§13.1Neque vero ille minus bonus pater familias habitus est quam civis.
Nor indeed was he considered a less good master of a household than a citizen.
nam cum esset pecuniosus, nemo illo minus fuit emax, minus aedificator.
For though he was wealthy, no one was less fond of buying or less of a builder than he.
neque tamen non inprimis bene habitavit omnibusque optimis rebus usus est.
And yet he did, in an eminent degree, dwell well, and enjoyed all the best things.
§13.2nam domum habuit in colle Quirinali Tamphilianam, ab avunculo hereditate relictam, cuius amoenitas non aedificio, sed silva constabat: ipsum enim tectum antiquitus constitutum plus salis quam sumptus habebat: in quo nihil commutavit, nisi si quid vetustate coactus est.
For he had a house on the Quirinal hill, the Tamphilian house, left to him as an inheritance by his maternal uncle, the charm of which consisted not in the building, but in the grove; for the house itself, constructed in the old style, had more of taste than of expense; in which he made no change, unless he was compelled by its decay.
§13.3usus est familia, si utilitate iudicandum est, optima, si forma, vix mediocri.
He made use of a household of slaves which, if judged by utility, was excellent, but if by appearance, scarcely mediocre.
namque in ea erant pueri litteratissimi, anagnostae optimi et plurimi librarii, ut ne pedisequus quidem quisquam esset, qui non utrumque horum pulchre facere posset, pari modo artifices ceteri, quos cultus domesticus desiderat, apprime boni.
For there were in it highly educated boys, excellent readers, and very many copyists, so that there was not even any footman who could not perform both of these duties beautifully; in like manner, the other artisans whom domestic life requires were exceedingly good.
§13.4neque tamen horum quemquam nisi domi natum domique factum habuit: quod est signum non solum continentiae, sed etiam diligentiae.
And yet he possessed none of these except those born and trained at home; which is a sign not only of self-restraint, but also of diligence.
nam et non intemperanter concupiscere, quod a plurimis videas, continentis debet duci, et potius industria quam pretio parare non mediocris est diligentiae.
For both not to desire immoderately what you may see desired by many ought to be deemed the part of a self-restrained man, and to procure them by industry rather than by price belongs to no ordinary diligence.
§13.5elegans, non magnificus, splendidus, non sumptuosus: omnisque diligentia munditiam, non affluentiam affectabat.
He was elegant, not magnificent; splendid, not sumptuous; and all his care aimed at neatness, not abundance.
supellex modica, non multa, ut in neutram partem conspici posset.
His furniture was moderate, not abundant, so that it could not attract attention in either direction.
§13.6nec praeteribo, quamquam nonnullis leve visum iri putem, cum inprimis lautus esset eques Romanus et non parum liberaliter domum suam omnium ordinum homines invitaret, non amplius quam terna milia peraeque in singulos menses ex ephemeride eum expensum sumptui ferre solitum.
Nor will I pass over, although I think it will seem trivial to some, that, while he was an especially refined Roman knight and invited men of all ranks to his house in no small measure liberally, he was accustomed, as appeared from his daybook, to enter for his expenses not more than three thousand sesterces on average for each month.
§13.7atque hoc non auditum, sed cognitum praedicamus: saepe enim propter familiaritatem domesticis rebus interfuimus.
And this I declare not from hearsay, but from personal knowledge; for because of our intimacy, I was often present at his domestic affairs.