§2.1Natus igitur patre, quo diximus, genere honesto, pauper iam a maioribus relictus est, eruditus autem sic ut nemo Thebanus magis.
He was born, therefore, of the father whom we have mentioned, of a noble family, but was left poor by his ancestors; he was, however, so well educated that no Theban was more so.
nam et citharizare et cantare ad chordarum sonum doctus est a Dionysio, qui non minore fuit in musicis gloria quam Damon aut Lamprus, quorum pervulgata sunt nomina, cantare tibiis ab Olympiodoro, saltare a Calliphrone.
For he was taught to play the lyre and to sing to the sound of stringed instruments by Dionysius, who was of no less reputation in music than Damon or Lamprus, whose names are widely known; to sing to the flute by Olympiodorus, and to dance by Calliphron.
§2.2at philosophiae praeceptorem habuit Lysim Tarentinum, Pythagoreum: cui quidem sic fuit deditus, ut adulescens tristem ac severum senem omnibus aequalibus suis in familiaritate anteposuerit; neque prius eum a se dimisit, quam in doctrinis tanto antecessit condiscipulos, ut facile intellegi posset pari modo superaturum omnes in ceteris artibus.
But for his teacher of philosophy he had Lysis of Tarentum, a Pythagorean, to whom indeed he was so devoted that, though a young man, he preferred the company of that grave and austere old man to all those of his own age; nor did he let him go from him until he so far surpassed his schoolfellows in learning that it could easily be understood that he would in like manner surpass all others in the remaining arts.
§2.3atque haec ad nostram consuetudinem sunt levia et potius contemnenda; at in Graecia, utique olim, magnae laudi erant.
And these things, according to our customs, are trivial and rather to be despised; but in Greece, at least in former times, they were of great praise.
§2.4postquam ephebus est factus et palaestrae dare operam coepit, non tam magnitudini virium servivit quam velocitati: illam enim ad athletarum usum, hanc ad belli existimabat pertinere.
After he became a youth and began to apply himself to the palaestra, he did not study the greatness of his strength so much as agility; for he thought that the former belonged to the purpose of athletes, but the latter to that of war.
itaque exercebatur plurimum currendo et luctando ad eum finem, quoad stans complecti posset atque contendere.
Therefore, he exercised himself very much in running and wrestling, to the end that, while standing, he might be able to grapple and contend.
in armis vero plurimum studii consumebat.
In arms, indeed, he consumed the greatest part of his study.