Laudator Temporis Acti

Aristophanes, Wealth 901-908 (Cario and Informer speaking; tr. Benjamin Bickley Rogers):

CAR. What, YOU a virtuous patriot? INF. No man more so.
CAR. Come then, I'll ask you—Answer me. INF. Well. CAR. Are you
A farmer? INF. Do you take me for a fool?
CAR. A merchant? INF. Aye, I feign so, on occasion.
CAR. Have you learned any trade? INF. No, none by Zeus.        905
CAR. Then how and whence do you earn your livelihood?
INF. All public matters and all private too
Are in my charge. CAR. How so? INF. 'Tis I WHO WILL.

ΔΙΚ. σὺ φιλόπολις καὶ χρηστός; ΣΥΚ. ὡς οὐδείς γ᾿ ἀνήρ.
ΔΙΚ. καὶ μὴν ἐπερωτηθεὶς ἀπόκριναί μοι. ΣΥΚ. τὸ τί;
ΔΙΚ. γεωργὸς εἶ; ΣΥΚ. μελαγχολᾶν μ᾿ οὕτως οἴει;
ΔΙΚ. ἀλλ᾿ ἔμπορος; ΣΥΚ. ναί, σκήπτομαί γ᾿, ὅταν τύχω.
ΔΙΚ. τί δαί; τέχνην τιν᾿ ἔμαθες; ΣΥΚ. οὐ μὰ τὸν Δία.        905
ΔΙΚ. πῶς οὖν διέζης ἢ πόθεν μηδὲν ποιῶν;
ΣΥΚ. τῶν τῆς πόλεώς εἰμ᾿ ἐπιμελητὴς πραγμάτων
καὶ τῶν ἰδίων πάντων. ΔΙΚ. σύ; τί μαθών; ΣΥΚ. βούλομαι.