§16τίνα γὰρ χρόνον ἢ τίνα καιρόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῦ παρόντος βελτίω ζητεῖτε;
What better time or what better opportunity than the present, men of Athens, are you looking for?
ἢ πόθʼ ἃ δεῖ πράξετʼ, εἰ μὴ νῦν;
Or when will you do what is necessary, if not now?
οὐχ ἅπαντα μὲν ἡμῶν προείληφε τὰ χωρίʼ ἅνθρωπος, εἰ δὲ καὶ ταύτης κύριος τῆς χώρας γενήσεται, πάντων αἴσχιστα πεισόμεθα;
Has the man not already seized all our strongholds, and if he also becomes master of this land, shall we not suffer the most shameful treatment?
οὐχ οὕς, εἰ πολεμήσαιεν, ἑτοίμως σώσειν ὑπισχνούμεθα, οὗτοι νῦν πολεμοῦσιν;
Are those who are now at war not the very ones whom we readily promised to save if they should go to war?
§17οὐκ ἐχθρός;
Is he not an enemy?
οὐκ ἔχων τὰ ἡμέτερα;
Is he not in possession of our property?
οὐ βάρβαρος;
Is he not a barbarian?
οὐχ ὅ τι ἂν εἴποι τις;
Is he not whatever one might call him?
ἀλλὰ πρὸς θεῶν πάντʼ ἐάσαντες καὶ μόνον οὐχὶ συγκατασκευάσαντες αὐτῷ, τότε τοὺς αἰτίους οἵτινες τούτων ζητήσομεν;
But, by the gods, after neglecting everything and almost helping him to build up his power, shall we then look for who is responsible for these things?
οὐ γὰρ αὐτοί γʼ αἴτιοι φήσομεν εἶναι, σαφῶς οἶδα τοῦτʼ ἐγώ.
For we ourselves will certainly not say we are responsible, I know this well.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου κινδύνοις τῶν φυγόντων οὐδεὶς ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ τῶν πλησίον καὶ πάντων μᾶλλον, ἥττηνται δʼ ὅμως διὰ πάντας τοὺς φυγόντας δήπου·
For indeed, in the dangers of war, no one among those who flee accuses himself, but rather the general, his neighbors, and anyone else; yet they are defeated, nonetheless, because of all those who fled, surely.
μένειν γὰρ ἐξῆν τῷ κατηγοροῦντι τῶν ἄλλων, εἰ δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐποίει ἕκαστος, ἐνίκων ἄν.
For it was possible for the one who accuses the others to remain, and if each one had done this, they would have been victorious.
§18καὶ νῦν, οὐ λέγει τις τὰ βέλτιστα· ἀναστὰς ἄλλος εἰπάτω, μὴ τοῦτον αἰτιάσθω.
And now, suppose someone does not speak what is best; let another stand up and speak, and let him not accuse this man.
ἕτερος λέγει τις βελτίω· ταῦτα ποιεῖτʼ ἀγαθῇ τύχῃ.
Someone else speaks better things; do these, with good fortune.
ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἡδέα ταῦτα· οὐκέτι τοῦθʼ ὁ λέγων ἀδικεῖ—πλὴν εἰ δέον εὔξασθαι παραλείπει.
But these things are not pleasant; the speaker is no longer at fault for this—unless he neglects to pray when he ought.
εὔξασθαι μὲν γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ῥᾴδιον, εἰς ταὐτὸ πάνθʼ ὅσα βούλεταί τις ἁθροίσαντʼ ἐν ὀλίγῳ· ἑλέσθαι δʼ, ὅταν περὶ πραγμάτων προτεθῇ σκοπεῖν, οὐκέθʼ ὁμοίως εὔπορον, ἀλλὰ δεῖ τὰ βέλτιστʼ ἀντὶ τῶν ἡδέων, ἂν μὴ συναμφότερʼ ἐξῇ, λαμβάνειν.
For to pray, men of Athens, is easy, collecting into one place all that one wishes in a brief space; but to choose, when it is proposed to deliberate on actual affairs, is no longer so easy, but one must take the best instead of the pleasant, if both are not permitted.
§19εἰ δέ τις ἡμῖν ἔχει καὶ τὰ θεωρικὰ ἐᾶν καὶ πόρους ἑτέρους λέγειν στρατιωτικούς, οὐχ οὗτος κρείττων; εἴποι τις ἄν.
But if someone is able to leave the festival fund alone and name other resources for military purposes, is this man not better? someone might say.
φήμʼ ἔγωγε, εἴπερ ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι· ἀλλὰ θαυμάζω εἴ τῴ ποτʼ ἀνθρώπων ἢ γέγονεν ἢ γενήσεται, ἂν τὰ παρόντʼ ἀναλώσῃ πρὸς ἃ μὴ δεῖ, τῶν ἀπόντων εὐπορῆσαι πρὸς ἃ δεῖ.
I say so too, men of Athens, if indeed it is possible; but I wonder if it has ever happened or will ever happen to any man, if he spends what is present on what he should not, to find abundance in what is absent for what he should.
ἀλλʼ, οἶμαι, μέγα τοῖς τοιούτοις ὑπάρχει λόγοις ἡ παρʼ ἑκάστου βούλησις, διόπερ ῥᾷστον ἁπάντων ἐστὶν αὑτὸν ἐξαπατῆσαι· ὃ γὰρ βούλεται, τοῦθʼ ἕκαστος καὶ οἴεται, τὰ δὲ πράγματα πολλάκις οὐχ οὕτω πέφυκεν.
But, I think, a great support for such arguments is each man's wish, which is why it is the easiest of all things to deceive oneself; for what each man wishes, this he also thinks, but actual affairs are often not so by nature.
§20ὁρᾶτʼ οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ταῦθʼ οὕτως, ὅπως καὶ τὰ πράγματʼ ἐνδέχεται καὶ δυνήσεσθʼ ἐξιέναι καὶ μισθὸν ἕξετε.
See to these things, therefore, men of Athens, in such a way that both the state of affairs permits and you will be able to go out and have your pay.
οὔ τοι σωφρόνων οὐδὲ γενναίων ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐλλείποντάς τι διʼ ἔνδειαν χρημάτων τῶν τοῦ πολέμου εὐχερῶς τὰ τοιαῦτʼ ὀνείδη φέρειν, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ μὲν Κορινθίους καὶ Μεγαρέας ἁρπάσαντας τὰ ὅπλα πορεύεσθαι, Φίλιππον δʼ ἐᾶν πόλεις Ἑλληνίδας ἀνδραποδίζεσθαι διʼ ἀπορίαν ἐφοδίων τοῖς στρατευομένοις.
It is indeed not the part of wise or noble men, failing in something for lack of funds for the war, to bear such reproaches lightly, nor to march under arms against Corinthians and Megarians, while allowing Philip to enslave Greek cities for lack of provisions for the soldiers.
§21καὶ ταῦτʼ οὐχ ἵνʼ ἀπέχθωμαί τισιν ὑμῶν, τὴν ἄλλως προῄρημαι λέγειν· οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἄφρων οὐδʼ ἀτυχής εἰμʼ ἐγὼ ὥστʼ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι βούλεσθαι μηδὲν ὠφελεῖν νομίζων· ἀλλὰ δικαίου πολίτου κρίνω τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων σωτηρίαν ἀντὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ λέγειν χάριτος αἱρεῖσθαι.
And I have chosen to say these things, not that I may make myself hated by some of you for no purpose; for I am not so foolish or so unfortunate as to wish to be hated when I think I am doing no good; but I judge it to be the duty of a just citizen to choose the safety of affairs instead of the popularity of speech.
καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων ἡμῶν λέγοντας ἀκούω, ὥσπερ ἴσως καὶ ὑμεῖς, οὓς ἐπαινοῦσι μὲν οἱ παριόντες ἅπαντες, μιμοῦνται δʼ οὐ πάνυ, τούτῳ τῷ ἔθει καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς πολιτείας χρῆσθαι, τὸν Ἀριστείδην ἐκεῖνον, τὸν Νικίαν, τὸν ὁμώνυμον ἐμαυτῷ, τὸν Περικλέα.
For indeed I hear that those who spoke in the time of our ancestors, whom all who come forward now praise but do not at all imitate, used this custom and manner of government—that famous Aristides, Nicias, the one who shares my name, and Pericles.
§22ἐξ οὗ δʼ οἱ διερωτῶντες ὑμᾶς οὗτοι πεφήνασι ῥήτορες
τί βούλεσθε;
But ever since these orators have appeared who ask you: "What do you wish?
τί γράψω;
What shall I propose?
τί ὑμῖν χαρίσωμαι; προπέποται τῆς παραυτίκα χάριτος τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράγματα, καὶ τοιαυτὶ συμβαίνει, καὶ τὰ μὲν τούτων πάντα καλῶς ἔχει, τὰ δʼ ὑμέτερʼ αἰσχρῶς.
How can I please you?" the interests of the city have been surrendered for temporary favor, and such results follow, and all the affairs of these men are in an excellent state, while yours are in a shameful one.