§29τὰς δʼ ἰδίας οἰκίας τῶν ἐν δυνάμει γενομένων οὕτω μετρίας καὶ τῷ τῆς πολιτείας ὀνόματι ἀκολούθους ὥστε τὴν Θεμιστοκλέους καὶ τὴν Κίμωνος καὶ τὴν Ἀριστείδου καὶ τῶν τότε λαμπρῶν οἰκίαν, εἴ τις ἄρʼ ὑμῶν οἶδεν ὁποία ποτʼ ἐστίν, ὁρᾷ τῆς τοῦ γείτονος οὐδὲν σεμνοτέραν οὖσαν.
On the other hand, the private houses of those who rose to power were so modest and in keeping with the character of the constitution, that if any of you happens to know what the house of Themistocles, of Cimon, of Aristides, or of any other of the illustrious men of that time was like, he sees that it is not at all more stately than that of their neighbor.
§30νῦν δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δημοσίᾳ μὲν ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν τὰς ὁδοὺς ἀγαπᾷ κατασκευάζουσα καὶ κρήνας καὶ κονιάματα καὶ λήρους (καὶ οὐ τοῖς εἰσηγησαμένοις ταῦτʼ ἐπιτιμῶ, πολλοῦ γε καὶ δέω, ἀλλʼ ὑμῖν, εἰ ταῦθʼ ἱκανὰ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ὑπολαμβάνετʼ εἶναι), ἰδίᾳ δʼ οἱ τῶν κοινῶν ἐπί τῳ γεγενημένοι οἱ μὲν τῶν δημοσίων οἰκοδομημάτων σεμνοτέρας τὰς ἰδίας οἰκίας κατεσκευάκασιν, οὐ μόνον τῶν πολλῶν ὑπερηφανωτέρας, οἱ δὲ γῆν συνεωνημένοι γεωργοῦσιν ὅσην οὐδʼ ὄναρ ἤλπισαν πώποτε.
But now, O men of Athens, in public matters our city is content with constructing roads, fountains, whitewashed walls, and trifles (and I do not blame those who introduced these things, far from it, but rather you, if you assume that these things are sufficient for yourselves); while in private, of those who have had some charge of public affairs, some have constructed private houses more stately than public buildings, and more arrogant than those of the common people, while others have bought up and are farming more land than they ever dreamed of even in a dream.
§31τούτων δʼ αἴτιον ἁπάντων, ὅτι τότε μὲν ὁ δῆμος δεσπότης ἦν καὶ κύριος ἁπάντων, καὶ ἀγαπητὸν ἦν παρʼ ἐκείνου τῶν ἄλλων ἑκάστῳ καὶ τιμῆς καὶ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἀγαθοῦ τινὸς μεταλαμβάνειν, νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον κύριοι μὲν τῶν ἀγαθῶν οὗτοι, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἅπαντα πράττεται, ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐν ὑπηρέτου καὶ προσθήκης μέρει, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀγαπᾶθʼ ἃν οὗτοι μεταδιδῶσι λαμβάνοντες.
And the cause of all these things is that then the people were the master and lord of all, and it was a desirable thing for each of the others to receive from them a share of honor, office, or some benefit; but now, on the contrary, these men are the masters of all benefits, and through them everything is transacted, while the people are in the position of a servant and an appendage, and you are content to receive whatever they may share with you.
§32τοιγαροῦν ἐκ τούτων τοιαῦτα τὰ πράγματα τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν ὥστε, εἴ τις ἀναγνοίη τὰ ψηφίσμαθʼ ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς πράξεις ἐφεξῆς διέλθοι, οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς πιστεύσαι τῶν αὐτῶν εἶναι ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα.
Consequently, from these things the affairs of the city are in such a state that if anyone were to read your decrees and then go through your actions in order, not a single person would believe that the former and the latter belonged to the same people.
οἷον ἃ πρὸς τοὺς καταράτους Μεγαρέας ἐψηφίσασθʼ ἀποτεμνομένους τὴν ὀργάδα, ἐξιέναι, κωλύειν, μὴ ἐπιτρέπειν· ἃ πρὸς Φλειασίους, ὅτʼ ἐξέπεσον ἔναγχος, βοηθεῖν, μὴ ἐπιτρέπειν τοῖς σφαγεῦσι, τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ τοὺς βουλομένους παρακαλεῖν.
For example, what you voted against the accursed Megarians who were cutting off the sacred pasture land: to go out, to prevent them, and not to permit it; and what you voted in favor of the Phliasians when they were exiled recently: to assist them, not to abandon them to their slaughterers, and to summon those in the Peloponnese who wished to help.
§33ἅπαντα καλά, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ταῦτα καὶ δίκαια καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἄξια· τὰ ἔργα δὲ τἀπὸ τούτων οὐδαμοῦ.
All these things, O men of Athens, are noble, just, and worthy of the city; but the actions resulting from them are nowhere to be seen.
οὐκοῦν τὴν μὲν ἀπέχθειαν διὰ τῶν ψηφισμάτων ἐκφέρεσθε, τῶν δʼ ἔργων οὐδενὸς κύριοι γίγνεσθε· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ψηφίσματα πρὸς τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀξίωμα ψηφίζεσθε, τὴν δύναμιν δʼ οὐκ ἀκόλουθον ὧν ψηφίζεσθʼ ἔχετε.
Therefore, you express your hostility through your decrees, but you become masters of none of the actions; for you pass decrees in accordance with the dignity of the city, but you do not possess the power corresponding to what you vote.
§34ἐγὼ δὲ παραινέσαιμʼ ἂν ὑμῖν (καί μοι μηδὲν ὀργισθῆτε) ἔλαττον φρονεῖν καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν ἀγαπᾶν πράττοντας, ἢ μείζω δύναμιν παρασκευάζεσθαι.
And I would advise you (and please do not be angry with me at all) either to think less of yourselves and be content with doing your own affairs, or to prepare a greater power.
εἰ μὲν οὖν Σιφνίοις ἢ Κυθνίοις ἤ τισιν ἄλλοις τοιούτοις οὖσι συνῄδειν ὑμῖν, ἔλαττον φρονεῖν συνεβούλευον ἄν· ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἔστʼ Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ τὴν δύναμιν παρασκευάσασθαι παραινῶ· αἰσχρὸν γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, αἰσχρὸν λιπεῖν τὴν τοῦ φρονήματος τάξιν, ἣν ὑμῖν οἱ πρόγονοι παρέδωκαν.
If, then, I knew that you were like the Siphnians or the Cythnians or any other such people, I would advise you to think less of yourselves; but since you are Athenians, I exhort you to prepare your power; for it is shameful, O men of Athens, shameful to abandon that rank of spirit which your ancestors handed down to us.
§35πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐδʼ ἔστιν ἐφʼ ὑμῖν, οὐδʼ ἂν ἀποστῆναι τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν βούλησθε· πολλὰ γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου πέπρακται, καὶ τοὺς μὲν φίλους τοὺς ὑπάρχοντας αἰσχρὸν προέσθαι, τοῖς δʼ οὖσιν ἐχθροῖς οὐκ ἔνι πιστεῦσαι καὶ μεγάλους ἐᾶσαι γενέσθαι.
Moreover, it is not even in your power to withdraw from Greek affairs, even if you should wish to do so; for many things have been done by you throughout all time, and it is shameful to abandon your existing friends, while it is impossible to trust those who are your enemies and allow them to become great.
ὅλως δʼ ὅπερ οἱ πολιτευόμενοι πεπόνθασι πρὸς ὑμᾶς—οὐκ ἔνεστιν αὐτοῖς, ὅταν βούλωνται, παύσασθαι—τοῦτο καὶ ὑμῖν περιέστηκε· πεπολίτευσθε γὰρ ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν.
In short, the very situation which the politicians have experienced in relation to you—that it is not possible for them to retire when they wish—has also encompassed you; for you have engaged in politics among the Greeks.
§36ἔστι δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κεφάλαιον ἁπάντων τῶν εἰρημένων· οὐδέποθʼ ὑμᾶς οἱ λέγοντες οὔτε πονηροὺς οὔτε χρηστοὺς ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς τούτους, ὁπότερʼ ἂν βούλησθε· οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ὧν οὗτοι βούλονται στοχάζεσθε, ἀλλʼ οὗτοι ὧν ἂν ὑμᾶς ἐπιθυμεῖν οἴωνται.
And the sum of all that has been said, O men of Athens, is this: speakers never make you either bad or good, but you make them whichever you wish; for you do not aim at what they want, but they aim at what they think you desire.
ὑμᾶς οὖν ὑπάρξαι δεῖ χρηστὰ βουλομένους, καὶ πάνθʼ ἕξει καλῶς· ἢ γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἐρεῖ φλαῦρον οὐδέν, ἢ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ πλέον ἔσται μὴ ἔχοντι τοὺς πεισομένους.
You, therefore, must begin by desiring what is good, and all will be well; for either no one will say anything worthless, or it will be of no advantage to him since he has no one who will be persuaded.