255. vis: force, essence.
ea: = talis, pred. adj.
queat: = possit; from queo, quire, defective vb. found chiefly in pres.
259. hac parte honestatis (260): i.e., moderation.
260. disserendum est: impers. pass. from disserere, to discuss.
tribus superioribus (261): wisdom, justice, courage, the other three cardinal virtues, each of which is briefly touched upon below in connection with this discussion of proper and decorous behavior.
261. uti: this and the three infs. following are subjs. of decet.
264. mente esse captum: lit., to have been seized in (respect to) the mind = to be insane, mad.
266. ratio fortitudinis: i.e., the reasoning in the case of courage.
270. huc et illuc: here and there, in one direction and another.
272. obtemperet: obtemperare, to obey, submit.
274. agere: dependent on debet, but supply quisquam (anybody) as subj.
probabilem:commendable, acceptable.
275. descriptio: definition.
276. oboediant: oboedire, to listen to, obey.
277. pigritiam: pigritia, laziness, indolence.
ignaviam: ignavia,lisllessness.
sintque: sc. homines as subj.
279. appetitus: with ii, antecedent of qui but incorporated into the rel. cl., those appetites which.
evagantur: evagari,to wander, spread.
285. gestiunt: gestire, to exult, be excited.
286. status: state (of mind), attitude.
287. illud: the following inf. phrases are in appos., that is understood, the fact that all appetites….
formam:outline, description.
288. contrahendos: contrahere, to contract, control.
Socrates Copy of a 4th century B.C. original by Lysippus Louvre Paris, France
Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY.
(a) The dual nature of the soul: (1) appetite; (2) reason, to govern the appetites. Duplex est enim vis animorum atque natura: 270 una pars in appetitu posita est, quae hominem huc et illuc rapit; altera, in ratione, quae docet et explanat quid faciendum fugiendumque sit. Ita fit ut ratio praesit, appetitus obtemperet. Omnis autem actio vacare debet temeritate et neglegentia, nec vero agere quidquam cuius non possit causam probabilem reddere; 275 haec est enim fere descriptio officii. Efficiendum autem est ut appetitus rationi oboediant eamque neque praecurrant nec propter pigritiam aut ignaviam deserant, sintque tranquilli atque omni animi perturbatione careant; ex quo elucebit omnis constantia omnisque moderatio. Nam qui appetitus longius evagantur 280 et tamquam exultantes non satis a ratione retinentur, ii sine dubio finem et modum transeunt; relinquunt enim et abiciunt oboedientiam nec rationi parent, cui sunt subiecti lege naturae; a quibus non modo animi perturbantur sed etiam corpora. Licet ora ipsa cernere iratorum aut eorum qui aut libidine aliqua 285 aut metu commoti sunt aut voluptate nimia gestiunt; quorum omnium vultus, voces, motus, statusque mutantur. Ex quibus illud intellegitur (ut ad officii formam revertamur) appetitus omnes contrahendos sedandosque esse excitandamque diligentiam ut ne quid temere ac fortuito, inconsiderate neglegenterque 290 agamus. (I.101–03, excerpts)
293. quo: ABL. OF DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE.
294. animadvertatur: animadvertere, to notice, consider; here impers., that it should be observed.
296. postulet: postulare, to demand, require, request.
297. liberalem: gentlemanly, befitting a free man.
speciem: species,appearance
298. modus: here, rule, method (for accomplishing all this).
decus: a variant for decorum.
299. praestantissimum: praestans, excellent, important.
301. species: here, specious form.
utilitatis: here, advantage, expediency
commoveri: sc. nos, for us to be greatly moved, affected.