§29ὑπόγυιον γὰρ ἐστιν, ἐξ οὗ καταπολεμηθέντες, ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς γενόμενοι, πολλῶν ἐπιθυμησάντων διαφθεῖραι τὴν πόλιν, εἰς ὅρκους καὶ συνθήκας κατεφύγομεν, ἅς εἰ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τολμῷεν παραβαίνειν, σφόδρʼ ἂν ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἀγανακτήσειεν. §30καίτοι πῶς οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶν ἑτέρων κατηγορεῖν οἷς αὐτός τις ἔνοχός ἐστιν;
For it is but a short time since we, having been utterly defeated and fallen into the power of our enemies, when many desired to destroy the city, fled to oaths and treaties; which, if the Lacedaemonians should dare to violate, each of you would be exceedingly indignant. And yet, how is it possible to accuse others of things of which one is himself guilty?
τῷ δʼ ἂν δόξαιμεν ἀδικεῖσθαι παρὰ τὰς συνθήκας κακῶς πάσχοντες, εἰ μηδʼ αὐτοὶ φαινοίμεθʼ αὐτὰς περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενοι;
Or to whom should we seem to be wronged contrary to the treaty when we suffer ill, if we ourselves do not appear to value it highly?
τίνας δὲ πίστεις πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους εὑρήσομεν, εἰ τὰς πρὸς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς γεγενημένας οὕτως εἰκῇ λύσομεν; §31ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τῶνδε μνησθῆναι, διότι πολλῶν καὶ καλῶν τοῖς προγόνοις ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ πεπραγμένων οὐχ ἥκισθʼ ἡ πόλις ἐκ τούτων τῶν διαλλαγῶν εὐδοκίμησεν.
And what guarantees shall we find with others, if we dissolve the agreements made among ourselves so heedlessly? It is also worth remembering that, although many noble deeds were performed by our ancestors in war, the city gained no less reputation from this reconciliation.
πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τὸν πόλεμον πολλαὶ πόλεις ἂν εὑρεθεῖεν καλῶς ἠγωνισμέναι, περὶ δὲ στάσεως οὐκ ἔστιν ἣν ἄν τις ἐπιδείξειεν ἄμεινον τῆς ἡμετέρας βεβουλευμένην. §32ἔτι δὲ τῶν μὲν τοιούτων ἔργων, ὅσα μετὰ κινδύνων πέπρακται, τὸ πλεῖστον ἄν τις μέρος τῇ τύχῃ μεταδοίη· τῆς δʼ εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς μετριότητος οὐδεὶς ἂν ἄλλʼ ἢ τὴν ἡμετέραν γνώμην αἰτιάσαιτο.
For regarding war, many cities might be found to have fought well; but concerning civil strife, there is no city that anyone could point out as having made better decisions than ours. Furthermore, of such deeds as are performed in the midst of dangers, one might attribute the greatest part to fortune; but for our moderation toward one another, no one could assign the cause to anything other than our own judgment.
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἄξιον προδότας ταύτης τῆς δόξης γενέσθαι. §33καὶ μηδεὶς ἡγείσθω μʼ ὑπερβάλλειν μηδὲ μείζω λέγειν, ὅτι δίκην ἰδίαν φεύγων τούτους εἴρηκα τοὺς λόγους.
Therefore, it is not right to become betrayers of this reputation. And let no one think that I am exaggerating or speaking of too great matters, because I have spoken these words while defending myself in a private lawsuit.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον περὶ τῶν ἐπιγεγραμμένων χρημάτων ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ ἀγών, ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ μὲν περὶ τούτων, ὑμῖν δὲ περὶ τῶν ὀλίγῳ πρότερον εἰρημένων· ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐδεὶς οὔτʼ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἀξίως δύναιτο οὔτʼ ἂν τίμημʼ ἱκανὸν ἐπιγράψαιτο. §34τοσοῦτον γὰρ αὕτη διαφέρει τῶν ἄλλων δικῶν, ὥστε τῶν μὲν τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις μόνον προσήκει, ταύτῃ δὲ τὸ κοινὸν τῆς πόλεως συγκινδυνεύει.
For this contest is not only about the money registered in the suit; rather, for me it is about that, but for you it is about the matters spoken of a little while ago, for which no one could speak adequately, nor could write a sufficient penalty. For this case differs so much from other lawsuits, that while others concern only the litigants, in this one the common welfare of the city is in danger.
περὶ ταύτης δύʼ ὅρκους ὀμόσαντες δικάζετε, τὸν μὲν, ὅνπερ ἐπὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις εἴθισθε, τὸν δʼ ὃν ἐπὶ ταῖς συνθήκαις ἐποιήσασθε.
Concerning this, you judge having sworn two oaths: one, which you are accustomed to swear in other cases, and the other, which you made upon the treaty.
ταύτην ἀδίκως γνόντες οὐ τοὺς τῆς πόλεως μόνον νόμους ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἁπάντων κοινοὺς παραβήσεσθε.
If you decide this case unjustly, you will violate not only the laws of the city but also those common to all mankind.
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἄξιον οὔτε κατὰ χάριν οὔτε κατʼ ἐπιείκειαν οὔτε κατʼ ἄλλʼ οὐδὲν ἢ κατὰ τοὺς ὅρκους περὶ αὐτῶν ψηφίσασθαι. §35ὡς μὲν οὖν χρὴ καὶ συμφέρει καὶ δίκαιον ὑμᾶς ἐστὶν οὕτω περὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν γιγνώσκειν, οὐδʼ αὐτὸν ἡγοῦμαι Καλλίμαχον ἀντερεῖν·
Therefore, it is not right to vote on these matters either out of favor, or out of clemency, or for any other reason than in accordance with your oaths. Now, that it is necessary, advantageous, and just for you to decide in this way regarding the treaty, I do not think even Callimachus himself will deny.
οἶμαι δʼ αὐτὸν ὀδυρεῖσθαι τὴν παροῦσαν πενίαν καὶ τὴν γεγενημένην αὑτῷ συμφοράν, καὶ λέξειν ὡς δεινὰ καὶ σχέτλια πείσεται, εἰ τῶν χρημάτων, ὧν ἐπὶ τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας ἀφῃρέθη, τούτων ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ τὴν ἐπωβελίαν ὀφλήσει, καὶ εἰ τότε μὲν διὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τὴν αὑτοῦ φυγεῖν ἠναγκάσθη, νυνὶ δʼ ἐν ᾧ χρόνῳ προσῆκεν αὑτὸν δίκην λαβεῖν, ἅτιμος γενήσεται. §36κατηγορήσει δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ μεταστάσει γενομένων, ὡς ἐκ τοὺτων μάλισθʼ ὑμᾶς εἰς ὀργὴν καταστήσων· ἴσως γὰρ τινος ἀκήκοεν, ὡς ὑμεῖς, ὅταν μὴ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας λάβητε, τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας κολάζετε.
But I think he will bewail his present poverty and the misfortune that has befallen him, and will say that he will suffer terrible and intolerable things, if, of the money of which he was deprived under the oligarchy, he must pay the epobelia under the democracy, and if, while at that time he was forced to go into exile on account of his property, now, at the time when it is fitting for him to obtain justice, he will be disenfranchised. He will also accuse the events that took place during the change of government, in order that by these he may especially move you to anger; for perhaps he has heard from someone that you, when you do not catch the wrongdoers, punish those who happen to be at hand.
ἐγὼ δʼ οὔθʼ ὑμᾶς ταύτην ἔχειν τὴν γνώμην ἡγοῦμαι, πρὸς τε τοὺς ὑπειρημένους λόγους ῥᾲδιον ἁντειπεῖν νομίζω. §37πρὸς οὖν τοὺς ὀδυρμούς, ὅτι προσήκει βοηθεῖν ὑμᾶς, οὐχ οἵτινες ἂν δυστυχεστάτους σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀποδείξωσιν, ἀλλʼ οἵτινες ἂν περὶ ὧν ἀντωμόσαντο δικαιότερα λέγοντες φάνωνται.
But I neither think that you hold this opinion, and I believe it is easy to reply to the arguments he will put forward. To those lamentations, therefore, you should reply that it is fitting to help, not those who prove themselves to be the most unfortunate, but those who appear to speak more justly concerning the matters they swore to in their pleadings.
περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐπωβελίας, εἰ μὲν ἐγὼ τοὺτων τῶν πραγμάτων αἴτιος ἦν, εἰκότως ἂν αὐτῷ μέλλοντι ζημιώσεσθαι συνήχθεσθε· νῦν δʼ οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ συκοφαντῶν, ὥστʼ οὐδὲν ἂν δικαίως αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἀποδέχοισθε. §38ἔπειτα κἀκεῖνο χρὴ σκοπεῖν, ὅτι πάντες οἱ κατελθόντες ἐκ Περαίεως ἔχοιεν ἂν τοὺς αὐτοὺς λόγους εἰπεῖν, οὕσπερ οὗτος, ὧν οὐδεὶς ἄλλος τετόλμηκε τοιαύτην δίκην εἰσελθεῖν.
As for the epobelia, if I were the cause of these troubles, you would naturally sympathize with him when he is about to be penalized; but as it is, he is the one who is playing the sycophant, so you should not accept anything he says as being just. Then you must also consider that all those who returned from Piraeus would be able to say the same things as this man, yet no other of them has dared to bring such a lawsuit.
Καίτοι χρὴ μισεῖν ὑμᾶς τοὺς τοιούτους καὶ κακοὺς πολίτας νομίζειν, οἵτινες ταῖς μὲν συμφοραῖς ὁμοίας τῷ τῷ πλήθει κέχρηνται, τὰς δὲ τιμωρίας διαφόρους τῶν ἅλλων ἀξιοῦσι ποιεῖσθαι.
And yet you ought to hate such men and consider them bad citizens, who have experienced misfortunes similar to those of the populace, but demand to make their vengeance different from the others.