§13.22.1οἱ γὰρ ὑποτεταγμένοι τοὺς μὲν φόβῳ κατισχύοντας καιροτηρήσαντες ἀμύνονται διὰ τὸ μῖσος, τοὺς δὲ φιλανθρώπως ἀφηγουμένους βεβαίως ἀγαπῶντες ἀεὶ συναύξουσι τὴν ἡγεμονίαν.
For those who are subjected, watching for an opportunity, avenge themselves because of hatred upon those who dominate them by fear, but they firmly love those who lead them with humanity and always join in increasing their hegemony.
τί καθεῖλε τὴν Μήδων ἀρχήν;
What overthrew the empire of the Medes?
ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ταπεινοτέρους ὠμότης.
Cruelty toward those of lower status.
§13.22.2ἀποστάντων γὰρ Περσῶν καὶ τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἐθνῶν συνεπέθετο.
For when the Persians revolted, most of the nations also joined in the attack.
πῶς γὰρ Κῦρος ἐξ ἰδιώτου τῆς Ἀσίας ὅλης ἐβασίλευσε;
For how did Cyrus, from a private citizen, become king of all Asia?
τῇ πρὸς τοὺς κρατηθέντας εὐγνωμοσύνῃ.
By his fair-mindedness toward those who were conquered.
Κροῖσον γὰρ τὸν βασιλέα λαβὼν αἰχμάλωτον οὐχ ὅπως ἠδίκησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσευηργέτησεν· παραπλησίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις βασιλεῦσί τε καὶ δήμοις προσηνέχθη.
For when he took King Croesus captive, he not only did him no wrong, but even treated him with further beneficence; and in like manner he behaved toward the other kings and peoples.
§13.22.3τοιγαροῦν διαδοθείσης εἰς πάντα τόπον τῆς ἡμερότητος ἅπαντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἀλλήλους φθάνοντες εἰς τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως συμμαχίαν παρεγίνοντο.
Therefore, when his mildness was spread abroad into every place, all the inhabitants of Asia, anticipating one another, came into the alliance with the king.
§13.22.4τί λέγω τὰ μακρὰν καὶ τόποις καὶ χρόνοις ἀφεστηκότα;
Why do I speak of things far removed both in places and in times?
κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν οὐ πάλαι Γέλων ἐξ ἰδιώτου τῆς Σικελίας ὅλης ἡγεμὼν ἐγένετο, τῶν πόλεων ἑκουσίως εἰς τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐκείνου παραγενομένων· προσεκαλεῖτο γὰρ ἡ τἀνδρὸς ἐπιείκεια πάντας ἀνθρώπους, τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἠτυχηκότας συγγνώμην προσλαβοῦσα.
For in our city, not long ago, Gelon, from a private citizen, became leader of all Sicily, when the cities voluntarily came under his authority; for the man's reasonableness attracted all men, having added to itself forgiveness toward those who had been unfortunate.
§13.22.5ἀπʼ ἐκείνων οὖν τῶν χρόνων τῆς κατὰ Σικελίαν ἡγεμονίας ἀντιποιουμένης τῆς πόλεως, μὴ καταρρίψωμεν τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν προγόνων ἔπαινον, μηδʼ ἑαυτοὺς θηριώδεις καὶ ἀπαραιτήτους πρὸς ἀνθρωπίνην ἀτυχίαν παράσχωμεν.
Since, therefore, from those times our city has laid claim to the leadership in Sicily, let us not cast down the praise of our ancestors, nor show ourselves savage and inexorable toward human misfortune.
οὐ γὰρ προσήκει δοῦναι τῷ φθόνῳ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἀφορμὴν εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἀναξίως εὐτυχοῦμεν· καλὸν γὰρ καὶ τὸ τῆς τύχης ἀντιπραττούσης ἔχειν τοὺς συναλγήσοντας καὶ πάλιν ἐν τοῖς κατορθώμασι τοὺς ἡδομένους.
For it is not proper to give envy an occasion against us to say that we are prosperous unworthily; for it is beautiful, when Fortune opposes, to have those who will share in our grief, and again, in our successes, those who rejoice with us.
§13.22.6τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις πλεονεκτήματα τύχῃ καὶ καιρῷ κρίνεται πολλάκις, ἡ δʼ ἐν ταῖς εὐπραξίαις ἡμερότης ἴδιόν ἐστι σημεῖον τῆς τῶν εὐτυχούντων ἀρετῆς.
Now advantages in arms are often decided by fortune and opportunity, but mildness in successes is a distinctive sign of the virtue of those who are prosperous.
διὸ μὴ φθονήσητε τῇ πατρίδι περιβόητον γενέσθαι παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, ὅτι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐνίκησεν οὐ μόνον τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ.
Therefore, do not begrudge your country's becoming celebrated among all men because it conquered the Athenians not only by arms but also by humanity.
§13.22.7φανήσονται γὰρ οἱ τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερέχειν ἡμερότητι σεμνυνόμενοι τῇ παρʼ ἡμῶν εὐγνωμοσύνῃ πολυωρούμενοι, καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι βωμὸν ἐλέου καθιδρυσάμενοι τοῦτον ἐν τῇ πόλει τῶν Συρακοσίων εὑρήσουσιν.
For those who pride themselves on excelling others in mildness will be seen to be highly cared for by our fair-mindedness, and those who first established an altar of Mercy will find this in the city of the Syracusans.
§13.22.8ἐξ ὧν πᾶσιν ἔσται φανερόν, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι μὲν δικαίως ἐσφάλησαν, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἀξίως ηὐτυχήσαμεν, εἴπερ οἱ μὲν τοιούτους ἀδικεῖν ἐπεχείρησαν οἳ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς εὐγνωμόνησαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιούτους ἐνικήσαμεν οἳ καὶ τοῖς πολεμιωτάτοις μερίζουσι τὸν ἔλεον ἐτόλμησαν ἐπιβουλεῦσαι· ὥστε μὴ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων κατηγορίας τυγχάνειν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἑαυτῶν καταγινώσκειν, εἰ τοιούτους ἄνδρας ἀδικεῖν ἐνεχείρησαν.
From which it will be manifest to all that they were justly defeated, and we worthily prospered, if indeed they attempted to wrong such men as were fair-minded even toward their enemies, while we conquered such as dared to plot against those who share their mercy even with their worst foes; so that the Athenians would not only meet with accusation from others, but would also condemn themselves, if they undertook to wrong such men.