- Source
- Isocrates, Vol. 3. Van Hook, Larue, editor. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1945 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0010.tlg012.humanitext-grc2:1-11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
Plataean envoys address the Athenian assembly, pleading for intervention against the Thebans who destroyed their city under the pretext of non-contribution, and urging Athens to stand by its traditional role as defender of the oppressed.
εἰδότες ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις προθύμως βοηθεῖν εἰθισμένους καὶ τοῖς εὐεργέταις μεγίστην χάριν ἀποδιδόντας,1 ἥκομεν ἱκετεύσοντες μὴ περιιδεῖν ἡμᾶς εἰρήνης οὔσης ἀναστάτους ὑπὸ Θηβαίων γεγενημένους. πολλῶν δʼ ἤδη πρὸς ὑμᾶς καταφυγόντων καὶ διαπραξαμένων ἅπανθʼ ὅσων ἐδεήθησαν, ἡγούμεθα μάλισθʼ ὑμῖν προσήκειν περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως ποιήσασθαι πρόνοιαν·
Knowing, men of Athens, that you are accustomed to help zealously those who are wronged and to return the greatest gratitude to your benefactors, we have come to entreat you not to look on while we have been driven from our homes by the Thebans during a time of peace. Since many have already fled to you for refuge and obtained all that they begged for, we believe that it is especially fitting for you to take thought for our city.
οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ἀδικώτερον οὐδένας ἡμῶν εὕροιτε τηλικαύταις συμφοραῖς περιπεπτωκότας, οὔτʼ ἐκ πλείονος χρόνου πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν πόλιν οἰκειότερον διακειμένους. ἔτι δὲ τοιούτων δεησόμενοι πάρεσμεν ἐν οἷς κίνδυνος μὲν οὐδεὶς ἔνεστιν, ἅπαντες δʼ ἄνθρωποι νομιοῦσιν ὑμᾶς πειθομένους ὁσιωτάτους καὶ δικαιοτάτους εἶναι τῶν Ἑλλήνων.
For you could find no one who has fallen into such great misfortunes more unjustly than we, nor anyone who has been more closely disposed toward your city for a longer time. Moreover, we are present to ask for things in which there is no danger, and in which all men will consider you, if you comply, to be the most pious and just of the Greeks.
εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ Θηβαίους ἑωρῶμεν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου παρεσκευασμένους πείθειν ὑμᾶς, ὡς οὐδὲν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐξημαρτήκασι, διὰ βραχέων ἂν ἐποιησάμεθα τοὺς λόγους· ἐπειδὴ δʼ εἰς τοῦθʼ ἥκομεν ἀτυχίας2 ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸν ἀγῶνα πρὸς τούτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ῥητόρων πρὸς τοὺς δυνατωτάτους, οὓς ἀπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων αὑτοῖς οὗτοι παρεσκευάσαντο συνηγόρους, ἀναγκαῖον διὰ μακροτέρων δηλῶσαι περὶ αὐτῶν.
If, then, we did not see that the Thebans have prepared themselves in every way to persuade you that they have committed no wrong against us, we would have made our speech brief; but since we have come to such a pass of misfortune that our contest is not only against them, but also against the most powerful of the orators, whom they have provided as advocates for themselves from our resources, it is necessary to declare these matters at greater length.
χαλεπὸν μὲν οὖν μηδὲν καταδεέστερον εἰπεῖν ὧν πεπόνθαμεν· ποῖος γὰρ ἂν λόγος ἐξισωθείη ταῖς ἡμετέραις δυσπραξίαις, ἢ τίς ἂν ῥήτωρ ἱκανὸς γένοιτο κατηγορῆσαι τῶν Θηβαίοις ἡμαρτημένων; ὅμως δὲ πειρατέον οὕτως ὅπως ἂν δυνώμεθα φανερὰν καταστῆσαι τὴν τούτων παρανομίαν.
Now it is difficult to speak in a manner not at all inferior to what we have suffered; for what speech could equal our misfortunes, or what orator could be sufficient to accuse the wrongs committed by the Thebans? Nevertheless, we must try, in such a way as we are able, to make their lawlessness manifest.
πολὺ δὲ μάλιστʼ ἀγανακτοῦμεν ὅτι τοσούτου δέομεν τῶν ἴσων ἀξιοῦσθαι τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησιν, ὥστʼ εἰρήνης οὔσης καὶ συνθηκῶν γεγενημένων οὐχ ὅπως τῆς κοινῆς ἐλευθερίας μετέχομεν, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ3 δουλείας μετρίας τυχεῖν ἠξιώθημεν.
We are most of all indignant that we are so far from being deemed worthy of equal treatment with the other Greeks, that although there is peace and treaties have been made, not only do we not share in the common liberty, but we have not even been thought worthy of obtaining a moderate servitude.
δεόμεθʼ οὖν ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μετʼ εὐνοίας ἀκροάσασθαι τῶν λεγομένων, ἐνθυμηθέντας ὅτι πάντων ἂν ἡμῖν ἀλογώτατον εἴη συμβεβηκός, εἰ τοῖς μὲν ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον δυσμενῶς πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ὑμῶν διακειμένοις αἴτιοι γεγένησθε τῆς ἐλευθερίας, ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδʼ ἱκετεύοντες ὑμᾶς τῶν αὐτῶν τοῖς ἐχθίστοις τύχοιμεν.
We beg you, then, men of Athens, to listen to what we say with goodwill, reflecting that it would be the most irrational event of all to befall us, if, while you have been the cause of liberty for those who have always been hostilely disposed toward your city, we, even when entreating you, should fail to obtain the same treatment as our bitterest enemies.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν γεγενημένων οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι δεῖ μακρολογεῖν· τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι καὶ τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν κατανενέμηνται καὶ τὴν πόλιν κατεσκάφασιν; ἃ δὲ λέγοντες ἐλπίζουσιν ἐξαπατήσειν ὑμᾶς, περὶ τούτων πειρασόμεθα διδάσκειν.
Now, concerning what has happened, I do not know why it is necessary to speak at length; for who does not know that they have ravaged our land and razed our city? But concerning the arguments by which they hope to deceive you, we shall try to instruct you.
ἐνίοτε μὲν γὰρ ἐπιχειροῦσι λέγειν, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὕτω προσηνέχθησαν, ὅτι συντελεῖν4 αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἠθέλομεν. ὑμεῖς δʼ ἐνθυμεῖσθε πρῶτον μὲν εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τηλικούτων ἐγκλημάτων οὕτως ἀνόμους καὶ δεινὰς ποιεῖσθαι τὰς τιμωρίας, ἔπειτʼ εἰ προσήκειν ὑμῖν δοκεῖ μὴ πεισθεῖσαν τὴν Πλαταιέων πόλιν, ἀλλὰ βιασθεῖσαν Θηβαίοις συντελεῖν. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδένας ἡγοῦμαι τολμηροτέρους εἶναι τούτων, οἵτινες τὰς μὲν ἰδίας ἡμῶν ἑκάστων πόλεις ἀφανίζουσι, τῆς δὲ σφετέρας αὐτῶν πολιτείας οὐδὲν δεομένους κοινωνεῖν ἀναγκάζουσιν.
For sometimes they attempt to say that they treated us in this way for this reason, because we did not wish to pay contribution to them. But do you consider first whether it is just to exact such lawless and terrible punishments for such complaints, and secondly, whether it seems fitting to you that the city of the Plataeans, not by persuasion but by force, should pay contribution to the Thebans. For my part, I think that no men are more audacious than these, who destroy the individual cities of each of us, and yet force those who have no need of it to share in their own polity.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐδʼ ὁμολογούμενα φαίνονται διαπραττόμενοι πρός τε τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς. ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτούς, ἐπειδὴ πείθειν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν οὐχ οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν, ὥσπερ τοὺς Θεσπιέας καὶ τοὺς Ταναγραίους, συντελεῖν μόνον εἰς τὰς Θήβας ἀναγκάζειν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἂν τῶν ἀνηκέστων κακῶν ἦμεν πεπονθότες. νῦν δὲ φανεροὶ γεγόνασιν οὐ τοῦτο διαπράξασθαι βουληθέντες, ἀλλὰ τῆς χώρας ἡμῶν ἐπιθυμήσαντες.
Furthermore, they do not even appear to act consistently toward others and toward us. For they ought, since they were unable to persuade our city, to force us only to pay contribution to Thebes, just like the Thespians and the Tanagraeans; for we would have suffered none of the incurable evils. But now they have become manifest as having wished to accomplish not this, but as having coveted our land.
θαυμάζω δὲ πρὸς τί τῶν γεγενημένων ἀναφέροντες καὶ πῶς ποτε τὸ δίκαιον κρίνοντες ταῦτα φήσουσι προστάττειν ἡμῖν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ τὰ πάτρια σκοποῦσιν, οὐ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοῖς ἀρκτέον, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον Ὀρχομενίοις φόρον οἰστέον·5 οὕτω γὰρ εἶχε τὸ παλαιόν· εἰ δὲ τὰς συνθήκας ἀξιοῦσιν εἶναι κυρίας, ὅπερ ἐστὶ δίκαιον, πῶς οὐχ ὁμολογήσουσιν ἀδικεῖν καὶ παραβαίνειν αὐτάς; ὁμοίως γὰρ τάς τε μικρὰς τῶν πόλεων καὶ τὰς μεγάλας αὐτονόμους εἶναι κελεύουσιν.
And I wonder to which of the past events they refer and how they judge what is just when they claim that they are ordering us to do these things. For if they look to ancestral customs, they ought not to rule over others, but much rather should pay tribute to the Orchomenians; for so it was of old. But if they demand that the treaties be valid, which is just, how will they not agree that they are acting unjustly and violating them? For the treaties command both the small and the great of the cities to be autonomous alike.
οἶμαι δὲ περὶ μὲν τούτων οὐ τολμήσειν αὐτοὺς ἀναισχυντεῖν, ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τρέψεσθαι τὸν λόγον, ὡς μετὰ Λακεδαιμονίων ἐπολεμοῦμεν, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ συμμαχίᾳ διαφθείραντες ἡμᾶς τὰ συμφέροντα πεποιήκασιν.
And I think that they will not dare to act shamelessly concerning these matters, but will turn to that argument, that we were at war along with the Lacedaemonians, and that by destroying us they have done what is advantageous to the whole alliance.
- 1εἰδότες ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις προθύμως βοηθεῖν εἰθισμένους καὶ τοῖς εὐεργέταις μεγίστην χάριν ἀποδιδόντας
The participle εἰδότες ("knowing") takes the accusative ὑμᾶς as its subject and governs the supplementary participles εἰθισμένους ("accustomed") and ἀποδιδόντας ("rendering"), meaning "knowing that you are accustomed to... and are rendering...".
- 3εἰς τοῦθʼ ἥκομεν ἀτυχίας
The genitive of degree or partitive genitive ἀτυχίας ("of misfortune") depends on the accusative of the demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο ("this"), expressing "we have come to such a pitch of misfortune".
- 5οὐχ ὅπως ... ἀλλʼ οὐδέ...
The idiomatic construction οὐχ ὅπως... ἀλλʼ οὐδέ... expresses "not only not... but not even...". It highlights a double negative outcome: they do not share in the common liberty, nor are they even granted a moderate servitude.
- 8συντελεῖν
The verb συντελέω here means "to pay contribution together" or "to contribute to a common fund" (specifically regarding the Boeotian confederacy and its financial/military obligations under Theban leadership).
- 10οὐ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοῖς ἀρκτέον, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον Ὀρχομενίοις φόρον οἰστέον
An impersonal construction using verbal adjectives in -τέος (ἀρκτέον from ἄρχω "to rule", and οἰστέον from φέρω "to bear/pay"). The dative αὐτοῖς (referring to the Thebans) acts as the agent (dative of agent). τῶν ἄλλων is the genitive object of ἀρκτέον. Thus: "they ought not to rule over others, but much rather must pay tribute to the Orchomenians."