§1εἰ μὲν ὅτῳ πλεῖστοι συνείποιεν, ὦ βουλή, τὸ ψήφισμʼ ἐκέλευε δοῦναι τὸν στέφανον, κἂν ἀνόητος ἦν εἰ λαβεῖν αὐτὸν ἠξίουν, Κηφισοδότου μόνου μοι συνειρηκότος, τούτοις δὲ παμπόλλων.
If the decree had ordered the crown to be given to whoever had the most advocates, members of the Council, I would have been foolish if I deemed myself worthy of receiving it, since Kephisodotos alone spoke for me, whereas very many spoke for them.
νῦν δὲ τῷ πρώτῳ παρασκευάσαντι τὴν τριήρη τὸν ταμίαν προσέταξεν ὁ δῆμος δοῦναι, πεποίηκα δὲ τοῦτʼ ἐγώ· διό φημι δεῖν αὐτὸς στεφανοῦσθαι.
But in fact, the people ordered the treasurer to give it to the one who first equipped the trireme, and I have done this; wherefore I say that I myself ought to be crowned.
§2θαυμάζω δὲ καὶ τούτων, ὅτι τῆς τριήρους ἀμελήσαντες τοὺς ῥήτορας παρεσκεύασαν, καὶ δοκοῦσί μοι παντὸς διημαρτηκέναι τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ νομίζειν οὐχὶ τοῖς ποιοῦσιν ἃ δεῖ χάριν ὑμᾶς ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς φάσκουσιν, οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐγνωκότες ὅνπερ ἐγὼ περὶ ὑμῶν.
And I wonder at these men too, because, neglecting the trireme, they prepared public speakers, and they seem to me to have missed the whole point of the matter, and to think that you ought to feel gratitude not to those who do what is necessary, but to those who merely claim to do so, not having formed the same opinion of you as I have.
καὶ κατʼ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο δικαίως ἂν ἔχοιτʼ εὐνοϊκωτέρως ἐμοί· φαίνομαι γὰρ βελτίους ὑμᾶς ὑπολαμβάνων ἢ οὗτοι.
And for this very reason you would justly feel more well-disposed toward me; for I clearly estimate you to be better than they do.
§3ἐχρῆν μὲν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ δίκαιον ἦν τοὺς τὸν στέφανον οἰομένους δεῖν παρʼ ὑμῶν λαβεῖν αὑτοὺς ἀξίους ἐπιδεικνύναι τούτου, μὴ ἐμὲ κακῶς λέγειν.
Now, men of Athens, it was proper and just that those who think they ought to receive the crown from you should show themselves worthy of it, and not speak ill of me.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο παρέντες ἐκεῖνο ποιοῦσιν, ἀμφότερʼ αὐτοὺς ἐπιδείξω ψευδομένους, ἅ θʼ αὑτοὺς ἐνεκωμίασαν καὶ ὅσʼ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβλασφήμησαν, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἑκατέροις.
But since, neglecting this, they do the other, I will show from the very deeds performed by each of us that they are lying in both respects, both in what they praised themselves for and in what they slandered us.
§4ψήφισμα γὰρ ὑμῶν ποιησαμένων, ὃς ἂν μὴ πρὸ τῆς ἕνης καὶ νέας ἐπὶ χῶμα τὴν ναῦν περιορμίσῃ, δῆσαι καὶ δικαστηρίῳ παραδοῦναι, καὶ ταῦτα κυρωσάντων, ἐγὼ μὲν περιώρμισα καὶ στέφανον διὰ ταῦτα παρʼ ὑμῶν ἔλαβον, οὗτοι δʼ οὐδὲ καθείλκυσαν, ὥστʼ ἔνοχοι δεσμῷ γεγόνασιν.
For when you had passed a decree that whoever did not bring his ship round to the jetty before the last day of the month should be imprisoned and handed over to the court, and when you had ratified this, I indeed brought my ship round and received the crown from you for this reason, whereas they did not even launch theirs, so that they became liable to imprisonment.
πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀτοπώτατον ἂν διαπράξαισθʼ ἔργον, εἰ τοὺς καθʼ ἑαυτῶν ἐάσαντας τίμημα τοιοῦτον ἐπαχθῆναι, τούτους στεφανώσαντες ὑμεῖς φαίνοισθε;
How then would you not be performing the most absurd deed of all, if you should appear to crown those who allowed such a penalty to be incurred against themselves?
§5τὰ σκεύη τοίνυν, ὅσα δεῖ παρέχειν τὴν πόλιν τοῖς τριηράρχοις, ἐγὼ μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων ἀνήλωσα καὶ τῶν δημοσίων ἔλαβον οὐδέν, οὗτοι δʼ ὑμετέροις κέχρηνται καὶ τῶν σφετέρων οὐδὲν εἰς ταῦτα προεῖνται.
Furthermore, as for the equipment which the city is required to provide to the trierarchs, I spent from my own resources and took nothing of the public property, whereas they have used yours and have contributed nothing of their own for this.
καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ἂν ἐκεῖνό γʼ ἔχοιεν εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἀνεπειρῶντʼ ἐμοῦ πρότεροι· πρὶν γὰρ ἧφθαι μόνον τῆς τριήρους τούτους ἐπεπλήρωτό μοι, καὶ πάντες ἑωρᾶθʼ ὑμεῖς ἀναπειρωμένην τὴν ναῦν.
And indeed, they could not even say that they made their trial run before me; for before they had even touched their trireme, mine had been fully manned, and you all saw the ship making its trial run.
§6ἔτι τοίνυν ὑπηρεσίαν τὴν κρατίστην ἔλαβον, πολλῷ πλεῖστον ἀργύριον δούς.
Furthermore, I secured the best service by paying by far the most money.
οὗτοι δʼ εἰ μὲν εἶχον χείρονʼ ἡμῶν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἦν δεινόν· νῦν δʼ οὐδʼ ὁποιαντινοῦν μεμίσθωνται, περὶ τοῦ πλείονος ἀντιλέγοντες.
If they had had worse than ours, it would not have been a terrible thing; but in fact they have hired none at all, arguing about the higher cost.
καίτοι πῶς εἰσιν δίκαιοι ταῦτα μὲν ὕστερον ἐξαναπληροῦν, νῦν δʼ ὡς πρῶτοι παρασκευασάμενοι τὸν στέφανον λαβεῖν;
And yet, how is it just for them to fill these deficiencies later, but now to receive the crown as having been the first to equip their ship?
§7ἡγοῦμαι τοίνυν, ὅτι μὲν δικαιότατʼ ἂν στεφανώσαιτʼ ἐμέ, καὶ μηδὲν εἰπόντος ἐμοῦ γιγνώσκειν ὑμᾶς· ὅτι δʼ οὐκ ἔνεστι μόνοις τούτοις περὶ τοῦ στεφάνου λόγος, τοῦτʼ ἐπιδεῖξαι βούλομαι.
I believe, therefore, that even if I said nothing, you know that you would most justly crown me; but I wish to show that the debate about the crown does not concern these men alone.
πόθεν οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστʼ ἔσται δῆλον;
How then will this be most clear?
ἀφʼ ὧν αὐτοὶ πεποιήκασιν· σκεψάμενοι γὰρ τὸν ἐξ ἐλαχίστου τριηραρχεῖν βουλόμενον, μεμισθώκασι τὴν λῃτουργίαν.
From what they themselves have done; for having looked for the person who wanted to be trierarch for the least money, they have farmed out the liturgy.
καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἄδικον τῶν μὲν ἀναλωμάτων ἀφεστηκέναι, τῶν δὲ γιγνομένων διʼ ἐκεῖνα τιμῶν ἀξιοῦν αὑτοῖς μετεῖναι;
And yet, is it not unjust to have shirked the expenses, but to claim a share for themselves in the honors resulting from them?
καὶ τοῦ μὲν μὴ περιορμίσαι τὴν ναῦν τότε τὸν μεμισθωμένον αἰτιᾶσθαι, τῶν δὲ καλῶς δεδιακονημένων νῦν αὑτοῖς κελεύειν χάριν ὑμᾶς ἔχειν;
And to blame the contractor for not bringing the ship round then, but to bid you to feel gratitude to themselves now for what was well performed?
§8δεῖ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ μόνον ἐκ τούτων σκοπεῖν τὸ δίκαιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ πρότερον πεποιήκατε ταὐτὰ τινῶν διαπραξαμένων τούτοις.
Therefore, men of Athens, you must examine justice not only from these facts, but also from what you yourselves did previously when some performed the same deeds as these men.
ὅτε γὰρ τῇ ναυμαχίᾳ τῇ πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον ἐνικήθητε, τότε τῶν τριηράρχων τοὺς μεμισθωκότας τὰς τριηραρχίας αἰτιωτάτους τοῦ γεγενημένου νομίζοντες παρεδώκατʼ εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καταχειροτονήσαντες προδεδωκέναι τὰς ναῦς καὶ λελοιπέναι τὴν τάξιν.
For when you were defeated in the naval battle against Alexander, you then, considering those who had farmed out their trierarchies to be chiefly responsible for what had happened, committed them to prison, having voted by show of hands that they had betrayed the ships and deserted their post.