§2#2πρὸ πολλοῦ δ’ ἂν ἐποιησάμην ἐπιστεῖλαί σοι ταῦτα πρὸ τῆς στρατείας, ἵν’ εἰ μὲν ἐπείσθης, μὴ τηλικούτῳ κινδύνῳ περιέπεσες, εἰ δ’ ἠπίστησας, μὴ συμβουλεύειν ἐδόκουν ταὐτὰ τοῖς ἤδη διὰ τὸ πάθος ὑπὸ πάντων ἐγνωσμένοις, ἀλλὰ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς ἐμαρτύρει τοὺς λόγους ὀρθῶς ἔχειν τοὺς ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ περὶ αὐτῶν εἰρημένους.
I would have valued it highly to have sent you these things before the expedition, so that, if you had been persuaded, you would not have fallen into so great danger, and if you had disbelieved, I would not seem to be advising the same things as are now known to all because of the disaster, but the event itself would have testified that the words spoken by me concerning them were correct.
πολλὰ δ’ ἔχων εἰπεῖν διὰ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος φύσιν παύσομαι λέγων· οἶμαι γὰρ καὶ σὲ καὶ τῶν ἑταίρων τοὺς σπουδαιοτάτους ῥᾳδίως ὁπόσ’ ἂν βούλησθε προσθήσειν τοῖς εἰρημένοις.
Although I have much to say because of the nature of the matter, I will cease speaking; for I think that both you and the most serious of your companions will easily add to what has been said as much as you wish.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις φοβοῦμαι τὴν ἀκαιρίαν· καὶ γὰρ νῦν κατὰ μικρὸν προϊὼν ἔλαθον ἐμαυτὸν οὐκ εἰς ἐπιστολῆς συμμετρίαν ἀλλ’ εἰς λόγου μῆκος ἐξοκείλας.
In addition to this, I fear untimeliness; for even now, advancing little by little, I have unconsciously drifted not into the proportion of a letter but into the length of a speech.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καίπερ τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων οὐ παραλειπτέον ἐστὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλὰ πειρατέον παρακαλέσαι σε πρὸς τὴν οἰκειότητα καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν αὐτῆς.
Nevertheless, although these things are so, the affairs of our city must not be passed over, but one must try to exhort you to friendship and alliance with her.
οἶμαι γὰρ πολλοὺς εἶναι τοὺς ἀπαγγέλλοντας καὶ λέγοντας οὐ μόνον τὰ δυσχερέστατα τῶν περὶ σοῦ παρ’ ἡμῖν εἰρημένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ’ αὑτῶν προστιθέντας· οἷς οὐκ εἰκὸς προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν.
For I think there are many who report and repeat not only the most offensive of the things said about you among us, but also add things of their own; to whom it is not reasonable for you to pay attention.
καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἄτοπον ποιοίης, εἰ τὸν μὲν δῆμον τὸν ἡμέτερον ψέγοις ὅτι ῥᾳδίως πείθεται τοῖς διαβάλλουσιν, αὐτὸς δὲ φαίνοιο πιστεύων τοῖς τὴν τέχνην ταύτην ἔχουσι, καὶ μὴ γιγνώσκοις ὡς ὅσῳπερ ἂν τὴν πόλιν εὐαγωγοτέραν ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων οὖσαν ἀποφαίνωσι, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλόν σοι συμφερόντως ἔχουσαν αὐτὴν ἐπιδεικνύουσιν.
For indeed you would act strangely if, while you blamed our people for being easily persuaded by slanderers, you yourself should appear to believe those who practice this art, and did not recognize that the more easily led by anyone they show our city to be, the more advantageous they show her to be for you.
εἰ γὰρ οἱ μηδὲν ἀγαθὸν οἷοί τ’ ὄντες ποιῆσαι διαπράττονται τοῖς λόγοις ὅ τι ἂν βουληθῶσιν, ἦ που σέ γε προσήκει τὸν πλεῖστ’ ἂν ἔργῳ δυνάμενον εὐεργετῆσαι μηδενὸς ἀποτυχεῖν παρ’ ἡμῶν.
For if those who are able to do no good accomplish by words whatever they wish, surely it is fitting that you, who are able to benefit us most by deeds, should fail in nothing from us.
ἡγοῦμαι δὲ δεῖν πρὸς μὲν τοὺς πικρῶς τῆς πόλεως ἡμῶν κατηγοροῦντας ἐκείνους ἀντιτάττεσθαι τοὺς πάντα τἀναντί’ εἶναι λέγοντας καὶ τοὺς μήτε μεῖζον μήτ’ ἔλαττον αὐτὴν ἠδικηκέναι φάσκοντας· ἐγὼ δ’ οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποιμι τοιοῦτον·
I think that against those who bitterly accuse our city, one should oppose those who say all the opposite things and who claim that she has done no wrong, either great or small; but I would say no such thing.
αἰσχυνθείην γὰρ ἄν, εἰ τῶν ἄλλων μηδὲ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀναμαρτήτους εἶναι νομιζόντων αὐτὸς τολμῴην λέγειν, ὡς οὐδὲν πώποθ’ ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν πεπλημμέληκεν.
For I should be ashamed if, while others do not believe even the gods to be without error, I myself should dare to say that our city has never committed any offense.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖν’ ἔχω περὶ αὐτῆς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι χρησιμωτέραν οὐκ ἂν εὕροις ταύτης οὔτε τοῖς Ἕλλησιν οὔτε τοῖς σοῖς πράγμασιν· ᾧ μάλιστα προσεκτέον τὸν νοῦν ἐστίν.
Nevertheless, I can say this much about her: that you could find no city more useful than this one, either to the Greeks or to your own affairs; to which you must pay the greatest attention.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον συναγωνιζομένη γίγνοιτ’ ἂν αἰτία σοι πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλικῶς ἔχειν δοκοῦσα μόνον·
For she would not only, by fighting on your side, become the cause of many blessings to you, but also merely by appearing to be friendly.
τούς τε γὰρ ὑπὸ σοὶ νῦν ὄντας ῥᾷον ἂν κατέχοις, εἰ μηδεμίαν ἔχοιεν ἀποστροφήν, τῶν τε βαρβάρων οὓς βουληθείης θᾶττον ἂν καταστρέψαιο.
For you would more easily hold those who are now under you, if they had no refuge, and you would more quickly subdue those of the barbarians whom you wished.
καίτοι πῶς οὐ χρὴ προθύμως ὀρέγεσθαι τῆς τοιαύτης εὐνοίας, δι’ ἣν οὐ μόνον τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν ἀρχὴν ἀσφαλῶς καθέξεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν ἑτέραν ἀκινδύνως προσκτήσει;
And yet, how is it not necessary to eagerly reach out for such goodwill, through which you will not only securely hold your existing empire, but also acquire much other without danger?
θαυμάζω δ’ ὅσοι τῶν τὰς δυνάμεις ἐχόντων τὰ μὲν τῶν ξενιτευομένων στρατόπεδα μισθοῦνται καὶ χρήματα πολλὰ δαπανῶσι, συνειδότες ὅτι πλείους ἠδίκηκε τῶν πιστευσάντων αὐτοῖς ἢ σέσωκε, τὴν δὲ πόλιν τὴν τηλικαύτην δύναμιν κεκτημένην μὴ πειρῶνται θεραπεύειν, ἣ καὶ μίαν ἑκάστην τῶν πόλεων καὶ σύμπασαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα πολλάκις ἤδη σέσωκεν.
I wonder at those among the powerful who hire armies of foreign mercenaries and spend much money, knowing well that these have wronged more of those who trusted them than they have saved, but do not try to court our city which possesses so great power, which has already often saved each individual city and the whole of Greece.
ἐνθυμοῦ δ’ ὅτι πολλοῖς καλῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι δοκεῖς ὅτι δικαίως κέχρησαι Θετταλοῖς καὶ συμφερόντως ἐκείνοις, ἀνδράσιν οὐκ εὐμεταχειρίστοις, ἀλλὰ μεγαλοψύχοις καὶ στάσεως μεστοῖς.
Consider also that you seem to many to have planned well because you have dealt justly with the Thessalians and to their advantage, men who are not easy to handle, but are high-spirited and full of faction.
χρὴ τοίνυν καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς πειρᾶσθαι γίγνεσθαί σε τοιοῦτον, ἐπιστάμενον ὅτι τὴν μὲν χώραν Θετταλοί, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἡμεῖς ὅμορόν σοι τυγχάνομεν ἔχοντες, ἣν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου ζήτει προσαγαγέσθαι.
Therefore, you must try to behave in the same way towards us also, knowing that the Thessalians have their territory adjacent to you, but we have our power adjacent, which you should seek by all means to win over to yourself.
πολὺ γὰρ κάλλιόν ἐστι τὰς εὐνοίας τὰς τῶν πόλεων αἱρεῖν ἢ τὰ τείχη.
For it is much nobler to win the goodwill of cities than their walls.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἔργων οὐ μόνον ἔχει φθόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τοιούτων τὴν αἰτίαν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις ἀνατιθέασιν· ἢν δὲ τὰς οἰκειότητας καὶ τὰς εὐνοίας κτήσασθαι δυνηθῇς, ἅπαντες τὴν σὴν διάνοιαν ἐπαινέσονται.
For such deeds as the latter not only incur envy, but people also attribute the responsibility for them to your armies; but if you are able to acquire friendships and goodwill, all will praise your purpose.
δικαίως δ’ ἄν μοι πιστεύοις οἷς εἴρηκα περὶ τῆς πόλεως· φανήσομαι γὰρ οὔτε κολακεύειν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις εἰθισμένος, ἀλλὰ πλεῖστα πάντων ἐπιτετιμηκώς, οὔτ’ εὖ παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς καὶ τοῖς εἰκῇ δοκιμάζουσι φερόμενος, ἀλλ’ ἀγνοούμενος ὑπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ φθονούμενος ὥσπερ σύ.
And you would justly believe me in what I have said about our city; for I shall be shown neither to be accustomed to flatter her in my speeches, but to have censured her most of all, nor to be in high favor with the multitude and those who judge at random, but rather to be misunderstood by them and envied just as you are.
πλὴν τοσοῦτον διαφέρομεν, ὅτι πρὸς σὲ μὲν διὰ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν οὕτως ἔχουσι, πρὸς δ’ ἐμέ, διότι προσποιοῦμαι τὸ βέλτιον αὐτῶν φρονεῖν καὶ πλείους ὁρῶσιν ἐμοὶ διαλέγεσθαι βουλομένους ἢ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς.
Except we differ in this much: that they are thus disposed towards you because of your power and prosperity, but towards me because I claim to think better than they, and they see more people wishing to converse with me than with themselves.
ἠβουλόμην δ’ ἂν ἡμῖν ὁμοίως ῥᾴδιον εἶναι τὴν δόξαν ἣν ἔχομεν παρ’ αὐτοῖς διαφεύγειν.
I could wish that it were equally easy for both of us to escape the reputation we have among them.
νῦν δὲ σὺ μὲν οὐ χαλεπῶς, ἢν βουληθῇς, αὐτὴν διαλύσεις, ἐμοὶ δ’ ἀνάγκη καὶ διὰ τὸ γῆρας καὶ δι’ ἄλλα πολλὰ στέργειν τοῖς παροῦσιν.
But as it is, you will not find it difficult to dispel it, if you wish, whereas for me it is necessary, both because of old age and many other reasons, to be content with the present state.
οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι δεῖ πλείω λέγειν πλὴν τοσοῦτον, ὅτι καλόν ἐστι τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν ὑμῖν παρακαταθέσθαι τῇ τῶν Ἑλλήνων εὐνοίᾳ.
I do not know what more I need to say, except this much: that it is a noble thing to entrust the kingship and prosperity which you possess to the goodwill of the Greeks.