§2.8καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐχέτω ὅπῃ βούλεται· ἡμῖν δὲ ἀναγκαῖον, οἶμαι, τὰ ἡμέτερα αὐτῶν εἰδέναι, ὅπως τε πάλαι διέκειτο καὶ ὅπως νῦν ἔχει καὶ τί ποιοῦσι λῷον ἔσται·
And let the affairs of others be as they will; but for us, I think, it is necessary to know our own affairs, how they were formerly situated, and how they are now, and doing what things it will be better for us.
ὅτι μὲν δὴ ἐν κρημνοῖς τε οἰκοῦμεν αὐτοὶ καὶ πέτρας γεωργοῦμεν, οὐχ Ὅμηρον χρὴ περιμένειν δηλώσοντα ἡμῖν, ἀλλʼ ὁρᾶν πάρεστι ταῦτα.
For that we ourselves live on cliffs and farm rocks, we do not need to wait for Homer to show us, but it is possible to see these things.
καὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ γῇ, βαθεῖ λιμῷ ἀεὶ συνῆμεν ἄν, τὸ δʼ ἱερὸν καὶ ὁ Πύθιος καὶ τὸ χρηστήριον καὶ οἱ θύοντες καὶ οἱ εὐσεβοῦντες, ταῦτα Δελφῶν τὰ πεδία, ταῦτα ἡ πρόσοδος, ἐντεῦθεν ἡ εὐπορία, ἐντεῦθεν αἱ τροφαί — χρὴ γὰρ τἀληθῆ πρός γε ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς λέγειν — καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ποιητῶν, ἄσπαρτα ἡμῖν καὶ ἀνήροτα φύεται τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ γεωργῷ τῷ θεῷ, ὃς οὐ μόνον τὰ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἀγαθὰ γιγνόμενα παρέχει, ἀλλʼ εἴ τι ἐν Φρυξὶν ἢ Λυδοῖς ἢ Πέρσαις ἢ Ἀσσυρίοις ἢ Φοίνιξιν ἢ Ἰταλιώταις ἢ Ὑπερβορέοις αὐτοῖς, πάντα ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀφικνεῖται.
And as far as the land is concerned, we would always be living with deep famine, but the temple, and the Pythian god, and the oracle, and those who sacrifice, and those who act piously, these are the plains of the Delphians, this is our revenue, from here is our wealth, from here is our food—for it is necessary to speak the truth to ourselves—and as is said by the poets, everything grows for us unsown and unplowed under the god as our farmer, who not only provides the good things produced among the Greeks, but if there is anything among the Phrygians, or Lydians, or Persians, or Assyrians, or Phoenicians, or Italiotes, or the Hyperboreans themselves, all of it comes to Delphi.
καὶ τὰ δεύτερα μετὰ τὸν θεὸν ἡμεῖς τιμώμεθα ὑφʼ ἁπάντων καὶ εὐποροῦμεν καὶ εὐδαιμονοῦμεν·
And, second after the god, we are honored by all, and we prosper, and we are happy.
ταῦτα τὸ ἀρχαῖον, ταῦτα τὸ μέχρι νῦν, καὶ μὴ παυσαίμεθά γε οὕτω βιοῦντες.
This was so in ancient times, this is so until now, and may we never cease to live thus.
§2.9μέμνηται δὲ οὐδεὶς πώποτε ψῆφον ὑπὲρ ἀναθήματος παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀναδοθεῖσαν οὐδὲ κωλυθέντα τινὰ θύειν ἢ ἀνατιθέναι.
And no one has ever remembered a vote being cast concerning an offering among us, nor anyone being prevented from sacrificing or dedicating.
καὶ διὰ τοῦτʼ, οἶμαι, καὶ αὐτὸ εἰς ὑπερβολὴν ηὔξηται τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ὑπερπλουτεῖ ἐν τοῖς ἀναθήμασιν.
And for this reason, I think, the temple itself has grown to excess and is exceedingly rich in offerings.
δεῖ τοίνυν μηδʼ ἐν τῷ παρόντι καινοτομεῖν μηδὲν μηδὲ παρὰ τὰ πάτρια νόμον καθιστάναι, φυλοκρινεῖν τὰ ἀναθήματα καὶ γενεαλογεῖν τὰ πεμπόμενα, ὅθεν καὶ ἀφʼ ὅτου καὶ ὁποῖα, δεξαμένους δὲ ἀπραγμόνως ἀνατιθέναι ὑπηρετοῦντας ἀμφοῖν, καὶ τῷ θεῷ καὶ τοῖς εὐσεβέσι.
It is necessary, therefore, neither to innovate anything in the present case nor to establish a law contrary to ancestral customs, sorting the offerings and tracing the genealogy of the things sent, from where and from whom and of what kind they are, but, having accepted them without meddling, to dedicate them, serving both the god and the pious.
§2.10δοκεῖτε δέ μοι, ὦ ἄνδρες Δελφοί, ἄριστα βουλεύσεσθαι περὶ τῶν παρόντων, εἰ λογίσαισθε ὑπὲρ ὅσων καὶ ἡλίκων ἐστὶν ἡ σκέψις, πρῶτον μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ θυσιῶν καὶ ἀναθημάτων καὶ ἐθῶν ἀρχαίων καὶ θεσμῶν παλαιῶν καὶ δόξης τοῦ μαντείου, ἔπειτα ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ὅλης καὶ τῶν συμφερόντων τῷ τε κοινῷ ἡμῶν καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ Δελφῶν, ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τῆς παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις εὐκλείας ἢ κακοδοξίας·
And you seem to me, O men of Delphi, about to deliberate best concerning the present matters, if you should consider about how many and how great things the inquiry is: first, on behalf of the god, and the temple, and sacrifices, and offerings, and ancient customs, and old laws, and the reputation of the oracle; then, on behalf of the whole city, and the interests both of our community and of each Delphian individually; and above all, concerning our good reputation or bad reputation among all men.
τούτων γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα εἴ τι μεῖζον, εἰ σωφρονεῖτε, ἢ ἀναγκαιότερον ἡγήσαισθε ἄν.
For of these things, I do not know if you, if you are wise, would consider anything greater or more necessary.
§2.11περὶ μὲν οὖν ὧν βουλευόμεθα, ταῦτά ἐστιν, οὐ Φάλαρις τύραννος εἷς οὐδʼ ὁ ταῦρος οὗτος οὐδὲ χαλκὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ πάντες βασιλεῖς καὶ πάντες δυνάσται, ὅσοι νῦν χρῶνται τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τίμια, πολλάκις ἀνατεθησόμενα τῷ θεῷ·
Therefore, the things about which we are deliberating are these: not just Phalaris, a single tyrant, nor this bull, nor bronze alone, but all kings and all rulers, as many as now use the temple, and gold and silver and all other precious things, destined to be dedicated many times to the god.
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὸ κατὰ τὸν θεὸν ἐξετασθῆναι ἄξιον.
For first, the matter concerning the god is worthy of being examined.
§2.12τίνος οὖν ἕνεκα μὴ ὡς ἀεὶ μηδὲ ὡς πάλαι τὰ περὶ τῶν ἀναθημάτων ποιήσωμεν;
For what reason, then, should we not do concerning the offerings as always and as of old?
ἢ τί μεμφόμενοι τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἔθεσιν καινοτομήσωμεν;
Or what fault finding with the ancient customs should we innovate?
καὶ ὃ μηδὲ πώποτε, ἀφʼ οὗ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦμεν καὶ ὁ Πύθιος χρᾷ καὶ ὁ τρίπους φθέγγεται καὶ ἡ ἱέρεια ἐμπνεῖται, γεγένηται παρʼ ἡμῖν, νῦν καταστησώμεθα, κρίνεσθαι καὶ ἐξετάζεσθαι τοὺς ἀνατιθέντας;
And should we now establish what has never once happened among us since we inhabited the city, and the Pythian god gave oracles, and the tripod spoke, and the priestess was inspired—namely, that those who dedicate are judged and examined?
καὶ μὴν ἐξ ἐκείνου μὲν τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἔθους, τοῦ ἀνέδην καὶ πᾶσιν ἐξεῖναι, ὁρᾶτε ὅσων ἀγαθῶν ἐμπέπλησται τὸ ἱερόν, ἁπάντων ἀνατιθέντων καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν δύναμιν ἐνίων δωρουμένων τὸν θεόν.
And indeed, from that ancient custom of it being permitted freely and to all, you see with how many good things the temple has been filled, when everyone dedicates and some present gifts to the god even beyond their existing power.
§2.13εἰ δʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς δοκιμαστὰς καὶ ἐξεταστὰς ἐπιστήσετε τοῖς ἀναθήμασιν, ὀκνῶ μὴ ἀπορήσωμεν τῶν δοκιμασθησομένων ἔτι, οὐδενὸς ὑπομένοντος ὑπόδικον αὑτὸν καθιστάναι, καὶ ἀναλίσκοντα καὶ καταδαπανῶντα παρʼ αὑτοῦ κρίνεσθαι καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ὅλων κινδυνεύειν.
But if you appoint yourselves as examiners and scrutinizers of the offerings, I fear lest we shall no longer have any who will submit to being examined, since no one will submit to make himself subject to judgment, and while spending and exhausting his own resources, to be judged and to run risks concerning his very life.
ἢ τίνι βιωτόν, εἰ κριθήσεται τοῦ ἀνατιθέναι ἀνάξιος;
Or for whom is life worth living, if he shall be judged unworthy of dedicating?