§22Φιλοσοφία
Εἶεν·
Philosophy Well then; we are indeed already seated for you and ready to hear your arguments.
ἡμεῖς μὲν ὑμῖν καὶ δὴ καθήμεθα ἕτοιμοι ἀκούειν τῶν λόγων, ὑμεῖς δὲ προελόμενοί τινα ἐξ ἁπάντων, ὅστις ἄριστα κατηγορῆσαι ἂν δοκεῖ, συνείρετε τὴν κατηγορίαν καὶ διελέγχετε· πάντας γὰρ ἅμα λέγειν ἀμήχανον.
You, having chosen one from among you all, whoever seems best able to prosecute, tie together the accusation and refute him; for it is impossible for all of you to speak at once.
σὺ δέ, ὦ Παρρησιάδη, ἀπολογήσῃ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο.
And you, Parresiades, will make your defense after this.
Πλάτων
τίς οὖν ὁ ἐπιτηδειότατος ἐξ ἡμῶν ἂν γένοιτο πρὸς τὴν δίκην;
Plato Who then among us would be the most suitable for the trial?
Χρύσιππος
σύ, ὦ Πλάτων.
Chrysippus You, Plato.
ἥ τε γὰρ μεγαλόνοια θαυμαστὴ καὶ ἡ καλλιφωνία δεινῶς Ἀττικὴ καὶ τὸ κεχαρισμένον καὶ πειθοῦς μεστὸν ἥ τε σύνεσις καὶ τὸ ἀκριβὲς καὶ τὸ ἐπαγωγὸν ἐν καιρῷ τῶν ἀποδείξεων, πάντα ταῦτά σοι ἀθρόα πρόσεστιν·
For grandness of mind which is wonderful, and Attic eloquence terribly Attic, and grace full of persuasion, and intelligence, accuracy, and the timely persuasiveness of your proofs—all these are present in you in abundance.
ὥστε τὴν προηγορίαν δέχου καὶ ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων εἰπὲ τὰ εἰκότα.
Therefore, accept the leadership and speak what is reasonable on behalf of us all.
νῦν ἀναμνήσθητι πάντων ἐκείνων καὶ συμφόρει εἰς τὸ αὐτό, εἴ τί σοι πρὸς Γοργίαν ἢ Πῶλον ἢ Πρόδικον ἢ Ἱππίαν εἴρηται· δεινότερος οὗτός ἐστιν.
Now, remember all those things and gather them to the same point, whatever was said by you against Gorgias or Polus or Prodicus or Hippias; this man is more formidable.
ἐπίπαττε οὖν καὶ τῆς εἰρωνείας καὶ τὰ κομψὰ ἐκεῖνα καὶ συνεχῆ ἐρώτα, κἄν σοι δοκῇ, κἀκεῖνό που παράβυσον, ὡς
ὁ μέγας ἐν οὐρανῷ Ζεὺς πτηνὸν ἅρμα ἐλαύνων
ἀγανακτήσειεν ἄν, εἰ μὴ οὗτος ὑπόσχοι τὴν δίκην.
Sprinkle, then, also some of your irony and ask those elegant and continuous questions, and if it seems good to you, stuff in that passage somewhere, how "great Zeus in heaven driving his winged chariot" would be indignant if this man did not suffer punishment.
§23Πλάτων
μηδαμῶς, ἀλλά τινα τῶν σφοδροτέρων προχειρισώμεθα, Διογένη τοῦτον ἢ Ἀντισθένη ἢ Κράτητα ἢ καὶ σέ, ὦ Χρύσιππε· οὐ γὰρ δὴ κάλλους ἐν τῷ παρόντι καὶ δεινότητος συγγραφικῆς ὁ καιρός, ἀλλά τινος ἐλεγκτικῆς καὶ δικανικῆς παρασκευῆς· ῥήτωρ δὲ ὁ Παρρησιάδης ἐστίν.
Plato By no means, but let us put forward one of the more vehement ones, this Diogenes, or Antisthenes, or Crates, or even you, Chrysippus; for indeed the present moment is not for beauty and writerly skill, but for some refutative and forensic preparation; and Parresiades is an orator.
Διογένης
ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ αὐτοῦ κατηγορήσω· οὐδὲ γὰρ πάνυ μακρῶν οἶμαι τῶν λόγων δεήσεσθαι.
Diogenes Nay, I will accuse him; for indeed I do not think I shall need very long speeches.
καὶ ἄλλως ὑπὲρ ἅπαντας ὕβρισμαι δύʼ ὀβολῶν πρῴην ἀποκεκηρυγμένος.
And besides, I have been insulted above all, having been knocked down for two obols the other day.
Πλάτων
ὁ Διογένης, ὦ Φιλοσοφία, ἐρεῖ τὸν λόγον ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων.
Plato Diogenes, Philosophy, will speak the argument on behalf of us all.
μέμνησο δέ, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ τὰ σεαυτοῦ μόνον πρεσβεύειν ἐν τῇ κατηγορίᾳ, τὰ κοινὰ δὲ ὁρᾶν·
Remember, noble friend, not to champion only your own interests in the accusation, but to look to our common interests.
εἰ γάρ τι καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφερόμεθα ἐν τοῖς δόγμασι, σὺ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν μὴ ἐξέταζε, μηδὲ ὅστις ἐστὶν ὁ ἀληθέστερος νῦν λέγε, ὅλως δὲ ὑπὲρ Φιλοσοφίας αὐτῆς ἀγανάκτει περιυβρισμένης καὶ κακῶς ἀκουούσης ἐν τοῖς Παρρησιάδου λόγοις, καὶ τὰς προαιρέσεις ἀφείς, ἐν αἷς διαλλάττομεν, ὃ κοινὸν ἅπαντες ἔχομεν, τοῦτο ὑπερμάχει.
For if we differ at all in our doctrines from one another, do not examine this, nor say now who is the truer, but be indignant on behalf of Philosophy herself as a whole, who has been outrageously insulted and spoken ill of in Parresiades' speeches, and leaving aside the choices in which we differ, fight for that which we all hold in common.
ὅρα· σὲ μόνον προεστησάμεθα καὶ ἐν σοὶ τὰ πάντα ἡμῶν νῦν κινδυνεύεται, ἢ σεμνότατα δόξαι ἢ τοιαῦτα πιστευθῆναι οἷα οὗτος ἀπέφηνε.
See, we have put you forward alone, and in you all our affairs are now at stake, either to appear most venerable or to be believed to be such as this man has represented us.
§24Διογένης
θαρρεῖτε, οὐδὲν ἐλλείψομεν· ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἐρῶ.
Diogenes Have courage, we shall fail in nothing; I will speak on behalf of all.
κἂν ἡ Φιλοσοφία δὲ πρὸς τοὺς λόγους ἐπικλασθεῖσα — φύσει γὰρ ἥμερος καὶ πρᾶός ἐστιν — ἀφεῖναι διαβουλεύηται αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ οὐ τὰ ἐμὰ ἐνδεήσει· δείξω γὰρ αὐτῷ ὅτι μὴ μάτην ξυλοφοροῦμεν.
And even if Philosophy, being softened by his words—for she is by nature gentle and mild—should deliberate about letting him go, my resources will not fail; for I will show him that we do not carry cudgels in vain.
Φιλοσοφία
τοῦτο μὲν μηδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ μᾶλλον· ἄμεινον γὰρ ἤπερ τῷ ξύλῳ.
Philosophy By no means that, but rather with argument; for it is better than with the stick.
μὴ μέλλε δʼ οὖν.
Do not delay, then.
ἤδη γὰρ ἐγκέχυται τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πρὸς σὲ τὸ δικαστήριον ἀποβλέπει.
For already the water is poured in and the court looks toward you.
Παρρησιάδης
οἱ λοιποὶ καθιζέτωσαν, ὦ Φιλοσοφία, καὶ ψηφοφορείτωσαν μεθʼ ὑμῶν, Διογένης δὲ κατηγορείτω μόνος.
Parresiades Let the rest sit down, Philosophy, and vote with you, and let Diogenes accuse alone.
Φιλοσοφία
οὐ δέδιας οὖν μή σου καταψηφίσωνται;
Philosophy Are you not afraid, then, lest they vote against you?
Παρρησιάδης
οὐδαμῶς· πλείοσι γοῦν κρατῆσαι βούλομαι.
Parresiades Not at all; indeed, I wish to win by more votes.
Φιλοσοφία
γενναῖά σου ταῦτα·
Philosophy Noble of you, this.
καθίσατε δʼ οὖν.
Sit down, then.
σὺ δέ, ὦ Διόγενες, λέγε.
And you, Diogenes, speak.