§1εἰ μὲν περὶ καινοῦ τινος πράγματος προυτίθετʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, λέγειν, ἐπισχὼν ἂν ἕως οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν εἰωθότων γνώμην ἀπεφήναντο, εἰ μὲν ἤρεσκέ τί μοι τῶν ὑπὸ τούτων ῥηθέντων, ἡσυχίαν ἂν ἦγον, εἰ δὲ μή, τότʼ ἂν καὐτὸς ἐπειρώμην ἃ γιγνώσκω λέγειν·
If some new subject were proposed for discussion, men of Athens, I would have waited until most of the regular speakers had declared their opinions, and if any of their statements had pleased me, I would have kept silent, but if not, I would then have attempted to say what I myself think.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ ὑπὲρ ὧν πολλάκις εἰρήκασιν οὗτοι πρότερον συμβαίνει καὶ νυνὶ σκοπεῖν, ἡγοῦμαι καὶ πρῶτος ἀναστὰς εἰκότως ἂν συγγνώμης τυγχάνειν.
But since it happens that we are even now considering subjects on which these men have often spoken before, I think that, even if I rise first, I may reasonably expect to meet with indulgence.
εἰ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ παρεληλυθότος χρόνου τὰ δέονθʼ οὗτοι συνεβούλευσαν, οὐδὲν ἂν ὑμᾶς νῦν ἔδει βουλεύεσθαι.
For if these men had advised what was necessary in the past, there would be no need for you to deliberate now.
§2πρῶτον μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἀθυμητέον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς παροῦσι πράγμασιν, οὐδʼ εἰ πάνυ φαύλως ἔχειν δοκεῖ.
First of all, then, men of Athens, we must not be disheartened by the present situation, not even if it seems to be in a very bad state.
ὃ γάρ ἐστι χείριστον αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ παρεληλυθότος χρόνου, τοῦτο πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα βέλτιστον ὑπάρχει.
For that which is worst in them regarding the past is best with a view to the future.
τί οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο;
What, then, is this?
ὅτι οὐδέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν δεόντων ποιούντων ὑμῶν κακῶς τὰ πράγματʼ ἔχει· ἐπεί τοι, εἰ πάνθʼ ἃ προσῆκε πραττόντων οὕτως εἶχεν, οὐδʼ ἂν ἐλπὶς ἦν αὐτὰ βελτίω γενέσθαι.
It is that your affairs are in a bad state because you have done nothing of what you ought; for indeed, if they were in this condition while you were doing all that you should, there would not even be any hope of their improving.
§3ἔπειτʼ ἐνθυμητέον καὶ παρʼ ἄλλων ἀκούουσι καὶ τοῖς εἰδόσιν αὐτοῖς ἀναμιμνῃσκομένοις, ἡλίκην ποτʼ ἐχόντων δύναμιν Λακεδαιμονίων, ἐξ οὗ χρόνος οὐ πολύς, ὡς καλῶς καὶ προσηκόντως οὐδὲν ἀνάξιον ὑμεῖς ἐπράξατε τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλʼ ὑπεμείναθʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίων τὸν πρὸς ἐκείνους πόλεμον.
Next, you must reflect, both by hearing from others and by remembering for yourselves who know, how great a power the Lacedaemonians once possessed, not long ago, and yet how finely and fittingly you did nothing unworthy of your city, but endured the war against them for the sake of justice.
τίνος οὖν εἵνεκα ταῦτα λέγω;
Why, then, do I say these things?
ἵνʼ ἴδητʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ θεάσησθε, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὔτε φυλαττομένοις ὑμῖν ἐστιν φοβερόν, οὔτʼ, ἂν ὀλιγωρῆτε, τοιοῦτον οἷον ἂν ὑμεῖς βούλοισθε, παραδείγμασι χρώμενοι τῇ τότε ῥώμῃ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, ἧς ἐκρατεῖτʼ ἐκ τοῦ προσέχειν τοῖς πράγμασι τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τῇ νῦν ὕβρει τούτου, διʼ ἣν ταραττόμεθʼ ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲν φροντίζειν ὧν ἐχρῆν.
In order that you may see and observe, men of Athens, that nothing is to be feared by you if you are on your guard, nor, if you are negligent, can anything be as you would wish; using as examples the strength of the Lacedaemonians then, which you overcame by paying attention to affairs, and the insolence of this man now, because of which we are thrown into confusion by not caring for what we ought.
§4εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δυσπολέμητον οἴεται τὸν Φίλιππον εἶναι, σκοπῶν τό τε πλῆθος τῆς ὑπαρχούσης αὐτῷ δυνάμεως καὶ τὸ τὰ χωρία πάντʼ ἀπολωλέναι τῇ πόλει, ὀρθῶς μὲν οἴεται, λογισάσθω μέντοι τοῦθʼ, ὅτι εἴχομέν ποθʼ ἡμεῖς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Πύδναν καὶ Ποτείδαιαν καὶ Μεθώνην καὶ πάντα τὸν τόπον τοῦτον οἰκεῖον κύκλῳ, καὶ πολλὰ τῶν μετʼ ἐκείνου νῦν ὄντων ἐθνῶν αὐτονομούμενα κἀλεύθερʼ ὑπῆρχε, καὶ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν ἐβούλετʼ ἔχειν οἰκείως ἢ ʼκείνῳ.
If any of you, men of Athens, thinks that Philip is hard to fight, looking at the magnitude of the force already at his disposal and the fact that all our positions have been lost to the city, his opinion is correct; let him, however, reflect on this, that we ourselves once held, men of Athens, Pydna, Potidaea, Methone, and all this surrounding territory as our own, and many of the tribes now on his side were then self-governing and free, and preferred to be on friendly terms with us rather than with him.
§5εἰ τοίνυν ὁ Φίλιππος τότε ταύτην ἔσχε τὴν γνώμην, ὡς χαλεπὸν πολεμεῖν ἐστιν Ἀθηναίοις ἔχουσι τοσαῦτʼ ἐπιτειχίσματα τῆς αὑτοῦ χώρας ἔρημον ὄντα συμμάχων, οὐδὲν ἂν ὧν νυνὶ πεποίηκεν ἔπραξεν οὐδὲ τοσαύτην ἐκτήσατʼ ἂν δύναμιν.
If, then, Philip had at that time held this opinion, that it is difficult to war against the Athenians, who possessed so many fortresses threatening his own land, while he himself was destitute of allies, he would have done none of the things he has now accomplished, nor would he have acquired so great a power.
ἀλλʼ εἶδεν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῦτο καλῶς ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι ταῦτα μέν ἐστιν ἅπαντα τὰ χωρίʼ ἆθλα τοῦ πολέμου κείμενʼ ἐν μέσῳ, φύσει δʼ ὑπάρχει τοῖς παροῦσι τὰ τῶν ἀπόντων, καὶ τοῖς ἐθέλουσι πονεῖν καὶ κινδυνεύειν τὰ τῶν ἀμελούντων.
But he saw this well, men of Athens, that all these places are prizes of war lying in the midst, and by nature the property of the absent belongs to those who are present, and that of the negligent to those who are willing to toil and take risks.
§6καὶ γάρ τοι ταύτῃ χρησάμενος τῇ γνώμῃ πάντα κατέστραπται καὶ ἔχει, τὰ μὲν ὡς ἂν ἑλών τις ἔχοι πολέμῳ, τὰ δὲ σύμμαχα καὶ φίλα ποιησάμενος· καὶ γὰρ συμμαχεῖν καὶ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν τούτοις ἐθέλουσιν ἅπαντες, οὓς ἂν ὁρῶσι παρεσκευασμένους καὶ πράττειν ἐθέλοντας ἃ χρή.
And indeed, acting upon this opinion, he has subdued and holds everything, some as one would hold what is taken in war, others by having made them allies and friends; for indeed, everyone is willing to ally themselves with and pay attention to those whom they see prepared and willing to do what is necessary.