§5οὐ μόνον δὲ κρινομένοις καὶ κινδυνεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυστυχοῦσι μᾶλλον ἁρμόζει μεγαλαυχία καὶ κόμπος ἢ εὐτυχοῦσιν.
Boasting and self-applause are more fitting not only for those on trial and in danger, but also for the unfortunate rather than for the fortunate.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ οἷον ἐπιδράττεσθαι τῆς δόξης καὶ ἀπολαύειν χαριζόμενοι τῷ φιλοτίμῳ δοκοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ πόρρω φιλοτιμίας διὰ τὸν καιρὸν ὄντες ἐξαναφέρειν πρὸς τὴν τύχην καὶ ὑπερείδειν τὸ φρόνημα καὶ φεύγειν ὅλως τὸ ἐλεεινὸν καὶ συνεπιθρηνοῦν τοῖς ἀβουλήτοις καὶ ταπεινούμενον.
For the former seem to be grasping at glory and enjoying it, indulging their ambition; while the latter, being far from ambition due to their circumstance, seem to raise themselves against fortune, support their spirit, and entirely escape pitifullness and lamenting along with unexpected events, and being humbled.
ὥσπερ οὖν τοὺς ἐν τῷ περιπατεῖν ἐπαιρομένους καὶ ὑψαυχενοῦντας ἀνοήτους ἡγούμεθα καὶ κενούς· ἂν δὲ πυκτεύοντες ἢ μαχόμενοι διεγείρωσι καὶ ἀνάγωσιν ἑαυτούς, ἐπαινοῦμεν· οὕτως ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ τύχης σφαλλόμενος ἑαυτὸν εἰς ὀρθὸν καθιστὰς καὶ ἀντίπαλον
"πύκτης ὅπως εἰς χεῖρας,"
ἐκ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ καὶ οἰκτροῦ τῇ μεγαλαυχίᾳ μεταφέρων εἰς τὸ γαῦρον καὶ ὑψηλόν, οὐκ ἐπαχθὴς οὐδὲ θρασὺς ἀλλὰ μέγας εἶναι δοκεῖ καὶ ἀήττητος ὥς που καὶ τὸν Πάτροκλον ὁ ποιητὴς μέτριον καὶ ἀνεπίφθονον ἐν τῷ κατορθοῦν ἐν δὲ τῷ τελευτᾶν μεγαλήγορον πεποίηκε λέγοντα
"τοιοῦτοι δʼ εἴπερ μοι ἐείκοσιν ἀντεβόλησαν.
For just as we consider those who are conceited and walk with high necks to be foolish and empty, but praise boxers or fighters who rouse and elevate themselves; so a man who is tripped up by fortune, setting himself upright and, as an opponent, "putting up his hands like a boxer," transferring himself by his boasting from a humble and pitiable state into a proud and high one, does not seem offensive or arrogant, but great and invincible. It is in this way, surely, that the poet made Patroclus moderate and free from envy when succeeding, but grand-speaking at his death, saying: "Even if twenty such as you had met me, [they would have perished by my spear].
"
καὶ Φωκίων τἄλλα πρᾶος ἦν· μετὰ δὲ τὴν καταδίκην ἄλλοις τε πολλοῖς διεδείκνυε τὴν μεγαλοφροσύνην, καὶ πρὸς ἕνα τῶν συναποθνῃσκόντων ὀδυρόμενον καὶ δυσανασχετοῦντα
τί λέγεις
εἶπεν
οὗτος;
"And Phocion was gentle in other respects; but after his condemnation, he demonstrated his high-mindedness to many others, and to one of those dying with him who was lamenting and indignant, he said: "What are you saying, fellow?
οὐκ ἀγαπᾷς ἀποθνῄσκων μετὰ Φωκίωνος; §6ἔτι τοίνυν οὐχ ἧττον ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀδικουμένῳ τῷ πολιτικῷ δέδοται τὸ λέγειν τι περὶ αὑτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγνωμονοῦντας·
Are you not glad to die with Phocion?" Furthermore, a politician who is wronged is granted no less, but even more, to speak something about himself to those who are ungrateful.
ὥσπερ ὁ Ἀχιλλεὺς ἄλλως μὲν ὑφίετο τῷ θείῳ τῆς δόξης καὶ μέτριος ἦν λέγων
"
αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς
δῷσι πόλιν Τροίην εὐτείχεον ἐξαλαπάξαι
"
ὑβρισθεὶς; δὲ παρʼ ἀξίαν καὶ προπηλακισθεὶς ἐφίησι τὴν μεγαλαυχίαν τῇ ὀργῇ· "δώδεκα γὰρ σὺν νηυσὶ πόλεις ἀλάπαξʼ ἀνθρώπων; "
καί
"
οὐ γὰρ ἐμῆς κόρυθος λεύσσουσι μέτωπον
ἐγγύθι λαμπομένης. "
δέχεται γὰρ ἡ παρρησία, μέρος οὖσα τῆς δικαιολογίας, τὴν μεγαληγορίαν.
Just as Achilles on other occasions yielded glory to the divine and was moderate, saying: "if ever Zeus grants that we utterly destroy the well-walled city of Troy, "but when insulted undeservedly and trampled upon, he lets loose his boasting in his anger: "For with my ships I have destroyed twelve cities of men," and: "For they do not see the front of my helmet shining near." For frankness of speech, being a part of self-justification, accepts grand-speaking.
ἀμέλει δὲ καὶ Θεμιστοκλῆς οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τῶν πράξεων εἰπὼν οὐδὲ ποιήσας ἐπαχθές, ὁπηνίκα τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἑώρα μεστοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ καὶ περιορῶντας, οὐκ ἐφείδετο λέγειν
τί, ὦ μακάριοι, κοπιᾶτε, πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν εὖ πάσχοντες; καὶ ἔτι
χειμαζόμενοι μὲν ὥσπερ ὑπὸ δένδρον ὑποφεύγετε, γενομένης δʼ εὐδίας τίλλετε παρεξιόντες. §7οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἄλλως ἀδικούμενοι τῶν κατωρθωμένων ἐμέμνηντο πρὸς τοὺς ἀγνωμονοῦντας.
Indeed, Themistocles also, having said or done nothing offensive regarding his achievements, when he saw that the Athenians were full of him and neglecting him, did not spare to say: "Why, O blessed ones, do you grow weary, though you are often well-treated by the same men?" and again: "When you are storm-tossed, you flee for refuge as if under a tree, but when fair weather comes, you pluck its leaves as you pass by." These men, then, being wronged in other ways, recalled their successes to the ungrateful.
ὁ δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ψεγόμενος οἷς κατώρθωκε παντάπασι συγγνωστός ἐστι καὶ ἄμεμπτος, ἐγκωμιάζων τὰ πεπραγμένα· δοκεῖ γὰρ οὐκ ὀνειδίζειν ἀλλʼ ἀπολογεῖσθαι.
But he who is blamed for the very things in which he succeeded is entirely pardonable and blameless in praising his achievements; for he seems not to be reproaching others but to be defending himself.
τοῦτο γοῦν λαμπρὰν τῷ Δημοσθένει παρρησίαν ἐδίδου καὶ τὸν κόρον ἀφῄρει τῶν ἐπαίνων, οἷς παρὰ πάντα τὸν λόγον ὁμοῦ τι τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ στεφάνου κέχρηται, σεμνυνόμενος οἷς ἐνεκαλεῖτο περὶ τοῦ πολέμου πρεσβεύμασι καὶ ψηφίσμασιν.
This, at any rate, gave Demosthenes a brilliant frankness and removed the tediousness of the praises which he used almost throughout his entire speech *On the Crown*, boasting of the embassies and decrees concerning the war for which he was accused.
§8οὐ πόρρω δὲ τούτου τεταγμένον ἔχει τινὰ χάριν τὸ τῆς ἀντιθέσεως, ὅταν, ἐφʼ ᾧ τις ἐγκαλεῖται, τούτου τοὐναντίον αἰσχρὸν ἀποδεικνύῃ καὶ φαῦλον.
Not far from this is placed the method of antithesis, which has a certain elegance, when a person, concerning the very thing he is accused of, demonstrates the opposite to be shameful and base.
ὡς ὁ Λυκοῦργος ἐν Ἀθήναις ἐπὶ τῷ πεπεικέναι τὸν συκοφάντην ἀργυρίου λοιδορούμενος,
εἶτʼ
ἔφη
ποῖός τις ὑμῖν δοκῶ εἶναι πολίτης, ὃς τοσοῦτον χρόνον τὰ δημόσια πράττων παρʼ ὑμῖν, διδοὺς μᾶλλον ἀδίκως ἢ λαμβάνων εἴλημμαι; καὶ ὁ Κικέρων, τοῦ Μετέλλου πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰπόντος ὅτι πλείονας ἀνῄρηκε καταμαρτυρήσας ἢ συνηγορήσας σέσωκε,
τίς δʼ
εἶπεν οὔ
φησιν ἐν ἐμοὶ πλέον εἶναι πίστεως ἢ δεινότητος; καὶ τὰ Δημοσθένους τοιαῦτα τίς
δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἀπέκτεινέ με δικαίως, εἴ τι τῶν τῇ πόλει καλῶν ὑπαρχόντων λόγῳ μόνον αἰσχύνειν ἐπεχείρησα; καὶ
τί ἂν οἴεσθε λέγειν τοὺς μιαροὺς τούτους ἀνθρώπους, εἰ τότʼ ἐμοῦ περὶ τούτων ἀκριβολογουμένου ἀπῆλθον αἱ πόλεις; καὶ ὅλως ὁ περὶ τοῦ στεφάνου λόγος εὐφυέστατα ταῖς ἀντιθέσεσι καὶ λύσεσι τῶν αἰτιῶν ἐπεισάγει τοὺς ἐπαίνους.
As Lycurgus in Athens, when reviled for having bribed the informer with money, said: "Then what kind of citizen do I seem to you to be, who, having managed public affairs among you for so long, have been caught rather giving than receiving unjustly?" And Cicero, when Metellus said to him that he had destroyed more by testifying against them than he had saved by defending them, said: "And who," he said, "denies that there is more of credibility than of skill in me?" And the sayings of Demosthenes are of this kind: "And who would not have justly put me to death, if I had attempted to disgrace by word alone any of the honorable things belonging to the city?" and: "What do you think these loathsome men would be saying, if, while I was being precise about these matters back then, the cities had departed?" And in general, the speech *On the Crown* introduces self-praise most skillfully through antitheses and resolutions of accusations.