§16.2.1ἓν τοῦτό σε ἀξιοῦμεν ἤδη κείμενοι καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ὄντες μηδεμίαν ἡμῶν ὕβριν προσθεῖναι ταῖς συμφοραῖς μηδὲ βαρεῖ ποδὶ ταῖς ἀθλίαις ἐπεμβῆναι τύχαις.
We, who are already prostrate and are as nothing, ask this one thing of you: to add no insolence to our misfortunes, nor to trample with heavy foot upon our miserable fortunes.
§16.2.2οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων παῖδας ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ἀπολωλέκασι, πολλοὶ δὲ ἀδελφούς, πολλοὶ δὲ φίλους;
Do you not know that many of our people have lost children in the wars, many others brothers, and many others friends?
οἷς ἅπασι πῶς ἄκρατον νομίζεις ἐπὶ τῶν σπλάγχνων ἀνθήσειν τὴν χολήν, ἐὰν κωλύῃ τις αὐτοὺς τοσαύταις ψυχαῖς πολεμίων τιμῆσαι τοὺς κατὰ γῆς, αἵπερ μόναι τῶν κατοιχομένων δοκοῦσιν εἶναι τιμαί;
For all of them, how do you think their unmixed gall will bloom in their breasts, if someone prevents them from honoring those beneath the earth with so many souls of the enemies, which alone seem to be the honors of the departed?
§16.2.3φέρε δὴ κεἰ τοῦτο πεισθέντες ἢ βιασθέντες ἢ ὅ τι δή ποτε παθόντες εἴξουσί τε καὶ ζῆν αὐτοὺς ἐάσουσιν, ἆρʼ ἔτι σοι δοκοῦσι καὶ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοὺς ἐάσειν ἔχειν καὶ μηδεμιᾶς πειραθέντας ἀσχημοσύνης, ὥσπερ ἡρῶάς τινας ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ τῆσδε τῆς γῆς φανέντας, ὁπότε δόξειεν αὐτοῖς, ἀπελθεῖν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὥσπερ θηρία περιχυθέντας διασπάσεσθαι ταῦτα λέγειν ἐπιβαλόμενον ἐμέ;
Come now, even if they, having been persuaded or forced or having suffered whatever else, yield and allow them to live, do they still seem to you to be going to allow them to keep their possessions and to depart, without having experienced any ignominy, like some heroes who appeared for the good of this land, whenever they please—and not rather, having swarmed around like wild beasts, to tear me to pieces, who am attempting to say these things?
§16.2.4οὐχ ὁρᾷς, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς κυνηγοὺς οἱ θηρευταὶ κύνες, ὅταν ἁλῷ θηρίον κατακλεισθὲν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν εἰς τὰ λίνα, περιίστανται τὴν ἐπιβάλλουσαν μοῖραν ἀπαιτοῦντες τῆς ἄγρας, καὶ ἐὰν μὴ μεταλάβωσιν εὐθὺς αἵματος ἢ σπλάγχνων, ἀρράζουσιν ἑπόμενοι καὶ σπαράττουσι τὸν κυνηγόν, καὶ οὔτε διωκόμενοι οὔτε παιόμενοι ἀπείργονται;
Do you not see that even hunting dogs, when a beast is caught, shut up by them in the nets, stand around the hunters demanding their allotted share of the prey, and if they do not immediately partake of the blood or entrails, they snarl as they follow and tear the hunter to pieces, and are prevented neither by being chased nor by being beaten?