§26Ῥητορική
πρῶτον μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχομαι πᾶσι καὶ πάσαις, ὅσην εὔνοιαν ἔχουσα διατελῶ τῇ τε πόλει καὶ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, τοσαύτην ὑπάρξαι μοι παρʼ ὑμῶν εἰς τουτονὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἔπειθʼ ὅπερ ἐστὶ μάλιστα δίκαιον, τοῦτο παραστῆσαι τοὺς θεοὺς ὑμῖν, τὸν μὲν ἀντίδικον σιωπᾶν κελεύειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ὡς προῄρημαι καὶ βεβούλημαι τὴν κατηγορίαν ἐᾶσαι ποιήσασθαι.
Rhetoric: First, O men of Athens, I pray to all gods and goddesses that as much goodwill as I constantly hold toward the city and all of you, so much may be shown to me by you in this trial; and next, which is most of all just, that the gods may put this into your minds: to order my opponent to keep silent and to permit me to make my accusation as I have chosen and wished.
οὐχὶ δὲ ταὐτὰ παρίσταταί μοι γιγνώσκειν ὅταν τε εἰς ἃ πέπονθα ἀποβλέψω καὶ ὅταν εἰς τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἀκούω· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ λόγους ὡς ὁμοιοτάτους τοῖς ἐμοῖς οὗτος ἐρεῖ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, τὰ δὲ πράγματα εἰς τοῦτο προήκοντα ὄψεσθε ὥστε ὅπως μὴ χεῖρόν τι πείσομαι πρὸς αὐτοῦ σκέψασθαι δέον.
But it does not occur to me to think the same things when I look at what I have suffered and when I look at the words that I hear; for as to the words, he will speak to you in a manner most similar to mine, but you will see the facts advanced to such a point that it is necessary to consider how I shall not suffer something worse from him.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἵνα μὴ μακρὰ προοιμιάζωμαι τοῦ ὕδατος πάλαι εἰκῆ ῥέοντος, ἄρξομαι τῆς κατηγορίας.
But indeed, lest I make a long introduction while the water has long been flowing in vain, I shall begin the accusation.
§27Ῥητορική
ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τουτονὶ κομιδῇ μειράκιον ὄντα, βάρβαρον ἔτι τὴν φωνὴν καὶ μονονουχὶ κάνδυν ἐνδεδυκότα εἰς τὸν Ἀσσύριον τρόπον, περὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν εὑροῦσα πλαζόμενον ἔτι καὶ ὅ τι χρήσαιτο ἑαυτῷ οὐκ εἰδότα παραλαβοῦσα ἐπαίδευσα.
Rhetoric: For, O gentlemen of the jury, when this fellow was a mere youth, still barbarian in speech and almost dressed in a jacket after the Assyrian fashion, I found him wandering about Ionia, not even knowing what to do with himself; I took him in and educated him.
καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐδόκει μοι εὐμαθὴς εἶναι καὶ ἀτενὲς ὁρᾶν εἰς ἐμέ — ὑπέπτησσε γὰρ τότε καὶ ἐθεράπευεν καὶ μόνην ἐθαύμαζεν — ἀπολιποῦσα τοὺς ἄλλους ὁπόσοι ἐμνήστευόν με πλούσιοι καὶ καλοὶ καὶ λαμπροὶ τὰ προγονικά, τῷ ἀχαρίστῳ τούτῳ ἐμαυτὴν ἐνεγγύησα πένητι καὶ ἀφανεῖ καὶ νέῳ προῖκα οὐ μικρὰν ἐπενεγκαμένη πολλοὺς καὶ θαυμασίους λόγους.
And since he seemed to me to be quick to learn and to look intently at me—for at that time he cringed before me, served me, and admired me alone—leaving all the others who were courting me, rich and handsome and illustrious in their ancestry, I betrothed myself to this ungrateful man, poor, obscure, and young, bringing as a dowry no small gift of many and wonderful speeches.
εἶτα ἀγαγοῦσα αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς φυλέτας τοὺς ἐμοὺς παρενέγραψα καὶ ἀστὸν ἀπέφηνα, ὥστε τοὺς διαμαρτόντας τῆς ἐγγύης ἀποπνίγεσθαι.
Then, bringing him to my tribesmen, I enrolled him and showed him to be a citizen, so that those who had failed in their courtship were choked with envy.
δόξαν δὲ αὐτῷ περινοστεῖν ἐπιδειξομένῳ τοῦ γάμου τὴν εὐποτμίαν, οὐδὲ τότε ἀπελείφθην, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ ἑπομένη ἄνω καὶ κάτω περιηγόμην· καὶ κλεινὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀοίδιμον ἐποίουν κατακοσμοῦσα καὶ περιστέλλουσα.
And when he decided to travel around to show off the good fortune of his marriage, not even then did I desert him, but following him everywhere, I led him about up and down; and I made him famous and renowned, adorning and protecting him.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ τῆς Ἰωνίας μέτρια, εἰς δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀποδημῆσαι θελήσαντι αὐτῷ τὸν Ἰόνιον συνδιέπλευσα καὶ τὰ τελευταῖα μέχρι τῆς Κελτικῆς συναπάρασα εὐπορεῖσθαι ἐποίησα.
And while our affairs in Greece and Ionia were moderate, when he wished to travel abroad to Italy, I sailed across the Ionian Sea with him, and finally, traveling together as far as Gaul, I made him prosperous.
καὶ μέχρι μὲν πολλοῦ πάντα μοι ἐπείθετο καὶ συνῆν ἀεί, μηδεμίαν νύκτα γιγνόμενος ἀπόκοιτος παρʼ ἡμῶν.
And for a long time he obeyed me in everything and was always with me, never spending a single night away from us.
§28Ῥητορική
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἱκανῶς ἐπεσιτίσατο καὶ τὰ πρὸς εὐδοξίαν εὖ ἔχειν αὐτῷ ὑπέλαβεν, τὰς ὀφρῦς ἐπάρας καὶ μέγα φρονήσας ἐμοῦ μὲν ἠμέλησεν, μᾶλλον δὲ τέλεον εἴασεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὸν γενειήτην ἐκεῖνον, τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος, τὸν Διάλογον, Φιλοσοφίας υἱὸν εἶναι λεγόμενον, ὑπεραγαπήσας μάλα ἐρωτικῶς πρεσβύτερον αὐτοῦ ὄντα, τούτῳ σύνεστιν.
Rhetoric: But when he had adequately provisioned himself and supposed that things were going well for him in terms of reputation, raising his eyebrows and thinking highly of himself, he neglected me, or rather, completely abandoned me, and he himself lives with that bearded fellow, the one known by his attire, Dialogue, who is said to be the son of Philosophy, having fallen deeply and passionately in love with him, though Dialogue is older than he is.
καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται τὴν μὲν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τὸ ἄνετον τῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ λόγων συντεμών, εἰς μικρὰ δὲ καὶ κομματικὰ ἐρωτήματα κατακλείσας ἑαυτόν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὅ τι βούλεται μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ βραχεῖς τινας λόγους ἀναπλέκων καὶ συλλαβίζων, ἀφʼ ὧν ἀθρόος μὲν ἔπαινος ἢ κρότος πολὺς οὐκ ἂν ἀπαντήσειεν αὐτῷ, μειδίαμα δὲ παρὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων καὶ τὸ ἐπισεῖσαι τὴν χεῖρα ἐντὸς τῶν ὅρων καὶ μικρὰ ἐπινεῦσαι τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ἐπιστενάξαι τοῖς λεγομένοις.
And he is not ashamed of cutting short the freedom and unrestrained nature of the speeches in me, and of shutting himself up in small, choppy questions, and instead of speaking whatever he wants with a loud voice, weaving together and spelling out some short speeches, from which no collective praise or great applause would meet him, but only a smile from his audience, a waving of the hand within the limits of the cloak, a slight nod of the head, and a low sigh at what is being said.
τοιούτων ἠράσθη ὁ γενναῖος ἐμοῦ καταφρονήσας.
For such things this noble gentleman fell in love, having despised me.
φασὶν δὲ αὐτὸν μηδὲ πρὸς τὸν ἐρώμενον τοῦτον εἰρήνην ἄγειν, ἀλλὰ ὅμοια καὶ ἐκεῖνον ὑβρίζειν.
And they say that he does not even keep peace with this beloved one, but insults him in the same way.