§36ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Πρόσιμεν δή, εἴ σοι δοκεῖ.
SAMIPPUS "Let us advance then, if it seems good to you.
καὶ ὅπως ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις ἔσεσθε μηδὲ προδώσετε τὸ πάτριον φρόνημα.
And see to it that you are brave men in danger and do not betray our ancestral pride.
ἤδη γάρ που καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἐπιλαμβάνουσιν.
For already, indeed, the enemy are pressing upon us.
ὥστε τὸ μὲν σύνθημα ἔστω Ἐνυάλιος.
Therefore, let the watchword be Enyalius.
ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐπειδὰν σημάνῃ ὁ σαλπιγκτής, ἀλαλάξαντες καὶ τὰ δόρατα κρούσαντες πρὸς τὰς ἀσπίδας ἐπείγεσθε συμμῖξαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις καὶ ἐντὸς γενέσθαι τῶν τοξευμάτων, ὡς μηδὲ πληγὰς λαμβάνωμεν ἀκροβολίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς διδόντες.
And you, when the trumpeter sounds the signal, raise the war-cry, clash your spears against your shields, and hasten to engage the opponents and get within range of their arrows, so that we may not even receive wounds by allowing them to skirmish.
καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐς χεῖρας ἤδη συνεληλύθαμεν, τὸ μὲν εὐώνυμον καὶ ὁ Τιμόλαος ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς καθ' αὑτοὺς Μήδους ὄντας, τὸ δὲ κατ' ἐμὲ ἰσόπαλον ἔτι, Πέρσαι γάρ εἰσι καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς.
And since we have now come to close quarters, the left wing and Timolaus have routed the Medes opposite them, but the battle on my side is still equal, for they are Persians and the king is among them.
ἡ δὲ ἵππος ἅπασα τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπὶ τὸ δεξιὸν ἡμῶν ἐλαύνουσιν, ὥστε, ὦ Λυκῖνε, αὐτός τε ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς γίγνου καὶ τοῖς μετὰ σαυτοῦ παρακελεύου δέχεσθαι τὴν ἐπέλασιν. §37ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Ὢ τῆς τύχης.
But all the cavalry of the barbarians are riding against our right wing, so, Lycinus, prove yourself a brave man and exhort those with you to receive the charge." LYCINUS "Oh, what bad luck!
ἐπ' ἐμὲ γὰρ οἱ ἱππεῖς ἅπαντες καὶ μόνος ἐπιτήδειος αὐτοῖς ἔδοξα ἐπελαύνεσθαι.
For all the cavalry are coming against me, and I seemed to them the only suitable one to be ridden down.
καί μοι δοκῶ, ἢν βιάζωνται, αὐτομολήσειν προσδραμὼν ἐς τὴν παλαίστραν ἔτι πολεμοῦντας ὑμᾶς καταλιπών. ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Μηδαμῶς.
I think, if they press hard, I will desert by running off to the palaestra, leaving you still fighting." SAMIPPUS "By no means!
κρατεῖς γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ σὺ ἤδη τὸ μέρος.
For you too are already conquering your share of them.
ἐγὼ δέ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, καὶ μονομαχήσω πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· προκαλεῖται γάρ με καὶ ἀναδῦναι πάντως αἰσχρόν. ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Νὴ Δία καὶ τετρώσῃ αὐτίκα μάλα πρὸς αὐτοῦ.
And I, as you see, will also fight in single combat against the king; for he challenges me, and to shrink back is entirely shameful." LYCINUS "By Zeus, you will be wounded in a moment by him.
βασιλικὸν γὰρ καὶ τὸ τρωθῆναι περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς μαχόμενον. ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Εὖ λέγεις.
For to be wounded is also kingly when fighting for dominion." SAMIPPUS "You speak well.
ἐπιπόλαιον μέντοι τὸ τραῦμα καὶ οὐκ εἰς τὰ φανερὰ τοῦ σώματος, ὡς μηδὲ τὴν οὐλὴν ὕστερον ἄμορφον γενέσθαι.
However, the wound will be superficial and not in the visible parts of my body, so that the scar will not become unsightly afterwards.
πλὴν ἀλλὰ ὁρᾷς ὅπως ἐπελάσας μιᾷ πληγῇ αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸν ἵππον διέπειρα τὴν λόγχην ἀφείς, εἶτα τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτεμὼν καὶ ἀφελὼν τὸ διάδημα βασιλεὺς ἤδη γέγονα προσκυνούμενος ὑφ' ἁπάντων;
But do you see how, having charged, I pierced both him and his horse with a single blow, throwing my spear, and then, having cut off his head and taken away the diadem, I have now become king, receiving homage from all?
οἱ βάρβαροι προσκυνείτωσαν. §38ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
ὑμῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἑλλήνων νόμον ἄρξω εἷς στρατηγὸς ὀνομαζόμενος.
Let the barbarians do homage." SAMIPPUS "Over you I shall rule according to the law of the Greeks, being called their sole general.
ἐπὶ τούτοις ἄρα ἐννοεῖτε ὅσας μὲν πόλεις ἐπωνύμους ἐπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οἰκιῶ, ὅσας δὲ καὶ καθαιρήσω ἑλὼν κατὰ κράτος, αἳ ἂν ὑβρίσωσί τι ἐς τὴν ἀρχήν.
Therefore, consider how many cities named after myself I shall found, and how many I shall also destroy, taking them by storm, whichever ones commit some insolence against my rule.
ἁπάντων δὲ μάλιστα Κυδίαν τὸν πλούσιον μετελεύσομαι, ὃς ὅμορος ὤν μοι ἐξέωσε τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἐπιβαίνων κατ' ὀλίγον ἐς τὸ εἴσω τῶν ὅρων. §39ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Πέπαυσο ἤδη, ὦ Σάμιππε.
But most of all I will go after Cydias the rich man, who, being my neighbor, thrust me out of my land by encroaching little by little inside my borders." LYCINUS "Stop now, Samippus.
καιρὸς γὰρ σὲ ἤδη μὲν νενικηκότα τηλικαύτην μάχην ἐν Βαβυλῶνι εὐωχεῖσθαι τὰ ἐπινίκια—ἑκστάδιος γὰρ οἶμαί σοι ἡ ἀρχή—Τιμόλαον δὲ ἐν τῷ μέρει εὔχεσθαι ὅπερ ἂν ἐθέλῃ. ΣΑΜΙΠΠΟΣ
Τί δ’ οὖν, ὦ Λυκῖνε; οἷά σοι ᾐτῆσθαι δοκῶ; ΛΥΚΙΝΟΣ
Παρὰ πολύ, ὦ θαυμασιώτατε βασιλέων, ἐπιπονώτερα καὶ βιαιότερα τῶν Ἀδειμάντου, παρ' ὅσον ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἐτρύφα διτάλαντα χρύσεα ἐκπώματα προπίνων τοῖς συμπόταις, σὺ δὲ καὶ ἐτιτρώσκου μονομαχῶν καὶ ἐδεδίεις καὶ ἐφρόντιζες νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν·
For it is time for you, having won such a great battle, to feast on the victory-spoils in Babylon—since I think your empire is of six stades—and for Timolaus in his turn to pray for whatever he wishes." SAMIPPUS "Well then, Lycinus, what kind of things do I seem to you to have asked for?" LYCINUS "By far, O most wonderful of kings, more laborious and violent than those of Adeimantus, inasfar as he indeed lived in luxury, drinking to his companions from golden cups of two talents, while you were even wounded fighting in single combat, and feared and worried night and day.
οὐ μόνον γάρ σοι τὰ παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων φοβερὰ ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιβουλαὶ μυρίαι καὶ φθόνος παρὰ τῶν συνόντων καὶ μῖσος καὶ κολακεία, φίλος δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀληθής, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ δέος ἅπαντες ἢ πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα εὖνοι δοκοῦντες εἶναι.
For not only were the things from the enemy fearful to you, but also countless plots and envy from those around you, and hatred and flattery, and no true friend, but all seeming to be well-disposed either out of fear or out of hope.
ἀπόλαυσις μέν γε οὐδὲ ὄναρ τῶν ἡδέων, ἀλλὰ δόξα μόνη καὶ πορφυρὶς χρυσῷ ποικίλη καὶ ταινία λευκὴ περὶ τῷ μετώπῳ καὶ δορυφόροι προϊόντες, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα κάματος ἀφόρητος καὶ ἀηδία πολλή, καὶ ἢ χρηματίζειν δεῖ τοῖς παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἥκουσιν ἢ δικάζειν ἢ καταπέμπειν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις ἐπιτάγματα, καὶ ἤτοι ἀφέστηκέ τι ἔθνος ἢ ἐπελαύνουσί τινες τῶν ἔξω τῆς ἀρχῆς.
There was no enjoyment of pleasant things even in a dream, but only glory and a purple robe variegated with gold, and a white band around the forehead, and bodyguards going before, and all else unbearable labor and much annoyance, and either one must grant audience to those who have come from the enemy, or judge cases, or send down decrees to subjects, and either some nation has revolted or some people from outside the empire are marching against you.
δεδιέναι οὖν δεῖ πάντα καὶ ὑφορᾶσθαι, καὶ ὅλως ὑπὸ πάντων μᾶλλον ἢ ὑπὸ σεαυτοῦ εὐδαιμονίζεσθαι.
It is necessary therefore to fear everything and suspect everyone, and in short, to be congratulated as happy by everyone else rather than by yourself."