§17οἱ μὲν οὖν πολλοὶ Μακεδόνων πῶς ἔχουσι Φιλίππῳ, ἐκ τούτων ἄν τις σκέψαιτʼ οὐ χαλεπῶς· οἱ δὲ δὴ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντες ξένοι καὶ πεζέταιροι δόξαν μὲν ἔχουσιν ὡς εἰσὶ θαυμαστοὶ καὶ συγκεκροτημένοι τὰ τοῦ πολέμου, ὡς δʼ ἐγὼ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ χώρᾳ γεγενημένων τινὸς ἤκουον, ἀνδρὸς οὐδαμῶς οἵου τε ψεύδεσθαι, οὐδένων εἰσὶν βελτίους.
Now, how the majority of the Macedonians feel towards Philip, anyone might easily discern from these facts; but those mercenaries and foot-guards about him have indeed a reputation for being wonderful and well-disciplined in the arts of war, yet, as I heard from one of those who have been in that very country—a man by no means capable of lying—they are no better than anyone else.
§18εἰ μὲν γάρ τις ἀνήρ ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἷος ἔμπειρος πολέμου καὶ ἀγώνων, τούτους μὲν φιλοτιμίᾳ πάντας ἀπωθεῖν αὐτὸν ἔφη, βουλόμενον πάνθʼ αὑτοῦ δοκεῖν εἶναι τἄργα (πρὸς γὰρ αὖ τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τὴν φιλοτιμίαν ἀνυπέρβλητον εἶναι)· εἰ δέ τις σώφρων ἢ δίκαιος ἄλλως, τὴν καθʼ ἡμέραν ἀκρασίαν τοῦ βίου καὶ μέθην καὶ κορδακισμοὺς οὐ δυνάμενος φέρειν, παρεῶσθαι καὶ ἐν οὐδενὸς εἶναι μέρει τὸν τοιοῦτον.
For if there is any man among them who is experienced in war and battles, he said that Philip repels all such men out of jealousy, wishing all achievements to appear to be his own (for in addition to his other traits, his ambition is insurmountable); and if anyone is temperate or otherwise just, unable to bear the daily intemperance of life, the drunkenness, and the lewd dances, such a man is cast aside and regarded as of no account.
§19λοιποὺς δὴ περὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι λῃστὰς καὶ κόλακας καὶ τοιούτους ἀνθρώπους οἵους μεθυσθέντας ὀρχεῖσθαι τοιαῦθʼ οἷʼ ἐγὼ νῦν ὀκνῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὀνομάσαι.
The remainder, indeed, about him are robbers, flatterers, and such men as dance, when drunk, such dances as I now hesitate to name to you.
δῆλον δʼ ὅτι ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ· καὶ γὰρ οὓς ἐνθένδε πάντες ἀπήλαυνον ὡς πολὺ τῶν θαυματοποιῶν ἀσελγεστέρους ὄντας, Καλλίαν ἐκεῖνον τὸν δημόσιον καὶ τοιούτους ἀνθρώπους, μίμους γελοίων καὶ ποιητὰς αἰσχρῶν ᾀσμάτων, ὧν εἰς τοὺς συνόντας ποιοῦσιν εἵνεκα τοῦ γελασθῆναι, τούτους ἀγαπᾷ καὶ περὶ αὑτὸν ἔχει.
And it is clear that these things are true; for those whom everyone expelled from here as being far more depraved than the jugglers—that public slave Callias and such men, buffoons and writers of obscene songs, which they compose to make their companions laugh—these are the men he loves and keeps around him.
§20καίτοι ταῦτα, καὶ εἰ μικρά τις ἡγεῖται, μεγάλʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δείγματα τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης καὶ κακοδαιμονίας ἐστὶ τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσιν.
And yet these things, even if anyone considers them small, are great indications, men of Athens, of his mind and his ill fortune to those who are wise.
ἀλλʼ, οἶμαι, νῦν μὲν ἐπισκοτεῖ τούτοις τὸ κατορθοῦν· αἱ γὰρ εὐπραξίαι δειναὶ συγκρύψαι τὰ τοιαῦτʼ ὀνείδη·
But, I think, success now casts a shadow over these things; for prosperity is clever at concealing such disgraces.
εἰ δέ τι πταίσει, τότʼ ἀκριβῶς αὐτοῦ ταῦτʼ ἐξετασθήσεται.
But if he stumbles in any way, then these things of his will be accurately examined.
δοκεῖ δʼ ἔμοιγʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δείξειν οὐκ εἰς μακράν, ἂν οἵ τε θεοὶ θέλωσι καὶ ὑμεῖς βούλησθε.
And I think, men of Athens, he will show this before long, if the gods are willing and you desire it.
§21ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν, τέως μὲν ἂν ἐρρωμένος ᾖ τις, οὐδὲν ἐπαισθάνεται, ἐπὰν δʼ ἀρρώστημά τι συμβῇ, πάντα κινεῖται, κἂν ῥῆγμα κἂν στρέμμα κἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων σαθρὸν ᾖ, οὕτω καὶ τῶν πόλεων καὶ τῶν τυράννων, ἕως μὲν ἂν ἔξω πολεμῶσιν, ἀφανῆ τὰ κακὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐστιν, ἐπειδὰν δʼ ὅμορος πόλεμος συμπλακῇ, πάντʼ ἐποίησεν ἔκδηλα.
For just as in our bodies, as long as a person is in good health, they feel nothing, but when a disease occurs, everything is set in motion, whether it be a rupture, a sprain, or any other unsound part of the system; so also with cities and tyrants, as long as they wage war abroad, their evils are invisible to the majority, but when a war at their borders clashes with them, it makes everything manifest.
§22εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸν Φίλιππον εὐτυχοῦνθʼ ὁρῶν ταύτῃ φοβερὸν προσπολεμῆσαι νομίζει, σώφρονος μὲν ἀνθρώπου λογισμῷ χρῆται· μεγάλη γὰρ ῥοπή, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ὅλον ἡ τύχη παρὰ πάντʼ ἐστὶ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πράγματα·
But if any of you, men of Athens, seeing Philip successful, thinks that he is therefore formidable to fight against, he employs the reasoning of a prudent man; for fortune is a great weight, or rather, fortune is everything in all human affairs.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἔγωγε, εἴ τις αἵρεσίν μοι δοίη, τὴν τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως τύχην ἂν ἑλοίμην, ἐθελόντων ἃ προσήκει ποιεῖν ὑμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ μικρόν, ἢ τὴν ἐκείνου· πολὺ γὰρ πλείους ἀφορμὰς εἰς τὸ τὴν παρὰ τῶν θεῶν εὔνοιαν ἔχειν ὁρῶ ὑμῖν ἐνούσας ἢ ʼκείνῳ.
Nevertheless, for my part, if anyone should give me a choice, I would choose the fortune of our city, provided that you yourselves are willing to do what is fitting even in a small degree, rather than his; for I see that you have many more grounds for possessing the goodwill of the gods than he has.
§23ἀλλʼ, οἶμαι, καθήμεθʼ οὐδὲν ποιοῦντες· οὐκ ἔνι δʼ αὐτὸν ἀργοῦντʼ οὐδὲ τοῖς φίλοις ἐπιτάττειν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ τι ποιεῖν, μή τί γε δὴ τοῖς θεοῖς.
But, I think, we sit here doing nothing; and it is not possible for an idle man to command his friends to do anything for him, much less the gods.
οὐ δὴ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν, εἰ στρατευόμενος καὶ πονῶν ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸς καὶ παρὼν ἐφʼ ἅπασι καὶ μήτε καιρὸν μήθʼ ὥραν παραλείπων ἡμῶν μελλόντων καὶ ψηφιζομένων καὶ πυνθανομένων περιγίγνεται.
It is indeed no wonder if he, campaigning and laboring himself, and being present at everything, and omitting neither opportunity nor season, gets the better of us who delay, pass decrees, and ask for news.
οὐδὲ θαυμάζω τοῦτʼ ἐγώ· τοὐναντίον γὰρ ἂν ἦν θαυμαστόν, εἰ μηδὲν ποιοῦντες ἡμεῖς ὧν τοῖς πολεμοῦσι προσήκει τοῦ πάντα ποιοῦντος περιῆμεν.
Nor do I wonder at this; for the contrary would have been wonderful, if we, doing nothing of what is fitting for those who wage war, were surpassing him who does everything.
§24ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο θαυμάζω, εἰ Λακεδαιμονίοις μέν ποτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν δικαίων ἀντήρατε, καὶ πόλλʼ ἰδίᾳ πλεονεκτῆσαι πολλάκις ὑμῖν ἐξὸν οὐκ ἠθελήσατε, ἀλλʼ ἵνʼ οἱ ἄλλοι τύχωσι τῶν δικαίων, τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν ἀνηλίσκετʼ εἰσφέροντες καὶ προυκινδυνεύετε στρατευόμενοι, νυνὶ δʼ ὀκνεῖτʼ ἐξιέναι καὶ μέλλετʼ εἰσφέρειν ὑπὲρ τῶν ὑμετέρων αὐτῶν κτημάτων, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους σεσώκατε πολλάκις πάντας καὶ καθʼ ἕνʼ αὐτῶν ἐν μέρει, τὰ δʼ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν ἀπολωλεκότες κάθησθε.
But I do wonder at this, if once, men of Athens, you rose up against the Lacedaemonians in defense of Greek rights, and though it was often in your power to gain much private advantage, you did not wish it, but that others might obtain their rights, you spent your own property in contributions and ran risks on campaigns, yet now you hesitate to march out and delay to contribute for your own possessions; and while you have often saved all the others and each of them in turn, you sit idle having lost your own.