§11.1ΤΗΙ ΒΟΥΛΗΙ ΚΑΙ ΔΗΜΩΙ TΩΙ AΘΗΝΑΙΩΝ.
Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα δεῖν ὑμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν, περὶ ὧν ἐβουλόμην, καὶ πρότερον ᾠόμην (οὐ γὰρ ἀφῃρῆσθαί γε |τοῦτο τῶν ἀτυχησάντων παρʼ ὑμῖν ὑπελάμβανον) συμβουλεύειν δὲ καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν οὐ μικρᾶς ἔμοιγε ἀκρασίας ἐφαίνετο ἔργον εἶναι, δεδωκότι τηλικαύτην δίκην τοῦ πολιτεύεσθαι, πλὴν εἴ τι δέοι καλούντων ὑμῶν·
ΤΗΙ ΒΟΥΛΗΙ ΚΑΙ ΔΗΜΩΙ TΩΙ AΘΗΝΑΙΩΝ. As for other matters, indeed, about which I wished to write, and thought so even previously (for I did not suppose that |this [right] at least had been taken away from those who have met with misfortune among you), to give advice and to meddle in public affairs seemed to me at least to be the mark of no small self-indulgence, having already paid such a great penalty for having engaged in politics, unless there should be some need, with you calling upon me.
§11.2ἄλλως δὲ μηδʼ ἰδίᾳ τισὶ τὤν ἐπιτηδείων, οὐχ ὅτι πόλει, συμβουλεύειν προσήκειν ᾠόμην.
And otherwise, I thought it was not fitting to give advice even privately to any of my intimates, not to mention the city.
ὑμῖν δὲ ἑώρων ἄλλους καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν δυναμένους τὰ κοινά· κατέλιπον γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγους.
And I saw that you had others who were able both to speak and to act in public affairs; for I left behind not a few.
ἐπεὶ δὲ οἰ μὲν τεθνᾶσι, πολλοὶ δὲ ἠτυχύκασιν ὥσπερ ἐγώ, περιέστηκε δὲ ἡ πόλις εἰς ἐρημίαν τῶν πολιτευομένων, ἀκούω δὲ τοὺς μὲν αὐτοῦ παρόντας, τοὺς δὲ καὶ διʼ ἐπιστολῶν κινεῖν τι τῶν τῆς πόλεως πραγμάτων, ἕτοιμος ἤδη τὰ δοκοῦντα τῇ πόλει συμφέρειν, ὡς μόνως ἔξεστίν μοι, διʼ ἐπιστολῶν λέγειν.
But since some have died, and many have met with misfortune just as I have, and the city has come around to a destitution of statesmen, and since I hear that some who are present there, and others even through letters, are stirring up something of the city's affairs, I am now ready to state through letters, in the only way permitted to me, what seems to be advantageous to the city.
§11.3εἰ δὲ καὶ νῦν τὰ Μακεδόνων φρονεῖν ἐροῦσί με, καὶ παραπρεσβείας πάλιν γράψονταί τινες ἀπόντα με ἢ προδοσίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἕτοιμος ἤδη καὶ Ῥόδου καὶ γῆς ἀπάσης Ἑλληνίδος πρόσω φεύγειν, ἐὰν βούλωνται, καὶ πρὸς τὸς ἐν Πέρσαῖς ἄπειμι καὶ Μήδοις βασιλέα.
And if even now they will say that I side with the Macedonians, and some will again indict me in my absence for misconduct on an embassy or for treason against Greece, I am ready now to flee far even from Rhodes and from all Greek land, if they wish, and I will depart to the king among the Persians and Medes.
καίτοι τὰ Περσῶν με καὶ Μήδων οὐδεὶς ἔφη ποτὲ φρονεῖν, καὶ πάντων ἤκιστα Δημοσθένης.
And yet no one ever said that I sided with the Persians and Medes, least of all Demosthenes.
ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐκεῖ παύσομαι γράφων, ἂ τῇ πόλει δόξω συμφέρειν, οὐ χαριζόμενος ὑμῖν μετὰ τοῦ δοκεῖν ἐπιπλήττειν, ὥσπερ ἄλλοι τινές, ἀλλʼ ἐλευθέρως νουθετῶν.
But not even there shall I cease writing what I think is advantageous to the city, not currying favor with you while appearing to rebuke you, as some others do, but admonishing you freely.
§11.4εὗ γὰρ εἰδέναι χρή, ὅτι τῶν πολιτευομένων οἷ μᾶλλον ἐπιπλήττειν ἢ χαρίζεσθαι θέλοντες ὑμῖν δοκεῖν, οὗτοι καὶ μάλιστα πρὸς ἡδονὴν λέγουσι, τὴν ὑπὸ προσχήματι παρρησίας ὁδὸν τοῦ κολακεύειν ἑλόμενοι (καὶ γὰρ αὕτη τίς ἐστιν τοῦ χαρίζεσθαι πολίταις καὶ ἡγεμόσι πολὺ κακουργοτέρα προαίρεσις)·
For you must know well that, among those who engage in politics, those who wish to seem to you to rebuke rather than to curry favor are the ones who speak most of all to please you, having chosen the path of flattery under the pretext of frank speech (for this is a much more malicious policy of currying favor with citizens and leaders).
ἢν βαδίζοντές τινες Ἀθήνησι καὶ περιόντος ἐμοῦ παρʼ ὑμῖν (οὕτω γάρ με χρὴ λέγειν), καὶ νῦν, ὅσον ἐφʼ ὑμῖν, τεθνεῶτος, αἰτιῶνται μὲν ὑμῶν τὴν ὀλιγωρίαν ὡς οὐκ ἐθελόντων ἄρχειν τῆς Ἑλλάδος, προτρέπονται δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ὡς δυναμένους.
Walking this path, certain men in Athens—while I was still alive among you (for so I must speak), and now, as far as you are concerned, when I am dead—on the one hand accuse you of neglect, as if you were unwilling to rule Greece, and on the other hand urge you toward hegemony, as if you were able to do so.
§11.5ὑμεῖς δὲ μετὰ τοῦ δοκεῖν ἀργοὶ γεγονέναι δύνασθαι τῶν Ἐλλήνων ἄρχειν νομίζεσθαι θέλετε μᾶλλον, ἢ μετὰ τοῦ μένειν ὑμῶν τὰς προθυμίας ἐνδεῖσθαι τῆς δυνάμεως.
And you, along with appearing to have become inactive, wish rather to be thought able to rule the Greeks than, while your eagerness remains, to be lacking in power.
πυνθάνομαι γὰρ τελευτήσαντος Ἀλεξάνδρου προτρέπειν τινὰς ὑμᾶς καινοτέρων ἄπτεσθαι πραγμάτων· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐβουλόμην ἂν ταὐτὰ συμβουλεύειν ὑμῖν μετὰ τοῦ ταῦτα συμφέρειν.
For I learn that, since Alexander has died, certain men are urging you to embark on new undertakings; but I would wish to advise you the same things, provided that these things were advantageous.
§11.6οὐ γὰρ ἠγνόουν μὰ τὸν Δία καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεούς, ὅτι λαμπρόν ἐστιν τὸ τοῖς μὲν βαρβάροις πολεμεῖν, τοὺς δὲ `´Ελληνας ἐλευθεροῦν, καὶ ταῦτά γε καὶ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν προελομένους· ἀλλʼ εἰς μὲν τὸ βούλεσθαι τὰ κράτιστα τὴν γνώμην οὗσαν ἱκανήν, εἰς δὲ τὸ δύνασθαι καὶ τύχης ἀγαθῆς ὑμᾶς δεομένους.
For, by Zeus and the other gods, I was not ignorant that it is glorious to make war on the barbarians and to liberate the Greeks, and indeed that our ancestors chose to do these very things; but that while your intention is sufficient for wishing for the best, you are in need of good fortune also for being able to achieve it.