§5.36.1Μὴ ὁλοσχερῶς τῇ φαντασίᾳ συναρπάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ βοηθεῖν μὲν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κατ’ ἀξίαν, κἂν εἰς τὰ μέσα ἐλαττῶνται, μὴ μέντοι βλάβην αὐτὸ φαντάζεσθαι· κακὸν γὰρ ἔθος.
Do not be completely carried away by the impression, but help to the best of your power and according to what is merited, even if they suffer disadvantage in things indifferent; yet do not imagine this to be a harm, for that is a bad habit.
ἀλλ’ ὡς ὁ γέρων ἀπελθὼν τὸν τοῦ θρεπτοῦ ῥόμβον ἀπῄτει, μεμνημένος ὅτι ῥόμβος, οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὧδε.
Rather, just as the old man, when departing, used to ask for his foster-child's top, remembering that it was only a top, so you must do here as well.
ἐπεί τοι γίνῃ καλῶν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμβόλων.
For you are indeed crying out on the rostra.
ἄνθρωπε, ἐπελάθου τί ταῦτα ἦν; —ναί· ἀλλὰ τούτοις περισπούδαστα. —διὰ τοῦτ’ οὖν καὶ σὺ μωρὸς γένῃ; Ἐγενόμην ποτέ, ὁπουδήποτε καταληφθείς, εὔμοιρος ἄνθρωπος· τὸ δὲ εὔμοιρος, ἀγαθὴν μοῖραν σεαυτῷ ἀπονείμας·
"My friend, have you forgotten what these things were?" — "Yes, but they are highly prized by these people." — "Are you then for this reason to become a fool as well?" I was once, wherever I might have been overtaken, a fortunate man; but "fortunate" means having assigned a good fortune to oneself.
ἀγαθαὶ δὲ μοῖραι ἀγαθαὶ τροπαὶ ψυχῆς, ἀγαθαὶ ὁρμαί, ἀγαθαὶ πράξεις.
And good fortunes are good dispositions of the soul, good impulses, good actions.