§31νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον κύριοι μὲν οἱ πολιτευόμενοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἅπαντα πράττεται, ὑμεῖς δʼ ὁ δῆμος, ἐκνενευρισμένοι καὶ περιῃρημένοι χρήματα, συμμάχους, ἐν ὑπηρέτου καὶ προσθήκης μέρει γεγένησθε, ἀγαπῶντες ἐὰν μεταδιδῶσι θεωρικῶν ὑμῖν ἢ Βοηδρόμια πέμψωσιν οὗτοι, καὶ τὸ πάντων ἀνδρειότατον, τῶν ὑμετέρων αὐτῶν χάριν προσοφείλετε.
But now, on the contrary, those who conduct public affairs are masters of all benefits, and everything is done through them; while you, the people, hamstrung and stripped of resources and allies, have been reduced to the role of servants and a mere appendage, content if these men share theatrical doles with you or conduct the Boedromia festival, and what is most shameless of all, you additionally owe gratitude for what is your own.
οἱ δʼ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πόλει καθείρξαντες ὑμᾶς ἐπάγουσʼ ἐπὶ ταῦτα καὶ τιθασεύουσι χειροήθεις αὑτοῖς ποιοῦντες.
And those who have shut you up in this very city lead you on to these things and tame you, making you submissive to themselves.
§32ἔστι δʼ οὐδέποτʼ, οἶμαι, μέγα καὶ νεανικὸν φρόνημα λαβεῖν μικρὰ καὶ φαῦλα πράττοντας· ὁποῖʼ ἄττα γὰρ ἂν τἀπιτηδεύματα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ᾖ, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸ φρόνημʼ ἔχειν.
But it is never possible, I think, for those who do small and mean things to acquire a great and manly spirit; for whatever the practices of men may be, such must their spirit also of necessity be.
ταῦτα μὰ τὴν Δήμητρʼ οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσαιμʼ εἰ μείζων εἰπόντι ἐμοὶ γένοιτο παρʼ ὑμῶν βλάβη τῶν πεποιηκότων αὐτὰ γενέσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ παρρησία περὶ πάντων ἀεὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐστιν, ἀλλʼ ἔγωγʼ ὅτι καὶ νῦν γέγονεν θαυμάζω.
By Demeter, I should not wonder if greater harm should come to me from you for saying these things than to those who have caused them to be; for there is not even freedom of speech on all subjects always among you, but I indeed wonder that it has been allowed even now.
§33ἐὰν οὖν ἀλλὰ νῦν γʼ ἔτι ἀπαλλαγέντες τούτων τῶν ἐθῶν ἐθελήσητε στρατεύεσθαί τε καὶ πράττειν ἀξίως ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ταῖς περιουσίαις ταῖς οἴκοι ταύταις ἀφορμαῖς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔξω τῶν ἀγαθῶν χρῆσθαι, ἴσως ἄν, ἴσως, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τέλειόν τι καὶ μέγα κτήσαισθʼ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων λημμάτων ἀπαλλαγείητε, ἃ τοῖς παρὰ τῶν ἰατρῶν σιτίοις ἔοικε.
If, therefore, even now at last, having got rid of these habits, you are willing to serve in the field and act worthily of yourselves, and to use these surpluses at home as resources for successes abroad, perhaps, perhaps, men of Athens, you might acquire some perfect and great good and be rid of such doles, which resemble the diet prescribed by doctors.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνʼ οὔτʼ ἰσχὺν ἐντίθησιν οὔτʼ ἀποθνῄσκειν ἐᾷ· καὶ ταῦθʼ ἃ νέμεσθε νῦν ὑμεῖς, οὔτε τοσαῦτʼ ἐστὶν ὥστʼ ὠφέλειαν ἔχειν τινὰ διαρκῆ, οὔτʼ ἀπογνόντας ἄλλο τι πράττειν ἐᾷ, ἀλλʼ ἔστι ταῦτα τὴν ἑκάστου ῥᾳθυμίαν ὑμῶν ἐπαυξάνοντα.
For that diet neither injects strength nor allows one to die; and these things which you are now distributed are neither of such amount as to have any lasting benefit, nor do they allow you to give them up and act otherwise, but they are things that increase the indolence of each of you.
§34οὐκοῦν σὺ μισθοφορὰν λέγεις; φήσει τις.
"Do you then mean paid service?" someone will say.
καὶ παραχρῆμά γε τὴν αὐτὴν σύνταξιν ἁπάντων, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἵνα τῶν κοινῶν ἕκαστος τὸ μέρος λαμβάνων, ὅτου δέοιθʼ ἡ πόλις, τοῦθʼ ὑπάρχοι.
Yes, and immediately the same organization for all, men of Athens, so that each one, receiving his share of the common wealth, might be available for whatever the state needs.
ἔξεστιν ἄγειν ἡσυχίαν·
Is it possible to enjoy peace?
οἴκοι μένων βελτίων, τοῦ διʼ ἔνδειαν ἀνάγκῃ τι ποιεῖν αἰσχρὸν ἀπηλλαγμένος.
Then remaining at home you are better off, freed from the necessity of doing anything shameful through want.
συμβαίνει τι τοιοῦτον οἷον καὶ τὰ νῦν·
Does some such situation as the present occur?
στρατιώτης αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων λημμάτων, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ δίκαιον ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος.
Then serving in the field yourself, supported by these same doles, as is just on behalf of your country.
ἔστι τις ἔξω τῆς ἡλικίας ὑμῶν·
Is there someone among you beyond the age for service?
ὅσʼ οὗτος ἀτάκτως νῦν λαμβάνων οὐκ ὠφελεῖ, ταῦτʼ ἐν ἴσῃ τάξει λαμβάνων πάντʼ ἐφορῶν καὶ διοικῶν ἃ χρὴ πράττεσθαι.
What this man now receives in an unruly way without helping, he may receive under an equal organization while inspecting and managing all that needs to be done.
§35ὅλως δʼ οὔτʼ ἀφελὼν οὔτε προσθείς, πλὴν μικρῶν, τὴν ἀταξίαν ἀνελὼν εἰς τάξιν ἤγαγον τὴν πόλιν, τὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ λαβεῖν, τοῦ στρατεύεσθαι, τοῦ δικάζειν, τοῦ ποιεῖν τοῦθʼ ὅ τι καθʼ ἡλικίαν ἕκαστος ἔχοι καὶ ὅτου καιρὸς εἴη, τάξιν ποιήσας.
In short, neither taking away nor adding, except for small details, but removing the disorder, I have brought the city into order, establishing the same system for receiving, serving in the field, acting as jurors, and doing whatever each is able according to his age and whatever occasion demands.
οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπου μηδὲν ἐγὼ ποιοῦσι τὰ τῶν ποιούντων εἶπον ὡς δεῖ νέμειν, οὐδʼ αὐτοὺς μὲν ἀργεῖν καὶ σχολάζειν καὶ ἀπορεῖν, ὅτι δʼ οἱ τοῦ δεῖνος νικῶσι ξένοι, ταῦτα πυνθάνεσθαι· ταῦτα γὰρ νυνὶ γίγνεται.
There is no place where I said that we must distribute the shares of those who act to those who do nothing, nor that you should be idle and at leisure and in want, only to inquire whether "so-and-so's mercenaries have won a victory"; for these are the things that happen now.
§36καὶ οὐχὶ μέμφομαι τὸν ποιοῦντά τι τῶν δεόντων ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιῶ πράττειν ταῦτʼ ἐφʼ οἷς ἑτέρους τιμᾶτε, καὶ μὴ παραχωρεῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῆς τάξεως, ἣν ὑμῖν οἱ πρόγονοι τῆς ἀρετῆς μετὰ πολλῶν καὶ καλῶν κινδύνων κτησάμενοι κατέλιπον.
And I do not find fault with the man who does some of the necessary things on your behalf, but I expect you to do on your own behalf those things for which you honor others, and not to abandon, men of Athens, the post which your ancestors, having acquired it through many glorious dangers with virtue, left behind to you.
σχεδὸν εἴρηχʼ ἃ νομίζω συμφέρειν· ὑμεῖς δʼ ἕλοισθʼ ὅ τι καὶ τῇ πόλει καὶ ἅπασι συνοίσειν ὑμῖν μέλλει.
I have said almost all that I consider beneficial; and may you choose whatever is going to be of advantage both to the city and to you all.