§3.37ἡδέως δʼ ἂν ὑμῖν ἐπʼ εὐνοίᾳ καὶ φιλίᾳ μέμψιν ποιησαίμην νῦν μὲν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ, μικρὸν δʼ ὕστερον διʼ ἐπιστολῆς μακρᾶς, ἣν ἐάνπερ ἐγὼ ζῶ προσδοκᾶτε, ἂν μὴ τὰ δίκαια γένηται μοι παρʼ ὑμῶν πρότερον· οἵτινες, ὦ ʽτί ἂν εἰπὼν μήθʼ ἁμαρτεῖν δοκοίην μήτε ψευσαίμην; ʼ λίαν ὀλίγωροι, οὔτε τοὺς ἄλλους οὔθʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς αἰσχύνεσθε, ἐφʼ οἷς Ἀριστογείτονʼ ἀφείκατε, ἐπὶ τούτοις Δημοσθένην ἐκβεβληκότες, §3.38καὶ ἃ τοῖς τολμῶσιν μηδὲν ὑμῶν φροντίζειν μηδὲ λαβοῦσι παρʼ ὑμῶν ἔξεστιν ἔχειν, ταῦτʼ οὐ διδόντες ἐμοί, ἵνα, ἂν οἷός τʼ ὦ, τά τʼ ὀφειλόμενʼ εἰσπράξας καὶ τοὺς φίλους ἐρανίσας τὰ πρὸς ὑμᾶς διοικήσω, καὶ μὴ γῆρας καὶ φυγὴν ἐπίχειρα τῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν πεπονημένων ἔχων, κοινὸν ὄνειδος τῶν ἀδικησάντων, ἐπὶ ξένης περιιὼν ὁρῶμαι.
I would gladly direct a complaint against you based on goodwill and friendship, for now in summary, and a little later through a long letter, which you may expect as long as I live, unless justice is done to me by you beforehand; you who—oh, 'what could I say so as to seem neither to err nor to lie?'—are too neglectful, and feel ashamed neither before others nor before yourselves, having expelled Demosthenes on the very grounds upon which you acquitted Aristogeiton, and who do not grant to me what is permitted for those who dare to care nothing for you, nor have received anything from you, to possess; so that, if I am able, having collected what is owed to me and having raised contributions from friends, I may settle my affairs with you, and may not, having old age and exile as the wages for my labors on your behalf—a common reproach to those who did wrong—be seen wandering about in a foreign land.
§3.39βουλομένου δέ μου ἐν μὲν ὑμετέρας χάριτος καὶ μεγαλοψυχίας τάξει τὴν οἴκαδέ μοι ἄφιξιν γενέσθαι, ἐμαυτῷ δὲ λύσιν τῆς γεγονυίας οὐ δικαίως βλασφημίας πορίσασθαι, καὶ μόνον αἰτοῦντος ἄδειαν ὅσονπερ χρόνον τὴν ἔκτεισιν δεδώκατε, ταῦτα μὲν οὐ συγχωρεῖτε, ἐρωτᾶτε δέ, ὡς ἀπαγγέλλεται πρὸς ἐμέ, "τίς οὖν αὐτὸν κωλύει παρεῖναι καὶ ταῦτα πράττειν; " §3.40τὸ ἐπίστασθαι αἰσχύνεσθαι, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ τὸ ἀναξίως τῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν πεπολιτευμένων πράττειν, καὶ τὸ τὰ ὄντʼ ἀπολωλεκέναι διὰ τούτους οἷσ, ἵνα μὴ διπλᾶ καταθῶνται ἃ οὐκ ἠδύνανθʼ ἁπλᾶ, ἐπείσθην ὑπογράψασθαι πρὸσ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὰς καταβολάς· παρʼ ὧν μετὰ μὲν τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐνοίας ἀφικόμενος μέρος, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντα, ἴσως ἂν κομισαίμην, ὥστε μηδὲν ἀσχημονεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ βίου, ἂν δʼ ὡς οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες ἀξιοῦσί μʼ ἔλθω, ἅμʼ ἀδοξίᾳ καὶ ἀπορίᾳ καὶ φόβῳ συνέξομαι.
And though I wish my return home to be in the category of your favor and magnanimity, and to procure for myself a release from the slander that has occurred unjustly, and ask only for security for as long a time as you have granted for the payment, you do not concede these things, but you ask, as is reported to me, 'Who then prevents him from being present and doing these things?' Knowing how to feel shame, men of Athens, and acting in a manner unworthy of those who have conducted politics on your behalf, and having lost my possessions because of those whom—lest they pay double what they could not pay single—I was persuaded to register the payments before the magistrates; from whom, if I return with your goodwill, I might recover a part, if not all, so as not to live the rest of my life in disgrace; but if I return as those who say these things demand of me, I shall be held fast by dishonor, destitution, and fear all at once.
§3.41ὧν οὐδὲν ὑμεῖς συλλογίζεσθε, ἀλλὰ ῥημάτων μοι καὶ φιλανθρωπίας φθονοῦντες, ἂν οὕτω τύχῃ, διʼ ὑμᾶς περιόψεσθʼ ἀπολόμενον· οὐ γὰρ ἂν δεηθείην ἄλλων ἢ ὑμῶν.
Of these things you calculate nothing, but grudging me my words and humanity, you will, as it may happen, overlook my destruction because of you; for I would not make request of any others but you.
καὶ τότε φήσετε δεινὰ πεπονθέναι με, ἀκριβῶς οἶδα, ὅτʼ οὔτʼ ἐμοὶ πλέον οὐδὲν οὔθʼ ὑμῖν ἔσται.
And then you will say that I have suffered terrible things, I know accurately, when it will be of no further advantage either to me or to you.
οὐ γὰρ δὴ χρήματά γʼ εἶναι μοι προσδοκᾶτʼ ἔξω τῶν φανερῶν, ὧν ἀφίσταμαι.
For surely you do not expect me to have money outside of my visible property, which I have surrendered.
καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ βούλομαι συναγαγεῖν, ἐάν μοι μὴ φιλονίκως, ἀλλʼ ἀνθρωπίνως δῶτε τὸ πρὸς τούτοις ἀσφαλῶς εἶναι.
And I wish to gather the remainder, if you grant me, not contentiously but humanely, to be in safety in addition to this.
§3.42οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ παρʼ Ἁρπάλου με λαβόντα δείξετε· οὔτε γὰρ ἠλέγχθην οὔτʼ ἔλαβον.
And indeed, you will not show that I received anything from Harpalus; for I was neither convicted nor did I receive.
εἰ δὲ τὸ περιφανὲς ἀξίωμα τῆς βουλῆς προσβλέπετε, τῆς Ἀριστογείτονος κρίσεως ἀναμνησθέντες ἐγκαλύψασθε· οὐ γὰρ ἔχω τούτου πραότερον πρόσταγμα τοῖς τοιαῦτʼ ἐξημαρτηκόσιν εἰς ἐμέ.
But if you look to the illustrious authority of the Council, cover your faces, remembering the trial of Aristogeiton; for I have no gentler injunction than this for those who have committed such errors against me.
§3.43οὐ γὰρ δήπου τοῖς αὐτοῖς γε λόγοις ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς βουλῆς ἀποφανθέντʼ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ἀφεῖσθαι δίκαιον εἶναι φήσετε, ἐμὲ δʼ ἀπολωλέναι· οὐχ οὕτως ὑμεῖς ἀλογίστως ἔχετε.
For surely you will not say, when he was declared guilty on the same charges by the same Council, that it was just for him to be acquitted, but for me to be ruined; you are not so irrational.
οὔτε γὰρ ἄξιος οὔτʼ ἐπιτήδειος οὔτε χείρων, ἀτυχὴς μέντοι διʼ ὑμᾶς, ὁμολογῶ· πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀτυχής, ᾧ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις κακοῖς καὶ πρὸς Ἀριστογείτονʼ ἐμαυτὸν ἐξετάζειν συμβαίνει, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀπολωλότι πρὸς σωτηρίας τετυχηκότα;
For I am neither unworthy nor unfit nor worse, but indeed unfortunate because of you, I admit; for how is he not unfortunate, who, in addition to his other misfortunes, happens to compare himself with Aristogeiton, and that too when the latter has obtained safety while he himself is ruined?
§3.44καὶ μή μʼ ὑπολαμβάνετʼ ὀργίζεσθαι τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις· οὐ γὰρ ἂν πάθοιμι τοῦτο πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐγώ· ἀλλʼ ἔχει τινὰ τις ἀδικουμένοις ῥᾳστώνην τὸ λέγειν ἃ πάσχουσιν, ὥσπερ τοῖς ἀλγοῦσι τὸ στένειν, ἐπεὶ τῇ γʼ εὐνοίᾳ οὕτως ἔχω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὡς ὑμᾶς ἂν εὐξαίμην πρὸς ἐμέ.
And do not suppose that I am angry in these words; for I would not feel this toward you; but speaking of what they suffer brings some relief to those who are wronged, just as groaning does to those who are in pain, since in goodwill indeed I am so disposed toward you as I would pray you to be toward me.
καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐν πᾶσιν πεποίηκα καὶ ποιήσω φανερόν.
And this I have made and shall make manifest among all.
§3.45ἔγνωκα γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς παντὶ τῷ πολιτευομένῳ προσήκειν, ἄνπερ ᾖ δίκαιος πολίτης, ὥσπερ οἱ παῖδες πρὸς τοὺς γονέας, οὕτως πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς πολίτας ἔχειν, εὔχεσθαι μὲν ὡς εὐγνωμονεστάτων τυγχάνειν, φέρειν δὲ τοὺς ὄντας εὐμενῶς· ἡ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἧττα καλὴ καὶ προσήκουσα νίκη παρὰ τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσι κρίνεται.
For I have known from the beginning that it is fitting for everyone who participates in politics, if indeed he is a just citizen, to be disposed toward all the citizens as children are toward their parents, to pray to meet with those who are most reasonable, but to bear those who are otherwise with benevolence; for defeat in such matters is judged by the wise to be a noble and fitting victory.
εὐτυχεῖτε.
Fare well.