§4.1Tentata autem eius est abstinentia a Diomedonte Cyziceno: namque is rogatu Artaxerxis regis Epaminondam pecunia corrumpendum susceperat.
But his self-control was tested by Diomedon of Cyzicus; for he, at the request of King Artaxerxes, had undertaken to corrupt Epaminondas with money.
hic magno cum pondere auri Thebas venit et Micythum adulescentulum, quem tum Epaminondas plurimum diligebat, quinque talentis ad suam perduxit voluntatem.
This man came to Thebes with a great weight of gold, and by means of five talents won over to his own will the youth Micythus, whom Epaminondas at that time loved exceedingly.
Micythus Epaminondam convenit et causam adventus Diomedontis ostendit.
Micythus went to Epaminondas and disclosed the cause of Diomedon's arrival.
§4.2at ille Diomedonti coram 'nihil' inquit 'opus pecunia est: nam si rex ea vult, quae Thebanis sunt utilia, gratiis facere sum paratus, sin autem contraria, non habet auri atque argenti satis.
But he said to Diomedon to his face, "There is no need of money; for if the King wishes those things which are useful to the Thebans, I am ready to do them for nothing; but if he wishes the contrary, he does not have enough gold and silver.
namque orbis terrarum divitias accipere nolo pro patriae caritate.
For I am unwilling to receive the riches of the whole world in exchange for my love of country.
§4.3tu quod me incognitum tentasti tuique similem existimasti, non miror tibique ignosco; sed egredere propere, ne alios corrumpas, cum me non potueris.
That you, not knowing me, have tested me and thought me like yourself, I do not wonder, and I forgive you; but depart quickly, lest you corrupt others, since you have not been able to corrupt me.
et tu, Micythe, argentum huic redde, aut, nisi id confestim facis, ego te tradam magistratui. ' §4.4hunc Diomedon cum rogaret, ut tuto exire suaque, quae attulerat, liceret efferre, 'istud quidem' inquit 'faciam, neque tua causa, sed mea, ne, si tibi sit pecunia adempta, aliquis dicat id ad me ereptum pervenisse, quod delatum accipere noluissem. ' §4.5a quo cum quaesisset, quo se deduci vellet, et ille Athenas dixisset, praesidium dedit, ut tuto perveniret.
And you, Micythus, return his money to this man; or, unless you do so immediately, I will deliver you to the magistrate." When Diomedon begged him that he might be allowed to depart in safety and carry away the property which he had brought, he said, "That indeed I will do, and not for your sake, but for my own, lest, if the money should be taken from you, someone should say that what I had refused to accept when offered, had come to me by plunder." When he had asked him where he wished to be conducted, and the other had said Athens, he gave him a guard that he might arrive in safety.
neque vero id satis habuit, sed etiam, ut inviolatus in navem escenderet, per Chabriam Atheniensem, de quo supra mentionem fecimus, effecit.
Nor indeed did he think that sufficient, but also, through Chabrias the Athenian, of whom we have made mention above, he effected that he should embark on his ship without injury.
§4.6abstinentiae erit hoc satis testimonium.
This will be a sufficient proof of his self-control.
plurima quidem proferre possumus, sed modus adhibendus est, quoniam uno hoc volumine vitam excellentium virorum complurium concludere constituimus, quorum res separatim multis milibus versuum complures scriptores ante nos explicarunt.
We could indeed produce many more, but a limit must be observed, since we have determined to enclose in this single volume the lives of many excellent men, whose deeds several writers before us have explained separately in many thousands of lines.