things, you will be admired.
§4545. (51).
45. (51).
Οὐδὲν μικρότερον φιλοκερδείας καὶ φιληδονίας καὶ ἀλαζονείας· οὐδὲν κρεῖσσον μεγαλοφροσύνης καὶ ἡμερότητος καὶ φιλανθρωπίας καὶ εὐποιίας.
There is nothing smaller than love of gain, love of pleasure, and vanity; nothing better than greatness of soul, gentleness, love of humanity, and beneficence.
§4646. (13).
46. (13).
Οὐδεὶς φιλοχρήματος καὶ φιλήδονος καὶ φιλόδοξος φιλάνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ μόνος ὁ φιλόκαλος.
No one who is a lover of money, a lover of pleasure, and a lover of fame is a lover of humanity, but only the lover of beauty.
§4747. (14).
47. (14).
Ὥσπερ οὐκ ἂν ἐβούλου ἐν νηὶ μεγάλῃ καὶ γλαφυρᾷ καὶ πολυχρύσῳ πλέων βαπτίζεσθαι, οὕτω μηδὲ ἐν οἰκίᾳ αἱροῦ ὑπερμεγέθει καὶ πολυτελεῖ αὐλιζόμενος χειμάζεσθαι.
Just as you would not wish, when sailing in a large, hollow, and richly gilded ship, to be submerged, so do not choose, when dwelling in an excessively large and costly house, to be storm-tossed.