| Texte grec :
 
 
  
  
   | [10,13] καὶ μὴν ὅπου οἰκέτης ἐστίν, εὐθὺς διαφθείρονται οἱ γιγνόμενοι παῖδες 
 καὶ ἀργότεροί τε γίγνονται καὶ ὑπερηφανώτεροι, ὄντος μὲν τοῦ διακονοῦντος,
  ἔχοντες δὲ οὗ καταφρονοῦσιν· ὅπου δ´ ἂν αὐτοὶ {μὴ} ὦσι, πολὺ
  ἀνδρειότεροι καὶ ἰσχυρότεροι {καὶ} τῶν πατέρων εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς
  κήδεσθαι μανθάνοντες.
  Ἀλλ´, ὦ Διόγενες, πένης {τέ} εἰμι καὶ εἰ μὴ συμφέροι κεκτῆσθαι
  τὸν οἰκέτην, ἀποδώσομαι αὐτόν. Ἔπειτα, ἔφη, οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ, πρῶτον 
  μὲν ἐξαπατῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, πονηρὸν αὐτῷ ἀποδιδόμενος; ἢ
  γὰρ οὐκ ἐρεῖς τἀληθὲς ἢ οὐ δυνήσῃ ἀποδόσθαι αὐτόν. |  | Traduction française :
 
 
 
  
       
  | [10,13] Then too, wherever there is a servant, the children 
as they come on are at once spoiled and become 
lazier and more overbearing as long as there is 
someone to dance attendance upon them, and as 
they have somebody whom they look down upon. On 
the other hand, wherever the children are by themselves, 
they are much more manly and vigorous and 
learn to care for their parents from the very start."
"But, Diogenes, I am a poor man, and if it should 
not be to my advantage to keep the servant, I shall 
dispose of him." " In that case," he rejoined, " are 
you not ashamed, in the first place, to deceive the 
purchaser by selling him a bad slave? For either 
you will conceal the truth or be unable to sell him. |  |