JUSΤ. To many; for instance, Peleus won a sword thereby.


UNJ. A sword! Ah! what a fine present to make him! Poor wretch! Hyperbolus, the lamp-seller, thanks to his villainy, has gained more than....do not know how many talants, but certainly no sword.

JUSΤ. Peleus owed it to his chastity that he became the husband of Thetis.

UNJ. .... who left him in the lurch, for he was not the most ardent; in those nocturnal sports between the sheets, which so please women, he possessed but little merit. Get you gone, you are but an old fool. But you, young man, just consider a little what this temperance means and the delights of which it deprives you-young fellows, women, play, dainty dishes, wine, boisterous laughter. And what is life worth without these? Then, if you happen to commit one of these faults inherent in human weakness, some seduction or adultery, and you are caught in the act, you are lost, if you cannot speak. But follow my teaching and you will be able to satisfy your passions, to dance, to laugh, to blush at nothing. Suppose you are caught in the act of adultery. Then up and tell the husband you are not guilty, and recall to him the example of Zeus, who allowed himself to be conquered by love and by women. Being but a mortal, can you be stronger than a god?

Κρ. πολλοῖς. ὁ γοῦν Πηλεὺς ἔλαβε διὰ τοῦτο τὴν μάχαιραν.  

Ητ. μάχαιραν; ἀστεῖόν γε κέρδος ἔλαβεν ὁ κακοδαίμων. Ὑπέρβολος δ΄ οὑκ τῶν λύχνων πλεῖν ἢ τάλαντα πολλὰ εἴληφε διὰ πονηρίαν͵ ἀλλ΄ οὐ μὰ Δί΄ οὐ μάχαιραν.

Κρ. καὶ τὴν Θέτιν γ΄ ἔγημε διὰ τὸ σωφρονεῖν ὁ Πηλεύς.

Ητ. κᾆτ΄ ἀπολιποῦσά γ΄ αὐτὸν ᾤχετ΄· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὑβριστὴς οὐδ΄ ἡδὺς ἐν τοῖς στρώμασιν τὴν νύκτα παννυχίζειν· γυνὴ δὲ σιναμωρουμένη χαίρει. σὺ δ΄ εἶ Κρόνιππος. σκέψαι γάρ͵ ὦ μειράκιον͵ ἐν τῷ σωφρονεῖν ἅπαντα ἅνεστιν͵ ἡδονῶν θ΄ ὅσων μέλλεις ἀποστερεῖσθαι· παίδων͵ γυναικῶν͵ κοττάβων͵ ὄψων͵ πότων͵ καχασμῶν. καίτοι τί σοι ζῆν ἄξιον͵ τούτων ἐὰν στερηθῇς; εἶἑν. πάρειμ΄ ἐντεῦθεν εἰς τὰς τῆς φύσεως ἀνάγκας. ἥμαρτες͵ ἠράσθης͵ ἐμοίχευσάς τι͵ κᾆτ΄ ἐλήφθης. ἀπόλωλας· ἀδύνατος γὰρ εἶ λέγειν. ἐμοὶ δ΄ ὁμιλῶν χρῶ τῇ φύσει͵ σκίρτα͵ γέλα͵ νόμιζε μηδὲν αἰσχρόν. μοιχὸς γὰρ ἢν τύχῃς ἁλούς͵ τάδ΄ ἀντερεῖς πρὸς αὐτόν͵ ὡς οὐδὲν ἠδίκηκας· εἶτ΄ εἰς τὸν Δί΄ ἐπανενεγκεῖν͵ κἀκεῖνος ὡς ἥττων ἔρωτός ἐστι καὶ γυναικῶν· καίτοι σὺ θνητὸς ὢν θεοῦ πῶς μεῖζον ἂν δύναιο;