Lines 31-39

Question 1

id mihi duabus de causis instituisse videntur, quod neque in vulgum diciplinam efferi velint, neque eos, qui discunt, litteris confisos minus memoriae studere.

Answer 1

They seem to me to have established this rule for two reasons: because they do not want this training to be made known to the general public and they do not want those who are learning to pay attention to letters, relying less on memory.

Question 2

in primis hoc volunt persuadere, animas non perire, sed ab allis post mortem transire ad alios, atque hoc maxime homines ad virtutem excitari putant metu mortis neglecto.

Answer 2

Above all they wish to persuade people of this - that souls do not die but after death pass from one to another and they think that especially by this belief men are motivated to virtue by disregarding the fear of death.

Question 3

multa praeterea de sideribus atque eorum motu, de mundi ac terrarum magnitudine, de rerum natura, de deorum immortalium vi ac potestate disputant et iuventuti tradunt.

Answer 3

Besides this, they discuss and pass on to their young people many things about the stars and their movements, about the universe and the size of the world, about the nature of things and about the strength and power of the immortal gods.