§6.64.1ὃ δὲ πάντων ἐστὶ κράτιστον ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις, καὶ οὔτε ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἐνεθυμήθητέ πω, οὔτε τῶν συμβούλων οὐδεὶς λέγει, τοῦτο προσθεὶς παύσομαι.
And what is the most powerful thing of all in wars, which neither you yourselves have yet considered nor any of your advisers mentions, this I shall add and then make an end.
οὐδενὸς οὕτω δεῖ τοῖς μέλλουσιν εὐτυχὲς ἕξειν τὸ τῶν ἀγώνων τέλος, ὡς στρατηγῶν ἀγαθῶν.
Those who are to have a fortunate issue of their struggles stand in need of nothing so much as of good generals.
τούτων ἡ μὲν ἡμετέρα πλουτεῖ πόλις, αἱ δὲ τῶν ἀντιπάλων σπανίζουσιν.
In these our city is rich, while those of our opponents are destitute.
§6.64.2αἱ μὲν οὖν πολυοχλοῦσαι δυνάμεις, ὅταν λάβωσιν ἡγεμόνας οὐκ εἰδότας ἄρχειν, ἀσχημονοῦσι καὶ περὶ αὑταῖς σφάλλονται τὰ πλεῖστα, καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον κακοπαθοῦσιν, ὅσῳπερ ἂν μείζονα ἔχωσι πόνον.
Thus, numerous forces, when they receive leaders who do not know how to command, behave in an unseemly manner and for the most part ruin themselves, and they suffer the more, the greater the exertion they undergo.
οἱ δʼ ἀγαθοὶ στρατηλάται, κἂν μικρὰς λάβωσι δυνάμεις, ταχέως ποιοῦσιν αὐτὰς μεγάλας.
But good generals, even if they receive small forces, quickly make them great.
ὥστʼ ἄχρις ἂν ἡγεῖσθαι δυναμένους ἄνδρας ἔχωμεν, οὐκ ἀπορήσομεν τῶν ἄρχεσθαι βουλομένων.
So, as long as we have men capable of leading, we shall not lack those who wish to be led.
§6.64.3ἐνθυμούμενοι δὴ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν ἔργων τῆς πόλεως μεμνημένοι μηδὲν ταπεινὸν μηδʼ ἀγεννὲς μηδʼ ἀνάξιον ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ψηφίσησθε.
Bearing these things in mind, then, and remembering the deeds of our city, do not vote for anything that is base, ignoble, or unworthy of yourselves.
τί οὖν, εἴ τις ἔροιτό με, πράττειν ὑμῖν παραινῶ; τουτὶ γὰρ ἴσως πάλαι γνῶναι σπεύδετε.
"What then," if someone should ask me, "do I advise you to do?" For this is perhaps what you have long been eager to know.
μηδένα μήτε πρεσβείαν πέμπειν πρὸς τοὺς ἀφεστηκότας, μήτε ἄφεσιν ψηφίσασθαι τῶν χρεῶν, μήτʼ ἄλλο ποιεῖν μηδέν, ὅ τι δόξειεν ἂν φόβου τεκμήριον εἶναι καὶ ἀμηχανίας· ἐὰν δὲ καταθέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα κατέλθωσιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ παράσχωσιν ὑμῖν βουλεύσασθαι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν, καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἐξετάσαντας τότε χρῆσθαι μετριότητι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰδότας, ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἀνόητον, ἄλλως τε κἂν ὄχλος ᾖ, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς αὔθαδες γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς αὐθάδεις ταπεινοῦσθαι.
Let no one send an embassy to the revolted citizens, nor vote for a discharge of debts, nor do any other thing that might seem to be a proof of fear and helplessness; but if they lay down their arms and return to the city, and offer to let you deliberate concerning them, then, after examining the matter in quiet, you should treat them with moderation, knowing that all folly, especially when it is a multitude, is accustomed to be arrogant toward the humble, but to be humbled before the arrogant.