§55ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι τῶν μὲν κατὰ πλοῦν γιγνομένων οὐχ ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς μακροῖς πλοίοις αἰτίους εἶναι, τῶν δʼ ἐν τῷ Πειραιεῖ καὶ πρὸς ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ὑμᾶς, οἳ τούτων κύριοι ἁπάντων ἐστέ.
I believe that for things happening during the voyage, not you, but the generals and those in charge of the warships are responsible, but for things in the Peiraeus and before the magistrates, you are responsible, who are masters of all these things.
διὸ καὶ μᾶλλόν ἐστι τηρητέον τοὺς ἐνθάδε παραβαίνοντας τοὺς νόμους τῶν ἔξω τοῖς ψηφίσμασιν οὐκ ἐμμενόντων, ἵνα μὴ δοκῆτε αὐτοὶ πράως ἐπὶ τοῖς γιγνομένοις φέρειν καὶ συνειδέναι τι τούτοις ὧν πράττουσιν.
Therefore, one must watch more closely those who violate the laws here than those outside who do not abide by the decrees, lest you yourselves seem to bear what is happening complacently and to be complicit in what they do.
§56οὐ γὰρ δήπου Μηλίους μέν, ὦ Μοιρόκλεις, κατὰ τὸ σὸν ψήφισμα δέκα τάλαντα νῦν εἰσεπράξαμεν, ὅτι τοὺς λῃστὰς ὑπεδέξαντο, τουτονὶ δʼ ἀφήσομεν, ὃς καὶ τὸ σὸν ψήφισμα καὶ τοὺς νόμους, διʼ οὓς οἰκοῦμεν τὴν πόλιν, παραβέβηκεν·
For surely we did not, Moyrocles, according to your decree, now exact ten talents from the Melians because they received the pirates, but on the other hand will acquit this man, who has violated both your decree and the laws by which we inhabit the city?
καὶ τοὺς μὲν τὰς νήσους οἰκοῦντας κωλύσομεν ἀδικεῖν, ἐφʼ οὓς τριήρεις δεῖ πληρώσαντας ἀναγκάσαι τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν, ὑμᾶς δὲ τοὺς μιαρούς, οἷς αὐτοῦ δεῖ καθημένους τουτουσὶ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ἐπιθεῖναι δίκην, ἐάσομεν;
And shall we, on the one hand, prevent those who inhabit the islands from doing wrong, against whom we must man triremes and force them to do what is just, but on the other hand, allow you, the abominable ones, whom these men, sitting right here, must punish according to the laws?
οὔκ, ἄν γε σωφρονῆτε.
No, at least if you are wise.
λέγε τὴν στήλην.
Read the stele.
ΣΤΗΛΗ.
STELE.
§57περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν νόμων καὶ τοῦ πράγματος οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι δεῖ πλείω λέγειν· ἱκανῶς γάρ μοι δοκεῖτε μεμαθηκέναι.
Concerning the laws and the matter itself, therefore, I do not know what more needs to be said; for you seem to me to have learned sufficiently.
βούλομαι δὲ δεηθεὶς ὑμῶν τὰ δίκαιʼ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καταβαίνειν καὶ μὴ ἐνοχλεῖν ὑμῖν.
But I wish, having begged of you what is just on behalf of myself and my father, to step down and not trouble you further.
ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, βοηθεῖν οἰόμενος δεῖν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τοῦτο δίκαιον εἶναι νομίζων, §58τὴν ἔνδειξιν ταύτην ἐποιησάμην, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶπον, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν οὔτε τοὺς βλασφημεῖν βουλομένους, ὅτι λόγους εὑρήσουσι τοὺς διαβαλοῦντας τὴν ἐμὴν ἡλικίαν, οὔτε τοὺς ἐπαινεσομένους καὶ σωφρονεῖν με νομιοῦντας, εἰ τὸν ἐχθρὸν τοῦ πατρὸς τιμωρεῖσθαι προαιροῦμαι, ἀλλʼ ἡγούμενος ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως ὅπως ἂν τύχῃ παρὰ τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις συμβήσεσθαι, ἐμοὶ δὲ τὸ προσταχθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός, ἄλλως τε καὶ δίκαιον ὄν, τοῦτʼ εἶναι ποιητέον.
For I, gentlemen of the jury, thinking it necessary to aid my father and believing this to be just, made this information, as I said from the beginning, not unaware either of those who wish to slander, that they will find words to defame my youth, or of those who will praise me and think I am acting wisely if I choose to punish my father's enemy, but thinking that these things will turn out among the hearers in whatever way it happens, and that for me, what was commanded by my father, especially since it is just, must be done.
§59πότε γάρ με καὶ δεῖ βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ;
For when indeed must I aid him?
οὐχ ὅταν ἡ μὲν τιμωρία κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ᾖ, μετέχων δʼ αὐτὸς τυγχάνω τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ἀτυχίας, μόνος δὲ καταλελειμμένος ὁ πατήρ;
Is it not when the punishment is according to the laws, and I myself happen to share in my father's misfortune, and my father is left alone?
ὅπερ νῦν συμβέβηκεν.
Which is what has now happened.
πρὸς γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀτυχήμασι καὶ τοῦθʼ ἡμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, συμβέβηκεν· παροξύνουσι μὲν ἡμᾶς ἅπαντες καὶ συνάχθεσθαί φασι τοῖς γεγενημένοις καὶ δεινὰ πεπονθέναι λέγουσι καὶ τοῦτον εἶναι ἔνοχον τῇ ἐνδείξει, συμπράττειν δʼ οὐδεὶς ἐθέλει τῶν εἰπόντων, οὐδέ φησιν ἀπεχθάνεσθαι βούλεσθαι φανερῶς·
For in addition to our other misfortunes, this also has happened to us, gentlemen of the jury: everyone urges us on, says they sympathize with what has happened, says we have suffered terrible things, and says that this man is liable to the information; but no one of those who said these things is willing to act with us, nor does anyone say they want to incur hatred openly.
οὕτως ἔλαττον παρά τισιν τὸ δίκαιον ἰσχύει τῆς παρρησίας.
Thus, among some, justice has less power than outspoken political influence.
§60πολλῶν δʼ ἡμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, διὰ τουτονὶ Θεοκρίνην ἀτυχημάτων ἐν οὐκ ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ συμβεβηκότων, οὐδενὸς ἔλαττόν ἐστιν τὸ νῦν συμβαῖνον, ὅτι τὰ δεινὰ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους πεπραγμένα Θεοκρίνῃ τῷ μὲν πατρὶ τῷ πεπονθότι καὶ δυναμένῳ ἂν δηλῶσαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡσυχίαν ἑκτέον ἐστίν (οἱ γὰρ νόμοι ταῦτα κελεύουσιν), ἐμοὶ δὲ τῷ πάντων τούτων ὑστερίζοντι λεκτέον, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις τοῖς τηλικούτοις οἱ πατέρες βοηθοῦσιν, οὗτος δʼ ἐν ἐμοὶ νῦν ἔχει τὰς ἐλπίδας.
Although many misfortunes have happened to us, gentlemen of the jury, in no small amount of time because of this Theocrines, what is now happening is second to none: namely that, concerning the terrible things and those done contrary to the laws by Theocrines, my father, who has suffered them and who would be able to explain them to you, must of necessity keep silent (for the laws command this), whereas I, who am inferior in experience of all these matters, must speak; and while for other youths of my age, their fathers aid them, this man now has his hopes in me.
§61τοιοῦτον οὖν ἀγωνιζόμενοι ἀγῶνα δεόμεθʼ ὑμῶν ἐπικουρεῖν ἡμῖν, καὶ δεῖξαι πᾶσιν ὅτι, κἂν παῖς κἂν γέρων κἂν ἡντινοῦν ἡλικίαν ἔχων ἥκῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς κατὰ τοὺς νόμους, οὗτος τεύξεται πάντων τῶν δικαίων.
Contending therefore in such a contest, we beg you to help us, and to show to all that, whether a child, or an old man, or one of any age whatsoever comes to you according to the laws, he will obtain full justice.
καλὸν γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μήτε τοὺς νόμους μήθʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς λέγουσι ποιεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνους ἐφʼ ὑμῖν, καὶ χωρὶς κρίνειν τούς τʼ εὖ καὶ σαφῶς καὶ τοὺς τὰ δίκαια λέγοντας· περὶ γὰρ τούτου τὴν ψῆφον ὀμωμόκατʼ οἴσειν.
For it is noble, gentlemen of the jury, to make neither the laws nor yourselves dependent on the speakers, but those men dependent on you, and to distinguish between those who speak eloquently and clearly, and those who speak what is just; for concerning this you have sworn to cast your vote.
§62οὐ γὰρ δὴ πείσει γʼ ὑμᾶς οὐδεὶς ὡς ἐπιλείψουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι ῥήτορες, οὐδʼ ὡς διὰ τοῦτο χεῖρον ἡ πόλις οἰκήσεται.
For surely no one will persuade you that such orators will fail, nor that because of this the city will be worse administered.
τοὐναντίον γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς ἐγὼ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀκούω· τότε γάρ φασιν ἄριστα πρᾶξαι τὴν πόλιν, ὅτε μέτριοι καὶ σώφρονες ἄνδρες ἐπολιτεύοντο.
For the opposite is true, as I hear from my elders; for they say that the city fared best when moderate and self-controlled men took part in public affairs.
πότερον γὰρ συμβούλους εὕροι τις ἂν τούτους ἀγαθούς;
For would one find these men to be good advisers?
ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν γραφόμενοι χρήματα λαμβάνουσιν.
They say nothing in the assembly, but by indicting those who do speak there, they receive money.