whenever a base man holds office, having gained control of the people with his tongue, though being nothing before.
§426κομψός γʼ ὁ κῆρυξ καὶ παρεργάτης λόγων.
(Theseus) A clever herald indeed, and a meddler in speeches.
But since you have entered this contest of debate, listen; for you were the one who proposed this rivalry of words.
§429οὐδὲν τυράννου δυσμενέστερον πόλει, §430ὅπου τὸ μὲν πρώτιστον οὐκ εἰσὶν νόμοι §431κοινοί, κρατεῖ δʼ εἷς τὸν νόμον κεκτημένος §432αὐτὸς παρʼ αὑτῷ· καὶ τόδʼ οὐκέτʼ ἔστʼ ἴσον.
There is nothing more hostile to a city than a tyrant, where, first of all, there are no laws held in common, but one man rules, keeping the law in his own hands; and this is no longer equal.
§433γεγραμμένων δὲ τῶν νόμων ὅ τʼ ἀσθενὴς §434ὁ πλούσιός τε τὴν δίκην ἴσην ἔχει, §435ἔστιν δʼ ἐνισπεῖν τοῖσιν ἀσθενεστέροις §436τὸν εὐτυχοῦντα ταὔθʼ, ὅταν κλύῃ κακῶς, §437νικᾷ δʼ ὁ μείων τὸν μέγαν δίκαιʼ ἔχων.
But when the laws are written down, both the weak man and the rich man have equal justice, and it is possible for the weaker to say the same things to the prosperous man, when he is spoken ill of, and the lesser man, if he has justice on his side, defeats the great.
§438τοὐλεύθερον δʼ ἐκεῖνο· Τίς θέλει πόλει §439χρηστόν τι βούλευμʼ ἐς μέσον φέρειν ἔχων; §440καὶ ταῦθʼ ὁ χρῄζων λαμπρός ἐσθʼ, ὁ μὴ θέλων §441σιγᾷ.
And that is the essence of freedom: "Who wishes to bring some useful proposal to the public, having it?" And he who wishes to do so is illustrious, while he who does not wish remains silent.
τί τούτων ἔστʼ ἰσαίτερον πόλει;
What can be more equal than this for a city?
§442καὶ μὴν ὅπου γε δῆμος αὐθέντης χθονός, §443ὑποῦσιν ἀστοῖς ἥδεται νεανίαις· §444ἀνὴρ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖται τόδε, §445καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους οὕς τʼ ἂν ἡγῆται φρονεῖν §446κτείνει, δεδοικὼς τῆς τυραννίδος πέρι.
And indeed, where the people are sovereign of the land, they rejoice in the youth of the citizens who are available; but a kingly man considers this hostile, and kills the best men, and those whom he thinks have wisdom, fearing for his tyranny.
§447πῶς οὖν ἔτʼ ἂν γένοιτʼ ἂν ἰσχυρὰ πόλις, §448ὅταν τις ὡς λειμῶνος ἠρινοῦ στάχυν §449τόλμας ἀφαιρῇ κἀπολωτίζῃ νέους;
How then could a city still become strong, when someone, like mowing the stalks of a spring meadow, cuts off the youth and robs them of their courage?
And what is the need to acquire wealth and livelihood for children, only to toil and produce more wealth for the tyrant?
§452ἢ παρθενεύειν παῖδας ἐν δόμοις καλῶς, §453τερπνὰς τυράννοις ἡδονάς, ὅταν θέλῃ, §454δάκρυα δʼ ἑτοιμάζουσι;
Or to bring up daughters beautifully as virgins in the halls, as pleasant pleasures for tyrants when they wish, while preparing tears for themselves?
μὴ ζῴην ἔτι, §455εἰ τἀμὰ τέκνα πρὸς βίαν νυμφεύσεται.
May I no longer live, if my children are to be wedded by force.
§456καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ πρὸς τὰ σὰ ἐξηκόντισα.
And indeed, these things I have shot back against your words.
§457ἥκεις δὲ δὴ τί τῆσδε γῆς κεχρημένος;
But what indeed do you come needing from this land?
§458κλαίων γʼ ἂν ἦλθες, εἴ σε μὴ ῎πεμψεν πόλις, §459περισσὰ φωνῶν· τὸν γὰρ ἄγγελον χρεὼν §460λέξανθʼ ὅσʼ ἂν τάξῃ τις ὡς τάχος πάλιν §461χωρεῖν.
You would have gone back weeping, if the city had not sent you, for speaking superfluous things; for a messenger ought, having spoken whatever one commands, to go back as quickly as possible.
τὸ λοιπὸν δʼ εἰς ἐμὴν πόλιν Κρέων §462ἧσσον λάλον σου πεμπέτω τινʼ ἄγγελον.
In the future, let Creon send a messenger to my city who is less talkative than you.
§463φεῦ φεῦ·
(Chorus) Alas, alas!
κακοῖσιν ὡς ὅταν δαίμων διδῷ §464καλῶς, ὑβρίζουσʼ ὡς ἀεὶ πράξοντες εὖ.
When fortune gives prosperity to the wicked, they wax insolent as if they will always fare well.
§465λέγοιμʼ ἂν ἤδη.
(Herald) I would speak now.
τῶν μὲν ἠγωνισμένων §466σοὶ μὲν δοκείτω ταῦτʼ, ἐμοὶ δὲ τἀντία.
As for the things debated, let these things seem so to you, but the opposite to me.
§467ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπαυδῶ πᾶς τε Καδμεῖος λεὼς §468Ἄδραστον ἐς γῆν τήνδε μὴ παριέναι· §469εἰ δʼ ἔστιν ἐν γῇ, πρὶν θεοῦ δῦναι σέλας, §470λύσαντα σεμνὰ στεμμάτων μυστήρια §471τῆσδʼ ἐξελαύνειν, μηδʼ ἀναιρεῖσθαι νεκροὺς §472βίᾳ, προσήκοντʼ οὐδὲν Ἀργείων πόλει.
And I forbid, and all the Cadmean people forbid, Adrastus from entering this land; but if he is in the land, before the sun's light sets, dissolving the sacred mysteries of the wreaths, drive him out of this land, and do not carry off the dead by force, since they belong in no way to the city of the Argives.
§473κἂν μὲν πίθῃ μοι, κυμάτων ἄτερ πόλιν §474σὴν ναυστολήσεις· εἰ δὲ μή, πολὺς κλύδων §475ἡμῖν τε καὶ σοὶ συμμάχοις τʼ ἔσται δορός.
And if you obey me, you will pilot your city without waves; but if not, a great surge of the spear will be for us, for you, and for your allies.
§476σκέψαι δέ, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ἐμοῖς θυμούμενος §477λόγοισιν, ὡς δὴ πόλιν ἐλευθέραν ἔχων, §478σφριγῶντʼ ἀμείψῃ μῦθον ἐκ βραχιόνων· §479ἐλπὶς γάρ ἐστʼ ἄπιστον, ἣ πολλὰς πόλεις §480συνῆψʼ, ἄγουσα θυμὸν εἰς ὑπερβολάς.
Consider, and do not, being angered by my words, as if holding a free city, answer with a swollen speech from physical strength; for hope is an untrustworthy thing, which has joined many cities, leading their anger to excess.
§481ὅταν γὰρ ἔλθῃ πόλεμος ἐς ψῆφον λεώ, §482οὐδεὶς ἔθʼ αὑτοῦ θάνατον ἐκλογίζεται, §483τὸ δυστυχὲς δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐς ἄλλον ἐκτρέπει·
For when war comes to the vote of the people, no one calculates his own death, but turns this misfortune away to another.
But if death were before the eyes when the vote was cast, never would spear-mad Greece have perished.
§486καίτοι δυοῖν γε πάντες ἄνθρωποι λόγοιν §487τὸν κρείσσονʼ ἴσμεν, καὶ τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ κακά, §488ὅσῳ τε πολέμου κρεῖσσον εἰρήνη βροτοῖς· §489ἣ πρῶτα μὲν Μούσαισι προσφιλεστάτη, §490Ποιναῖσι δʼ ἐχθρά, τέρπεται δʼ εὐπαιδίᾳ, §491χαίρει δὲ πλούτῳ.
Yet we all indeed know, of two speeches, the better one, and both the good and the bad, and how much better peace is for mortals than war; which is, first of all, most dear to the Muses, and hostile to the Avenging Furies, and delights in good children, and rejoices in wealth.
ταῦτʼ ἀφέντες οἱ κακοὶ §492πολέμους ἀναιρούμεσθα καὶ τὸν ἥσσονα §493δουλούμεθʼ, ἄνδρες ἄνδρα καὶ πόλις πόλιν.
Abandoning these things, we, the wicked, undertake wars and enslave the lesser, man enslaving man, and city enslaving city.
And do you benefit hostile men, even though they are dead, burying and carrying away those whom insolence destroyed?
§496οὔ τἄρʼ ἔτʼ ὀρθῶς Καπανέως κεραύνιον §497δέμας καπνοῦται, κλιμάκων ὀρθοστάτας §498ὃς προσβαλὼν πύλῃσιν ὤμοσεν πόλιν §499πέρσειν θεοῦ θέλοντος ἤν τε μὴ θέλῃ;
Does not, then, the thunder-struck body of Capaneus still smoke rightly, who, placing the ladder-uprights against the gates, swore that he would sack the city whether the god willed it or willed it not?
§500οὐδʼ ἥρπασεν χάρυβδις οἰωνοσκόπον, §501τέθριππον ἅρμα περιβαλοῦσα χάσματι, §502ἄλλοι τε κεῖνται πρὸς πύλαις λοχαγέται §503πέτροις καταξανθέντες ὀστέων ῥαφάς;
And did not the chasm of the earth snatch the bird-watcher, enclosing his four-horse chariot in its gap, and do not other commanders lie at the gates, their cranial sutures crushed by stones?