§1.8φημὶ δὴ χρῆναι μήτε στρατηγῷ μήτε ῥήτορι μήτʼ ἰδιώτῃ μηδενὶ τῶν τὰ πρὸ τοῦ γε δοκούντων συνηγωνίσθαι τοῖς καθεστηκόσι μήτε μέμφεσθαι μήτʼ ἐπιτιμᾶν μηδένα μηδὲν ὅλως, ἀλλὰ συγχωρῆσαι πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει πεπολιτεῦσθαι τὰ δέοντα, ἐπειδήπερ οἱ θεοί, καλῶς ποιοῦντες, σῴσαντες τὴν πόλιν ἀποδεδώκασιν ὑμῖν ὅ τι ἂν βούλησθʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς βουλεύσασθαι, καὶ νομίζειν, ὥσπερ ἂν ἐν πλοίῳ τῶν μὲν ἱστίῳ, τῶν δὲ κώπαις ἀποφαινομένων κομίζεσθαι, λέγεσθαι μὲν ὑπʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἅπαντʼ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ, γεγενῆσθαι δὲ τὴν χρείαν πρὸς τὰ συμβάντʼ ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν.
I assert indeed that it is necessary neither for any general, nor orator, nor any private individual among those who previously seemed to have cooperated with the established order, to be blamed or censured by anyone in any way at all, but rather to concede that all those in the city have performed what was necessary in public life, since the gods, acting benignly, have saved the city and restored to you the power to deliberate from the beginning on whatever you wish, and to think that, just as if in a ship some were declaring that they should be carried by the sail and others by the oars, everything was said by both for safety, but the actual employment of each was produced by the gods in response to the events that befell.
§1.9ἐὰν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον περὶ τῶν παρεληλυθότων ἐγνωκότες ἦτε, καὶ πιστοὶ πᾶσι γενήσεσθε, καὶ καλῶν κἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ἔργα πράξετε, καὶ τὰ πράγματʼ ὠφελήσετʼ οὐ μικρά, καὶ τοὺς ἐναντιωθέντας ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἢ μεταγνῶναι ποιήσετε πάντας ἢ κομιδῇ ὀλίγους τινὰς αὐτοὺς τοὺς αἰτίους καταλειφθῆναι.
If you have formed this opinion regarding the past, you will both be trustworthy to all, perform the deeds of noble and good men, benefit affairs in no small measure, and make those who opposed you in the cities either change their minds entirely or leave only a very few, the actual culprits, behind.
μεγαλοψύχως τοίνυν καὶ πολιτικῶς τὰ κοινῇ συμφέροντα πράττετε, καὶ τῶν ἰδίων μὴ μέμνησθε.
Act, therefore, with magnanimity and civic spirit for the common benefit, and do not remember private grievances.
§1.10παρακαλῶ δʼ εἰς ταῦτʼ οὐ τυχὼν αὐτὸς τῆς τοιαύτης φιλανθρωπίας παρʼ ἐνίων, ἀλλʼ ἀδίκως καὶ στασιαστικῶς εἰς τὴν ἑτέρων χάριν προποθείς.
And I urge you to this, although I myself have not met with such humanity from some, but was unjustly and factionally served up beforehand as a sacrifice to gain favor for others.
ἀλλʼ οὔτε τὴν ἰδίαν ὀργὴν ἀποπληρῶν τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον οἶμαι δεῖν βλάπτειν, οὔτε μείγνυμι τῆς ἰδίας ἔχθρας εἰς τὰ κοινῇ συμφέροντʼ οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ἃ τοὺς ἄλλους παρακαλῶ, ταῦτʼ αὐτὸς οἴομαι δεῖν πρῶτος ποιεῖν.
But I do not think that, to satisfy my own anger, I should damage the common benefit, nor do I mix any of my private enmity into the common benefit; rather, what I urge others to do, I think I must be the first to do myself.
§1.11αἱ μὲν οὖν παρασκευαὶ καὶ ἃ δεῖ φυλάξασθαι, καὶ ἃ πράττων τις ἂν κατʼ ἀνθρώπινον λογισμὸν μάλιστα κατορθοίη, σχεδὸν εἴρηταί μοι· τοῖς δὲ καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐπιστατῆσαι, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα συμβαίνουσιν ὀρθῶς χρῆσθαι, §1.12καὶ γνῶναι τὸν ἑκάστου καιρόν, καὶ κρῖναι τί τῶν πραγμάτων ἐξ ὁμιλίας δυνατὸν προσαγαγέσθαι καὶ τί βίας προσδεῖται, τῶν ἐφεστηκότων ἔργον ἐστίν.
Now indeed, the preparations, the things to guard against, and what one would most successfully do according to human reasoning have almost been spoken of by me; but to superintend daily affairs and to make correct use of unexpected events, as well as to recognize the critical opportunity for each thing, and to judge which affairs can be brought over by negotiation and which require force, is the work of those in command.
διὸ καὶ χαλεπωτάτην τάξιν ἔχει τὸ συμβουλεύειν· τὰ γὰρ ὀρθῶς βουλευθέντα καὶ δοκιμασθέντα σὺν πολλῇ σπουδῇ καὶ πόνῳ πολλάκις τῷ τοὺς ἐπιστάντας ἄλλως χρήσασθαι διελυμάνθη.
Therefore, giving advice also holds the most difficult post; for things correctly deliberated and approved with much zeal and effort have often been ruined because those in charge made a different use of them.
§1.13νῦν μέντοι πάνθʼ ἕξειν καλῶς ἐλπίζω.
Now, however, I hope that all will go well.
καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις ὑπείληφεν εὐτυχῆ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον τῷ πάντα κατορθοῦν, ἐκεῖνο λογισάσθω, ὅτι πράττων καὶ πονῶν καὶ τολμῶν, οὐχὶ καθήμενος ηὐτύχει.
For if anyone has supposed that Alexander was fortunate because he succeeded in everything, let him reflect on this: that he was fortunate by acting, toiling, and daring, not by sitting still.
νῦν τοίνυν τεθνεῶτος ἐκείνου ζητεῖ τινας ἡ τύχη μεθʼ ὧν ἔσται.
Now, therefore, since he is dead, Fortune is seeking those with whom she will be.
§1.14τούτους δʼ ὑμᾶς δεῖ γενέσθαι.
And these you must become.
τούς θʼ ἡγεμόνας, διʼ ὧν ἀνάγκη τὰ πράγματα πράττεσθαι, ὡς εὐνουστάτους ἐπὶ τὰς δυνάμεις ἐφίστατε· καὶ ὅ τι ποιεῖν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ὑμῶν δυνήσεται καὶ βουλήσεται, τοῦτο πρὸς αὑτὸν εἰπάτω καὶ ὑποσχέσθω.
Appoint as leaders over your forces, through whom affairs must of necessity be conducted, those who are most well-disposed; and let each of you say to himself and promise what he himself will be able and willing to do.
καὶ τοῦθʼ ὅπως μὴ ψεύσεται, μηδʼ ἐξηπατῆσθαι μηδὲ πεισθῆναι παρακρουσθεὶς φήσας ἀναδύσεται.
And let him see to it that he does not play false in this, nor back out on the pretext of having been deceived or persuaded against his better judgment.
§1.15ὡς τὴν ἔκδειαν ὧν ἂν ἐλλίπηθʼ ὑμεῖς, οὐχ εὑρήσετε τοὺς ἀναπληρώσοντας· οὐδὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει κίνδυνον, περὶ ὧν ἐφʼ ὑμῖν ἐστιν ὅπως ἂν βούλησθε πρᾶξαι μεταβουλεύεσθαι πολλάκις, καὶ περὶ ὧν ἂν ἐνστῇ πόλεμος· ἀλλʼ ἡ περὶ τούτων μετάγνωσις ἧττα τῆς προαιρέσεως γίγνεται.
For you will not find others to fill up the deficiency of whatever you yourselves leave incomplete; nor does it carry the same danger to change your minds repeatedly concerning matters which are in your power to manage as you please, and concerning those where war is imminent; rather, regret concerning the latter becomes a defeat of your chosen purpose.
μὴ δὴ ποιήσητε τοιοῦτο μηδέν, ἀλλʼ ὅ τι πράξετε γενναίως καὶ ἑτοίμως ταῖς ψυχαῖς, τοῦτο χειροτονεῖτε, §1.16κἂν ἅπαξ ψηφίσησθε, τὸν Δία τὸν Δωδωναῖον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεούς, οἳ πολλὰς καὶ καλὰς κἀγαθὰς καὶ ἀληθεῖς ὑμῖν μαντείας ἀνῃρήκασιν, ἡγεμόνας ποιησάμενοι καὶ παρακαλέσαντες, καὶ κατὰ τῶν νικητηρίων ἅπασιν αὐτοῖς εὐξάμενοι, μετὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς τύχης ἐλευθεροῦτε τοὺς Ἕλληνας.
Do no such thing, but vote for whatever you will execute with nobility and ready souls, and once you have voted, making Dodonaean Zeus and the other gods—who have delivered many beautiful, good, and true oracles to you—your leaders and calling upon them, and promising vows for victory to them all, with good fortune set the Greeks free.
εὐτυχεῖτε.
May you prosper.