§1.1ἔπεμψεν ἡμᾶς, ὦ Δελφοί, ὁ ἡμέτερος δυνάστης Φάλαρις ἄξοντας τῷ θεῷ τὸν ταῦρον τοῦτον καὶ ὑμῖν διαλεξομένους τὰ εἰκότα ὑπέρ τε αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀναθήματος.
Men of Delphi, our ruler Phalaris sent us to bring this bull to the god and to speak to you in a fitting manner both on behalf of himself and on behalf of the offering.
ὧν μὲν οὖν ἕνεκα ἥκομεν, ταῦτά ἐστιν· ἃ δέ γε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπέστειλεν τάδε· ἐγώ, φησίν, ὦ Δελφοί, καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι μὲν τοῖς Ἕλλησι τοιοῦτος ὑπολαμβάνεσθαι ὁποῖός εἰμι, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὁποῖον ἡ παρὰ τῶν μισούντων καὶ φθονούντων φήμη ταῖς τῶν ἀγνοούντων ἀκοαῖς παραδέδωκεν, ἀντὶ τῶν πάντων ἀλλαξαίμην ἄν, μάλιστα δὲ παρʼ ὑμῖν, ὅσῳ ἱεροί τέ ἐστε καὶ πάρεδροι τοῦ Πυθίου καὶ μόνον οὐ σύνοικοι καὶ ὁμωρόφιοι τοῦ θεοῦ.
These, then, are the reasons for which we have come; and what he has charged us to say to you is as follows: "I," he says, "O Delphians, would choose above all things to be understood by all Greeks as I really am, and not as the rumor spread by those who hate and envy me has delivered to the ears of the ignorant; and most of all would I desire this among you, inasmuch as you are sacred and assessors of the Pythian god, and all but cohabitants and housemates under the same roof with the deity.
ἡγοῦμαι γάρ, εἰ ὑμῖν ἀπολογησαίμην καὶ πείσαιμι μάτην ὠμὸς ὑπειλῆφθαι, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι διʼ ὑμῶν ἀπολελογημένος ἔσεσθαι.
For I believe that, if I make my defense to you and persuade you that I have been thought cruel without reason, I shall, through you, have made my defense to all other men as well.
καλῶ δὲ ὧν ἐρῶ τὸν θεὸν αὐτὸν μάρτυρα, ὃν οὐκ ἔνι δή που παραλογίσασθαι καὶ ψευδεῖ λόγῳ παραγαγεῖν· ἀνθρώπους μὲν γὰρ ἴσως ἐξαπατῆσαι ῥᾴδιον, θεὸν δέ, καὶ μάλιστα τοῦτον, διαλαθεῖν ἀδύνατον. §1.2ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐ τῶν ἀφανῶν ἐν Ἀκράγαντι ὤν, ἀλλʼ εἰ καί τις ἄλλος εὖ γεγονὼς καὶ τραφεὶς ἐλευθερίως καὶ παιδείᾳ προσεσχηκώς, ἀεὶ διετέλουν τῇ μὲν πόλει δημοτικὸν ἐμαυτὸν παρέχων, τοῖς δὲ συμπολιτευομένοις ἐπιεικῆ καὶ μέτριον, βίαιον δὲ ἢ σκαιὸν ἢ ὑβριστικὸν ἢ αὐθέκαστον οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν ἐπεκάλει μου τῷ προτέρῳ ἐκείνῳ βίῳ.
And I call the god himself as a witness of what I shall say, whom it is surely impossible to deceive or to lead astray by false speech; for while it is perhaps easy to deceive men, it is impossible to escape the notice of a god, and especially of this one." For I was not one of the obscure men in Acragas, but, if anyone else was, of noble birth, liberally brought up, and devoted to education; and I continually conducted myself in a democratic manner toward the city and in a kind and moderate way toward my fellow citizens. No one brought any charge of violence, stupidity, insolence, or stubborn self-will against that former life of mine.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἑώρων τοὺς τἀναντία μοι πολιτευομένους ἐπιβουλεύοντας καὶ ἐξ ἅπαντος τρόπου ἀνελεῖν με ζητοῦντας — διῄρητο δὲ ἡμῶν τότε ἡ πόλις — μίαν ταύτην ἀποφυγὴν καὶ ἀσφάλειαν εὕρισκον, τὴν αὐτὴν ἅμα καὶ τῇ πόλει σωτηρίαν, εἰ ἐπιθέμενος τῇ ἀρχῇ ἐκείνους μὲν ἀναστείλαιμι καὶ παύσαιμι ἐπιβουλεύοντας, τὴν πόλιν δὲ σωφρονεῖν καταναγκάσαιμι·
But when I saw those of the opposite political faction plotting against me and seeking by every means to destroy me—and our city was at that time divided—I found this one refuge and safety, which was at the same time the salvation of the city: to seize the government, restrain them, stop their plotting, and compel the city to be orderly.
καὶ ἦσαν γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγοι ταῦτα ἐπαινοῦντες, ἄνδρες μέτριοι καὶ φιλοπόλιδες, οἳ καὶ τὴν γνώμην ᾔδεσαν τὴν ἐμὴν καὶ τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως τὴν ἀνάγκην· τούτοις οὖν συναγωνισταῖς χρησάμενος ῥᾳδίως ἐκράτησα.
And indeed there were not a few who approved of this, moderate and patriotic men, who knew both my intention and the necessity of the undertaking; using them, therefore, as my fellow combatants, I easily prevailed.
§1.3τοὐντεῦθεν οἱ μὲν οὐκέτι ἐτάραττον, ἀλλʼ ὑπήκουον, ἐγὼ δὲ ἦρχον, ἡ πόλις δὲ ἀστασίαστος ἦν.
From that time on, they no longer caused trouble but were obedient, while I ruled, and the city was free from faction.
σφαγὰς δὲ ἢ ἐλάσεις ἢ δημεύσεις οὐδὲ κατὰ τῶν ἐπιβεβουλευκότων εἰργαζόμην, καίτοι ἀναγκαῖον ὂν τὰ τοιαῦτα τολμᾶν ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς δυναστείας μάλιστα.
I did not carry out massacres, banishments, or confiscations, even against those who had plotted against me, although it is necessary to venture such measures, especially at the beginning of a rule.
φιλανθρωπίᾳ γὰρ καὶ πρᾳότητι καὶ τῷ ἡμέρῳ κἀξ ἰσοτιμίας θαυμασίως ἐγὼ ἤλπιζον ἐς τὸ πείθεσθαι προσάξεσθαι τούτους.
For I hoped that by benevolence, gentleness, and mildness based on equality, I should wonderfully win them over to obedience.
εὐθὺς γοῦν τοῖς μὲν ἐχθροῖς ἐσπείσμην καὶ διηλλάγμην, καὶ συμβούλοις καὶ συνεστίοις ἐχρώμην τοῖς πλείστοις αὐτῶν.
At any rate, I immediately made peace and was reconciled with my enemies, and used most of them as counselors and table-companions.
τὴν δὲ πόλιν αὐτὴν ὁρῶν ὀλιγωρίᾳ τῶν προεστώτων διεφθαρμένην, τῶν πολλῶν κλεπτόντων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἁρπαζόντων τὰ κοινά, ὑδάτων τε ἐπιρροίαις ἀνεκτησάμην καὶ οἰκοδομημάτων ἀναστάσεσιν ἐκόσμησα καὶ τειχῶν περιβολῇ ἐκράτυνα καὶ τὰς προσόδους, ὅσαι ἦσαν κοιναί, τῇ τῶν ἐφεστώτων ἐπιμελείᾳ ῥᾳδίως ἐπηύξησα καὶ τῆς νεολαίας ἐπεμελούμην καὶ τῶν γερόντων προὐνόουν καὶ τὸν δῆμον ἐν θέαις καὶ διανομαῖς καὶ πανηγύρεσι καὶ δημοθοινίαις διῆγον, ὕβρεις δὲ παρθένων ἢ ἐφήβων διαφθοραὶ ἢ γυναικῶν ἀπαγωγαὶ ἢ δορυφόρων ἐπιπέμψεις ἢ δεσποτική τις ἀπειλὴ ἀποτρόπαιά μοι καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἦν.
Moreover, seeing the city itself ruined by the neglect of its leaders, while many were stealing, or rather plundering, public property, I restored it by constructing waterworks, adorned it by erecting buildings, strengthened it by enclosing it with walls, easily increased the public revenues through the diligence of those in charge, cared for the youth, provided for the elders, and entertained the populace with spectacles, distributions, festivals, and public banquets; while outrages against maidens, corruption of youths, abduction of women, dispatching guards against citizens, or any despotic threat, were things I abhorred even to hear of.