§1.17.1Παρὰ τῶν θεῶν τὸ ἀγαθοὺς πάππους, ἀγαθοὺς γονέας, ἀγαθὴν ἀδελφήν, ἀγαθοὺς διδασκάλους, ἀγαθοὺς οἰκείους, συγγενεῖς, φίλους σχεδὸν ἅπαντας ἔχειν· καὶ ὅτι περὶ οὐδένα αὐτῶν προέπεσον πλημμελῆσαί τι, καίτοι διάθεσιν ἔχων τοιαύτην, ἀφ’ ἧς, εἰ ἔτυχε, κἂν ἔπραξά τι τοιοῦτο· τῶν θεῶν δὲ εὐποιία τὸ μηδεμίαν συνδρομὴν πραγμάτων γενέσθαι, ἥτις ἔμελλέ με ἐλέγξειν.
From the gods, that I had good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, kinsmen, friends, nearly all of them; and that I did not fall into any offense against any of them, although I had a disposition of such a kind that, if opportunity had offered, I might have done something of the sort; but it was the benevolence of the gods that no clash of circumstances occurred which was likely to expose me.
§1.17.2καὶ τὸ μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον τραφῆναι παρὰ τῇ παλλακῇ τοῦ πάππου καὶ τὸ τὴν ὥραν διασῶσαι καὶ τὸ μὴ πρὸ ὥρας ἀνδρωθῆναι, ἀλλ’ ἔτι καὶ ἐπιλαβεῖν τοῦ χρόνου.
And that I was not brought up any longer with my grandfather's concubine; and that I preserved the flower of my youth; and that I did not play the man before my time, but even deferred it.
§1.17.3τὸ ἄρχοντι καὶ πατρὶ ὑποταχθῆναι, ὃς ἔμελλε πάντα τὸν τῦφον ἀφαιρήσειν μου καὶ εἰς ἔννοιαν ἄξειν τοῦ ὅτι δυνατόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐλῇ βιοῦντα μήτε δορυφορήσεων χρῄζειν μήτε ἐσθήτων σημειωδῶν μήτε λαμπάδων καὶ ἀνδριάντων τοιῶνδέ τινων καὶ τοῦ ὁμοίου κόμπου, ἀλλ̓ ἔξεστιν ἐγγυτάτω ἰδιώτου συστέλλειν ἑαυτὸν καὶ μὴ διὰ τοῦτο ταπεινότερον ἢ ῥᾳθυμότερον ἔχειν πρὸς τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν κοινῶν ἡγεμονικῶς πραχθῆναι δέοντα.
That I was subjected to a ruler and a father who was to take away all pride from me, and to bring me to the understanding that it is possible for one living in a palace to need neither guards, nor conspicuous dresses, nor torches and statues of this sort, nor similar show, but that it is in one's power to humble oneself very nearly to the style of a private person, and yet not for this reason to be more spiritless or remiss in those duties which must be performed in a princely manner on behalf of the public.
§1.17.4τὸ ἀδελφοῦ τοιούτου τυχεῖν, δυναμένου μὲν διὰ ἤθους ἐπεγεῖραί με πρὸς ἐπιμέλειαν ἐμαυτοῦ, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τιμῇ καὶ στοργῇ εὐφραίνοντός με· τὸ παιδία μοι ἀφυῆ μὴ γενέσθαι μηδὲ κατὰ τὸ σωμάτιον διάστροφα. τὸ μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον με προκόψαι ἐν ῥητορικῇ καὶ ποιητικῇ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιτηδεύμασιν, ἐν οἷς ἴσως ἂν κατεσχέθην, εἰ ᾐσθόμην ἐμαυτὸν εὐόδως προιόντα.
That I met with such a brother, who was able by his character to rouse me to care of myself, and at the same time pleased me by his respect and affection; that my children were not lacking in natural parts, nor deformed in body; that I did not make more progress in rhetoric, poetry, and other studies, in which I should perhaps have been completely engrossed, if I had felt myself making successful progress.
§1.17.5τὸ φθάσαι τοὺς τροφέας ἐν ἀξιώματι καταστῆσαι, οὗ δὴ ἐδόκουν μοι ἐπιθυμεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἀναβαλέσθαι ἐλπίδι τοῦ με, ἐπεὶ νέοι ἔτι ἦσαν, ὕστερον αὐτὸ πράξειν. τὸ γνῶναι Ἀπολλώνιον, Ῥούστικον, Μάξιμον.
That I anticipated my tutors by placing them in such posts of honor as they seemed to desire, and did not put them off with the hope that, since they were still young, I should do it later; that I came to know Apollonius, Rusticus, Maximus.
§1.17.6τὸ φαντασθῆναι περὶ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν βίου ἐναργῶς καὶ πολλάκις οἷός τίς ἐστιν, ὥστε, ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐκεῖθεν διαδόσεσι καὶ συλλήψεσι καὶ ἐπιπνοίαις, μηδὲν κωλύειν ἤδη κατὰ φύσιν ζῆν με, ἀπολείπεσθαι δὲ ἔτι τούτου παρὰ τὴν ἐμὴν αἰτίαν καὶ παρὰ τὸ μὴ διατηρεῖν τὰς ἐκ τῶν θεῶν ὑπομνήσεις καὶ μονονουχὶ διδασκαλίας· §1.17.7τὸ ἀντισχεῖν μοι τὸ σῶμα ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐν τοιούτῳ βίῳ· τὸ μήτε Βενεδίκτης ἅψασθαι μήτε Θεοδότου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὕστερον ἐν ἐρωτικοῖς πάθεσι γενόμενον ὑγιᾶναι· τὸ χαλεπήναντα πολλάκις Ῥουστίκῳ μηδὲν πλέον πρᾶξαι, ἐφ’ ᾧ ἂν μετέγνων· τὸ μέλλουσαν νέαν τελευτᾶν τὴν τεκοῦσαν ὅμως οἰκῆσαι μετ’ ἐμοῦ τὰ τελευταῖα ἔτη.
That I received a clear and frequent impression of what a life according to nature is, so that, as far as the gods and their gifts, assistance, and inspirations are concerned, there was nothing to prevent me from living according to nature already, but that I still fall short of this by my own fault, and through not observing the warnings and almost direct instructions of the gods; that my body held out so long in such a life; that I touched neither Benedicta nor Theodotus, but that, even when I fell into amorous passions later, I was cured; that, though I was often angry with Rusticus, I never did anything of which I had to repent; that my mother, though she was destined to die young, yet lived with me her last years.
§1.17.8τὸ ὁσάκις ἐβουλήθην ἐπικουρῆσαί τινι πενομένῳ ἢ εἰς ἄλλο τι χρῄζοντι, μηδέποτε ἀκοῦσαί με, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι μοι χρήματα, ὅθεν γένηται, καὶ τὸ αὐτῷ ἐμοὶ χρείαν ὁμοίαν, ὡς παρ’ ἑτέρου μεταλαβεῖν, μὴ συμπεσεῖν· τὸ τὴν γυναῖκα τοιαύτην εἶναι, οὑτωσὶ μὲν πειθήνιον, οὕτω δὲ φιλόστοργον, οὕτω δὲ ἀφελῆ· τὸ ἐπιτηδείων τροφέων εἰς τὰ παιδία εὐπορῆσαι.
That, as often as I wished to help anyone who was poor or in any other need, I was never told that I had no money wherewith to do it; and that I myself never fell into a similar need of receiving help from another; that my wife is such as she is, so obedient, so affectionate, so simple; that I had an abundance of suitable tutors for my children.
§1.17.9τὸ δι’ ὀνειράτων βοηθήματα δοθῆναι ἄλλα τε καὶ ὡς μὴ πτύειν αἷμα καὶ μὴ ἰλιγγιᾶν, καὶ τούτου ἐν Καιήτῃ ὥσπερ χρήσῃ· τὸ ὅπως ἐπεθύμησα φιλοσοφίας, μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἴς τινα σοφιστὴν μηδὲ ἀποκαθίσαι ἐπὶ τὸ συγγράφειν ἢ συλλογισμοὺς ἀναλύειν ἢ περὶ τὰ μετεωρολογικὰ καταγίνεσθαι.
That remedies were given to me through dreams, especially against spitting of blood and giddiness, and as at Caieta so also by way of an oracle; that, when I desired philosophy, I did not fall in with any sophist, nor sit down to write books or resolve syllogisms, or occupy myself about the phenomena of the heavens.
πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα ʽθεῶν βοηθῶν καὶ τύχης δεῖται. ʼ
Τὰ ἐν Κουάδοις πρὸς τῷ Γρανούᾳ.
For all these things "require the help of the gods and fortune." In the country of the Quadi, by the Granua.