§70καὶ χρήσιμός γε πολίτης ὁ τοιοῦτός ἐστιν, οὐχ οἱ τῆς παρʼ ἡμέραν χάριτος τὰ μέγιστα τῆς πόλεως ἀπολωλεκότες, οὓς ἐγὼ τοσούτου δέω ζηλοῦν ἢ νομίζειν ἀξίους πολίτας τῆς πόλεως εἶναι, ὥστʼ εἴ τις ἔροιτό με,
εἰπέ μοι, σὺ δὲ δὴ τί τὴν πόλιν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν πεποίηκας; ἔχων, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ τριηραρχίας εἰπεῖν καὶ χορηγίας καὶ χρημάτων εἰσφορὰς καὶ λύσεις αἰχμαλώτων καὶ τοιαύτας ἄλλας φιλανθρωπίας, §71οὐδὲν ἂν τούτων εἴποιμι, ἀλλʼ ὅτι τῶν τοιούτων πολιτευμάτων οὐδὲν πολιτεύομαι, ἀλλὰ δυνάμενος ἂν ἴσως, ὥσπερ καὶ ἕτεροι, καὶ κατηγορεῖν καὶ χαρίζεσθαι καὶ δημεύειν καὶ τἄλλʼ ἃ ποιοῦσιν οὗτοι ποιεῖν, οὐδʼ ἐφʼ ἓν τούτων πώποτʼ ἐμαυτὸν ἔταξα, οὐδὲ προήχθην οὔθʼ ὑπὸ κέρδους οὔθʼ ὑπὸ φιλοτιμίας, ἀλλὰ διαμένω λέγων ἐξ ὧν ἐγὼ μὲν πολλῶν ἐλάττων εἰμὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν, ὑμεῖς δʼ, εἰ πείσεσθέ μοι, μείζους ἂν εἴητε· οὕτω γὰρ ἴσως ἀνεπίφθονον εἰπεῖν.
And indeed, such a person is a useful citizen, not those who, for the sake of daily favor, have destroyed the greatest interests of the city. I am so far from envying them or considering them worthy to be citizens of the city that, if anyone should ask me, "Tell me, what good have you indeed done for our city?" although I am able, men of Athens, to speak of trierarchies, choragies, contributions of money, ransoming of captives, and other such acts of benevolence, I would mention none of these things, but rather that I engage in none of such political practices; instead, though I would probably be able, just like the others, to accuse, to curry favor, to confiscate, and to do all the other things they do, I have never set myself to do any of these, nor have I been led on by profit or by ambition, but I continue to speak of those things by which I indeed am inferior to many among you, but you, if you obey me, would become greater; for in this way, perhaps, it is safe from offense to speak.
§72οὐδʼ ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ δικαίου τοῦτʼ εἶναι πολίτου, τοιαῦτα πολιτεύμαθʼ εὑρίσκειν ἐξ ὧν ἐγὼ μὲν πρῶτος ὑμῶν ἔσομαι εὐθέως, ὑμεῖς δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ὕστατοι· ἀλλὰ συναυξάνεσθαι δεῖ τὴν πόλιν τοῖς τῶν ἀγαθῶν πολιτῶν πολιτεύμασι, καὶ τὸ βέλτιστον ἀεί, μὴ τὸ ῥᾷστον ἅπαντας λέγειν· ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ βαδιεῖται, ἐπὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῷ λόγῳ δεῖ προάγεσθαι διδάσκοντα τὸν ἀγαθὸν πολίτην.
Nor does it seem to me to be the part of a just citizen to devise such political measures by which I indeed shall immediately become first among you, while you become last among all others; rather, the city ought to be increased along with the political measures of good citizens, and everyone should always speak what is best, not what is easiest; for towards the latter, nature herself will go, but towards the former, the good citizen must lead you by his speech, instructing you.
§73ἤδη τοίνυν τινὸς ἤκουσα τοιοῦτόν τι λέγοντος, ὡς ἄρʼ ἐγὼ λέγω μὲν ἀεὶ τὰ βέλτιστα, ἔστιν δʼ οὐδὲν ἀλλʼ ἢ λόγοι τὰ παρʼ ἐμοῦ, δεῖ δʼ ἔργων τῇ πόλει καὶ πράξεώς τινος.
Now indeed, I have already heard someone saying something of this sort: that I, forsooth, always speak what is best, but what comes from me is nothing but words, whereas the city needs deeds and some action.
ἐγὼ δʼ ὡς ἔχω περὶ τούτων, λέξω πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι.
I will tell you how I feel about these things, and I will not conceal it.
οὐδʼ εἶναι νομίζω τοῦ συμβουλεύοντος ὑμῖν ἔργον οὐδὲν πλὴν εἰπεῖν τὰ βέλτιστα.
I do not consider that there is any task for one who counsels you except to speak what is best.
καὶ τοῦθʼ ὅτι τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον ῥᾳδίως οἶμαι δείξειν.
And I think I shall easily show that this is indeed the case.
§74ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι Τιμόθεός ποτʼ ἐκεῖνος ἐν ὑμῖν ἐδημηγόρησεν ὡς δεῖ βοηθεῖν καὶ τοὺς Εὐβοέας σῴζειν, ὅτε Θηβαῖοι κατεδουλοῦντʼ αὐτούς, καὶ λέγων εἶπεν οὕτω πως· εἰπέ μοι, βουλεύεσθε,
ἔφη,
Θηβαίους ἔχοντες ἐν νήσῳ, τί χρήσεσθε καὶ τί δεῖ ποιεῖν;
For you surely know this, that the famous Timotheus once addressed you, saying that you must go to help and save the Euboeans, when the Thebans were reducing them to slavery; and in his speech, he spoke somewhat like this: "Tell me," he said, "when you have the Thebans on the island, are you deliberating what you will do with them and what is necessary to do?
οὐκ ἐμπλήσετε τὴν θάλατταν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τριήρων;
Will you not fill the sea, men of Athens, with triremes?
οὐκ ἀναστάντες ἤδη πορεύσεσθʼ εἰς τὸν Πειραιᾶ;
Will you not arise and go straightway to the Piraeus?
§75οὐ καθέλξετε τὰς ναῦς; οὐκοῦν εἶπε μὲν ταῦθʼ ὁ Τιμόθεος, ἐποιήσατε δʼ ὑμεῖς· ἐκ δὲ τούτων ἀμφοτέρων τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ἐπράχθη.
Will you not drag down your ships?" Well, Timotheus indeed said these things, and you did them; and from both of these, the deed was accomplished.
εἰ δʼ ὁ μὲν εἶπεν ὡς οἷόν τε ἄριστα, ὥσπερ εἶπεν, ὑμεῖς δʼ ἀπερρᾳθυμήσατε καὶ μηδὲν ὑπηκούσατε, ἆρʼ ἂν ἦν γεγονός τι τῶν τότε συμβάντων τῇ πόλει;
But if he had spoken as best as possible, as indeed he did, but you had been indolent and paid no attention, would any of the things that then happened to the city have been accomplished?
οὐχ οἷόν τε.
It would not have been possible.
οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ περὶ ὧν ἂν ἐγὼ λέγω καὶ περὶ ὧν ἂν ὁ δεῖνʼ εἴπῃ, τὰ μὲν ἔργα παρʼ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ζητεῖτε, τὰ δὲ βέλτιστα ἐπιστήμῃ λέγειν παρὰ τοῦ παριόντος.
Therefore, in like manner, concerning what I may say and what anyone else may say, look to yourselves for the deeds, but look to the speaker who comes forward to speak what is best with knowledge.
§76ἐν κεφαλαίῳ δʼ ἃ λέγω φράσας καταβῆναι βούλομαι.
In summary, having stated what I mean, I wish to go down.
χρήματʼ εἰσφέρειν φημὶ δεῖν· τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν δύναμιν συνέχειν, ἐπανορθοῦντας εἴ τι δοκεῖ μὴ καλῶς ἔχειν, μὴ ὅσοις ἄν τις αἰτιάσηται τὸ ὅλον καταλύοντας· πρέσβεις ἐκπέμπειν πανταχοῖ τοὺς διδάξοντας, νουθετήσοντας, πράξοντας· παρὰ πάντα ταῦτα τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς πράγμασι δωροδοκοῦντας κολάζειν καὶ μισεῖν πανταχοῦ, ἵνʼ οἱ μέτριοι καὶ δικαίους αὑτοὺς παρέχοντες εὖ βεβουλεῦσθαι δοκῶσι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ ἑαυτοῖς.
I say that we must contribute money; we must maintain the existing force, correcting whatever seems not to be in good condition, but not dissolving the whole because of whatever faults someone may find; we must send out ambassadors everywhere to instruct, to warn, and to act; and besides all these things, we must punish and hate everywhere those who receive bribes in public affairs, so that those who are moderate and show themselves to be just may seem to have taken good counsel both for others and for themselves.
§77ἂν οὕτω τοῖς πράγμασι χρῆσθε καὶ παύσησθʼ ὀλιγωροῦντες ἁπάντων, ἴσως ἄν, ἴσως καὶ νῦν ἔτι βελτίω γένοιτο.
If you deal with affairs in this way and cease neglecting everything, perhaps, yes perhaps, even now things might still become better.
εἰ μέντοι καθεδεῖσθε, ἄχρι τοῦ θορυβῆσαι καὶ ἐπαινέσαι σπουδάζοντες, ἐὰν δὲ δέῃ τι ποιεῖν ἀναδυόμενοι, οὐχ ὁρῶ λόγον ὅστις ἄνευ τοῦ ποιεῖν ὑμᾶς ἃ προσήκει δυνήσεται τὴν πόλιν σῶσαι.
If, however, you sit still, eager only so far as to applaud and praise, but drawing back if it is necessary to do anything, I do not see any speech which, without your doing what is fitting, will be able to save the city.