§2.3.82danda est ellebori multo pars maxima avaris: §2.3.83nescio an Anticyram ratio illis destinet omnem.
By far the largest portion of hellebore must be given to the covetous; I know not whether reason does not destine for them the whole of Anticyra.
§2.3.84heredes Staberi summam incidere sepulcro, §2.3.85ni sic fecissent, gladiatorum dare centum §2.3.86damnati populo paria atque epulum arbitrio arri, §2.3.87frumenti quantum metit Africa.
The heirs of Staberius engraved the sum of his fortune on his tomb; unless they had done so, they were bound defining a penalty to give a hundred pairs of gladiators to the people, and a feast at the discretion of Arrius, and as much corn as Africa reaps.
‘sive ego prave §2.3.88seu recte hoc volui, ne sis patruus mihi’: credo,
"Whether I have willed this badly or well, be not a harsh uncle to me," (said Staberius).
§2.3.89hoc Staberi prudentem animum vidisse.
I believe that the sagacious mind of Staberius foresaw this.
quid ergo §2.3.90sensit, cum summam patrimoni insculpere saxo
What then did he mean, when he wished his heirs to engrave the sum of his patrimony on the stone?
§2.3.91heredes voluit? quoad vixit, credidit ingens §2.3.92pauperiem vitium et cavit nihil acrius, ut, si §2.3.93forte minus locuples uno quadrante perisset, §2.3.94ipse videretur sibi nequior.
As long as he lived, he believed poverty to be a monstrous vice, and guarded against nothing more keenly; so that, if by chance he had died poorer by a single farthing, he would have seemed to himself to be a worse man.
‘omnis enim res, §2.3.95virtus, fama, decus, divina humanaque pulchris §2.3.96divitiis parent; quas qui construxerit, ille §2.3.97clarus erit, fortis, iustus. ’ ‘sapiensne?’ ‘etiam, et rex §2.3.98et quidquid volet. ’ hoc veluti virtute paratum §2.3.99speravit magnae laudi fore.
"For everything, virtue, fame, honor, divine and human affairs, obey beautiful riches; and whoever has amassed them, he will be famous, brave, and just." "What, and wise too?" "Yes, and a king, and whatever he wills." He hoped this would be a source of great praise to him, as if acquired by virtue.
quid simile isti §2.3.100Graecus Aristippus? qui servos proicere aurum
What did the Greek Aristippus do like this?
He ordered his slaves to throw away his gold in the middle of Libya, because they went too slowly on account of the burden, being sluggish.
uter est insanior horum?
Which of these is the madder?
§2.3.103nil agit exemplum, litem quod lite resolvit.
An example that solves one dispute by another dispute does nothing.
§2.3.104siquis emat citharas, emptas conportet in unum, §2.3.105nec studio citharae nec Musae deditus ulli, §2.3.106si scalpra et formas non sutor, nautica vela §2.3.107aversus mercaturis: delirus et amens §2.3.108undique dicatur merito.
If anyone should buy citharas, and when bought, should heap them together in one place, though devoted neither to the study of the cithara nor to any Muse; if anyone, not being a shoemaker, should buy awls and lasts, or sails for ships, though averse to trading; he would everywhere be justly called crazy and mad.
qui discrepat istis, §2.3.109qui nummos aurumque recondit, nescius uti §2.3.110conpositis metuensque velut contingere sacrum?
How does he differ from these, who hoards up coins and gold, not knowing how to use what he has gathered, and fearing to touch them as if they were sacred?
§2.3.111siquis ad ingentem frumenti semper acervum §2.3.112porrectus vigilet cum longo fuste neque illinc §2.3.113audeat esuriens dominus contingere granum §2.3.114ac potius foliis parcus vescatur amaris; §2.3.115si positis intus Chii veterisque Falerni §2.3.116mille cadis — nihil est: tercentum milibus, acre §2.3.117potet acetum; age si et stramentis incubet unde- §2.3.118octoginta annos natus, cui stragula vestis, §2.3.119blattarum ac tinearum epulae, putrescat in arca: §2.3.120nimirum insanus paucis videatur, eo quod §2.3.121maxima pars hominum morbo iactatur eodem.
If anyone should always watch, stretched out beside a huge heap of corn, with a long stick, and nor from there should dare, though its hungry owner, to touch a single grain, and should rather feed sparingly on bitter leaves; if, with a thousand jars of Chian and old Falernian stored within —that is nothing: three hundred thousand— he should drink sharp vinegar; or if he should lie on straw, though eighty years old lacking two, while his coverlet, the feast of cockroaches and moths, rots in his chest: doubtless he would seem mad to but few, because the greatest part of mankind is tossed about by the same disease.
§2.3.122filius aut etiam haec libertus ut ebibat heres, §2.3.123dis inimice senex custodis? ne tibi desit?
You old man, hateful to the gods, are you guarding these things so that your son or even a freedman heir may drink them up? Lest you should want?
§2.3.124quantulum enim summae curtabit quisque dierum, §2.3.125unguere si caules oleo meliore caputque §2.3.126coeperis inpexa foedum porrigine? quare,
For how little will each day deduct from the sum, if you begin to dress your cabbage with better oil, and your head foul with uncombed scurf?
§2.3.127si quidvis satis est, peiuras, surripis, aufers
Why, if anything is enough, do you perjure, steal, and plunder from everywhere?
§2.3.128undique? tun sanus? populum si caedere saxis
Are you sane?
§2.3.129incipias servosve tuos, quos aere pararis, §2.3.130insanum te omnes pueri clamentque puellae;
If you should begin to pelt the populace with stones, or your own slaves, whom you bought with money, all boys and girls would cry out that you are mad.
§2.3.131cum laqueo uxorem interimis matremque veneno, §2.3.132incolumi capite es? quid enim? neque tu hoc facis Argis §2.3.133nec ferro ut demens genetricem occidis Orestes.
When you murder your wife with a noose and your mother with poison, are you of sound mind? Why so? For you do not do this at Argos, nor do you slay your mother with the sword like the mad Orestes.
§2.3.134an tu reris eum occisa insanisse parente §2.3.135ac non ante malis dementem actum Furiis quam §2.3.136in matris iugulo ferrum tepefecit acutum?
Or do you think that he went mad after his mother was slain, and was not driven mad by the evil Furies before he warmed the sharp sword in his mother's throat?
§2.3.137quin, ex quo est habitus male tutae mentis Orestes, §2.3.138nil sane fecit quod tu reprehendere possis: §2.3.139non Pyladen ferro violare aususve sororem §2.3.140Electran, tantum maledicit utrique vocando §2.3.141hanc furiam, hunc aliud, iussit quod splendida bilis.
Nay, from the time that Orestes was held to be of unsound mind, he did nothing indeed that you could blame: he did not dare to violate Pylades with the sword, nor his sister Electra; he only cursed both, calling her a Fury, and him something else which his brilliant bile prompted.
§2.3.142pauper Opimius argenti positi intus et auri, §2.3.143qui Veientanum festis potare diebus §2.3.144Campana solitus trulla vappamque profestis, §2.3.145quondam lethargo grandi est oppressus, ut heres §2.3.146iam circum loculos et clavis laetus ovansque §2.3.147curreret.
Opimius, poor amid his stored silver and gold, who was accustomed on holidays to drink Veientine wine from a Campanian ladle, and flat wine on common days, was once oppressed by a deep lethargy, so that his heir was already running around his coffers and keys, joyful and triumphing.
hunc medicus multum celer atque fidelis §2.3.148excitat hoc pacto: mensam poni iubet atque §2.3.149effundi saccos nummorum, accedere pluris §2.3.150ad numerandum: hominem sic erigit;
A physician, very swift and faithful, roused him in this way: he ordered a table to be placed, and sacks of coins to be poured out, and several people to approach to count them.
addit et illud: §2.3.151‘ni tua custodis, avidus iam haec auferet heres. ’ §2.3.152‘men’ vivo?’ ‘ut vivas igitur, vigila.
Thus he raised the man; and he added this also: "Unless you guard your own, a greedy heir will soon carry these off." "While I am alive?" "That you may live, then, watch.
hoc age. ’ ‘quid vis?’ §2.3.153‘deficient inopem venae te, ni cibus atque §2.3.154ingens accedit stomacho fultura ruenti.
Do this." "What do you want?" "Your veins will fail you, weak as you are, unless food and a great support is immediately applied to your decaying stomach.
§2.3.155tu cessas? agedum sume hoc tisanarium oryzae. ’ §2.3.156‘quanti emptae?’ ‘parvo. ’ ‘quanti ergo?’ ‘octussibus. ’ ‘eheu,
Do you hesitate? Come, take this rice-gruel." "How much did it cost?" "A small sum." "But how much?" "Eight asses." "Alas!
§2.3.157quid refert, morbo an furtis pereamque rapinis?’ §2.3.158quisnam igitur sanus? qui non stultus. quid avarus? §2.3.159stultus et insanus. quid, siquis non sit avarus, §2.3.160continuo sanus? minime. cur, Stoice? dicam.
What does it matter whether I die by disease, or by theft and plunder?" "Who then is sane?" "He who is not foolish." "What of the covetous man?" "He is foolish and mad." "What if anyone be not covetous, is he immediately sane?" "By no means." "Why so, Stoic?
I will tell you." Suppose Craterus to have said: "This patient is not sick in his stomach." Is he therefore well, and shall he arise?
recte est igitur surgetque? negabit.
He will deny it, because his kidneys or his lungs are oppressed by an acute disease.