§76καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω ταύτην τὴν εὐλογίαν ἡμῖν προσήκειν τοῖς νῦν πολιτευομένοις, ἀλλὰ πολὺ τοὐναντίον.
And let no one think that this praise belongs to us who are now in public life, but much rather the contrary.
εἰσὶ γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι τῶν λόγων ἔπαινος μὲν τῶν ἀξίους σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῆς τῶν προγόνων ἀρετῆς παρεχόντων, κατηγορία δὲ τῶν τὰς εὐγενείας ταῖς αὑτῶν ῥᾳθυμίαις καὶ κακίαις καταισχυνόντων.
For such speeches are a praise indeed of those who show themselves worthy of the virtue of their ancestors, but an accusation of those who disgrace their noble birth by their own laziness and wickedness.
ὅπερ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν· εἰρήσεται γὰρ τἀληθές.
Which is exactly what we are doing; for the truth shall be spoken.
τοιαύτης γὰρ ἡμῖν τῆς φύσεως ὑπαρχούσης, οὐ διεφυλάξαμεν αὐτήν, ἀλλʼ ἐμπεπτώκαμεν εἰς ἄνοιαν καὶ ταραχὴν καὶ πονηρῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιθυμίαν.
For although we possess such a nature, we have not preserved it, but have fallen into folly, confusion, and a desire for evil practices.
§77ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἢν ἐπακολουθῶ τοῖς ἐνοῦσιν ἐπιτιμῆσαι καὶ κατηγορῆσαι τῶν ἐνεστώτων πραγμάτων, δέδοικα μὴ πόρρω λίαν τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἀποπλανηθῶ.
But indeed, if I follow up on the opportunities to censure and accuse the present state of affairs, I fear I may wander too far from my subject.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων καὶ πρότερον εἰρήκαμεν, καὶ πάλιν ἐροῦμεν, ἢν μὴ πείσωμεν ὑμᾶς παύσασθαι τοιαῦτʼ ἐξαμαρτάνοντας· περὶ δʼ ὧν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸν λόγον κατεστησάμην, βραχέα διαλεχθεὶς παραχωρῶ τοῖς βουλομένοις ἔτι συμβουλεύειν περὶ τούτων.
Concerning these matters, therefore, we have spoken before, and we shall speak again, unless we persuade you to stop making such errors; but concerning the matters on which I established my speech from the beginning, having spoken briefly, I shall yield to those who wish to give further advice on these subjects.
§78ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἢν μὲν οὕτως οἰκῶμεν τὴν πόλιν ὥσπερ νῦν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως οὐ καὶ βουλευσόμεθα καὶ πολεμήσομεν καὶ βιωσόμεθα καὶ σχεδὸν ἅπαντα καὶ πεισόμεθα καὶ πράξομεν, ἅπερ ἐν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ καὶ τοῖς παρελθοῦσι χρόνοις· ἢν δὲ μεταβάλωμεν τὴν πολιτείαν, δῆλον ὅτι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον, οἷά περ ἦν τοῖς προγόνοις τὰ πράγματα, τοιαῦτʼ ἔσται καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς· ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν πολιτευμάτων καὶ τὰς πράξεις ὁμοίας ἀεὶ καὶ παραπλησίας ἀποβαίνειν.
For if we govern the city in the same way as now, there is no way that we shall not deliberate, wage war, live, and suffer and do almost everything in the same way as in the present time and in times past; but if we change our constitution, it is clear that by the same principle, our affairs will be of the same kind as those of our ancestors; for of necessity, from the same forms of government, the actions must always turn out similar and near identical.
§79δεῖ δὲ τὰς μεγίστας αὐτῶν παρʼ ἀλλήλας θέντας βουλεύσασθαι, ποτέρας ἡμῖν αἱρετέον ἐστίν.
But we must deliberate, placing their greatest points side by side, which of the two we ought to choose.
καὶ πρῶτον μὲν σκεψώμεθα τοὺς Ἕλληνας καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους, πῶς πρὸς ἐκείνην τὴν πολιτείαν διέκειντο καὶ πῶς νῦν ἔχουσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς.
And first, let us consider the Greeks and the barbarians, how they were disposed toward that ancient constitution, and how they now feel toward us.
οὐ γὰρ ἐλάχιστον μέρος τὰ γένη ταῦτα συμβάλλεται πρὸς εὐδαιμονίαν, §80ὅταν ἔχῃ κατὰ τρόπον ἡμῖν.
For these nations contribute no small share to our prosperity, whenever they are well-disposed toward us.
οἱ μὲν τοίνυν Ἕλληνες οὕτως ἐπίστευον τοῖς κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον πολιτευομένοις, ὥστε τοὺς πλείστους αὐτῶν ἑκόντας ἐγχειρίσαι τῇ πόλει σφᾶς αὐτούς· οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχον τοῦ πολυπραγμονεῖν περὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πραγμάτων, ὥστε οὔτε μακροῖς πλοίοις ἐπὶ τάδε Φασήλιδος ἔπλεον οὔτε στρατοπέδοις ἐντὸς Ἅλυος ποταμοῦ κατέβαινον, §81ἀλλὰ πολλὴν ἡσυχίαν ἦγον.
At that time, then, the Greeks had such confidence in those who governed the city that most of them voluntarily surrendered themselves to our city; and the barbarians were so far from interfering in Greek affairs that they neither sailed with long ships on this side of Phaselis, nor marched down with armies within the Halys river, but kept great quiet.
νῦν δʼ εἰς τοῦτο τὰ πράγματα περιέστηκεν, ὥσθʼ οἱ μὲν μισοῦσι τὴν πόλιν, οἱ δὲ καταφρονοῦσιν ἡμῶν· καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ μίσους τῶν Ἑλλήνων αὐτῶν ἀκηκόατε τῶν στρατηγῶν· ὡς δὲ βασιλεὺς ἔχει πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐκ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ὧν ἔπεμψεν ἐδήλωσεν.
Now, however, affairs have taken such a turn that some hate our city, while others despise us; and as for the hatred of the Greeks, you have heard about it from the generals themselves; and how the King is disposed toward us, he made clear from the letters which he sent.
§82ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις ὑπὸ μὲν ἐκείνης τῆς εὐταξίας οὕτως ἐπαιδεύθησαν οἱ πολῖται πρὸς ἀρετήν, ὥστε σφᾶς μὲν αὐτοὺς μὴ λυπεῖν, τοὺς δʼ εἰς τὴν χώραν εἰσβάλλοντας ἅπαντας μαχόμενοι νικᾶν.
Furthermore, under that good order, the citizens were so educated in virtue that they did not harm one another, and in battle they conquered all who invaded their territory.
ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον· ἀλλήλοις μὲν γὰρ κακὰ παρέχοντες οὐδεμίαν ἡμέραν διαλείπομεν, τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν πόλεμον οὕτω κατημελήκαμεν, ὥστʼ οὐδʼ εἰς ἐξετάσεις ἰέναι τολμῶμεν ἢν μὴ λαμβάνωμεν ἀργύριον.
We, however, do the opposite; for we do not let a single day pass without causing harm to one another, and we have so neglected military affairs that we do not even dare to attend military reviews unless we receive pay.
§83τὸ δὲ μέγιστον· τότε μὲν οὐδεὶς ἦν τῶν πολιτῶν ἐνδεὴς τῶν ἀναγκαίων, οὐδὲ προσαιτῶν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τὴν πόλιν κατῄσχυνε, νῦν δὲ πλείους εἰσὶν οἱ σπανίζοντες τῶν ἐχόντων· οἷς ἄξιόν ἐστι πολλὴν συγγνώμην ἔχειν, εἰ μηδὲν τῶν κοινῶν φροντίζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο σκοποῦσιν ὁπόθεν τὴν ἀεὶ παροῦσαν ἡμέραν διάξουσιν.
And the greatest thing: then no citizen was in want of the necessities of life, nor did anyone disgrace the city by begging from those he met; but now those who are destitute are more numerous than those who possess property; whom we must forgive for caring nothing for public affairs, but considering only how they can get through the day that is always upon them.
§84ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἡγούμενος, ἢν μιμησώμεθα τοὺς προγόνους, καὶ τῶν κακῶν ἡμᾶς τούτων ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι καὶ σωτῆρας οὐ μόνον τῆς πόλεως ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν Ἐλλήνων ἁπάντων γενήσεσθαι, τήν τε πρόσοδον ἐποιησάμην καὶ τοὺς λόγους εἴρηκα τούτους· ὑμεῖς δὲ πάντα λογισάμενοι ταῦτα χειροτονεῖθʼ ὅ τι ἂν ὑμῖν δοκῇ μάλιστα συμφέρειν τῇ πόλει.
Therefore, believing that if we imitate our ancestors we shall both be rid of these evils and become saviors not only of the city but of all the Greeks, I have made this appearance before you and have spoken these words; and you, having considered all these things, vote for whatever you think will be of the greatest benefit to the city.