§15πρὸς θεῶν, τίς οὕτως εὐήθης ἐστὶν ὑμῶν ὅστις ἀγνοεῖ τὸν ἐκεῖθεν πόλεμον δεῦρʼ ἥξοντα, ἂν ἀμελήσωμεν;
In the name of the gods, who among you is so foolish as not to know that the war from there will come here, if we neglect it?
ἀλλὰ μήν, εἰ τοῦτο γενήσεται, δέδοικʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὥσπερ οἱ δανειζόμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγάλοις μικρὸν εὐπορήσαντες χρόνον ὕστερον καὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων ἀπέστησαν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ πολλῷ φανῶμεν ἐρρᾳθυμηκότες, καὶ ἅπαντα πρὸς ἡδονὴν ζητοῦντες πολλὰ καὶ χαλεπὰ ὧν οὐκ ἐβουλόμεθʼ ὕστερον εἰς ἀνάγκην ἔλθωμεν ποιεῖν, καὶ κινδυνεύσωμεν περὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ χώρᾳ.
And yet, if this happens, I fear, men of Athens, lest in the same manner as those who borrow easily at high interest, having enjoyed a brief abundance, afterwards lose even their original property, so we too may be shown to have been indolent at a great cost, and by seeking everything for pleasure, we may afterwards come to the necessity of doing many difficult things that we did not wish, and may run risks concerning the safety of our own land.
§16τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐπιτιμᾶν ἴσως φήσαι τις ἂν ῥᾴδιον καὶ παντὸς εἶναι, τὸ δʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ὅ τι δεῖ πράττειν ἀποφαίνεσθαι, τοῦτʼ εἶναι συμβούλου.
Now to find fault, someone might perhaps say, is easy and within anyone's power, but to declare what must be done regarding the present situation, this is the part of an adviser.
ἐγὼ δʼ οὐκ ἀγνοῶ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῦθʼ ὅτι πολλάκις ὑμεῖς οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὑστάτους περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων εἰπόντας ἐν ὀργῇ ποιεῖσθε, ἄν τι μὴ κατὰ γνώμην ἐκβῇ· οὐ μὴν οἶμαι δεῖν τὴν ἰδίαν ἀσφάλειαν σκοποῦνθʼ ὑποστείλασθαι περὶ ὧν ὑμῖν συμφέρειν ἡγοῦμαι.
But I am not ignorant, men of Athens, of the fact that you often direct your anger not against those who are responsible, but against those who spoke last about the matters, if anything turns out contrary to your expectation; nevertheless, I do not think I ought to shrink, through regard for my own safety, from speaking of what I believe to be to your advantage.
§17φημὶ δὴ διχῇ βοηθητέον εἶναι τοῖς πράγμασιν ὑμῖν, τῷ τε τὰς πόλεις τοῖς Ὀλυνθίοις σῴζειν καὶ τοὺς τοῦτο ποιήσοντας στρατιώτας ἐκπέμπειν, καὶ τῷ τὴν ἐκείνου χώραν κακῶς ποιεῖν καὶ τριήρεσι καὶ στρατιώταις ἑτέροις·
I say, indeed, that you must bring aid to affairs in two ways: both by saving their cities for the Olynthians and sending out soldiers who will do this, and by inflicting damage on his territory both with triremes and with other soldiers.
§18εἰ δὲ θατέρου τούτων ὀλιγωρήσετε, ὀκνῶ μὴ μάταιος ἡμῖν ἡ στρατεία γένηται.
And if you neglect either of these, I fear lest our campaign may prove in vain.
εἴτε γὰρ ὑμῶν τὴν ἐκείνου κακῶς ποιούντων, ὑπομείνας τοῦτʼ Ὄλυνθον παραστήσεται, ῥᾳδίως ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐλθὼν ἀμυνεῖται· εἴτε βοηθησάντων μόνον ὑμῶν εἰς Ὄλυνθον, ἀκινδύνως ὁρῶν ἔχοντα τὰ οἴκοι, προσκαθεδεῖται καὶ προσεδρεύσει τοῖς πράγμασι, περιέσται τῷ χρόνῳ τῶν πολιορκουμένων.
For if you damage his territory and he, having endured this, subdues Olynthus, he will easily return to his own land and defend it; or if you only send aid to Olynthus, seeing that things at home are secure, he will sit down before it and press the siege, and in time he will overcome the besieged.
δεῖ δὴ πολλὴν καὶ διχῇ τὴν βοήθειαν εἶναι.
Therefore, the aid must indeed be extensive and twofold.
§19καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς βοηθείας ταῦτα γιγνώσκω· περὶ δὲ χρημάτων πόρου, ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, χρήμαθʼ ὑμῖν, ἔστιν ὅσʼ οὐδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων·
And concerning the aid, this is my opinion; but concerning the provision of money, you have money, men of Athens, you have as much as no other people; and this you receive in whatever way you wish.
ταῦτα δʼ ὑμεῖς οὕτως ὡς βούλεσθε λαμβάνετε. εἰ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα τοῖς στρατευομένοις ἀποδώσετε, οὐδενὸς ὑμῖν προσδεῖ πόρου, εἰ δὲ μή, προσδεῖ, μᾶλλον δʼ ἅπαντος ἐνδεῖ τοῦ πόρου.
If, then, you give this back to those who are on campaign, you need no further provision, but if not, you do need it, or rather, you lack the entire provision.
τί οὖν; ἄν τις εἴποι,
σὺ γράφεις ταῦτʼ εἶναι στρατιωτικά; μὰ Δίʼ οὐκ ἔγωγε.
"What then?" someone might say, "do you propose that this money be military fund?" By Zeus, not I.
§20ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι στρατιώτας δεῖν κατασκευασθῆναι καὶ μίαν σύνταξιν εἶναι τὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ τε λαμβάνειν καὶ τοῦ ποιεῖν τὰ δέοντα, ὑμεῖς δʼ οὕτω πως ἄνευ πραγμάτων λαμβάνειν εἰς τὰς ἑορτάς.
For I indeed think that soldiers ought to be organized, and that there should be one and the same system both for receiving pay and for doing what is required, whereas you, in some such way, receive it for the festivals without any trouble.
ἔστι δὴ λοιπόν, οἶμαι, πάντας εἰσφέρειν, ἂν πολλῶν δέῃ, πολλά, ἂν ὀλίγων, ὀλίγα.
It remains then, I suppose, for everyone to pay property tax, if much is needed, much, if little, little.
δεῖ δὲ χρημάτων, καὶ ἄνευ τούτων οὐδὲν ἔστι γενέσθαι τῶν δεόντων.
But money is needed, and without this none of the necessary things can be done.
λέγουσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς ἄλλοι πόρους, ὧν ἕλεσθʼ ὅστις ὑμῖν συμφέρειν δοκεῖ· καὶ ἕως ἐστὶ καιρός, ἀντιλάβεσθε τῶν πραγμάτων.
Others suggest various other ways of provision, of which choose whichever seems to you to be advantageous; and while there is still time, take hold of the affairs.
§21ἄξιον δʼ ἐνθυμηθῆναι καὶ λογίσασθαι τὰ πράγματʼ ἐν ᾧ καθέστηκε νυνὶ τὰ Φιλίππου.
And it is worth while to consider and calculate the state in which the affairs of Philip now stand.
οὔτε γάρ, ὡς δοκεῖ καὶ φήσειέ τις ἂν μὴ σκοπῶν ἀκριβῶς, εὐτρεπῶς οὐδʼ ὡς ἂν κάλλιστʼ αὐτῷ τὰ παρόντʼ ἔχει, οὔτʼ ἂν ἐξήνεγκε τὸν πόλεμόν ποτε τοῦτον ἐκεῖνος, εἰ πολεμεῖν ᾠήθη δεήσειν αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐπιὼν ἅπαντα τότʼ ἤλπιζε τὰ πράγματʼ ἀναιρήσεσθαι, κᾆτα διέψευσται.
For neither, as it seems and as someone might say who does not examine closely, are his present circumstances well-ordered or in the best possible state for him, nor would he ever have begun this war if he had thought he would have to fight, but he hoped at that time that by his mere onset he would sweep everything before him, and then he was disappointed.
τοῦτο δὴ πρῶτον αὐτὸν ταράττει παρὰ γνώμην γεγονὸς καὶ πολλὴν ἀθυμίαν αὐτῷ παρέχει, εἶτα τὰ τῶν Θετταλῶν.
This indeed, having happened contrary to his expectation, troubles him first and causes him great despondency, and next, the affairs of the Thessalians.