§6.60.1ἃ δʼ εἰς χαλεπότητα καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων προστασίαν ὠνείδισέ μοι, μισόδημόν τε καὶ ὀλιγαρχικὸν ἀποκαλῶν, ὅτι τῆς ἀριστοκρατίας περιέχομαι, κοινὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐστι κατηγορήματα, ὅσοι οὐκ ἀξιοῦτε κρείττονες ὄντες ὑπὸ χειρόνων ἄρχεσθαι, οὐδʼ ἣν παρελάβετε ἀπὸ τῶν προγόνων πολιτείαν ὑπὸ τῆς κακίστης τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολιτειῶν δημοκρατίας ἀφαιρεθῆναι.
And the things which he cast in my teeth as cruelty and the patronage of wicked men, calling me a hater of the people and an oligarch because I cling to the aristocracy, are charges common to all of you, as many as do not think it right, being superior, to be ruled by your inferiors, nor that the constitution which you received from your ancestors should be taken away by the worst of all constitutions among men, democracy.
§6.60.2οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὗτος ὀλιγαρχίαν ὄνομα θῆται τῇ τῶν κρατίστων ἡγεμονίᾳ, καὶ δὴ τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος διαβληθὲν ἀφανισθήσεται·
For even if this man gives the name of 'oligarchy' to the government of the best, the reality will not, having been slandered by the name, disappear.
ἡμεῖς δὲ πολλῷ ἂν δικαιότερον ἐπενέγκαιμεν ὄνειδος καὶ ἀληθέστερον, δημοκοπίαν καὶ τυραννικῶν ἔργων ἐπιθυμίαν.
But we might bring against him a far more just and true accusation: demagoguery and a desire for tyrannical deeds.
οὐδενὶ γὰρ δὴ ἄδηλον, ὅτι πᾶς τύραννος ἐκ δημοκόλακος φύεται, καὶ ταχεῖα ὁδός ἐστι τοῖς καταδουλοῦσθαι τὰς πόλεις βουλομένοις ἡ διὰ τῶν κακίστων ἄγουσα πολιτῶν ἐπὶ τὰς δυναστείας, οὓς θεραπεύων οὗτος διατετέλεκε καὶ §6.60.3οὐδὲ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος παύεται.
For it is clear to no one that every tyrant grows out of a flatterer of the people, and a swift road for those who wish to enslave cities is that which leads through the worst citizens to power, whom this man has continually courted, and does not cease to do so even up to the present.
εὖ γὰρ ἴστε, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἐτόλμησαν οἱ φαῦλοι καὶ ταπεινοὶ τηλικαῦτα ἐξαμαρτεῖν, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ σεμνοῦ καὶ φιλοπόλιδος τούτου ἐξηγέρθησαν, ὡς δὴ ἀκίνδυνον αὐτοῖς τὸ ἔργον ἐσόμενον, καὶ πρὸς τῷ μηδεμίαν ὑποσχεῖν δίκην κρείττονα μοῖραν τῆς προτέρας ἕξοντες.
For you know well that the base and humble would not have dared to commit such great offenses if they had not been stirred up by this solemn and patriotic-seeming man, in the belief that the deed would be without danger for them, and that, in addition to suffering no punishment, they would have a better lot than before.
μάθοιτε δʼ ἄν, ὡς ἀληθῆ ἐγὼ ταῦτα λέγω, μνησθέντες, ὅτι δεδιττόμενος ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ πολέμου καὶ διαλλαγὰς ἀναγκαίας ἀποφαίνων ἅμα ἔφη καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀγαπήσουσιν οἱ πένητες ἀφεθέντες τῶν χρεῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βοηθείας δεήσονταί τινος καὶ οὐκ ἀνέξονται ἔτι ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἀρχόμενοι· τελευτῶν δʼ ὑμᾶς ἠξίου στέργειν τὰ παρόντα καὶ συγχωρεῖν, ὅ τι ἂν ὁ δῆμος ἐπὶ τῇ καθόδῳ δικαιώσῃ λαβεῖν, μὴ διακρίναντας μήτʼ ἀπὸ καλῶν αἰσχρὰ μήτʼ ἀπὸ δικαίων ἄδικα.
And you would learn that I speak these things truly if you remember that, while terrifying you about war and showing that reconciliation was necessary, he said at the same time that the poor would not be content with being released from their debts, but would also need some assistance, and would no longer endure being ruled by you as they were before; and at last he urged you to accept the present state of affairs and to concede whatever the people should think fit to take upon their return, without distinguishing the honorable from the base or the just from the unjust.
§6.60.4τοσαύτης ἄρα αὐθαδείας τὸ ἀνόητον οὗτος ἐμπέπληκε τῆς πόλεως ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος καὶ πάσας κεκαρπωμένος τὰς παρʼ ὑμῶν τιμάς.
With so much insolence, then, has this man filled the foolish element of the city, though he is an older man and has enjoyed all the honors from you.
ἆρʼ ἦν σοι ἄξιον, Οὐαλέριε, καθʼ ἑτέρων τὰ μὴ προσόντα ὀνείδη λέγειν τοιαύταις ὄντι κατηγορίαις ἐνόχῳ;
Was it then worthy of you, Valerius, to speak of reproaches that do not belong to others, when you yourself are liable to such accusations?