The glory of man is to follow the better and improve the inferior.  And the soul is that part of man which is most inclined to avoid the evil and dwell with the good.  Wherefore also the soul is second only to the Gods in honour, and in the third place the body is to be esteemed, which often has a false honour.  For honour is not to be given to the fair or the strong, or the swift or the tall, or to the healthy, any more than to their opposites, but to the mean states of all these habits; and so of property and external goods.  No man should heap up riches that he may leave them to his children.  The best condition for them as for the state is a middle one, in which there is a freedom without luxury.  And the best inheritance of children is modesty.  But modesty cannot be implanted by admonition only—­the elders must set the example.  He who would train the young must first train himself.

He who honours his kindred and family may fairly expect that the Gods will give him children.  He who would have friends must think much of their favours to him, and little of his to them.  He who prefers to an Olympic, or any other victory, to win the palm of obedience to the laws, serves best both the state and his fellow-citizens.  Engagements with strangers are to be deemed most sacred, because the stranger, having neither kindred nor friends, is immediately under the protection of Zeus, the God of strangers.  A prudent man will not sin against the stranger; and still more carefully will he avoid sinning against the suppliant, which is an offence never passed over by the Gods.

I will now speak of those particulars which are matters of praise and blame only, and which, although not enforced by the law, greatly affect the disposition to obey the law.  Truth has the first place among the gifts of Gods and men, for truth begets trust; but he is not to be trusted who loves voluntary falsehood, and he who loves involuntary falsehood is a fool.  Neither the ignorant nor the untrustworthy man is happy; for they have no friends in life, and die unlamented and untended.  Good is he who does no injustice—­better who prevents others from doing any—­best of all who joins the rulers in punishing injustice.  And this is true of goods and virtues in general; he who has and communicates them to others is the man of men; he who would, if he could, is second-best; he who has them and is jealous of imparting them to others is to be blamed, but the good or virtue which he has is to be valued still.  Let every man contend in the race without envy; for the unenvious man increases the strength of the city; himself foremost in the race, he harms no one with calumny.  Whereas the envious man is weak himself, and drives his rivals to despair with his slanders, thus depriving the whole city of incentives to the exercise of virtue, and tarnishing her glory.  Every man should be gentle, but also passionate; for he must have the spirit to fight against incurable and malignant evil.  But