§6.61.1καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὰς ὑπὸ τούτου ῥηθείσας διαβολὰς ἀρκεῖ τὰ εἰρημένα, ὑπὲρ δʼ ὧν βουλευσόμενοι συνεληλύθατε δοκεῖ μοι δίκαιά τʼ εἶναι καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἄξια καὶ συμφέροντα ὑμῖν, οὐ μόνον ἃ ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἀπεφηνάμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς γνώμης ἐπιμένων ἀποφαίνομαι, μὴ συγχεῖν τὸν κόσμον τῆς πολιτείας, μηδὲ κινεῖν ἔθη πατέρων ἀκίνητα, μηδʼ ἀναιρεῖν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων πίστιν ἱερὸν χρῆμα, μεθʼ ἧς ἅπασα πόλις οἰκεῖται ἀσφαλῶς, δήμῳ τε μὴ εἴκειν ἀγνώμονι ἀδίκων ἔργων καὶ ἀθεμίτων χρῄζοντι·
Now, against the slanders spoken by this man, what has been said is sufficient; but concerning the matters for which you have assembled to deliberate, it seems to me both just and worthy of the city, and advantageous to you, not only what I declared in the beginning, but also what I declare now, persisting in the same opinion: namely, not to throw into confusion the order of the constitution, nor to change the immovable customs of our ancestors, nor to abolish from among men faith, a sacred thing, with which every city is inhabited in safety, and not to yield to a senseless populace that demands unjust and unlawful deeds.
§6.61.2καὶ οὐχ ὅπως ὑποκατακλίνομαί τι τῆς γνώμης φόβῳ τῶν διαφόρων, οἳ τὸ ἐν τῇ πόλει δημοτικὸν ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ συνιστάντες δεδίττονταί με, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον ἔρρωμαι τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ ἀγανακτῶ τοῖς αἰτήμασι τοῦ δήμου διπλασίως· ὑμῶν τʼ ὦ βουλή, τὸ παράλογον τῆς γνώμης τεθαύμακα, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιτρέψαντες αὐτῷ, ὅτε οὔπω φανερὸς ἦν πολέμιος, χρεῶν ἀποκοπὰς καὶ κατακριμάτων ἀφέσεις αἰτουμένῳ, νῦν ἐπεὶ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ πολεμίων δρᾷ, ταῦτʼ εἰ συγχωρήσετε βουλεύεσθε καὶ ὅ τι κἂν ἄλλο τι αὐτῷ δοκῇ· δόξει δὲ δήπου, καὶ πρῶτον ποιήσεται τῶν ἀξιουμένων, ἰσότιμον εἶναι καὶ §6.61.3τῶν αὐτῶν ἡμῖν μετέχειν.
And far from yielding at all in my opinion through fear of my opponents, who, by stirring up the democratic element in the city against me, try to terrify me, I am much more than before strengthened in my anger, and I am doubly indignant at the demands of the people; and I wonder, O Senate, at the inconsistency of your opinion, because, whereas you did not permit them, when they were not yet an open enemy, though they begged for cancellation of debts and discharge of judgements, now, when they are in arms and commit the deeds of enemies, you are deliberating whether you shall concede these things and whatever else may seem good to them; and they will surely wish it, and will make it the first of their demands, to be equal in honor and to share in the same privileges as we do.
οὐκοῦν εἰς δημοκρατίαν περιστήσεται τὰ πράγματα τὴν ἀμαθεστάτην, ὥσπερ ἔφην, τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολιτειῶν καὶ ὑμῖν ἀσύμφορον τοῖς ἀξιοῦσιν ἄρχειν ἑτέρων;
Will not, then, affairs turn into a democracy, the most ignorant, as I said, of all constitutions among men, and disadvantageous to you who claim to rule others?
οὐκ, ἐάν γε σωφρονῆτε ὑμεῖς.
Not so, indeed, if you are wise.
ἢ πάντων ἂν εἴητε ἀφρονέστατοι, εἰ πρὸς ἑνὸς ἄρχεσθαι τυραννικοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὐκ ἀνασχετὸν ἡγησάμενοι δήμῳ τυραννίδι πολυκεφάλῳ νῦν ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς παραδώσετε, καὶ ταῦτʼ οὐ μετὰ χαρίτων αὐτῷ πείθοντι συγχωρήσετε ὑπό τʼ ἀνάγκης κρατηθέντες καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἐξὸν ἄλλο τι δρᾶν νῦν ἡμῖν παρὰ γνώμην §6.61.4εἴξαντες.
Or you would be the most foolish of all men, if, having deemed it intolerable to be ruled by one tyrannical man, you should now deliver yourselves up to a populace, a many-headed tyranny, and that too, not as a favor to them when they persuade you, but overcome by necessity and as if it were not permitted to us to do anything else, now contrary to your judgment having yielded.
ὅταν δὲ τὸ ἀνόητον ἀντὶ τοῦ κολάζεσθαι ἐφʼ οἷς ἂν πλημμελήσῃ καὶ τὸ τιμᾶσθαι διʼ αὐτὰ προσλάβῃ, πῶς δοκεῖτε αὔθαδες ἔσται καὶ ὑπερήφανον;
And when the foolish element, instead of being punished for whatever offenses it may commit, also gains honor on account of them, how arrogant and proud do you think it will be?
μὴ γὰρ δὴ ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐπαίρεσθε, ὡς μετριάσει περὶ τὰς ἀξιώσεις ὁ δῆμος, ἐὰν φανερὸν αὐτῷ γένηται, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἅπαντες ἐψηφίσασθε οὕτως.
For do not indeed be elated by that hope, that the people will act with moderation in their demands if it becomes clear to them that you have all voted thus.