§2.16"o(/ti au)ta/rkhs h(a)reth\ pro\s eu)daimoni/an"
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nec vero ego M. Regulum aerumnosum nec infelicem nec miserum umquam putavi; non enim magnitudo animi cruciabatur eius a Poenis, non gravitas, non fides, non constantia, non ulla virtus, non denique animus ipse, qui tot virtutum praesidio tantoque comitatu, cum corpus eius caperetur, capi certe ipse non potuit.
"That virtue is sufficient of itself for happiness" Indeed, I have never thought M. Regulus to be distressed, nor unhappy, nor miserable; for his greatness of soul was not tortured by the Carthaginians, nor his gravity, nor his faith, nor his constancy, nor any virtue, nor finally his mind itself, which, with the protection of so many virtues and with so great a retinue, when his body was being captured, could certainly not be captured itself.
C. vero Marium vidimus, qui mihi secundis rebus unus ex fortunatis hominibus, adversis unus ex summis viris videbatur, quo beatius esse mortali nihil potest.
On the other hand, we have seen C. Marius, who seemed to me in prosperity one of the fortunate men, in adversity one of the greatest men, than which nothing can be happier for a mortal.
§2.17nescis, insane, nescis, quantas viris virtus habeat; nomen tantum virtutis usurpas, quid ipsa valeat ignoras: nemo potest non beatissimus esse, qui est totus aptus ex sese quique in se uno sua ponit omnia.
You do not know, madman, you do not know how great a force virtue possesses; you only usurp the name of virtue, you are ignorant of what it can do itself: no one can fail to be most happy, who is entirely dependent on himself and who places all his things in himself alone.
cui spes omnis et ratio et cogitatio pendet ex fortuna, huic nihil potest esse certi, nihil quod exploratum habeat permansurum sibi unum diem; eum tu hominem terreto, si quem eris nanctus, istis mortis aut exsilii minis: mihi vero quicquid acciderit in tam ingrata civitate, ne recusanti quidem evenerit, non modo repugnanti.
For him whose entire hope, reason, and thought depend on fortune, nothing can be certain, nothing which he holds as assured to remain with him for a single day; threaten that man, if you find any such, with those threats of yours of death or exile: but for me, whatever happens in so ungrateful a state, it will come to pass not even with my refusing, let alone with my resisting.
quid enim ego laboravi aut quid egi aut in quo evigilarunt curae et cogitationes meae, si quidem nihil peperi tale, nihil consecutus sum, ut eo statu essem, quem neque fortunae temeritas neque inimicorum labefactaret iniuria? mortemne mihi minitaris, §2.18ut omnino ab hominibus, an exsilium, ut ab inprobis demigrandum sit? mors terribilis iis, quorum cum vita omnia exstinguuntur, non iis, quorum laus emori non potest; exsilium autem illis, quibus quasi circumscriptus est habitandi locus, non iis, qui omnem orbem terrarum unam urbem esse ducunt.
For why did I labor, or what did I do, or in what did my cares and thoughts keep watch, if indeed I have produced nothing of such a kind, attained nothing, so that I might be in that state which neither the recklessness of fortune nor the injustice of enemies could shake? Do you threaten me with death, so that I must depart from men altogether, or with exile, so that I must depart from the wicked? Death is terrible to those with whose life all things are extinguished, not to those whose praise cannot die; exile, moreover, is terrible to those for whom the place of habitation is, as it were, circumscribed, not to those who consider the entire world to be one city.
te miseriae, te aerumnae premunt omnes, qui te beatum, qui florentem putas; te lubidines torquent; tu dies noctisque cruciaris, cui nec sat est quod est et id ipsum ne non diuturnum sit futurum times; te conscientiae stimulant maleficiorum tuorum; te metus exanimant iudiciorum atque legum; quocumque adspexisti, ut furiae sic tuae tibi occurrunt iniuriae, quae te suspirare libere non sinunt.
All miseries, all distresses press upon you, who think yourself happy, who think yourself flourishing; lusts torture you; you are tormented day and night, for whom what is present is not enough, and you fear that very thing, lest it should not be long-lasting; the consciousness of your misdeeds pricks you; fears of judgments and laws take away your breath; wherever you have looked, just like Furies, your injustices run to meet you, which do not allow you to breathe freely.
§2.19quam ob rem ut inprobo et stulto et inerti nemini bene esse potest, sic bonus vir et sapiens et fortis miser esse nemo potest; nec vero, cuius virtus moresque laudandi sunt, eius non laudanda vita est, neque porro fugienda vita est quae laudanda est, esset autem fugienda, si esset misera.
Therefore, just as it cannot go well for anyone who is wicked, foolish, and idle, so no good, wise, and brave man can be miserable; nor indeed, of him whose virtue and character are to be praised, is his life not to be praised, nor furthermore is a life to be fled from which is to be praised, though it would have to be fled from if it were miserable.
quam ob rem quicquid est laudabile, idem et beatum et florens et expetendum videri decet.
Therefore, whatever is praiseworthy, it is fitting that the same also seem happy, flourishing, and to be sought after.