§4.1τοῦτον μὲν εἰκὸς πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορίαν προσέχοντα τὸν νοῦν μὴ μαθεῖν τὴν ἀπολογίαν μου· ὑμᾶς δὲ χρή, γιγνώσκοντας ὅτι ἡμεῖς μὲν οἱ ἀντίδικοι κατʼ εὔνοιαν κρίνοντες τὸ πρᾶγμα εἰκότως δίκαια ἑκάτεροι αὑτοὺς οἰόμεθα λέγειν, ὑμᾶς δὲ ὁσίως ὁρᾶν προσήκει τὰ πραχθέντα·
It is natural for this man, directing his mind to his own accusation, not to understand my defense; but you must, recognizing that we the adversaries, judging the matter according to our own favor, reasonably each think that we speak just things, while it is fitting for you to look upon what was done piously.
§4.2ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων γὰρ ἡ ἀλήθεια σκεπτέα αὐτῶν ἐστίν.
For the truth must be examined from the things said by themselves.
ἐγὼ δέ, εἰ μέν τι ψεῦδος εἴρηκα, ὁμολογῶ καὶ τὰ ὀρθῶς εἰρημένα προσδιαβάλλειν ἄδικα εἶναι· εἰ δὲ ἀληθῆ μέν, λεπτὰ δὲ καὶ ἀκριβῆ, οὐκ ἐγὼ ὁ λέγων ἀλλʼ ὁ πράξας τὴν ἀπέχθειαν αὐτῶν δίκαιος φέρεσθαί ἐστι.
As for me, if indeed I have spoken any falsehood, I admit that it is unjust for even the things rightly spoken to be simultaneously discredited; but if they are true, though subtle and precise, not I who speak, but the one who did them is just to bear the resentment of them.
§4.3θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς πρῶτον μαθεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐάν τις φάσκῃ ἀποκτεῖναι, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ ἐάν τις ἐλεγχθῇ.
But I wish you first to understand, that it is not if someone claims to have killed that this is so, but if someone is convicted.
οὗτος δὲ ὁμολογῶν τὸ ἔργον ὡς ἡμεῖς λέγομεν γενέσθαι, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀποκτείναντος ἀμφισβητεῖ, ὃν ἀδύνατον ἀλλαχόθεν ἢ ἐκ τῶν πραχθέντων δηλοῦσθαι.
But this man, while admitting that the deed happened as we say, disputes about the killer, who cannot be revealed from anywhere else than from the things done.
§4.4σχετλιάζει δὲ κακῶς ἀκούειν φάσκων τὸν παῖδα, εἰ μήτε ἀκοντίσας μήτʼ ἐπινοήσας αὐθέντης ὢν ἀποδέδεικται, καὶ οὐ πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα ἀπολογεῖται.
And he complains, claiming that the boy is badly spoken of, if indeed he is shown to be the killer of himself without having thrown or intended it, and he does not defend himself against what is said.
οὐ γὰρ ἀκοντίσαι οὐδὲ βαλεῖν αὑτόν φημι τὸν παῖδα, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τὴν πληγὴν τοῦ ἀκοντίου ὑπελθόντα οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ μειρακίου ἀλλʼ ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ διαφθαρῆναι· οὐ γὰρ ἀτρεμίζων ἀπέθανε.
For I do not say that the boy threw or struck himself, but that by running under the blow of the javelin, he was destroyed not by the youth but by himself; for he did not die while standing still.
τῆς δὲ διαδρομῆς αἰτίας ταύτης γιγνομένης, εἰ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδοτρίβου καλούμενος διέτρεχεν, ὁ παιδοτρίβης ἂν ἀποκτείνας αὐτὸν εἴη, εἰ δʼ ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ πεισθεὶς ὑπῆλθεν, αὐτὸς ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ διέφθαρται.
And since this running across is the cause, if indeed he ran across being called by the trainer, the trainer would be the killer of him, but if he went under persuaded by himself, he has been destroyed by himself.
§4.5θέλω δὲ μὴ πρότερον ἐπʼ ἄλλον λόγον ὁρμῆσαι, ἢ τὸ ἔργον ἔτι φανερώτερον καταστῆσαι, ὁποτέρου αὐτῶν ἐστί.
But I wish not to rush to another argument before making the deed still clearer, to which of them it belongs.
τὸ μὲν μειράκιον οὐδενὸς μᾶλλον τῶν συμμελετώντων ἐστὶ τοῦ σκοποῦ ἁμαρτόν, οὐδὲ τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων τι διὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν δέδρακεν· ὁ δὲ παῖς οὐ ταὐτὰ τοῖς συνθεωμένοις δρῶν, ἀλλʼ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ἀκοντίου ὑπελθών, σαφῶς δηλοῦται παρὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν περισσοτέροις ἀτυχήμασι τῶν ἀτρεμιζόντων περιπεσών.
The youth is in no way more guilty of missing the mark than any of those practicing with him, nor has he done anything of the things charged through his own error; but the boy, not doing the same things as those looking on, but running under the path of the javelin, is clearly shown to have fallen into more misfortunes than those standing still because of his own error.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀφεὶς οὐδὲν ἂν ἥμαρτε, μηδενὸς ὑπὸ τὸ βέλος ὑπελθόντος αὐτῷ· ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐβλήθη μετὰ τῶν θεωμένων ἑστώς.
For the one who threw would have erred in nothing if no one had run under the missile for him; and the other would not have been struck if he had stood with the spectators.
§4.6ὡς δʼ οὐδενὸς μᾶλλον τῶν συνακοντιζόντων μέτοχός ἐστι τοῦ φόνου, διδάξω.
And that he is a partner in the killing in no way more than any of those throwing javelins with him, I will teach.
εἰ γὰρ διὰ τὸ τοῦτον ἀκοντίζειν ὁ παῖς ἀπέθανε, πάντες ἂν οἱ συμμελετῶντες συμπράκτορες εἶεν τῆς αἰτίας· οὗτοι γὰρ οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀκοντίζειν οὐκ ἔβαλον αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μηδενὶ ὑπὸ τὸ ἀκόντιον ὑπελθεῖν· ὁ δὲ νεανίσκος οὐδὲν περισσότερον τούτων ἁμαρτών, ὁμοίως τούτοις οὐκ ἂν ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν ἀτρέμα σὺν τοῖς θεωμένοις ἑστῶτα.
For if because of this man throwing the boy died, all those practicing with him would be accomplices in the blame; for these did not fail to strike him because of not throwing, but because of no one running under their javelin; but the youth, having erred in no way more than these, would likewise not have struck him if he had stood still with the spectators.
§4.7ἔστι δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ ἁμάρτημα τοῦ παιδὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ἀφυλαξία.
And it is not only the error of the boy, but also his carelessness.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐδένα ὁρῶν διατρέχοντα, πῶς ἂν ἐφυλάξατο μηδένα βαλεῖν;
For how could the one who threw, seeing no one running across, have guarded against striking anyone?
ὁ δʼ ἰδὼν τοὺς ἀκοντίζοντας εὐπετῶς ἂν ἐφυλάξατο μὴ διαδραμεῖν ἐξῆν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀτρέμα ἑστάναι.
But the other, seeing those throwing, could easily have guarded against running across; for it was possible for him to stand still.
§4.8τὸν δὲ νόμον ὃν παραφέρουσιν, ἐπαινεῖν δεῖ.
And the law which they bring forward, one must praise.
ὀρθῶς γὰρ καὶ δικαίως τοὺς ἀκουσίως ἀποκτείναντας ἀκουσίοις παθήμασι κολάζει.
For rightly and justly it punishes those who kill unintentionally with unintentional sufferings.
τὸ μὲν οὖν μειράκιον ἀναμάρτητον ὂν οὐκ ἂν δικαίως ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἁμαρτόντος κολάζοιτο· ἱκανὸν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστι τὰς αὑτοῦ ἁμαρτίας φέρειν· ὁ δὲ ταῖς αὑτοῦ ἁμαρτίαις διαφθαρείς, ἅμα ἥμαρτέ τε καὶ ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκολάσθη.
Therefore, the youth, being without error, would not justly be punished on behalf of the one who erred; for it is enough for him to bear his own errors; but the boy, having been destroyed by his own errors, at once erred and was punished by himself.
κεκολασμένου δὲ τοῦ ἀποκτείναντος, οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ὁ φόνος ἐστίν.
And the killer having been punished, the killing is not unavenged.
§4.9ἔχοντός γε δὴ τὴν δίκην τοῦ φονέως, οὐκ ἐὰν ἀπολύσητε ἡμᾶς, ἀλλʼ ἐὰν καταλάβητε, ἐνθύμιον ὑπολείψεσθε.
Since indeed the killer has his punishment, if you acquit us you will not, but if you convict us you will leave behind a pollution.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς τὰς αὑτοῦ ἁμαρτίας φέρων, οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν προστρόπαιον καταλείψει· ὁ δὲ καθαρὸς τῆς αἰτίας ὢν ἐὰν διαφθαρῇ, τοῖς καταλαμβάνουσι μεῖζον τὸ ἐνθύμιον γενήσεται.
For he, bearing his own errors, will leave behind no pollution calling for vengeance to anyone; but if the one who is clean of blame is destroyed, the pollution will become greater for those who convict him.
εἰ δὲ αὐθέντης ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων ἐπιδείκνυται, οὐχ ἡμεῖς αὐτῷ οἱ λέγοντες αἴτιοί ἐσμεν, ἀλλʼ ἡ πρᾶξις τῶν ἔργων.
And if he is shown to be the killer from the things said, not we who say it are the causes for him, but the action of the deeds.
§4.10ὀρθῶς δὲ τῶν ἐλέγχων ἐλεγχόντων τὸν παῖδα αὐθέντην ὄντα, ὁ νόμος ἀπολύων ἡμᾶς τῆς αἰτίας τὸν ἀποκτείναντα καταλαμβάνει.
And since the proofs rightly convict the boy as being the killer of himself, the law, acquitting us of the blame, convicts the one who killed.
μήτε οὖν ἡμᾶς εἰς μὴ προσηκούσας συμφορὰς ἐμβάλητε, μήτε αὐτοὶ ταῖς τούτων ἀτυχίαις βοηθοῦντες ἐναντία τοῦ δαίμονος γνῶτε, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ὅσιον καὶ δίκαιον, μεμνημένοι τοῦ πάθους, ὅτι διὰ τὸν ὑπὸ τὴν φορὰν τοῦ ἀκοντίου ὑπελθόντα ἐγένετο, ἀπολύετε ἡμᾶς· οὐ γὰρ αἴτιοι τοῦ φόνου ἐσμέν.
Therefore, neither throw us into unfitting misfortunes, nor yourselves, by helping their misfortunes, decide contrary to the deity, but as is pious and just, remembering the suffering, that it happened because of the one who went under the flight of the javelin, acquit us; for we are not the causes of the killing.