§30ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων οὖν τούτων αἱροῦμαι τὰ μὲν πλεῖστα παραλιπεῖν διὰ τοὺς δυσκόλως ἀκροωμένους, περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι συντομώτατα διελθεῖν, ἵνα τὰ μὲν ἐκείνοις, τὰ δʼ ἐμαυτῷ χαρίσωμαι, καὶ μὴ παντάπασιν ἡττηθῶ τῶν εἰθισμένων φθονεῖν καὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις ἅπασιν ἐπιτιμᾶν.
Therefore, for both of these reasons, I choose to omit most of the details for the sake of those who listen with difficulty, and to go through the rest as briefly as I can, so that I may gratify them on the one hand and myself on the other, and not be altogether defeated by those who are accustomed to feel envy and to find fault with everything that is said.
§31τὴν μὲν οὖν ἀνδρίαν ἐν τούτοις ἐπεδείξατο τοῖς ἔργοις ἐν οἷς αὐτὸς καθʼ αὑτὸν ἐκινδύνευσε, τὴν δʼ ἐπιστήμην ἣν εἶχε πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, ἐν ταῖς μάχαις αἷς μεθʼ ὅλης τῆς πόλεως ἠγωνίσατο, τὴν δʼ εὐσέβειαν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ἔν τε ταῖς Ἀδράστου καὶ ταῖς τῶν παίδων τῶν Ἡρακλέους ἱκετείαις, τοὺς μὲν γὰρ μάχῃ νικήσας Πελοποννησίους διέσωσε, τῷ δὲ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῇ Καδμείᾳ τελευτήσαντας βίᾳ Θηβαίων θάψαι παρέδωκε, τὴν δʼ ἄλλην ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἔν τε τοῖς προειρημένοις καὶ μάλιστʼ ἐν οἷς τὴν πόλιν διῴκησεν.
Now, he displayed his courage in those deeds in which he ran risks by himself, his knowledge of war in the battles which he fought with the entire city, and his piety toward the gods both in the supplications of Adrastus and in those of the children of Heracles—for the latter indeed he saved by defeating the Peloponnesians in battle, while to the former he delivered for burial those who had died at the foot of the Cadmea, in defiance of the Thebans—and his other virtue and self-control both in the things already mentioned and especially in those in which he governed the city.
§32ὁρῶν γὰρ τοὺς βίᾳ τῶν πολιτῶν ἄρχειν ζητοῦντας ἑτέροις δουλεύοντας καὶ τοὺς ἐπικίνδυνον τὸν βίον τοῖς ἄλλοις καθιστάντας αὐτοὺς περιδεῶς ζῶντας, καὶ πολεμεῖν ἀναγκαζομένους μετὰ μὲν τῶν πολιτῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιστρατευομένους, μετὰ δʼ ἄλλων τινῶν πρὸς τοὺς συμπολιτευομένους, §33ἔτι δὲ συλῶντας μὲν τὰ τῶν θεῶν, ἀποκτείνοντας δὲ τοὺς βελτίστους τῶν πολιτῶν, ἀπιστοῦντας δὲ τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις, οὐδὲν δὲ ῥᾳθυμότερον ζῶντας τῶν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ συνειλημμένων, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἔξω ζηλουμένους, αὐτοὺς δὲ παρʼ αὑτοῖς μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων λυπουμένους·
For he saw that those who seek to rule by force over their citizens are themselves enslaved to others, and that those who make life dangerous for others live in constant fear themselves, being forced to wage war with their fellow citizens against invaders, and with certain others against their fellow citizens, and furthermore, that they plunder the temples of the gods, put to death the best of their citizens, distrust their closest associates, and live no more at ease than men arrested for death, being envied on the outside, but suffering more pain in their own hearts than all others.
§34τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄλγιον ἢ ζῆν ἀεὶ δεδιότα μή τις αὑτὸν τῶν παρεστώτων ἀποκτείνῃ, καὶ μηδὲν ἧττον φοβούμενον τοὺς φυλάττοντας ἢ τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας;
For what is more painful than to live always fearing lest some one of those standing by should slay you, and fearing no less those who guard you than those who conspire against you?
τούτων ἁπάντων καταφρονήσας καὶ νομίσας οὐκ ἄρχοντας ἀλλὰ νοσήματα τῶν πόλεων εἶναι τοὺς τοιούτους, ἐπέδειξεν ὅτι ῥᾴδιόν ἐστιν ἅμα τυραννεῖν καὶ μηδὲν χεῖρον διακεῖσθαι τῶν ἐξ ἴσου πολιτευομένων.
Despising all these things, and believing that such men are not rulers but diseases of cities, he demonstrated that it is easy to hold supreme power and at the same time be no worse off than those who participate in the government on equal terms.
§35καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν πόλιν σποράδην καὶ κατὰ κώμας οἰκοῦσαν εἰς ταὐτὸν συναγαγὼν τηλικαύτην ἐποίησεν ὥστʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἀπʼ ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου μεγίστην τῶν Ἑλληνίδων εἶναι· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κοινὴν τὴν πατρίδα καταστήσας καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν συμπολιτευομένων ἐλευθερώσας ἐξ ἴσου τὴν ἅμιλλαν αὐτοῖς περὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐποίησε, πιστεύων μὲν ὁμοίως αὐτῶν προέξειν ἀσκούντων ὥσπερ ἀμελούντων, εἰδὼς δὲ τὰς τιμὰς ἡδίους οὔσας τὰς παρὰ τῶν μέγα φρονούντων ἢ τὰς παρὰ τῶν δουλευόντων.
And first, having gathered into one place the city which had lived scattered and by villages, he made it so great that even now from that time it is the greatest of Greek cities; and after this, having established the fatherland as common to all and having liberated the minds of his fellow citizens, he made their rivalry in virtue equal, trusting that he would excel them whether they practiced it or neglected it, and knowing that honors from those who are high-minded are sweeter than those from men who are enslaved.
§36τοσούτου δʼ ἐδέησεν ἀκόντων τι ποιεῖν τῶν πολιτῶν ὥσθʼ ὁ μὲν τὸν δῆμον καθίστη κύριον τῆς πολιτείας, οἱ δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἄρχειν ἠξίουν, ἡγούμενοι πιστοτέραν καὶ κοινοτέραν εἶναι τὴν ἐκείνου μοναρχίαν τῆς αὑτῶν δημοκρατίας.
So far was he from doing anything against the will of the citizens that, while he made the people master of the government, they deemed him alone worthy to rule, believing that his monarchy was more trustworthy and impartial than their own democracy.
οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἕτεροι τοὺς μὲν πόνους ἄλλοις προσέταττε, τῶν δʼ ἡδονῶν αὐτὸς μόνος ἀπέλαυεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν κινδύνους ἰδίους ἐποιεῖτο, τὰς δʼ ὠφελείας ἅπασιν εἰς τὸ κοινὸν ἀπεδίδου.
For he did not, like other rulers, impose tasks upon others while enjoying pleasures alone, but made the dangers his own private concern and returned the benefits to the common good for all.
§37καὶ γάρ τοι διετέλεσε τὸν βίον οὐκ ἐπιβουλευόμενος ἀλλʼ ἀγαπώμενος, οὐδʼ ἐπακτῷ δυνάμει τὴν ἀρχὴν διαφυλάττων, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν πολιτῶν εὐνοίᾳ δορυφορούμενος, τῇ μὲν ἐξουσίᾳ τυραννῶν, ταῖς δʼ εὐεργεσίαις δημαγωγῶν· οὕτω γὰρ νομίμως καὶ καλῶς διῴκει τὴν πόλιν ὥστʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἴχνος τῆς ἐκείνου πραότητος ἐν τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἡμῶν καταλελεῖφθαι.
And therefore indeed he passed his life not plotted against but beloved, protecting his rule not by imported force but guarded by the goodwill of the citizens, ruling as a tyrant in his power but acting as a popular leader in his benefactions; for he governed the city so lawfully and well that even now a trace of his gentleness is left in our characters.
§38τὴν δὴ γεννηθεῖσαν μὲν ὑπὸ Διός, κρατήσασαν δὲ τοιαύτης ἀρετῆς καὶ σωφροσύνης, πῶς οὐκ ἐπαινεῖν χρὴ καὶ τιμᾶν καὶ νομίζειν πολὺ τῶν πώποτε γενομένων διενεγκεῖν;
How, then, is it not necessary to praise and honor her who was begotten by Zeus, and who conquered such virtue and self-control, and to believe that she far excelled all who have ever lived?
οὐ γὰρ δὴ μάρτυρά γε πιστότερον οὐδὲ κριτὴν ἱκανώτερον ἕξομεν ἐπαγαγέσθαι περὶ τῶν Ἑλένῃ προσόντων ἀγαθῶν τῆς Θησέως διανοίας.
For indeed we shall not have a more trustworthy witness nor a more competent judge to adduce concerning the good qualities belonging to Helen than the mind of Theseus.
ἵνα δὲ μὴ δοκῶ διʼ ἀπορίαν περὶ τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον διατρίβειν, μηδʼ ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς δόξῃ καταχρώμενος ἐπαινεῖν αὐτήν, βούλομαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐχομένων διελθεῖν.
But lest I should seem through lack of resources to linger in the same place, or to praise her by abusing the reputation of a single man, I wish also to go through the things that follow.
§39μετὰ γὰρ τὴν Θησέως εἰς Ἅιδου κατάβασιν ἐπανελθούσης αὖθις εἰς Λακεδαίμονα καὶ πρὸς τὸ μνηστεύεσθαι λαβούσης ἡλικίαν ἅπαντες οἱ τότε βασιλεύοντες καὶ δυναστεύοντες τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔσχον περὶ αὐτῆς· ἐξὸν γὰρ αὐτοῖς λαμβάνειν ἐν ταῖς αὑτῶν πόλεσι γυναῖκας τὰς πρωτευούσας, ὑπεριδόντες τοὺς οἴκοι γάμους ἦλθον ἐκείνην μνηστεύσοντες.
For after Theseus’ descent into Hades, when she had returned again to Lacedaemon and reached the age for marriage, all those who then ruled and held power had the same opinion about her; for although it was permitted them to take the leading women in their own cities as wives, they looked down upon marriage at home and came to woo her.