§13.26.1ναί, ἀλλά τινες τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀπέσφαξαν τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους. τί οὖν;
"Yes, but some of the Greeks slaughtered their captives." What of it?
εἰ μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐκ ταύτης τῆς πράξεως ἔπαινοι τυγχάνουσι, μιμησώμεθα τοὺς τῆς δόξης πεφροντικότας· εἰ δὲ παρὰ πρώτων ἡμῶν τυγχάνουσι κατηγορίας, μηδὲ αὐτοὶ πράξωμεν τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς ὁμολογουμένως ἡμαρτηκόσι.
If praise fell to them from this deed, let us imitate those who cared for glory; but if they receive accusation first of all from us, let us not ourselves do the same things as those who have admittedly done wrong.
§13.26.2μέχρι μὲν γὰρ τοῦ μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον πεπονθέναι τοὺς εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν πίστιν ἑαυτοὺς παραδόντας, ἅπαντες καταμέμψονται δικαίως τὸν Ἀθηναίων δῆμον· ἐὰν δὲ ἀκούσωσι παρὰ τὰ κοινὰ νόμιμα τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους παρεσπονδημένους, ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς μετοίσουσι τὴν κατηγορίαν.
For as long as those who surrendered themselves to our good faith have suffered nothing fatal, all men will justly find fault with the Athenian people; but if they hear that the captives have been treated contrary to the common customs, they will transfer the accusation to us.
καὶ γὰρ εἴ τινων ἄλλων, Ἀθηναίων ἄξιόν ἐστιν ἐντραπῆναι μὲν τὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀξίωμα, χάριν δʼ αὐτοῖς ἀπομερίσαι τῶν εἰς ἄνθρωπον εὐεργετημάτων.
For indeed, if toward any others, toward the Athenians it is fitting to respect the dignity of their city, and to apportion to them gratitude for their benefits toward mankind.
§13.26.3οὗτοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ πρῶτοι τροφῆς ἡμέρου τοῖς Ἕλλησι μεταδόντες, ἣν ἰδίᾳ παρὰ θεῶν λαβόντες τῇ χρείᾳ κοινὴν ἐποίησαν· οὗτοι νόμους εὗρον, διʼ οὓς ὁ κοινὸς βίος ἐκ τῆς ἀγρίας καὶ ἀδίκου ζωῆς εἰς ἥμερον καὶ δικαίαν ἐλήλυθε συμβίωσιν· οὗτοι πρῶτοι τοὺς καταφυγόντας διασώσαντες τοὺς περὶ τῶν ἱκετῶν νόμους παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἰσχῦσαι παρεσκεύασαν· ὧν ἀρχηγοὺς γενομένους οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτοὺς ἀποστερῆσαι.
For these are the ones who first shared civilized food with the Greeks, which they, having received privately from the gods, made common in its use; these found laws, through which common life passed from a wild and unjust state into a civilized and just community; these, by being the first to save those who fled for refuge, caused the laws concerning suppliants to have force among all men; and it is not fitting to deprive them of those things of which they became the initiators.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς ἅπαντας· ἰδίᾳ δʼ ἐνίους ὑπομνήσω τῶν φιλανθρώπων.
These things, then, are addressed to everyone; but privately I shall remind some of their acts of humanity.