§9#2ὑπὲρ ὧν πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον γιγνομένων οὔτε πόλις οὐδεμία τῶν προεστάναι τῶν Ἐλλήνων ἀξιουσῶν ἠγανάκτησεν, οὔτ’ ἀνὴρ τῶν πρωτευόντων οὐδεὶς βαρέως ἤνεγκε, πλὴν ὁ σὸς πατήρ· μόνος γὰρ Ἀγησίλαος ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν ἐπιθυμῶν ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον διετέλεσε τοὺς μὲν Ἕλληνας ἐλευθερῶσαι, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς βαρβάρους πόλεμον ἐξενεγκεῖν.
For a long time now while these things have been happening, neither has any city of those claiming to stand at the head of the Greeks been indignant, nor has any of the leading men taken it heavily, except your father; for Agesilaus alone of those whom we know spent all his time continually desiring both to free the Greeks and to wage war against the barbarians.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνος ἑνὸς πράγματος διήμαρτεν.
Yet he too failed in one thing.
καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ πρὸς σὲ διαλεγόμενος μνησθήσομαι τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γνωσθέντων· εἴθισμαί τε γὰρ μετὰ παρρησίας ἀεὶ ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς λόγους, καὶ δεξαίμην ἂν δικαίως ἐπιτιμήσας ἀπεχθέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ παρὰ τὸ προσῆκον ἐπαινέσας χαρίσασθαι.
And do not wonder, if, in speaking to you, I shall mention the things not rightly decided by him; for I am accustomed always to make my speeches with frankness, and I would prefer, by censuring justly, to be disliked rather than, by praising improperly, to curry favor.
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐμὸν οὕτως ἔχον ἐστίν, ἐκεῖνος δ’ ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις διενεγκὼν καὶ γενόμενος ἐγκρατέστατος καὶ δικαιότατος καὶ πολιτικώτατος διττὰς ἔσχεν ἐπιθυμίας, χωρὶς μὲν ἑκατέραν καλὴν εἶναι δοκοῦσαν, οὐ συμφωνούσας δ’ ἀλλήλαις οὐδ’ ἅμα πράττεσθαι δυναμένας· ἠβούλετο γὰρ βασιλεῖ τε πολεμεῖν καὶ τῶν φίλων τοὺς φεύγοντας εἰς τὰς πόλεις καταγαγεῖν καὶ κυρίους καταστῆσαι τῶν πραγμάτων.
My own disposition, then, is such, but he, while excelling in all other respects and becoming most self-controlled, most just, and most statesmanlike, had two desires, each of which, taken separately, seemed noble, but they did not agree with each other, nor could they be pursued at the same time; for he wished both to make war on the King and to restore his exiled friends to their cities and establish them as masters of affairs.
συνέβαινεν οὖν ἐκ μὲν τῆς πραγματείας τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἑταίρων ἐν κακοῖς καὶ κινδύνοις εἶναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας, διὰ δὲ τὴν ταραχὴν τὴν ἐνθάδε γιγνομένην μὴ σχολὴν ἄγειν μηδὲ δύνασθαι πολεμεῖν τοῖς βαρβάροις.
Consequently, from his efforts on behalf of his comrades, it happened that the Greeks were in evils and dangers, and because of the disturbance arising here, they had no leisure nor were they able to make war on the barbarians.
ὥστ’ ἐκ τῶν ἀγνοηθέντων κατ’ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς ὀρθῶς βουλευομένους μὴ πρότερον ἐκφέρειν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον, πρὶν ἂν διαλλάξῃ τις τοὺς Ἕλληνας καὶ παύσῃ τῆς μανίας καὶ τῆς φιλονικίας ἡμᾶς.
So that from the mistakes made at that time it is easy to understand that those who counsel rightly must not declare war against the King before someone reconciles the Greeks and stops us from our madness and rivalry.
περὶ ὧν ἐγὼ καὶ πρότερον εἴρηκα καὶ νῦν ποιήσομαι τοὺς λόγους.
Concerning which things I have both spoken before and will now make my discourse.
καίτοι τινὲς τῶν οὐδεμιᾶς μὲν παιδείας μετεσχηκότων, δύνασθαι δὲ παιδεύειν τοὺς ἄλλους ὑπισχνουμένων, καὶ ψέγειν μὲν τἀμὰ τολμώντων, μιμεῖσθαι δὲ γλιχομένων, τάχ’ ἂν μανίαν εἶναι φήσειαν τὸ μέλειν ἐμοὶ τῶν τῆς Ἑλλάδος συμφορῶν, ὥσπερ παρὰ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἢ βέλτιον ἢ χεῖρον αὐτὴν πράξουσαν.
And yet some of those who have no part in any culture, but promise to be able to educate others, and dare to criticize my works, though they strive to imitate them, would perhaps say that it is madness for me to care about the misfortunes of Greece, as if she would fare either better or worse because of my words.
ὧν δικαίως ἂν ἅπαντες πολλὴν ἀνανδρίαν καὶ μικροψυχίαν καταγνοῖεν, ὅτι προσποιούμενοι φιλοσοφεῖν αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐπὶ μικροῖς φιλοτιμοῦνται, τοῖς δὲ δυναμένοις περὶ τῶν μεγίστων συμβουλεύειν φθονοῦντες διατελοῦσιν.
All might justly convict them of great cowardice and meanness of spirit, because, while pretending to study philosophy, they themselves strive for honor in small matters, and continually envy those who are able to give advice on the greatest affairs.
οὗτοι μὲν οὖν βοηθοῦντες ταῖς αὑτῶν ἀσθενείαις καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαις ἴσως τοιαῦτ’ ἐροῦσιν· ἐγὼ δ’ οὕτως ἐπ’ ἐμαυτῷ μέγα φρονῶ, καίπερ ἔτη γεγονὼς ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ παντάπασιν ἀπειρηκώς, ὥστ’ οἶμαι καὶ λέγειν ἐμοὶ προσήκειν μάλιστα περὶ τούτων καὶ καλῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι πρὸς σὲ ποιούμενον τοὺς λόγους, καὶ τυχὸν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν γενήσεσθαί τι τῶν δεόντων.
These men, then, defending their own weaknesses and indolence, will perhaps say such things; but I take such great pride in myself, although I am eighty years old and completely exhausted, that I think it is especially fitting for me to speak about these things, and that I have counselled well in making my address to you, and perhaps some of the necessary things will come from them.
ἡγοῦμαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας, εἰ δεήσειεν αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐκλέξασθαι τόν τε τῷ λόγῳ κάλλιστ’ ἂν δυνηθέντα παρακαλέσαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων στρατείαν καὶ τὸν τάχιστα μέλλοντα τὰς πράξεις ἐπιτελεῖν τὰς συμφέρειν δοξάσας, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλους ἀνθ’ ἡμῶν προκριθῆναι.
And I think that the other Greeks too, if they had to choose from all men both the one who would be best able by speech to exhort the Greeks to the expedition against the barbarians and the one who is likely to execute most quickly the actions deemed advantageous, would not choose others instead of us.
καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἂν αἰσχρὸν ποιήσαιμεν, εἰ τούτων ἀμελήσαιμεν οὕτως ἐντίμων ὄντων ὧν ἅπαντες ἂν ἡμᾶς ἀξιώσαιεν;
And yet how should we not act shamefully, if we neglect these things, which are so honorable, and of which everyone would deem us worthy?
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐμὸν ἔλαττόν ἐστιν· ἀποφήνασθαι γὰρ ἃ γιγνώσκει τις οὐ πάνυ τῶν χαλεπῶν πέφυκεν· σοὶ δὲ προσήκει προσέχοντι τὸν νοῦν τοῖς ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ λεγομένοις βουλεύσασθαι, πότερον ὀλιγωρητέον ἐστὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πραγμάτων γεγονότι μέν, ὥσπερ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐγὼ διῆλθον, ἡγεμόνι δὲ Λακεδαιμονίων ὄντι, βασιλεῖ δὲ προσαγορευομένῳ, μεγίστην δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔχοντι δόξαν, ἢ τῶν μὲν ἐνεστώτων πραγμάτων ὑπεροπτέον, μείζοσι δ’ ἐπιχειρητέον.
My part, then, is the lesser; for to declare what one thinks is not by nature very difficult; but it is fitting for you, paying attention to what is said by me, to deliberate, whether you should neglect Greek affairs, being descended as I detailed a little earlier, and being leader of the Lacedaemonians, and addressed as king, and having the greatest reputation among the Greeks, or whether you should look down upon the present affairs and attempt greater things.
ἐγὼ μὲν γάρ φημι χρῆναί σε πάντων ἀφέμενον τῶν ἄλλων δυοῖν τούτοιν προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν, ὅπως τοὺς μὲν Ἕλληνας ἀπαλλάξεις τῶν πολέμων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων κακῶν τῶν νῦν αὐτοῖς παρόντων, τοὺς δὲ βαρβάρους παύσεις ὑβρίζοντας καὶ πλείω κεκτημένους ἀγαθὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος.
For my part, I say that you ought, letting go of all other things, to pay attention to these two things: how you will deliver the Greeks from the wars and other evils now present to them, and stop the barbarians from acting insolently and possessing more goods than is proper.
ὡς δ’ ἐστὶ ταῦτα δυνατὰ καὶ συμφέροντα καὶ σοὶ καὶ τῇ πόλει καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, ἐμὸν ἔργον ἤδη διδάξαι περὶ αὐτῶν ἐστιν
And how these things are possible and advantageous both for you and for the city and for all the others, it is now my task to teach about them.