Off. 1.39.1Et quoniam omnia persequimur, volumus quidem certē, dīcendum est etiam, quālem hominis honōrātī et prīncipis domum placeat esse, cuius fīnis est ūsus, ad quem accommodanda est aedificandī dēscrīptiō et tamen adhibenda commoditātis dignitātisque dīligentia.And since we are covering everything, or at least that is certainly our wish, we must also say what sort of house we think a man of rank and a leading citizen should have; its end is use, to which the plan of the building must be adapted, and yet care must also be taken for comfort and dignity. Off. 1.39.1Cn. Octāviō, quī prīmus ex illā familiā cōnsul factus est, honōrī fuisse accēpimus, quod praeclāram aedificāsset in Palātiō et plēnam dignitātis domum;We have heard that it was to the honour of Gnaeus Octavius, the first of that family to be made consul, that he had built on the Palatine a splendid house full of dignity; Off. 1.39.1quae cum vulgō vīserētur, suffrāgāta dominō, novō hominī, ad cōnsulātum putābātur;since crowds came to see it, it was thought to have won votes for its owner, a new man, in his bid for the consulship; Off. 1.39.1hanc Scaurus dēmōlītus accessiōnem adiūnxit aedibus.Scaurus demolished it and added it as an extension to his own house.
Off. 1.39.1Itaque ille in suam domum cōnsulātum prīmus attulit, hic, summī et clārissimī virī fīlius, in domum multiplicātam nōn repulsam sōlum rettulit, sed ignōminiam etiam et calamitātem.And so the former was the first to bring a consulship into his house, while the latter, the son of a very great and distinguished man, brought into his enlarged house not only defeat at the polls but also disgrace and ruin. Off. 1.39.139Ōrnanda enim est dignitās domō, nōn ex domō tōta quaerenda, nec domō dominus, sed dominō domus honestanda est, et, ut in cēterīs habenda ratiō nōn sua sōlum, sed etiam aliōrum, sīc in domō clārī hominis, in quam et hospitēs multī recipiendī et admittenda hominum cuiusque modī multitūdō, adhibenda cūra est laxitātis;For dignity should be enhanced by a house, not sought entirely from a house; nor should the owner be honoured by the house, but the house by the owner; and, as in other things one must take account not only of oneself but of others too, so in the house of a distinguished man, into which many guests must be received and a crowd of men of every sort admitted, care must be taken for spaciousness; Off. 1.39.139aliter ampla domus dēdecorī saepe dominō fit, sī est in eā sōlitūdō, et maximē, sī aliquandō aliō dominō solita est frequentārī.otherwise a large house often becomes a disgrace to its owner, if there is emptiness in it, and especially if under another owner it used to be thronged.
Off. 1.39.139Odiōsum est enim, cum ā praetereuntibus dīcitur: " Ō domus antīqua, heu quam disparī domináre dominō!For it is hateful when passers-by say: 'O ancient house, alas, how unlike the master who masters you now! Off. 1.39.139" quod quidem hīs temporibus in multīs licet dīcere.' And this indeed may be said of many houses in these times. Off. 1.39.140Cavendum autem est, praesertim sī ipse aedificēs, nē extrā modum sūmptū et magnificentiā prōdeās;But we must take care, especially if you are building yourself, not to go beyond due measure in expense and magnificence; Off. 1.39.140quō in genere multum malī etiam in exemplō est.in this sphere there is much harm even in the example set. Off. 1.39.140Studiōsē enim plērīque praesertim in hanc partem facta prīncipum imitantur, ut L. Lūcullī, summī virī, virtūtem quis?For most people zealously imitate the deeds of leading men, especially in this respect: take Lucius Lucullus, a very great man; who imitated his virtue? Off. 1.39.140at quam multī vīllārum magnificentiam imitātī!But how many have imitated the magnificence of his villas! Off. 1.39.140quārum quidem certē est adhibendus modus ad mediocritātemque revocandus.For these certainly a limit must be set, and they must be brought back to moderation.
Off. 1.39.140Eademque mediocritās ad omnem ūsum cultumque vītae trānsferenda est.And the same moderation must be carried over into every use and refinement of life. Off. 1.39.140Sed haec hāctenus.But enough of this. Off. 1.39.141In omnī autem āctiōne suscipiendā tria sunt tenenda, prīmum ut appetītus ratiōnī pāreat, quō nihil est ad officia cōnservanda accommodātius, deinde ut animadvertātur, quanta illa rēs sit, quam efficere velīmus, ut nēve maior nēve minor cūra et opera suscipiātur, quam causa postulet.In undertaking any action three things must be kept in view: first, that appetite obey reason, than which nothing is better suited to the performance of duties; next, that we observe how important the thing is that we wish to accomplish, so that neither more nor less care and effort is taken up than the case demands. Off. 1.39.141Tertium est, ut caveāmus, ut ea, quae pertinent ad līberālem speciem et dignitātem, moderāta sint.The third is that we take care that whatever concerns a gentlemanly appearance and dignity is kept within bounds. Off. 1.39.141Modus autem est optimus decus ipsum tenēre, dē quō ante dīximus, nec prōgredī longius.And the best measure is to keep to propriety itself, which we spoke of before, and not to go further.
Off. 1.39.141Hōrum tamen trium praestantissimum est appetītum optemperāre ratiōnī.Of these three, however, the most important is that appetite should obey reason.