§16ἄξιον τοίνυν καὶ περὶ τῶν συνειρηκότων εἰπεῖν.
Therefore, it is also worth speaking about those who have spoken in support of them.
οὕτως γὰρ ἡγοῦνταί τινες ἐξουσίαν εἶναι σφίσιν καὶ ποιεῖν ὅ τι βούλονται καὶ λέγειν παρʼ ὑμῖν, ὥστε τῶν τότε συγκατηγορούντων μετʼ Ἀριστοφῶντος καὶ πικρῶν ὄντων τοῖς μεμισθωκόσι τὰς τριηραρχίας νῦν κελεύουσί τινες τούτους στεφανῶσαι, καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον ἐξελέγχουσιν αὑτούς, ἢ τότʼ ἐκείνους ἀδίκως συκοφαντοῦντες, ἢ νῦν τοῖσδʼ ἐπὶ μισθῷ συνηγοροῦντες.
For some believe that they have such liberty both to do what they wish and to speak before you, that while some of them were formerly joint-accusers with Aristophon and harsh toward those who had farmed out the trierarchies, they now bid you crown these very men, and they convict themselves of one of two things: either of having falsely slandered those men then, or of now speaking in support of these men for a fee.
§17καὶ χαρίσασθαι κελεύουσιν ὑμᾶς, ὥσπερ περὶ δωρεᾶς, ἀλλʼ οὐ περὶ νικητηρίων τῶν λόγων ὄντων, ἢ καὶ χάριν τιθεμένων διὰ τῶν τοιούτων τοῖς ἀμελοῦσιν ὑμῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐ διὰ τῶν βελτιόνων τοῖς ὑπηρετοῦσιν ἃ δεῖ χαρίζεσθαι προσῆκον.
And they bid you grant a favor, as if the speeches were about a gift, and not about a prize of victory, or as if a favor were being conferred through such deeds upon those who neglect you, and not as if it were fitting to grant favors through better deeds to those who perform the required services.
ἔπειθʼ οὕτως ὀλιγωροῦσιν τοῦ δοκεῖν ἐπιεικεῖς εἶναι, καὶ παντελῶς τἄλλα πάρεργα πρὸς τὸ λαβεῖν νομίζουσιν, ὥστʼ οὐ μόνον τοῖς πρότερον ῥηθεῖσιν ὑφʼ αὑτῶν ἐναντία τολμῶσιν δημηγορεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν οὐ ταὐτὰ λέγουσιν ἑαυτοῖς, οἵτινες τοὺς μὲν ναύτας φασὶ δεῖν οἰκείους εἶναι τῆς τριήρους τῆς ληψομένης τὸν στέφανον, τῶν δὲ τριηράρχων τοὺς ἠλλοτριωκότας αὑτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς λῃτουργίας, τούτους στεφανῶσαι κελεύουσι.
Furthermore, they are so careless of seeming to be respectable, and completely regard all other things as secondary to taking gain, that they not only dare to make public speeches contrary to what was previously said by themselves, but even now they do not say the same things as themselves; for they say that the sailors must belong to the trireme that is to receive the crown, yet they bid you crown those trierarchs who have alienated themselves from the liturgy.
§18καὶ φασὶ μὲν οὐδένα τούτων πρότερον παρασκευάσασθαι, κελεύουσι δὲ κοινῇ στεφανοῦν ἡμᾶς, τοῦ ψηφίσματος οὐ ταῦτα λέγοντος.
And they say that none of these men prepared the ship beforehand, yet they bid us be crowned in common, although the decree does not say this.
ἐγὼ δὲ τοσούτου δέω τοῦτο συγχωρεῖν ὅσουπερ καὶ μεμισθωκέναι τὴν τριηραρχίαν· οὔτε γὰρ τοῦθʼ ὑπομείναιμʼ ἂν οὔτʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἐποίησα.
But I am as far from conceding this as I am from having farmed out the trierarchy; for I would neither have submitted to the former nor did I do the latter.
προσποιοῦνται μὲν τοίνυν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δικαίου συνηγορεῖν, σπουδάζουσιν δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ προῖκʼ ἄν τις ὑμῶν πράττων, ὥσπερ ἄξια τοῦ μισθοῦ ποιῆσαι προσῆκον ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλʼ οὐ γνώμην ἀποφήνασθαι.
They pretend, therefore, to speak in support of justice, but they show more zeal than any of you would who acted without a fee, as if it were fitting for them to do what is worthy of their pay, and not to declare their honest opinion.
§19εἶθʼ ὥσπερ οὐχὶ πολιτείας κοινῆς μετέχοντες καὶ διὰ ταῦτα τῷ βουλομένῳ λέγειν ἐξόν, ἀλλʼ ἱερωσύνην ἰδίαν αὐτοί τινα ταύτην ἔχοντες, ἐὰν ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίων ἐν ὑμῖν τις εἴπῃ, δεινὰ πάσχουσιν καὶ θρασὺν εἶναί φασιν.
Then, as if they did not share in a common citizenship and for this reason anyone who wished had the right to speak, but as if they themselves held some private priesthood of this kind, if anyone speaks before you on behalf of what is just, they feel terribly treated and say that he is bold.
καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀναισθησίας προήκουσιν, ὥστʼ οἴονται τὸν ἅπαξ εἰρηκότʼ ἂν καλέσωσιν ἀναιδῆ, σφᾶς αὐτοὺς πάντʼ ἂν τὸν βίον καλοὺς κἀγαθοὺς νομίζεσθαι.
And they have reached such a point of insensibility that they think that if they once call the speaker shameless, they themselves will be regarded as gentlemen for the rest of their lives.
§20καίτοι διὰ μὲν τὰς τούτων δημηγορίας πολλὰ χεῖρον ἔχει, διὰ τοὺς δʼ οἰομένους δεῖν τὰ δίκαιʼ ἀντιλέγειν οὐ πάντʼ ἀπόλωλεν.
And yet, because of the public speeches of these men, many things are in a worse condition, while because of those who think they must speak against them on behalf of justice, not everything has been destroyed.
τοιούτους τοίνυν τοὺς συνεροῦντας αὑτοῖς παρεσκευασμένοι, καὶ τοσαύτην βλασφημίαν εἰδότες οὖσαν καθʼ ἑαυτῶν τοῖς βουλομένοις τι λέγειν φλαῦρον, ὅμως εἰς λόγον ἠξίωσαν καταστῆναι καὶ κακῶς τινʼ ἐτόλμησαν εἰπεῖν, οἷς ἀγαπητὸν ἦν μὴ πάσχουσιν κακῶς αὐτοῖς.
Having prepared, therefore, such men to speak with them, and knowing that there is so much slander against themselves for those who wish to say something worthless, they nevertheless saw fit to enter into debate and dared to speak ill of someone, when they ought to have been content if they themselves were not suffering ill.
§21τοῦ τοίνυν τούτους ἀδίκους εἶναι καὶ θρασεῖς οὐδένες ὑμῶν εἰσιν αἰτιώτεροι· παρὰ γὰρ τῶν λεγόντων, οὓς ἴστʼ ἐπὶ μισθῷ τοῦτο πράττοντας, πυνθάνεσθε ποῖόν τινʼ ἕκαστον δεῖ νομίζειν, οὐκ αὐτοὶ θεωρεῖτε.
Therefore, no one is more responsible than you for these men being unjust and bold; for you learn from the speakers, whom you know to be doing this for a fee, what kind of person each one must be thought to be, and you do not observe for yourselves.
καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον τούτους μὲν αὐτοὺς πονηροτάτους τῶν πολιτῶν νομίζειν, τοὺς δʼ ὑπὸ τούτων ἐπαινουμένους χρηστοὺς ἡγεῖσθαι;
And yet, how is it not absurd to regard these men themselves as the most wicked of the citizens, but to believe that those who are praised by them are good?
§22καὶ γάρ τοι πάντα διʼ αὑτῶν ποιοῦνται, καὶ μόνον οὐχ ὑπὸ κήρυκος πωλοῦσι τὰ κοινά, καὶ στεφανοῦν, ὃν ἂν αὐτοῖς δοκῇ, καὶ μὴ στεφανοῦν κελεύουσι, κυριωτέρους αὑτοὺς τῶν ὑμετέρων δογμάτων καθιστάντες.
And therefore indeed they do everything by themselves, and all but sell the public property through a herald, and bid you crown whomsoever they please and not crown others, rendering themselves more authoritative than your decrees.
ἐγὼ δʼ ὑμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, παραινῶ μὴ ποιεῖν τὴν τῶν ἀναλίσκειν ἐθελόντων φιλοτιμίαν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν λεγόντων πλεονεξίᾳ.
But I advise you, men of Athens, not to place the ambition of those who are willing to spend money at the mercy of the greed of the speakers.
εἰ δὲ μή, διδάξετε πάντας τὰ μὲν ὑφʼ ὑμῶν προσταττόμενʼ ὡς εὐτελέστατα διοικεῖν, τοὺς δʼ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀναιδῶς εἰς ὑμᾶς ψευδομένους ὡς πλείστου μισθοῦσθαι.
Otherwise, you will teach everyone to manage what is commanded by you as cheaply as possible, and to hire at the highest price those who shamelessly lie to you on behalf of these things.