Against the Professors, Books I-VI of Against the Learned Section 89

οὐθεὶς γοῦν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷ Μακεδόνι γέγονεν ἴσος, πολλῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην συναποτεχθέντων αὐτῷ, cὐδὲ Πλάτωνι τῷ φιλοσόφῳ. ὥστε εἰ τὸν ἐν πλάτει τῆς γενέσεως χρόνον ὁ Χαλδαῖος ἐπισκέπτεται, οὐ δυνήσεται παγίως λέγειν ὅτι ὁ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον γεννηθεὶς εὐτυχήσει, πολλοὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον τούτῳ γεννηθέντες ἐδυστύχησαν, καὶ ἀνάπαλιν ὅτι ὅδε τις ἀπορήσει· οὐκ ὀλίγοι γὰρ τῶν τὸ αὐτὸ διάθεμα ἐσχηκότων εὐπορώτατοι κατεγήρα- σαν.

Certainly no one became equal to Alexander the Macedonian, although many throughout the inhabited world were born at the same time as he, nor did anyone become equal to Plato the philosopher. Thus if the Chaldean examines the broadly defined time of birth, he will not be able to say securely that one born at a certain time will prosper, for many born at the same time as he suffered misfortune. Conversely, he cannot say that a particular person will be poor, for not a few who had the same disposition grew old in great prosperity.

Personne, assurément, ne fut l’égal d’Alexandre de Macédoine, bien que beaucoup fussent nés en même temps que lui dans le monde habité, ni de Platon le philosophe. Ainsi, si le Chaldéen examine le moment approximatif de la naissance, il ne pourra affirmer avec assurance que celui qui est né au même moment sera heureux, puisque beaucoup d’autres, nés au même moment que lui, furent malheureux. Il ne pourra inversement affirmer qu’un tel sera pauvre, car beaucoup de ceux qui eurent le même thème vieillirent dans la plus grande aisance.