t?? ???µp?as? st?fa??? ?ste d?p???e? ??????? ??ta, ?a?t??t?? p????? 
p??tet?µ??as? t?? ???, ???? t?? ??e? f??µ???? ??a?a? ????s?? t? ?a?µast??, 
???´ ?t? µ? ??d??? µ?d´ ?p? µ???? d?d?ta?. t???a???? ????sta {?f´ ?µ??}, ?? 
?p?stas?e, t?? a?t???at???? t?? ??t? sf?d?a ?tt??? t?? p???µat?? ?a? 
?pe??µ?se t?? ??e? ????? ?ste ?a? ?????sas?a? pa?´ ??e????, ?a? t??t?? ????
???sas?a? t?? e?da?µ???a?. e? d? ?e p??ta? ?stef????? t??? ?p? t?? ??a? 
?f?????µ????? t?? ????µ????, t??a ?? ????? ? p??a? ?t? d??a? ?s?e? ? 
st?fa???; (31,111) ???? ??e????? ?? fas? µ?d? t?? ?p?st???? ??e??, 
?? ?? ?????s? t?? ????t?? t??a s???st??te?, p??? ? ?????s?ta?. ?a? t??t? 
??d??a p?p?te a?t??? ??e??e ???d????, ???? t???a?t??? t?µ?? ?a? ?pa???? t? 
d??e?? ?????? e??a? ß?aße?e?? t?? ????a.
 

You doubtless know that the Olympian crown is olive leaves, and yet this honour 
many people have preferred to life itself, not because there is anything wonderful 
about the olive that grows there, but because it is not given carelessly or for slight 
achievement. This explains why very recently, in our own time, one of the emperors, 
as you know, was so taken with this practice and was so eager to win the victory that 
he actually competed at the Elean festival and considered this the height of 
happiness.  But if it had been their custom to crown all the potentates that came to 
the spectacle, what emulation would the crown any longer have aroused and what 
sort of glory would it have won? On the contrary, they say that the Eleans do not 
even open the letters 111 written by those who would recommend a particular 
athlete, until he has competed. And this has never brought upon them any risk of 
harm, but, on the contrary, honour and applause, because they are considered 
worthy to supervise the games.

Trad. anglaise : J.W. COHOON - H. Lamar CROSBY, Dio Chrysostom.  Vol. II. London, Heinemann, 1939