§8.140B.1Μαρδόνιος μὲν ταῦτα ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐνετείλατό μοι εἰπεῖν πρὸς ὑμέας·
"Men of Athens, Mardonius instructed me to say these things to you.
ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ μὲν εὐνοίης τῆς πρὸς ὑμέας ἐούσης ἐξ ἐμεῦ οὐδὲν λέξω, οὐ γὰρ ἂν νῦν πρῶτον ἐκμάθοιτε, προσχρηίζω δὲ ὑμέων πείθεσθαι Μαρδονίῳ.
But as for the goodwill that exists from me toward you, I will say nothing, for you would not learn of it now for the first time; but I urge you to obey Mardonius.
§8.140B.2ἐνορῶ γὰρ ὑμῖν οὐκ οἵοισί τε ἐσομένοισι τὸν πάντα χρόνον πολεμέειν Ξέρξῃ· εἰ γὰρ ἐνώρων τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν, οὐκ ἄν κοτε ἐς ὑμέας ἦλθον ἔχων λόγους τούσδε· καὶ γὰρ δύναμις ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἡ βασιλέος ἐστὶ καὶ χεὶρ ὑπερμήκης.
For I perceive in you that you will not be able to wage war against Xerxes for all time; if I had seen this in you, I would never have come to you with these words; for the King's power is superhuman, and his reach is extremely long.
§8.140B.3ἢν ὦν μὴ αὐτίκα ὁμολογήσητε, μεγάλα προτεινόντων ἐπʼ οἷσι ὁμολογέειν ἐθέλουσι, δειμαίνω ὑπὲρ ὑμέων ἐν τρίβῳ τε μάλιστα οἰκημένων τῶν συμμάχων πάντων αἰεί τε φθειρομένων μούνων, ἐξαίρετον μεταίχμιόν τε τὴν γῆν ἐκτημένων.
Therefore, if you do not come to terms immediately, when they are offering great proposals on the basis of which they are willing to agree, I fear for you, who of all the allies dwell most directly in the path of invasion, and who are always being destroyed alone, possessing a land that is a select battleground between the armies.
§8.140B.4ἀλλὰ πείθεσθε· πολλοῦ γὰρ ὑμῖν ἄξια ταῦτα, εἰ βασιλεύς γε ὁ μέγας μούνοισι ὑμῖν Ἑλλήνων τὰς ἁμαρτάδας ἀπιεὶς ἐθέλει φίλος γενέσθαι.
But obey; for this is of great value to you, if the Great King, forgiving the offenses of you alone among the Greeks, is willing to become your friend."