§4.1Δημοσθένης τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δημῷ χαίρειν.
Demosthenes to the Council and the People, greeting.
ἀκούω περὶ ἐμοῦ Θηραμένην ἄλλους τε λόγους βλασφήμους εἰρηκέναι καὶ δυστυχίαν προφέρειν.
I hear that Theramenes has spoken other slanderous words about me and reproaches me with my misfortune.
τὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτον ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι λοιδορίας, ἣ μηδεμίαν κακίαν, καθʼ ὅτου λέγεται, δείκνυσιν, οὐδέν ἐστʼ ὄφελος παρʼ εὖ φρονοῦσιν ἀνθρώποις, οὐχὶ θαυμάζω· τὸν γὰρ θρασὺν μὲν τῷ βίῳ, μὴ πολίτην δὲ τὴν φύσιν, ἐν ἐργαστηρίῳ δὲ τεθραμμένον ἐκ παιδός, αἰσθάνεσθαί τι τῶν τοιούτων ἀλογώτερον ἦν ἢ μὴ συνιέναι.
Therefore, I do not wonder at his ignorance of the fact that slander, which shows no wickedness in the person against whom it is spoken, is of no avail among sensible men; for that one who is audacious in his life, not a citizen by nature, and brought up in a workshop from childhood, should perceive any of these things would have been more unreasonable than that he should fail to understand them.
§4.2τούτῳ μὲν οὖν, ἐὰν ἀφίκωμαί ποτε καὶ σωθῶ, πειράσομαι διαλεχθῆναι περὶ ὧν εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ περὶ ὧν εἰς ὑμᾶς παροινεῖ, καὶ νομίζω, καίπερ οὐδὲν μετέχοντα τοῦ αἰσχύνεσθαι, μετριώτερον αὐτὸν ποιήσειν· ὑμῖν δὲ τοῦ κοινῇ συμφέροντος ἕνεκα βούλομαι διʼ ἐπιστολῆς, οὓς περὶ τούτων ἔχω λόγους, δηλῶσαι.
With him, then, if I ever return and am saved, I shall try to discuss the outrages he commits against me and against you, and I think that, even though he has no share in feeling shame, I shall make him more moderate; but to you, for the sake of the common interest, I wish to declare through a letter the arguments I have concerning these matters.
οἷς πάνυ τὸν νοῦν προσέχοντες ἀκούσατε· οἴομαι γὰρ αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀκοῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μνήμης ἀξίους εἶναι.
Listen to them, paying very close attention; for I think they are worthy not only of hearing, but also of memory.
§4.3ἐγὼ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐτυχεστάτην πασῶν πόλεων ὑπολαμβάνω καὶ θεοφιλεστάτην, καὶ ταῦτʼ οἶδα καὶ τὸν Δία τὸν Δωδωναῖον καὶ τὴν Διώνην καὶ τὸν Ἀπόλλω τὸν Πύθιον ἀεὶ λέγοντας ἐν ταῖς μαντείαις καὶ προσεπισφραγιζομένους τὴν ἀγαθὴν τύχην ἐν τῇ πόλει εἶναι παρʼ ὑμῖν.
I consider your city to be the most fortunate of all cities and the most beloved of the gods, and I know that both Dodonaean Zeus and Dione and Pythian Apollo always say this in their oracles and confirm in addition that good fortune is in the city among you.
ὅσα τοίνυν περὶ τῶν ἐπιόντων δηλοῦσιν οἱ θεοί, δῆλον ὡς προλέγουσιν· τὰς δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν παρεληλυθότων προσηγορίας ἐπὶ ταῖς γεγονυίαις πράξεσι τίθενται.
Now whatever the gods reveal concerning the future, it is clear that they foretell; but the designations derived from the past they bestow upon deeds already accomplished.
§4.4ἃ τοίνυν ἐγὼ πεπολίτευμαι παρʼ ὑμῖν, τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων ἐστίν, ἀφʼ ὧν εὐτυχεῖς ὑμᾶς προσηγορεύκασιν οἱ θεοί.
Therefore, the political measures I have enacted among you belong to what has already occurred, on the basis of which the gods have addressed you as fortunate.
πῶς οὖν δίκαιον τοὺς μὲν πεισθέντας εὐτυχεῖς ὀνομάζεσθαι, τὸν δὲ πείσαντα τῆς ἐναντίας προσηγορίας τυγχάνειν;
How then is it just that those who were persuaded should be called fortunate, but the one who persuaded them should meet with the opposite designation?
πλὴν εἰ τοῦτό τις εἴποι, τὴν μὲν κοινὴν εὐτυχίαν, ἧς ἐγὼ σύμβουλος, θεοὺς τοὺς λέγοντας εἶναι, οἷς οὐ θέμις ψεύδεσθαι, τὴν δʼ ἰδίαν βλασφημίαν, ᾗ κατʼ ἐμοῦ κέχρηται Θηραμένης, θρασὺν καὶ ἀναιδῆ καὶ οὐδὲ νοῦν ἔχοντʼ ἄνθρωπον εἰρηκέναι.
Unless, indeed, one should say this: that of the common good fortune, of which I was the adviser, it is the gods who speak, for whom it is not lawful to lie, but of the private slander, which Theramenes has used against me, it is a bold and shameless man without even sense who has spoken.
§4.5οὐ τοίνυν μόνον ταῖς παρὰ τῶν θεῶν μαντείαις ἀγαθὴν οὖσαν εὑρήσεθʼ ᾗ κέχρησθε τύχῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων θεωροῦντες, ἂν ἐξετάζητʼ ὀρθῶς.
Indeed, you will find that the fortune you have enjoyed is good not only by the oracles from the gods, but also by observing from the deeds themselves, if you examine them rightly.
ὑμεῖς γὰρ εἰ μὲν ὡς ἄνθρωποι τὰ πράγματα βούλεσθε θεωρεῖν, εὐτυχεστάτην εὑρήσετʼ ἀφʼ ὧν ἐγὼ συνεβούλευσα τὴν πόλιν γεγονυῖαν· εἰ δʼ ἃ τοῖς θεοῖς ἐξαίρεθʼ ὑπάρχει μόνοις, τούτων ἀξιώσετε τυγχάνειν, ἀδυνάτων ἐφίεσθε.
For if you wish to view affairs as men, you will find that the city has become most fortunate from the measures I advised; but if you demand to meet with those things which belong exclusively to the gods alone, you are desiring impossible things.
§4.6τί οὖν ἐστιν θεοῖς ἐξαίρετον, ἀνθρώποις δʼ οὐ δυνατόν;
What then is exclusive to the gods, and not possible for men?
ἁπάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐγκρατεῖς ὄντας κυρίους εἶναι καὶ αὐτοὺς ἔχειν καὶ δοῦναι τοῖς ἄλλοις, φλαῦρον δὲ μηδὲν μηδέποτʼ ἐν παντὶ τῷ αἰῶνι μήτε παθεῖν μήτε μελλῆσαι.
To be masters in possession of all good things, and to hold them themselves and give them to others, and never at any time in all eternity to suffer or be about to suffer anything bad.
καὶ μὴν ὑποκειμένων τούτων, ὥσπερ προσήκει, σκοπεῖτε τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων.
Indeed, with these premises laid down as is fitting, consider your own affairs in comparison with those of other men.