§16.54.1οἱ δʼ Ἀθηναῖοι τὴν αὔξησιν ὑφορώμενοι τοῦ Φιλίππου τοῖς ἀεὶ πολεμουμένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐβοήθουν, πρέσβεις ἀποστέλλοντες ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις καὶ παρακαλοῦντες τηρεῖν τὴν αὐτονομίαν καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν προδοσίαν ὁρμῶντας τῶν πολιτῶν θανάτῳ κολάζειν· ἐπηγγέλλοντο δὲ πᾶσι συμμαχήσειν καὶ φανερῶς ἑαυτοὺς πολεμίους ἀποδείξαντες τῷ βασιλεῖ διεπολέμουν πρὸς Φίλιππον.
The Athenians, viewing with suspicion the growth of Philip, were helping those who were from time to time attacked by the king, sending envoys to the cities and exhorting them to maintain their independence and to punish with death those of the citizens who were rushing towards treachery; and they promised to make alliance with all and, having openly declared themselves enemies to the king, they carried on war against Philip.
§16.54.2μάλιστα δʼ αὐτοὺς παρώξυνε προστῆναι τῆς Ἑλλάδος Δημοσθένης ὁ ῥήτωρ, δεινότατος ὢν τῶν κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους Ἑλλήνων.
Most of all, Demosthenes the orator, who was the most powerful of the Greeks of those times, incited them to champion the cause of Greece.
οὐ μὴν ἡ πόλις γε ἀναστεῖλαι τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν προδοσίαν ὁρμῆς ἠδυνήθη τοὺς πολίτας· τοιαύτη γὰρ φορά τις προδοτῶν ὑπῆρξε τότε κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
However, the city was not able to restrain its citizens from their rush toward treachery; for such a crop of traitors existed at that time throughout Greece.
§16.54.3διὸ καί φασι τὸν Φίλιππον βουλόμενον ἑλεῖν τινα πόλιν ὀχυρότητι διαφέρουσαν, εἰπόντος τινὸς αὐτῷ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἀνάλωτον αὐτὴν ἐκ βίας ὑπάρχειν, ἐπερωτῆσαι εἰ οὐδʼ ὁ χρυσὸς τὸ τεῖχος ὑπερβῆναι δυνατός ἐστιν.
Therefore they say that when Philip wished to capture a certain city outstanding for its strength, and one of the locals told him that it was impregnable by force, he asked whether not even gold was able to scale its wall.
§16.54.4ἦν γὰρ πεῖραν εἰληφὼς ὅτι τὰ τοῖς ὅπλοις ἀδύνατα χειρωθῆναι τῷ χρυσῷ ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι καταπολεμῆσαι.
For he had learned by experience that what was impossible to be subdued by arms was easy to defeat with gold.
ἐγκατασκευάζων οὖν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι προδότας διὰ τῆς δωροδοκίας καὶ τοὺς δεχομένους τὸ χρυσίον ξένους καὶ φίλους ὀνομάζων ταῖς πονηραῖς ὁμιλίαις διέφθειρε τὰ ἤθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
Thus, by creating traitors in the cities through bribery, and calling those who accepted his gold his 'guest-friends' and 'friends,' he corrupted the morals of the people by evil associations.