§18Δίκη
ἄγε δή, μὴ μέλλετε, ψηφοφορήσατε, ἀνάστητε· καὶ ἄλλοις χρὴ δικάζειν.
Dike Come now, do not delay, cast your votes, rise; for we must judge others as well.
Ἑρμῆς
πάσαις ἡ Ἀκαδήμεια κρατεῖ πλὴν μιᾶς.
Hermes The Academy wins by all votes except one.
Δίκη
παράδοξον οὐδέν, εἶναί τινα καὶ τῇ Μέθῃ τιθέμενον.
Dike Nothing strange; there is someone who sides even with Drunkenness.
§19Δίκη
καθίσατε οἱ τῇ Στοᾷ πρὸς τὴν Ἡδονὴν λαχόντες περὶ τοῦ ἐραστοῦ δικάζειν· ἐγκέχυται τὸ ὕδωρ.
Dike Take your seats, you who have been allotted to judge between the Stoa and Pleasure concerning their lover; the water has been poured.
ἡ κατάγραφος ἡ τὰ ποικίλα σὺ ἤδη λέγε.
You, the painted gallery, decorated with various colors, speak now.
§20Στοά
οὐκ ἀγνοῶ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὡς πρὸς εὐπρόσωπόν μοι τὴν ἀντίδικον ὁ λόγος ἔσται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς ὁρῶ πρὸς μὲν ἐκείνην ἀποβλέποντας καὶ μειδιῶντας πρὸς αὐτήν, ἐμοῦ δὲ καταφρονοῦντας, ὅτι ἐν χρῷ κέκαρμαι καὶ ἀρρενωπὸν βλέπω καὶ σκυθρωπὴ δοκῶ.
Stoa I am not unaware, gentlemen of the jury, that my speech will be against an adversary who is fair of face; indeed, I even see most of you looking towards her and smiling at her, while despising me, because I am cropped to the skin, have a masculine look, and seem sullen.
ὅμως δέ, ἢν ἐθελήσητε ἀκοῦσαί μου λεγούσης, θαρρῶ πολὺ δικαιότερα ταύτης ἐρεῖν.
Nevertheless, if you are willing to hear me speak, I am confident that I shall speak much more justly than she.
τοῦτο γάρ τοι καὶ τὸ παρὸν ἔγκλημά ἐστιν, ὅτι οὕτως ἑταιρικῶς ἐσκευασμένη τῷ ἐπαγωγῷ τῆς ὄψεως ἐραστὴν ἐμὸν ἄνδρα τότε σώφρονα τὸν Διονύσιον φενακίσασα πρὸς ἑαυτὴν περιέσπασεν, καὶ ἥν γε οἱ πρὸ ὑμῶν δίκην ἐδίκασαν τῇ Ἀκαδημείᾳ καὶ τῇ Μέθῃ, ἀδελφὴ τῆς παρούσης δίκης ἐστίν·
For this indeed is the present accusation: that she, having equipped herself in such a courtesan-like fashion, by the allure of her appearance, having deceived my lover Dionysius, who was at that time temperate, dragged him away to herself; and the judgment which those before you decided for the Academy and Drunkenness is sister to the present case.
ἐξετάζεται γὰρ ἐν τῷ παρόντι πότερα χοίρων δίκην κάτω νενευκότας ἡδομένους χρὴ βιοῦν μηδὲν μεγαλόφρον ἐπινοοῦντας ἢ ἐν δευτέρῳ τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος ἡγησαμένους τὸ τερπνὸν ἐλευθέρους ἐλευθέρως φιλοσοφεῖν, μήτε τὸ ἀλγεινὸν ὡς ἄμαχον δεδιότας μήτε τὸ ἡδὺ ἀνδραποδωδῶς προαιρουμένους καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ζητοῦντας ἐν τῷ μέλιτι καὶ ταῖς ἰσχάσιν.
For in the present case it is being examined whether we ought to live like pigs, bending downwards and taking pleasure, conceiving nothing high-minded, or, having deemed pleasure secondary to what is noble, as free men, to philosophize in a free manner, neither fearing pain as unconquerable nor choosing pleasure like slaves and seeking happiness in honey and dried figs.
τὰ τοιαῦτα γὰρ αὕτη δελέατα τοῖς ἀνοήτοις προτείνουσα καὶ μορμολυττομένη τῷ πόνῳ προσάγεται αὐτῶν τοὺς πολλούς, ἐν οἷς καὶ τὸν δείλαιον ἐκεῖνον ἀφηνιάσαι ἡμῶν πεποίηκεν, νοσοῦντα τηρήσασα· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὑγιαίνων ποτὲ προσήκατο τοὺς παρὰ ταύτης λόγους.
For by offering such baits to the foolish, and frightening them with labor, she wins over most of them, among whom she has also made that miserable man run away from us, having watched for him when he was ill; for if he had been healthy, he would never have accepted the words from her.
καίτοι τί ἂν ἔγωγε ἀγανακτοίην κατʼ αὐτῆς, ὅπου μηδὲ τῶν θεῶν φείδεται, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτῶν διαβάλλει;
And yet, why should I be angry with her, when she does not even spare the gods, but slanders their providence?
ὥστε εἰ σωφρονεῖτε, καὶ ἀσεβείας ἂν δίκην λάβοιτε παρʼ αὐτῆς.
So that, if you are wise, you would even exact from her a penalty for impiety.
ἀκούω δὲ ἔγωγε ὡς οὐδὲ αὐτὴ παρεσκεύασται ποιήσασθαι τοὺς λόγους, ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἐπίκουρον ἀναβιβάσεται συναγορεύσοντα· οὕτως ἐντρυφᾷ τῷ δικαστηρίῳ.
And I hear indeed that she herself is not prepared to make her speeches, but will bring up Epicurus to advocate for her; so she treats the court with insolence.
πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνά γε· αὐτὴν ἐρωτᾶτε, οἵους ἂν οἴεται γενέσθαι τὸν Ἡρακλέα καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον Θησέα, εἰ προσθέντες τῇ ἡδονῇ ἔφυγον τοὺς πόνους·
Nevertheless, ask her at least those things: what kind of men she thinks Heracles and your Theseus would have become if, having devoted themselves to pleasure, they had fled from labors?
οὐδὲν γὰρ ἂν ἐκώλυεν μεστὴν ἀδικίας εἶναι τὴν γῆν, ἐκείνων μὴ πονησάντων.
For nothing would have prevented the earth from being full of injustice, if those men had not labored.
ταῦτα εἶπον οὐ πάνυ τοῖς μακροῖς τῶν λόγων χαίρουσα.
I have said these things, not rejoicing at all in long speeches.
εἰ δέ γε ἐθελήσειε κατὰ μικρὸν ἀποκρίνασθαί μοι συνερωτωμένη, τάχιστα ἂν γνωσθείη τὸ μηδὲν οὖσα.
But if she should be willing to answer me step by step as she is questioned, she would very quickly be recognized as being nothing.
πλὴν ἀλλὰ ὑμεῖς γε τοῦ ὅρκου μνημονεύσαντες ψηφίσασθε ἤδη τὰ εὔορκα μὴ πιστεύσαντες Ἐπικούρῳ λέγοντι μηδὲν ἐπισκοπεῖν τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν γιγνομένων τοὺς θεούς.
Nevertheless, you at least, remembering your oath, vote now what is in accordance with your oath, not believing Epicurus when he says that the gods do not oversee any of the things happening among us.
Δίκη
μετάστηθι.
Dike Step aside.
ὁ Ἐπίκουρος ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἡδονῆς λέγε.
Let Epicurus speak on behalf of Pleasure.