§28ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Ἐγὼ δὲ—ἠπειρώτης γάρ εἰμι, Αρκὰς ἐκ Μαντινείας, ὡς ἴστε—ναῦν μὲν οὐκ αἰτήσω μοι γενέσθαι, ἥν γε τοῖς πολίταις ἐπιδείξασθαι ἀδύνατον, οὐδὲ μικρολογήσομαι πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς θησαυρὸν αἰτῶν καὶ μεμετρημένον χρυσίον.
SAMIPPUS "And I—for I am an inland man, an Arcadian from Mantinea, as you know—will not ask for a ship to be mine, which indeed is impossible to show off to my fellow citizens, nor will I be stingy towards the gods by asking for a treasure and measured gold.
ἀλλὰ δύνανται γὰρ πάντα οἱ θεοί, καὶ τὰ μέγιστα εἶναι δοκοῦντα, καὶ ὁ νόμος τῆς εὐχῆς ὃν Τιμόλαος ἔθηκε φήσας μηδὲν ὀκνεῖν αἰτεῖν, ὡς ἐκείνων πρὸς οὐδὲν ἀνανευόντων. αἰτῶ δὴ βασιλεὺς γενέσθαι οὐχ οἷος Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Φιλίππου ἢ Πτολεμαῖος ἢ Μιθριδάτης ἢ εἴ τις ἄλλος ἐκδεξάμενος τὴν βασιλείαν παρὰ πατρὸς ἦρξεν, ἀλλά μοι τὸ πρῶτον ἀπὸ λῃστείας ἀρξαμένῳ ἑταῖροι καὶ συνωμόται ὅσον τριάκοντα, πιστοὶ μάλα καὶ πρόθυμοι, γενέσθωσαν, εἶτα κατ' ὀλίγον τριακόσιοι προσιόντες ἡμῖν ἄλλος ἐπ' ἄλλῳ, εἶτα χίλιοι καὶ μετ' οὐ πολὺ μύριοι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν εἰς πέντε μυριάδας ὁπλιτικόν, ἱππεῖς δὲ ἀμφὶ τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους. §29ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
ἐγὼ δὲ χειροτονητὸς ὑφ' ἁπάντων προκριθεὶς ἄρχων, ἄριστος εἶναι δόξας ἀνθρώπων ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ πράγμασι χρῆσθαι.
But since the gods can do all things, even those which seem greatest, and according to the law of wishing which Timolaus established when he said we should hesitate to ask for nothing, since they refuse nothing, I ask indeed to become a king, not such as Alexander the son of Philip, or Ptolemy, or Mithridates, or whoever else ruled having inherited the kingship from his father, but for me, beginning at first from brigandage, let there be companions and fellow conspirators, about thirty, very faithful and eager, then by degrees three hundred coming to join us one after another, then a thousand and shortly ten thousand, and the whole force amounting to fifty thousand heavy-armed infantry, and cavalry about five thousand." SAMIPPUS "And let me be chosen as ruler, elected by vote of them all, having seemed to be the best of men to lead and to handle affairs.
ὡς τοῦτό γε αὐτὸ ἡδύ, μείζω εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων βασιλέων ἅτε ἀρετῇ προχειρισθέντα ὑπὸ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἄρχειν, οὐ κληρονόμον γενόμενον ἄλλου πονήσαντος ἐς τὴν βασιλείαν· ἐπεὶ τῷ Ἀδειμάντου θησαυρῷ παραπλήσιον τὸ τοιοῦτο, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐχ ὅμοιον ἡδύ, ὥσπερ ὅταν ἴδῃ τις αὐτὸς δι’ αὑτοῦ κτησάμενος τὴν δυναστείαν. ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Παπαῖ, ὦ Σάμιππε, οὐδὲν μικρόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεφάλαιον αὐτὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων σύ γε ᾔτησας, ἄρχειν ἀσπίδος τοσαύτης ἄριστος δὴ προκριθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν πεντακισμυρίων.
How sweet this very thing is, to be greater than the other kings, ruling as one chosen by the army because of merit, not having become the heir of another who labored for the kingship; since such a thing is very like the treasure of Adeimantus, and the matter is not equally sweet, as when someone sees himself having acquired the sovereignty through his own efforts." LYCINUS "My word, Samippus, you have asked for no small thing, but the very sum of all good things, to rule over so many shields, chosen indeed as the best by the fifty thousand.
τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν ἡ Μαντίνεια θαυμαστὸν βασιλέα καὶ στρατηγὸν ἐλελήθει ἀνατρέφουσα.
We did not realize that Mantinea was breeding such a wonderful king and general for us.
πλὴν ἀλλὰ βασίλευε καὶ ἡγοῦ τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ διακόσμει τό τε ἱππικὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀνέρας τοὺς ἀσπιδιώτας· ἐθέλω γὰρ εἰδέναι οἷ βαδιεῖσθε τοσοῦτοι ὄντες ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας ἢ ἐπὶ τίνας ἀθλίους πρώτους ἀφίξεσθε. §30ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Ἄκουε, ὦ Λυκῖνε, μᾶλλον δέ, εἴ σοι φίλον, ἀκολούθει μεθ' ἡμῶν.
Anyway, rule as king and lead your soldiers, and marshal the cavalry and the shield-bearing men; for I want to know where you will march, being so many, out of Arcadia, or upon what miserable people you will first descend." SAMIPPUS "Listen, Lycinus, or rather, if it pleases you, follow along with us.
ἵππαρχον γάρ σε τῶν πεντακισχιλίων ἀποφανῶ. ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν τιμῆς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, χάριν οἶδά σοι καὶ ὑποκύψας ἐς τὸ Περσικὸν προσκυνῶ σε περιαγαγὼν εἰς τοὐπίσω τὼ χεῖρε τιμῶν τὴν τιάραν ὀρθὴν οὖσαν καὶ τὸ διάδημα.
For I will appoint you commander of the five thousand cavalry." LYCINUS "But for the honor, O king, I thank you, and bowing down in the Persian fashion I do obeisance to you, having brought my hands behind my back, honoring your upright tiara and diadem.
σὺ δὲ τῶν ἐρρωμένων τούτων τινὰ ποίησον ἵππαρχον.
But make one of these robust fellows your cavalry commander.
ἐγὼ γάρ σοι δεινῶς ἄφιππός εἰμι καὶ οὐδὲ ὅλως ἐπέβην ἵππου ἐν τῷ πρὸ τοῦ χρόνῳ.
For I am terribly unskilled in horsemanship, and have never mounted a horse at all in the past.
δέδια τοίνυν μὴ τοῦ σαλπιγκτοῦ ἐποτρύνοντος καταπεσὼν ἔγωγε συμπατηθῶ ἐν τῇ τύρβῃ ὑπὸ τοσαύταις ὁπλαῖς, ἢ καὶ θυμοειδὴς ὢν ὁ ἵππος ἐξενέγκῃ με τὸν χαλινὸν ἐνδακὼν ἐς μέσους τοὺς πολεμίους, ἢ δεήσει καταδεθῆναί με πρὸς τὸ ἐφίππιον, εἰ μέλλω μενεῖν τε ἄνω καὶ ἕξεσθαι τοῦ χαλινοῦ. §31ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟΣ
Ἐγώ σοι, ὦ Σάμιππε, ἡγήσομαι τῶν ἱππέων, Λυκῖνος δὲ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἐχέτω.
I fear, therefore, lest when the trumpeter urges us on, I might fall off and be trampled in the confusion under so many hooves, or even that the horse, being high-spirited, biting the bit, might carry me away into the midst of the enemy, or else that I will need to be tied to the saddle, if I am to remain on top and hold the reins." ADEIMANTUS "I will lead the cavalry for you, Samippus, and let Lycinus have the right wing.
δίκαιος δ’ ἂν εἴην τυχεῖν παρὰ σοῦ τῶν μεγίστων τοσούτοις σε μεδίμνοις δωρησάμενος ἐπισήμου χρυσίου. ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐρώμεθα, ὦ Ἀδείμαντε, τοὺς ἱππέας, εἰ δέξονταί ἄρχοντα σε σφῶν γενέσθαι.
And I would be justified in obtaining the greatest things from you, having presented you with so many medimnoi of coined gold." SAMIPPUS "Let us ask the cavalrymen themselves, Adeimantus, whether they will accept you to become their commander.
ὅτῳ δοκεῖ, ὦ ἱππεῖς, Ἀδείμαντον ἱππαρχεῖν, ἀνατεινάτω τὴν χεῖρα. ΑΔΕΙΜΑΝΤΟΣ
Πάντες, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ὦ Σάμιππε, ἐχειροτόνησαν. ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν ἄρχε τῆς ἵππου, Λυκῖνος δὲ ἐχέτω τὸ δεξιόν.
To whomsoever it seems good, O cavalrymen, for Adeimantus to be cavalry commander, let him raise his hand." ADEIMANTUS "All of them, as you see, Samippus, voted by raising their hands." SAMIPPUS "Very well, you rule the cavalry, and let Lycinus have the right.
οὑτοσὶ δὲ Τιμόλαος ἐπὶ τοῦ εὐωνύμου τετάξεται.
And this Timolaus here shall be stationed on the left.
ἐγὼ δὲ κατὰ μέσον, ὡς νόμος βασιλεῦσι τῶν Περσῶν, ἐπειδὰν αὐτοὶ συμπαρῶσι.
And I in the center, as is the custom for kings of the Persians whenever they are personally present."