[65] (1) Dē nōmine ut inpraesentiārum satis dīxī. Quod superest, nec ipse sum nescius quōsdam circumstantium cupere audīre, cūr nōn argentō vel aurō, sed potissimum ex lignō simulācrum fierī voluerim, (2) idque eōs arbitror nōn tam ignōscendī quam cognōscendī causā dēsīderāre, (3) ut hōc etiam scrūpulō līberentur, cum videant omnem suspīciōnem crīminis abundē cōnfūtātam. (4) Audī igitur, cui cūra cognōscere est, sed animō quantum potes ērēctō et attentō, quasi verba ipsa Platōnis iam sēnis dē novissimō Lēgum librō audītūrus: (5) θεοῖσιν δὲ ἀναθήματα χρεὼν ἔμμετρα τὸν μέτριον ἄνδρα ἀνατιθέντα δωρεῖσθαι. γῆ μὲν οὖν ἑστία τε οἰκήσεως ἱερὰ πᾶσι πάντων θεῶν· μηδεὶς οὖν δευτέρως ἱερὰ καθιερούτω θεοῖς. (6) Hoc eō prohibet, ut dēlūbra nēmō audeat prīvātim cōnstituere. Cēnset enim satis esse cīvibus ad immolandās victimās templa pūblica. Deinde subnectit: (7) χρυσὸς δὲ καὶ ἄργυρος ἐν ἄλλαις πόλεσιν ἰδίᾳ καὶ ἐν ἱεροῖς ἐστιν ἐπίφθονον κτῆμα, ἐλέφας δὲ ἀπὸ λελοιπότος ψυχὴν σώματος οὐκ εὔχαρι ἀνάθημα, σίδηρος δὲ καὶ χαλκὸς πολέμων ὄργανα· ξύλου δὲ μονόξυλον ὅ τι ἂν θέλῃ τις ἀνατιθέτω, καὶ λίθου ὡσαύτως. (8) Ut omnium assēnsus dēclārāvit, Maxime quīque in cōnsiliō estis, competentissimē videor ūsus Platōne ut vītae magistrō, ita causae patrōnō, cuius lēgibus obēdientem mē vidētis.
Vocabulary
impraesentiārum: at present
nescius –a –um: ignorant, unaware
circumstō circumstāre circumstetī: to stand around
potissimum: especially
līgnum lignī n.: wood
simulācrum simulācrī n.: likeness; statue
īgnōscō īgnōscere īgnōvī īgnōtus: to pardon, forgive
(2)
scrūpulus –ī m.: a cause for uneasiness or misgiving
(3)
līberō līberāre līberāvī līberātus: to free
suspiciō -ōnis f.: suspicion
abundē: sufficiently, enough, amply
cōnfūtō –āre: to refute, disprove
Platō –ōnis m.: Plato the philosopher
(4)
dēlūbrum –ī n.: temple, a shrine
(6)
prīvātim: privately
immolō immolāre immolāvī immolātus: to sacrifice, offer an animal victim
victima –ae f.: an animal offered in sacrifice; a victim
subnectō –ere –nexuī –nexus: to add
assēnsus or adsēnsus –ūs m.: applause, approval
(8)
dēclārō dēclārāre dēclārāvī dēclārātus: to make clear, reveal
Māximus –ī m.: Maximus
competenter (adv.): suitably, appropriately, effectively
patrōnus patrōnī m.: protector, lawyer, advocate
obēdiō –īre: to obey, comply with