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An Athenian archon,[1] a man loving honor and of great natural ability, and especially notable among the Greeks for wealth, which he used at need correcting the many defects of some cities and assisting the needy among men, giving not with one hand but with both, according to the proverb.[2] For he was generous and munificent to excess. He spent much of his money on teachers and physicians and the good order of his homeland generally; these characteristics of Theagenes are worthy of praise. But being hot-tempered and never enduring to be despised, but striving to be idolized by all, and not least by those who practiced philosophy, disdaining and spitting upon all others and especially those who seemed to be in power and to be eager to shine out in the Roman political system, and preferring the new opinions to the old customs of piety, without noticing it he fell into the lifestyle of the many, drawing away from the [lifestyle] of the Greeks and his ancestors even earlier. And he did not realize that he had received his associates not as true friends but as deceptive flatterers. So he did not preserve the ancient respect for philosophy, but while in word he had surrounded himself with philosophers, in deed [he had surrounded himself with] flatterers. This became the first origin of his suspicion of Marinus.[3] For Marinus, persisting in the traditional dignity of philosophers, showed reasonable respect for Theagenes and was not a boaster towards him nor awkward nor pompous in behavior nor unsociable, nor in any other way wanted to be more than a private citizen; but he obviously both accepted and offered the honors due to him and imparted them as one should to a man who is a leader in the city and perhaps also in the Roman political system as a whole. For he was one of the Roman patricians and first in the imperial senatorial council, and in his original nobility and the greatness of his character and his transparent zeal and attention to literature; so that Marinus also was eager to increase the greatness of his prominence in every way.

Theagenês, Athênaios archôn, philotimos anêr kai megalophuês, Hellênôn te hoti malista chrêmasi lamprunomenos, hois eis deon echrêto ta polla poleôn te eniôn ta ptaismata epanorthoumenos kai tois deomenois tôn anthrôpôn epikourôn, ou miai cheiri dôroumenos all' amphoin, kata tên paroimian. ên gar philodôros te kai megalodôros eis huperbolên. analouto de autôi polla tôn chrêmatôn eis te didaskalous kai iatrous kai tên allên tês patridos euthêmosunên. tauta men axiepaina tôn Theagenous. ôn de thumoeidês kai oudamou kataphroneisthai anechomenos, alla kai therapeuesthai spoudazôn hupo pantôn, kai ouch hêkista tôn philosophountôn, huperorôn de kai diaptuôn tous allous kai malista tous en dunamei dokountas einai kai prothumoumenous en têi Rhômaiôn politeiai lamprunesthai, kai ta nea axiômata protimôn tôn archaiôn êthôn tês eusebeias, elathen heauton empesôn eis ton tôn pollôn bion apospastheis tôn Hellênôn kai tôn eti anô progonôn: elathe de tous pelas ouk eti philous alêthinous, alla kolakas apatêlous kektêmenos. oukoun eti diesôize tên palai aidô pros philosophian, alla tôi men logôi tous philosophous epepoiêto peri heauton, tôi de ergôi tous therapeuontas. hautê prôtê archê egegonei tês pros Marinon hupopsias. ho gar Marinos emmenôn têi paradotheisêi semnotêti tôn philosophôn etherapeue men ta eikota ton Theagenê, kai ouk ên tis ara pros auton alazôn oude skaios oude sobaros tên enteuxin oude dusomilos oude allôs huper ton idiôtên einai boulomenos, alla prosdechomenos te kai propempôn egineto dêlos kai tas opheilomenas autôi timas aponemôn, hoias ôpheileto prôteuôn anêr en têi polei, tacha de kai en têi Rhômaiôn politeiai sumpasêi. kai gar ên tôn Rhômaïkôn paterôn heis kai prôtos tês peri ta basileia sunklêtou boulês, têi te ex archês eugeneiai kai têi megaleiotêti tôn tropôn kai têi peri tous logous diaphanei spoudêi te kai epimeleiai: hôste kai ho Marinos espoudazen autôi sunauxein to megethos tês kata panta periphaneias.

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