1. The first pursuit, therefore, that a young man just out of his boyhood should take up is hunting, and afterwards he should go on to the other branches of education, provided he has means. He must look to his means, and, if they are sufficient, spend as much as the benefit to himself is worth; or, if they are insufficient, at least let him supply enthusiasm, in no way coming short of his power.
1. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν χρὴ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα τὸ τῶν κυνηγεσίων τὸν ἤδη ἐκ παιδὸς ἀλλάττοντα τὴν ἡλικίαν, εἶτα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἄλλα παιδεύματα, [τὸν μὲν ἔχοντα] σκεψάμενον τὴν οὐσίαν, ᾧ μὲν ἔστιν ἱκανή, ἀξίως τῆς αὑτοῦ ὡφελείας, ᾧ δὲ μὴ ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ οὖν τήν γε προθυμίαν παρεχέσθω μηδὲν ἐλλείπων τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως.
2. I will give a list and a description of the intending hunter’s outfit, and the explanation of each item, in order that he may understand the business before he puts his hand to it. And let no one regard these details as trivial; inasmuch as nothing can be done without them.
2. ὅσα δὲ καὶ οἷα δεῖ παρεσκευασμένον ἐλθεῖν ἐπʼ αὐτὸ φράσω καὶ αὐτὰ καὶ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἑκάστου, ἵνα προειδὼς ἐγχειρῇ τῷ ἔργῳ. καὶ μηδεὶς αὐτὰ φαῦλα νομισάτω εἶναι· ἄνευ γὰρ δὴ τούτων οὐκ ἂν εἴη πρᾶξις.
3. The net-keeper should be a man with a keen interest in the business, one who speaks Greek, about twenty years old, agile and strong, and resolute, that, being well qualified to overcome his tasks, he may take pleasure in the business.
3. χρὴ δὲ τὸν μὲν ἀρκυωρὸν εἶναι ἐπιθυμοῦντα τοῦ ἔργου καὶ τὴν φωνὴν Ἕλληνα, τὴν δὲ ἡλικίαν περὶ ἔτη εἴκοσι, τὸ δὲ εἶδος ἐλαφρόν, ἰσχυρόν, ψυχὴν δὲ ἱκανόν, ἵνα τῶν πόνων τούτοις κρατῶν χαίρῃ τῷ ἔργῳ·
4. The purse-nets should be made of fine Phasian or Carthaginian flax, and the road-nets and hayes of the same material. Let the purse-nets be of nine threads woven in three strands, each strand consisting of three threads. The proper length for these nets is forty-five inches, the proper width of the meshes six inches. The cords that run round them must be without knots, so that they may run easily.
4. τὰς δὲ ἄρκυς Φασιανοῦ ἢ Καρχηδονίου λεπτοῦ λίνου καὶ τὰ ἐνόδια καὶ τὰ δίκτυα. ἔστωσαν δὲ αἱ μὲν ἄρκυς ἐννεάλινοι ⟨ἐκ τριῶν τόνων, ἕκαστος δὲ τόνος ἐκ τριῶν λίνων⟩, τὸ δὲ μέγεθος πεντεσπίθαμοι, διπάλαστοι δὲ τοὺς βρόχους, περικείσθωσαν δὲ τοὺς περιδρόμους ἀναμμάτους, ἵνα εὔτροχοι ὦσι, τὰ δʼ ἐνόδια δωδεκάλινα, ⟨τὰ δὲ δίκτυα ἑκκαιδεκάλινα⟩, τὸ δὲ μέγεθος τὰ μὲν ἐνόδια διώρυγα, τριώρυγα, τετρώρυγα, πεντώρυγα, τὰ δὲ δίκτυα δεκώρυγα, εἰκοσώρυγα, τριακοντώρυγα·
5. The road-nets should be of twelve threads, and the hayes of sixteen. The length of the road-nets may be twelve, twenty-four or thirty-feet; that of the hayes sixty, a hundred and twenty, or a hundred and eighty feet. If they are longer, they will be unwieldy. Both kinds should be thirty knots high, and should have meshes of the same width as those of the purse-nets. At the elbows at either end let the road-nets have slip-knots of string and the hayes metal rings, and let the cords be attached by loops.
5. ἐὰν δὲ ᾖ μείζω, δυσμεταχείριστα ἔσται· ἀμφότερα δὲ τριακονθάμματα, καὶ τῶν βρόχων τὸ διάστημα ἴσον ταῖς ἄρκυσιν. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀκρωλενίοις τὰ μὲν ἐνόδια ἐχέτω μαστούς, τὰ δὲ δίκτυα δακτυλίους, τοὺς δὲ περιδρόμους ἀπὸ στροφείων.
7. The stakes for the purse-nets should be thirty inches long, but some should be shorter. Those of unequal length are for use on sloping ground, to make the height of the nets equal, while those of the same length are used on the level. These stakes must be so shaped at the top that the nets will pull off readily and they must be smooth. The stakes for the road-nets should be twice the length of these, and those for the hayes forty-five inches long. The latter should have little forks with shallow grooves, and all should be stout, of a thickness proportioned to the length.
7. αἱ δὲ σχαλίδες αἱ μὲν τῶν ἀρκύων τὸ μῆκος δέκα παλαιστῶν, ἔστωσαν δὲ καὶ ἐλάττους· αἱ μὲν ἄνισοι αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἑτεροκλινέσι τῶν χωρίων, ἵνα ἴσα τὰ ὕψη ἐξαίρωσιν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ὁμαλέσιν αἱ ἴσαι· αὗται δʼ εὐπερίσπαστοι τὰ ἄκρα καὶ [αὗται] λεῖαι· αἱ δὲ τῶν ἐνοδίων τῶν ἀρκύων διπλάσιαι, αἱ δὲ τῶν δικτύων τὸ μὲν μέγεθος πεντεσπίθαμοι, δίκρα ἔχουσαι μικρά, τὰ ἐντμήματα μὴ βαθέα· εὐπαγεῖς δὲ πᾶσαι καὶ μὴ ἀσύμμετροι τὰ πάχη πρὸς τὰ μήκη.
8. The number of stakes used for the hayes may be large or small; fewer are required if the nets are strained tight when set up, more if they are slack.
8. τῷ δὲ πλήθει τῶν σχαλίδων οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶ χρῆσθαι πρὸς τὰ δίκτυα πολλῷ καὶ ὀλίγῳ· ἐλάττονι μέν, ἂν σφόδρα τείνηται ἐν τῇ στάσει, πλέονι δʼ, ἂν ἡσυχῇ.
9. A calf-skin bag will be wanted for carrying the purse-nets and road-nets and hayes and the bill-hooks for cutting wood and stopping gaps where necessary.
9. ἔστω δὲ καὶ ἐν ὅτῳ ἔσονται αἱ ἄρκυς καὶ τὰ ἐνόδια καὶ ⟨τὰ⟩ δίκτυα κυνοῦχος μόσχειος, καὶ τὰ δρέπανα, ἵνα ᾖ τῆς ὕλης τέμνοντα φράττειν τὰ δεόμενα.