§7ἂν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐθελήσητε γενέσθαι γνώμης νῦν, ἐπειδήπερ οὐ πρότερον, καὶ ἕκαστος ὑμῶν, οὗ δεῖ καὶ δύναιτʼ ἂν παρασχεῖν αὑτὸν χρήσιμον τῇ πόλει, πᾶσαν ἀφεὶς τὴν εἰρωνείαν ἕτοιμος πράττειν ὑπάρξῃ, ὁ μὲν χρήματʼ ἔχων εἰσφέρειν, ὁ δʼ ἐν ἡλικίᾳ στρατεύεσθαι, — συνελόντι δʼ ἁπλῶς ἂν ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἐθελήσητε γενέσθαι, καὶ παύσησθʼ αὐτὸς μὲν οὐδὲν ἕκαστος ποιήσειν ἐλπίζων, τὸν δὲ πλησίον πάνθʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πράξειν, καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν κομιεῖσθʼ, ἂν θεὸς θέλῃ, καὶ τὰ κατερρᾳθυμημένα πάλιν ἀναλήψεσθε, κἀκεῖνον τιμωρήσεσθε.
If, therefore, men of Athens, you also are willing to adopt this mind now, since you did not do so before, and if each of you, where he ought and is able to render himself useful to the city, is ready to act, having laid aside all pretences—the man of means contributing money, and the man of military age serving in the field—to speak briefly, if you are willing to become your own masters, and if each of you ceases to expect that he himself will do nothing while his neighbour does everything for him, you will, if God wills, both recover your own property and win back what has been lost through your negligence, and take vengeance on that man.
§8μὴ γὰρ ὡς θεῷ νομίζετʼ ἐκείνῳ τὰ παρόντα πεπηγέναι πράγματʼ ἀθάνατα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισεῖ τις ἐκεῖνον καὶ δέδιεν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ φθονεῖ, καὶ τῶν πάνυ νῦν δοκούντων οἰκείως ἔχειν·
For you must not believe that his present power is fixed for him as though he were a god, immortal; rather, men of Athens, someone also hates him and fears him and envies him, even among those who now seem to be on extremely friendly terms with him.
καὶ ἅπανθʼ ὅσα περ κἀν ἄλλοις τισὶν ἀνθρώποις ἔνι, ταῦτα κἀν τοῖς μετʼ ἐκείνου χρὴ νομίζειν ἐνεῖναι.
And indeed, all the feelings that exist in any other men must be assumed to exist also in those who are on his side.
κατέπτηχε μέντοι πάντα ταῦτα νῦν, οὐκ ἔχοντʼ ἀποστροφὴν διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν βραδυτῆτα καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαν· ἣν ἀποθέσθαι φημὶ δεῖν ἤδη.
Currently, however, all these feelings are cowed, having no outlet because of your slowness and indolence; which I say you must lay aside at once.
§9ὁρᾶτε γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ πρᾶγμα, οἷ προελήλυθʼ ἀσελγείας ἅνθρωπος, ὃς οὐδʼ αἵρεσιν ὑμῖν δίδωσι τοῦ πράττειν ἢ ἄγειν ἡσυχίαν, ἀλλʼ ἀπειλεῖ καὶ λόγους ὑπερηφάνους, ὥς φασι, λέγει, καὶ οὐχ οἷός ἐστιν ἔχων ἃ κατέστραπται μένειν ἐπὶ τούτων, ἀλλʼ ἀεί τι προσπεριβάλλεται καὶ κύκλῳ πανταχῇ μέλλοντας ἡμᾶς καὶ καθημένους περιστοιχίζεται.
For you see the situation, men of Athens, to what a pitch of insolence the man has advanced, who does not even give you a choice of acting or remaining quiet, but threatens and speaks arrogant words, as they say, and is not of a character to remain in possession of what he has conquered, but is always grasping at something more and, while we delay and sit idle, is enclosing us on all sides with his net.
§10πότʼ οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πόθʼ ἃ χρὴ πράξετε;
When, then, men of Athens, when will you do what is necessary?
ἐπειδὰν τί γένηται;
When what happens?
ἐπειδὰν νὴ Δίʼ ἀνάγκη τις ᾖ.
When, by Zeus, there is some necessity?
νῦν δὲ τί χρὴ τὰ γιγνόμενʼ ἡγεῖσθαι;
But how should we regard what is happening now?
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οἴομαι τοῖς ἐλευθέροις μεγίστην ἀνάγκην τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν πραγμάτων αἰσχύνην εἶναι.
For I, for my part, think that for free men the shame of their situation is the greatest necessity.
ἢ βούλεσθʼ, εἰπέ μοι, περιιόντες αὑτῶν πυνθάνεσθαι,
λέγεταί τι καινόν; γένοιτο γὰρ ἄν τι καινότερον ἢ Μακεδὼν ἀνὴρ Ἀθηναίους καταπολεμῶν καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων διοικῶν;
Or do you wish, tell me, to go about inquiring of one another, "Is there any news?" Could there be anything newer than a man of Macedonia conquering Athenians and directing the affairs of the Greeks?
τέθνηκε Φίλιππος; οὐ μὰ Δίʼ, ἀλλʼ ἀσθενεῖ. §11τί δʼ ὑμῖν διαφέρει;
"Is Philip dead?" "No, by Zeus, but he is ill." But what difference does it make to you?
καὶ γὰρ ἂν οὗτός τι πάθῃ, ταχέως ὑμεῖς ἕτερον Φίλιππον ποιήσετε, ἄνπερ οὕτω προσέχητε τοῖς πράγμασι τὸν νοῦν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὗτος παρὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ ῥώμην τοσοῦτον ἐπηύξηται ὅσον παρὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀμέλειαν.
For even if something happens to him, you will quickly make another Philip, if you pay attention to affairs in this manner; for he has not grown so great through his own strength as through our neglect.
§12καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο· εἴ τι πάθοι καὶ τὰ τῆς τύχης ἡμῖν, ἥπερ ἀεὶ βέλτιον ἢ ἡμεῖς ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιμελούμεθα, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐξεργάσαιτο, ἴσθʼ ὅτι πλησίον μὲν ὄντες, ἅπασιν ἂν τοῖς πράγμασιν τεταραγμένοις ἐπιστάντες ὅπως βούλεσθε διοικήσαισθε, ὡς δὲ νῦν ἔχετε, οὐδὲ διδόντων τῶν καιρῶν Ἀμφίπολιν δέξασθαι δύναισθʼ ἄν, ἀπηρτημένοι καὶ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς καὶ ταῖς γνώμαις.
And yet, consider this also: if something should happen to him, and the fortune which always cares for us better than we do for ourselves should bring this about, know that if you were close at hand, you could step in and manage everything in its confusion just as you pleased; but in your present condition, not even if opportunity offered Amphipolis could you receive it, since you are lagging behind both in your preparations and in your minds.
§13ὡς μὲν οὖν δεῖ τὰ προσήκοντα ποιεῖν ἐθέλοντας ὑπάρχειν ἅπαντας ἑτοίμως, ὡς ἐγνωκότων ὑμῶν καὶ πεπεισμένων, παύομαι λέγων·
That all, then, must be ready and willing to do their duty, I shall say no more, assuming that you know and are convinced of it.
τὸν δὲ τρόπον τῆς παρασκευῆς ἣν ἀπαλλάξαι ἂν τῶν τοιούτων πραγμάτων ὑμᾶς οἴομαι, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ὅσον, καὶ πόρους οὕστινας χρημάτων, καὶ τἄλλʼ ὡς ἄν μοι βέλτιστα καὶ τάχιστα δοκεῖ παρασκευασθῆναι, καὶ δὴ πειράσομαι λέγειν, δεηθεὶς ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοσοῦτον.
But as to the manner of the preparation which I think would rid you of such troubles, and the numbers required, and what sources of money we can find, and how the rest may, in my opinion, be best and most quickly prepared, I will indeed attempt to explain, having asked of you, men of Athens, only this much.
§14ἐπειδὰν ἅπαντʼ ἀκούσητε κρίνατε, μὴ πρότερον προλαμβάνετε· μηδʼ ἂν ἐξ ἀρχῆς δοκῶ τινι καινὴν παρασκευὴν λέγειν, ἀναβάλλειν με τὰ πράγμαθʼ ἡγείσθω.
Judge when you have heard everything, do not anticipate beforehand; and even if at the beginning I seem to some to speak of an unusual preparation, let him not think that I am delaying the matter.
οὐ γὰρ οἱ
ταχὺ
καὶ
τήμερον
εἰπόντες μάλιστʼ εἰς δέον λέγουσιν (οὐ γὰρ ἂν τά γʼ ἤδη γεγενημένα τῇ νυνὶ βοηθείᾳ κωλῦσαι δυνηθεῖμεν),
For those who say "quickly" and "today" do not speak most to the purpose (for we should not be able to prevent what has already happened by a present reinforcement),