§4.1τῶν μέντοι πολεμικῶν Σόλωνι μὲν οὐδὲ τὰ πρὸς Μεγαρεῖς Δαΐμαχος ὁ Πλαταιεὺς μεμαρτύρηκεν, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς διεληλύθαμεν· Ποπλικόλας δὲ τοὺς μεγίστους ἀγῶνας αὐτὸς καὶ μαχόμενος καὶ στρατηγῶν κατώρθωσε, καὶ μὴν ἔτι πρὸς τὰς πολιτικὰς πράξεις ὁ μὲν ἐν παιδιᾶς τινι τρόπῳ καὶ προσποίημα μανίας ἀναλαβὼν, ὑπὲρ Σαλαμῖνος ἐρῶν προῆλθεν· §4.2ὁ δʼ αὐτόθεν ἀναρρίψας τὸν περὶ τῶν μεγίστων κίνδυνον ἐπανέστη τε Ταρκυνίοις καὶ τὴν προδοσίαν ἐφώρασε·
However, in military matters, Daimachus of Plataea has not testified even to Solon's exploits against the Megarians, as we have recounted; but Publicola achieved success in the greatest conflicts, both fighting in person and commanding as general. Furthermore, as for political activities, the one, adopting a sort of playful manner and a pretense of madness, came forward to speak passionately on behalf of Salamis; but the other, immediately risking the danger concerning the greatest matters, rose up against the Tarquins and exposed the treason.
καὶ τοῦ κολασθῆναι καὶ μὴ διαφυγεῖν τοὺς πονηροὺς αἰτιώτατος γενόμενος οὐ τὰ σώματα μόνον τῶν τυράννων ἐξέβαλε τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἐλπίδας ἐξέκοψεν.
And by being the chief cause of the wicked being punished and not escaping, he not only expelled the bodies of the tyrants from the city, but also cut off their hopes.
οὕτω δὲ τοῖς δεχομένοις πράγμασιν ἀγῶνα καὶ θυμὸν καὶ ἀντίταξιν ἐρρωμένως καὶ ἀτενῶς ἀπαντήσας, ἔτι βέλτιον ἐχρήσατο τοῖς ὁμιλίας ἀπολέμου καὶ πειθοῦς ὑπεικούσης δεομένοις, Πορσίναν ἄμαχον ἄνδρα καὶ φοβερὸν ἐμμελῶς προσαγαγόμενος καὶ μεταστήσας εἰς φιλίαν.
Thus, having met resolutely and unbendingly with matters requiring conflict, anger, and opposition, he dealt even better with those requiring peaceful social intercourse and yielding persuasion, winning over gracefully Porsinna, a man otherwise invincible and fearsome, and changing him into a friend.
§4.3καίτοι φήσει τις ἐνταῦθα τὸν μὲν Σόλωνα προεμένοις ἀναλαβεῖν Ἀθηναίοις Σαλαμῖνα, τὸν δὲ Ποπλικόλαν ἧς ἐκέκτηντο Ῥωμαῖοι χώρας ἀποστῆναι.
And yet, someone here will say that Solon recovered Salamis for the Athenians when they had abandoned it, whereas Publicola surrendered land which the Romans possessed.
δεῖ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ὑποκειμένους καιροὺς τὰς πράξεις θεωρεῖν.
But we must evaluate actions in relation to the underlying circumstances.
ποικίλος γὰρ ὢν ὁ πολιτικὸς ᾧ τρόπῳ τῶν ὄντων ἕκαστον εὔληπτόν ἐστι μεταχειρίσεται, καὶ μέρους ἀφέσει πολλάκις ἔσωσε τὸ πᾶν καὶ μικρῶν ἀποστὰς μειζόνων ἔτυχεν, §4.4ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀνὴρ τότε τῆς μὲν ἀλλοτρίας χώρας ἀποστὰς ἔσωσε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βεβαίως ἅπασαν, οἷς δʼ ἦν μέγα τὴν πόλιν διαφυλάξαι προσεκτήσατο τὸ τῶν πολιορκούντων στρατόπεδον, ἐπιτρέψας δὲ τῷ πολεμίῳ δικαστῇ γενέσθαι, καὶ περιγενόμενος τῇ δίκῃ, προσέλαβεν ὅσα δόντας ἀγαπητὸν ἦν νικῆσαι· καὶ γὰρ τὸν πόλεμον διέλυσε καὶ τὴν παρασκευὴν τοῦ πολέμου κατέλιπεν αὐτοῖς διὰ πίστιν ἀρετῆς καὶ καλοκαγαθίας, ἣν ὁ ἄρχων ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἐνεποίησεν αὐτῷ.
For the versatile statesman will handle each of the existing elements in whatever way it is easy to manage, and by the relinquishment of a part he often saves the whole, and by giving up small things he achieves greater ones, just as that man did then, who, by giving up territory that belonged to others, securely saved all of his own; and for those to whom it was a great thing to preserve their city, he acquired in addition the camp of the besiegers. By permitting the enemy to become the judge, and prevailing in the trial, he gained all those things which they would have been glad to surrender just to win; for he both dissolved the war and left the preparations for war to them, because of his trust in the virtue and nobility which their leader had inspired in him on behalf of all.