§1οἶμαι δεῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, περὶ τηλικούτων βουλευομένους διδόναι παρρησίαν ἑκάστῳ τῶν συμβουλευόντων.
I believe, men of Athens, that when deliberating on such important matters, you ought to grant freedom of speech to each of those who offer counsel.
ἐγὼ δʼ οὐδεπώποθʼ ἡγησάμην χαλεπὸν τὸ διδάξαι τὰ βέλτισθʼ ὑμᾶς (ὡς γὰρ εἰπεῖν ἁπλῶς, ἅπαντες ὑπάρχειν ἐγνωκότες μοι δοκεῖτε), ἀλλὰ τὸ πεῖσαι πράττειν ταῦτα·
For my part, I have never regarded it as a difficult task to instruct you in the best course of action (for, to speak plainly, you all seem to me to have already recognized it), but rather to persuade you to put these things into practice.
ἐπειδὰν γάρ τι δόξῃ καὶ ψηφισθῇ, τότʼ ἴσον τοῦ πραχθῆναι ἀπέχει ὅσονπερ πρὶν δόξαι.
For whenever a measure is resolved upon and decreed, it is then just as far from being carried out as it was before the resolution was passed.
§2ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἓν ὧν ἐγὼ νομίζω χάριν ὑμᾶς τοῖς θεοῖς ὀφείλειν, τὸ τοὺς διὰ τὴν αὑτῶν ὕβριν ὑμῖν πολεμήσαντας οὐ πάλαι νῦν ἐν ὑμῖν μόνοις τῆς αὑτῶν σωτηρίας ἔχειν τὰς ἐλπίδας.
Now, there is one thing for which I think you owe gratitude to the gods: that those who, not long ago, waged war against you because of their own insolence, now place their hopes of salvation in you alone.
ἄξιον δʼ ἡσθῆναι τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ· συμβήσεται γὰρ ὑμῖν, ἐὰν ἃ χρὴ βουλεύσησθʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, τὰς παρὰ τῶν διαβαλλόντων τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν βλασφημίας ἔργῳ μετὰ δόξης καλῆς ἀπολύσασθαι.
It is also right to be pleased with the present opportunity; for if you deliberate as you ought concerning it, you will find yourselves clearing our city, by your deeds and with fair renown, of the slanders of those who defame her.
§3ᾐτιάσαντο μὲν γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐπιβουλεύειν αὑτοῖς Χῖοι καὶ Βυζάντιοι καὶ Ῥόδιοι, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα συνέστησαν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τὸν τελευταῖον τουτονὶ πόλεμον· φανήσεται δʼ ὁ μὲν πρυτανεύσας ταῦτα καὶ πείσας Μαύσωλος, φίλος εἶναι φάσκων Ῥοδίων, τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὐτῶν ἀφῃρημένος, οἱ δʼ ἀποδείξαντες ἑαυτοὺς συμμάχους Χῖοι καὶ Βυζάντιοι τοῖς ἀτυχήμασιν αὐτῶν οὐ βεβοηθηκότες, §4ὑμεῖς δʼ, οὓς ἐφοβοῦντο, μόνοι τῶν πάντων τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτοῖς αἴτιοι.
For the Chians, Byzantines, and Rhodians accused us of plotting against them, and on this pretext they allied against us in this last war; but Mausolus, who orchestrated and instigated these actions while pretending to be a friend of the Rhodians, will be shown to have stripped them of their freedom, and the Chians and Byzantines, who displayed themselves as allies, will be seen to have brought no aid to them in their misfortunes, while you, whom they feared, are alone of all mankind the authors of their salvation.
ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ταῦθʼ ὑφʼ ἁπάντων ὀφθῆναι ποιήσετε τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι τοῦτο ποιεῖσθαι σύμβολον τῆς αὑτῶν σωτηρίας, ἐὰν ὑμῖν ὦσι φίλοι· οὗ μεῖζον οὐδὲν ἂν ὑμῖν γένοιτʼ ἀγαθόν, ἢ παρὰ πάντων ἑκόντων ἀνυπόπτου τυχεῖν εὐνοίας.
And from this being seen by all, you will cause the multitude in every city to make this the token of their own safety—to be friends with you; and no greater good could come to you than to obtain, from all men, a voluntary and unsuspected goodwill.
§5θαυμάζω δʼ ὅτι τοὺς αὐτοὺς ὁρῶ ὑπὲρ μὲν Αἰγυπτίων τἀναντία πράττειν βασιλεῖ τὴν πόλιν πείθοντας, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ Ῥοδίων δήμου φοβουμένους τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον.
But I am surprised to see the very same men persuading the city to act against the King on behalf of the Egyptians, yet fearing this same man when it comes to the democracy of the Rhodians.
καίτοι τοὺς μὲν Ἕλληνας ὄντας ἅπαντες ἴσασι, τοὺς δʼ ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῇ ʼκείνου μεμερισμένους.
And yet, everyone knows that the latter are Greeks, while the former are a part of his empire.
§6οἶμαι δʼ ὑμῶν μνημονεύειν ἐνίους, ὅτι ἡνίκʼ ἐβουλεύεσθʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν βασιλικῶν, παρελθὼν πρῶτος ἐγὼ παρῄνεσα, οἶμαι δὲ καὶ μόνος ἢ δεύτερος εἰπεῖν, ὅτι μοι σωφρονεῖν ἂν δοκεῖτε, εἰ τὴν πρόφασιν τῆς παρασκευῆς μὴ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἔχθραν ποιοῖσθε, ἀλλὰ παρασκευάζοισθε μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ὑπάρχοντας ἐχθρούς, ἀμύνοισθε δὲ κἀκεῖνον, ἐὰν ὑμᾶς ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειρῇ.
I think some of you remember that when you were deliberating on the King's affairs, I was the first to come forward and advise you—and I believe I was also the only one, or perhaps the second, to say that you would seem to me to act wisely if you did not make your hostility toward him the pretext for your preparation, but rather prepared yourselves against your existing enemies, while being ready to defend yourselves against him as well, should he attempt to do you wrong.
καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ μὲν εἶπον ταῦτα, ὑμῖν δʼ οὐκ ἐδόκουν ὀρθῶς λέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῖν ἤρεσκε ταῦτα.
And it was not merely that I said these things without your agreement, but they seemed correct to you as well, and you approved of them.
§7ἀκόλουθος τοίνυν ὁ νῦν λόγος ἐστί μοι τῷ τότε ῥηθέντι.
My present argument, therefore, is consistent with what I said then.
ἐγὼ γάρ, εἰ βασιλεὺς παρʼ αὑτὸν ὄντα με σύμβουλον ποιοῖτο, ταὔτʼ ἂν αὐτῷ παραινέσαιμʼ ἅπερ ὑμῖν, ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν αὑτοῦ πολεμεῖν, ἐάν τις ἐναντιῶται τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ὧν δὲ μηδὲν αὐτῷ προσήκει, τούτων μηδʼ ἀντιποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν.
For if the King should make me his adviser at his own court, I would give him the very same advice as I give to you: to fight for his own possessions if any of the Greeks oppose him, but not to lay claim to what in no way belongs to him in the first place.
§8εἰ μὲν οὖν ὅλως ἐγνώκατʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅσων ἂν βασιλεὺς ἐγκρατὴς γένηται φθάσας ἢ παρακρουσάμενός τινας τῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι, παραχωρεῖν, οὐ καλῶς ἐγνώκατε, ὡς ἐγὼ κρίνω·
If, therefore, you have resolved once and for all, men of Athens, to surrender whatever the King may get into his power by anticipating or deceiving the inhabitants of the cities, you have not resolved well, in my judgment.
εἰ δʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίων καὶ πολεμεῖν, ἂν τούτου δέῃ, καὶ πάσχειν ὁτιοῦν οἴεσθε χρῆναι, πρῶτον μὲν ὑμῖν ἧττον δεήσει τούτων, ὅσῳ ἂν μᾶλλον ἐγνωκότες ἦτε ταῦτα, ἔπειθʼ ἃ προσήκει φρονεῖν δόξετε.
But if you think that for the sake of justice you ought to fight, if necessary, and suffer any consequence, then, in the first place, the necessity for this will be less, the more firmly you are resolved upon it; and secondly, you will be seen to think as is fitting.
§9ὅτι δʼ οὐδὲν καινὸν οὔτʼ ἐγὼ λέγω νῦν κελεύων Ῥοδίους ἐλευθεροῦν, οὔθʼ ὑμεῖς, ἂν πεισθῆτέ μοι, ποιήσετε, τῶν γεγενημένων ὑμᾶς τι καὶ συνενηνοχότων ὑπομνήσω.
To show that there is nothing new either in my present advice to liberate the Rhodians, or in what you will do if you follow my counsel, I will remind you of a past event that proved to be of advantage to you.
ὑμεῖς ἐξεπέμψατε Τιμόθεόν ποτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, βοηθήσοντʼ Ἀριοβαρζάνῃ, προσγράψαντες τῷ ψηφίσματι
μὴ λύοντα τὰς σπονδὰς τὰς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ἰδὼν δʼ ἐκεῖνος τὸν μὲν Ἀριοβαρζάνην φανερῶς ἀφεστῶτα βασιλέως, Σάμον δὲ φρουρουμένην ὑπὸ Κυπροθέμιδος, ὃν κατέστησε Τιγράνης ὁ βασιλέως ὕπαρχος, τῷ μὲν ἀπέγνω μὴ βοηθεῖν, τὴν δὲ προσκαθεζόμενος καὶ βοηθήσας ἠλευθέρωσε· §10καὶ μέχρι τῆς τήμερον ἡμέρας οὐ γέγονεν πόλεμος διὰ ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν.
You once sent out Timotheus, men of Athens, to assist Ariobarzanes, adding to the decree the clause: "provided he does not violate our treaty with the King." But when Timotheus saw that Ariobarzanes was in open rebellion against the King, and Samos was garrisoned by Cyprothemis, whom Tigranes, the King's deputy, had established there, he desisted from aiding the former, but blockaded Samos, brought aid, and liberated her; and up to the present day, no war has ever come upon you because of these actions.
οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως οὐδεὶς ὑπέρ τε τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν πολεμήσειεν ἂν καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ μὲν ὧν ἐλαττοῦνται μέχρι τοῦ δυνατοῦ πάντες πολεμοῦσιν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλʼ ἐφίενται μέν, ἐάν τις ἐᾷ, ἐὰν δὲ κωλυθῶσιν, οὐδὲν ἠδικηκέναι τοὺς ἐναντιωθέντας αὐτοῖς ἡγοῦνται.
For no one would fight in the same way to acquire more as they would to defend their own; rather, for what they are deprived of, all men fight to the utmost of their power, but for aggrandizement, they do not do so, but merely desire it if permitted, and if prevented, they do not consider that those who opposed them have done them any wrong.