§26εἰ μέντοι τὰ νῦν διὰ τῶν λόγων φοβερὰ ἔργῳ πραττόμενʼ αἴσθοιντο, οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἠλίθιός ἐστιν ὅστις οὐχὶ κἂν δοίη καὶ πρῶτος εἰσενέγκαι·
If, however, they should perceive that what is now terrifying in words is being put into action, no one is so foolish that he would not contribute, and even be the first to do so.
τίς γὰρ αἱρήσεται μᾶλλον αὐτὸς καὶ τὰ ὄντʼ ἀπολωλέναι ἢ μέρος τῶν ὄντων ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν;
For who will choose that he himself and his property perish, rather than contribute a portion of his possessions for the sake of himself and the rest?
χρήματα μὲν δή φημʼ εἶναι τότε, ἂν ὡς ἀληθῶς δέῃ, πρότερον δʼ οὔ.
I say, then, that money will exist at that time, if there should truly be a need, but not before.
διὸ μηδὲ ζητεῖν παραινῶ· ὅσα γὰρ νῦν πορίσαιτʼ ἄν, εἰ προέλοισθε πορίζειν, πλείων ἐστὶ γέλως τοῦ μηδενός.
Therefore, I advise you not even to seek it; for whatever you might provide now, if you should choose to provide it, is more of a joke than nothing at all.
§27φέρε γάρ, ἑκατοστήν τις εἰσφέρειν ἐρεῖ νῦν;
For consider, will someone now propose to contribute a hundredth part?
οὐκοῦν ἑξήκοντα τάλαντα.
That would mean sixty talents.
ἀλλὰ πεντηκοστήν τις ἐρεῖ, τὸ διπλοῦν;
But will someone propose a fiftieth, double that?
οὐκοῦν ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι.
That would mean a hundred and twenty talents.
καὶ τί τοῦτʼ ἔστι πρὸς διακοσίας καὶ χιλίας καμήλους, ἃς βασιλεῖ τὰ χρήματʼ ἄγειν φασὶν οὗτοι;
And what is this compared to the twelve hundred camels which these men say are bringing the money for the King?
ἀλλὰ θῶ βούλεσθε δωδεκάτην ἡμᾶς εἰσοίσειν, πεντακόσια τάλαντα;
But suppose, if you wish, that we shall contribute a twelfth part, five hundred talents?
ἀλλʼ οὔτʼ ἂν ἀνάσχοισθε οὔτʼ, εἰ καταθεῖτε, ἄξια τοῦ πολέμου τὰ χρήματα.
Yet you would not tolerate this, nor, even if you paid it, would the money be adequate for the war.
§28δεῖ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα παρασκευάσασθαι, τὰ δὲ χρήματα νῦν μὲν ἐᾶν τοὺς κεκτημένους ἔχειν (οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἂν ἐν καλλίονι σῴζοιτο τῇ πόλει), ἐὰν δέ ποθʼ οὗτος ὁ καιρὸς ἔλθῃ, τόθʼ ἑκόντων εἰσφερόντων αὐτῶν λαμβάνειν.
You must, therefore, make all other preparations, but for the present let the owners keep their money (for nowhere could it be kept in a better state for the city), and if ever that crisis should come, then accept it from them as they contribute willingly.
ταῦτα δὲ καὶ δυνάτʼ ἐστίν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ πράττειν καλὰ καὶ συμφέροντα καὶ βασιλεῖ περὶ ὑμῶν ἐπιτήδειʼ ἀπαγγελθῆναι, καὶ φόβος οὐκ ὀλίγος γένοιτʼ ἂν ἐκείνῳ διὰ τούτων.
These things, O men of Athens, are both possible, and noble and advantageous to do, and proper to be reported to the King concerning you, and no small fear would come upon him because of them.
§29οἶδε μέν γε διακοσίαις τριήρεσιν, ὧν ἑκατὸν παρεσχόμεθʼ ἡμεῖς, τοὺς προγόνους αὐτοῦ χιλίας ἀπολέσαντας ναῦς, ἀκούσεται δὲ τριακοσίας αὐτοὺς ὑμᾶς νῦν παρεσκευασμένους τριήρεις· ὥστε μὴ κομιδῇ, μηδʼ εἰ πάνυ μαίνοιτο, νομίσαι ῥᾴδιόν τι τὸ τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν ἐχθρὰν ποιήσασθαι.
For he knows that his ancestors lost a thousand ships because of two hundred triremes, of which we provided a hundred, and he will hear that you yourselves have now prepared three hundred triremes; so that not at all, not even if he were entirely mad, would he think it an easy thing to make our city an enemy.
ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γʼ ἐπὶ χρήμασιν αὐτῷ μέγʼ ἐπέρχεται φρονεῖν, καὶ ταύτην ἀσθενεστέραν ἀφορμὴν τῆς ὑμετέρας εὑρήσει.
Indeed, even if he is inclined to think highly of himself because of money, he will find this a weaker resource than yours.
§30ὁ μέν γε χρυσίον, ὥς φασιν, ἄγει πολύ.
For he indeed brings much gold, as they say.
τοῦτο δʼ ἂν διαδῷ ζητήσει· καὶ γὰρ τὰς κρήνας καὶ τὰ φρέατʼ ἐπιλείπειν πέφυκεν, ἄν τις ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἁθρόα πολλὰ λαμβάνῃ.
But if he distributes this, he will have to seek more; for even springs and wells naturally fail if one takes many things from them all at once.
ἡμῖν δὲ τὸ τῆς χώρας τίμημʼ ὑπάρχον ἀφορμὴν ἀκούσεται, ὑπὲρ ἧς ὡς μὲν τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἐκείνων ἀμυνόμεθα, οἱ Μαραθῶνι τῶν προγόνων αὐτοῦ μάλιστʼ ἂν εἰδεῖεν, ἕως δʼ ἂν κρατῶμεν, οὐκ ἔνι δήπου χρήμαθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐπιλείπειν.
But to us, he will hear that the valuation of the country is a resource, in defense of which how we ward off those who attack, his ancestors at Marathon would best know, and as long as we remain masters, there is surely no possibility of money failing us.
§31καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ὅ τινες δεδίασι, μὴ ξενικὸν πολὺ συστήσηται χρήματʼ ἔχων, ἀληθὲς εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ.
And indeed, even what some fear, namely, that he may assemble a large mercenary force because he has money, does not seem to me to be true.
ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι ἐπὶ μὲν Αἴγυπτον καὶ Ὀρόνταν καί τινας τῶν ἄλλων βαρβάρων πολλοὺς ἂν ἐθελῆσαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων μισθοφορεῖν παρʼ ἐκείνῳ, οὐχ ἵνʼ ἐκεῖνος ἕλῃ τινὰ τούτων, ἀλλʼ ἵνʼ εὐπορίαν τινʼ ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ κτησάμενος ἀπαλλαγῇ τῆς ὑπαρχούσης πενίας· ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν Ἑλλάδα Ἕλληνʼ οὐδένʼ ἂν ἐλθεῖν ἡγοῦμαι.
For I believe that against Egypt, Orontas, and some of the other barbarians, many of the Greeks would be willing to serve as mercenaries under him, not so that he might conquer any of these, but so that each might acquire some wealth for himself and escape his existing poverty; but against Greece, I believe no Greek would come.
ποῖ γὰρ αὐτὸς τρέψεται μετὰ ταῦτα;
For where will he turn himself after that?
§32εἰς Φρυγίαν ἐλθὼν δουλεύσει;
Will he go to Phrygia and be a slave?
οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἄλλου τινός ἐστιν ὁ πρὸς τὸν βάρβαρον πόλεμος ἢ περὶ χώρας καὶ βίου καὶ ἐθῶν καὶ ἐλευθερίας καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων.
For the war against the barbarian is for nothing other than country, life, customs, freedom, and all such things.
τίς οὖν οὕτως δυστυχής ἐστιν ὅστις ἑαυτόν, γονέας, τάφους, πατρίδα εἵνεκα κέρδους βραχέος προέσθαι βουλήσεται;
Who, then, is so unfortunate that he will wish to abandon himself, parents, tombs, and fatherland for the sake of a small gain?
ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδένʼ ἡγοῦμαι.
I believe there is no one.
οὐ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐκείνῳ συμφέρει ξένοις κρατῆσαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων· οἱ γὰρ ἡμῶν κρατήσαντες ἐκείνου γε πάλαι κρείττους ὑπάρχουσιν· βούλεται δʼ ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀνελὼν ἡμᾶς ἐπʼ ἄλλοις εἶναι, ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν πάντων, εἰ δὲ μή, τῶν γʼ ὑπαρχόντων δούλων ἑαυτῷ νῦν ἄρχειν.
Furthermore, it is not even to his advantage to conquer the Greeks by means of mercenaries; for those who have conquered us would long since be stronger than he; and he does not wish, by destroying us, to be at the mercy of others, but, preferably, to rule over all, or if not, at least over those who are now his slaves.
§33εἰ τοίνυν τις οἴεται Θηβαίους ἔσεσθαι μετʼ ἐκείνου, ἔστι μὲν χαλεπὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ περὶ τούτων λόγος· διὰ γὰρ τὸ μισεῖν αὐτοὺς οὐδʼ ἂν ἀληθὲς οὐδὲν ἡδέως ἀγαθὸν περὶ αὐτῶν ἀκούσαιτε·
If, then, anyone thinks that the Thebans will be with him, the argument concerning them is difficult for you; for because you hate them, you would not gladly hear anything good about them, even if true.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ δεῖ τοὺς περὶ πραγμάτων μεγάλων σκοποῦντας μηδένα συμφέροντα λογισμὸν παραλιπεῖν διὰ μηδεμίαν πρόφασιν.
Nevertheless, those who are considering great matters must not omit any advantageous calculation for any excuse.
ἐγὼ τοίνυν οἶμαι τοσοῦτʼ ἀπέχειν Θηβαίους τοῦ μετʼ ἐκείνου ποτʼ ἂν ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὥστε πολλῶν ἂν χρημάτων, εἰ ἔχοιεν δοῦναι,
I, therefore, believe that the Thebans are so far from ever coming with him against the Greeks, that they would give a large amount of money, if they had it to give...