§7.51.1ταύτας ὑμῖν ὁ δῆμος, ὦ βουλή, τὰς καλὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἀνθʼ ὧν ἔπαθεν ἀγαθῶν πολλῶν ὄντων καὶ μεγάλων τὰς μὲν ἀπέδωκεν ἤδη, τὰς δʼ ἀποδώσειν ἔμελλεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ κωλῦσον παρʼ ὑμᾶς ἐγένετο.
These, members of the senate, are the beautiful returns which the people has already made to you, and was about to make, for the many great benefits they received, if the obstacle had not arisen on your part.
ἄγε δὴ νῦν κἀκεῖνα ἐνθυμήθητε πάλιν, ἃ μετὰ τοῦτο τὸ γενναῖον καὶ σῶφρον ὑμῶν ἔργον ἔδρασεν, ἵνα γνῶτε, §7.51.2ὅντινα χρὴ τρόπον αὐτῷ προσφέρεσθαι.
Come now, reflect also upon those things which they did after this noble and prudent action of yours, in order that you may know in what manner you ought to deal with them.
ἐκεῖνος τοίνυν ὡς ἔμαθεν ὑμᾶς οὐκέτι φέροντας αὐτοῦ τὴν ὕβριν, ἀλλʼ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν παρεσκευασμένους, ἔπτηξε καὶ μικρὸν ἀναλαβὼν ἑαυτὸν ὥσπερ ἐκ μέθης καὶ μανίας ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ βιάζεσθαι κατέβη, ἐπὶ τὸ δικάζεσθαι δʼ ἐτράπετο·
For when the people learned that you would no longer tolerate their insolence, but were prepared to come to close quarters, they cowered; and recovering themselves a little, as if from drunkenness and madness, they desisted from violence and turned to litigation.
καὶ προειπὼν ἡμέραν ῥητὴν εἰς αὐτὴν ἐκάλει τὸν ἄνδρα ὡς δίκην ὑφέξοντα, ἧς αὐτὸς ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι κατήγορός τε καὶ μάρτυς καὶ δικαστὴς καὶ τοῦ §7.51.3μεγέθους τῆς τιμωρίας κύριος.
And having proclaimed an appointed day, they summoned the man to it to stand trial, of which trial they themselves intended to be the accuser, the witness, the judge, and the master of the severity of the punishment.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτʼ ἐνέστητε νομίσαντες οὐκ ἐπὶ δίκην, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τιμωρίαν καλεῖσθαι τὸν ἄνδρα, ὁρῶν ὡς οὐδενὸς αὐτοκράτωρ ἐστὶ πράγματος, ἀλλʼ ὅσʼ ἂν ὑμεῖς προβουλεύσητε, ταῦτʼ ἐπιψηφίσαι κύριος, τῆς τʼ αὐθαδείας, ἧς πολὺς ἔπνει τότε, ὑφεῖται νυνὶ καὶ δεησόμενος ὑμῶν ἥκει συγχωρῆσαι καὶ ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν χάριν.
But when you opposed this also, believing that the man was being summoned not to a trial but to punishment, seeing that they had no absolute power over anything, but had authority only to vote on whatever you should first decree, they have now abated the arrogance which they then breathed so fully, and have come to beg you to grant them this favor also.
§7.51.4ἐνθυμούμενοι δὴ ταῦτʼ αἴσθεσθε ἤδη ποτὲ καὶ μάθετε, ὅτι πάνθʼ, ὅσα μὲν εὐηθέστερα βουλευσάμενοι μᾶλλον ἢ φρονιμώτερα ἐχαρίσασθε, αὐτῷ συμφορὰς ὑμῖν ἐνήνοχε καὶ βλάβας, ὅσα δὲ μετὰ τοῦ γενναίου στάντες τοῖς παρανόμοις αὐτοῦ καὶ βιαίοις ἠναντιώθητε, ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν εἰς δέον ἐκβέβηκε.
Reflecting, then, upon these things, realize at last and learn that everything you granted to them, having resolved with foolishness rather than prudence, has brought misfortunes and harm upon you, whereas everything in which you stood with noble spirit and opposed their lawless and violent demands has turned out to your advantage.
§7.51.5τί οὖν ὑμῖν ἐπισταμένοις ταῦτα παραινῶ πράττειν καὶ τίνα γνώμην ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ἀποφαίνομαι;
What, then, do I advise you to do, who understand these things, and what opinion do I express concerning the present situation?
ὅσα μὲν ἐχαρίσασθε καὶ συνεχωρήσατε τῷ δήμῳ τὴν ἔχθραν διαλλαττόμενοι ὁπωσδήποτε φυλάττειν κύρια, καὶ μὴ λύειν τῶν τότε συγχωρηθέντων μηθέν, οὐχ ὡς καλῶν καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἀξίων ὄντων· πόθεν γάρ; ἀλλʼ ὡς ἀναγκαίων καὶ μηκέτι δεχομένων διόρθωσιν· ὅσα δʼ ἂν ἔξω τούτου βιαζόμενος καὶ παρανομῶν ἀκόντων ὑμῶν ἐπιχειρῇ λαμβάνειν μήτε συγχωρεῖν αὐτῷ μήτʼ ἐπιτρέπειν, ἀλλʼ ἀντιπράττειν λόγοις τε καὶ ἔργοις καὶ ὁμοῦ πάντας καὶ ἕνα ἕκαστον ἰδίᾳ.
To preserve as valid all that you granted and conceded to the people, reconciling your enmity in whatever way you did, and to annul none of the things then conceded—not as being noble and worthy of the city (for how could they be?), but as being necessary and no longer admitting of correction; but as for all things beyond this which they attempt to obtain by violence and lawlessness against your will, neither to concede them to them nor to permit them, but to oppose them by both words and deeds, both all together and each one individually.
§7.51.6οὐ γάρ, ἂν ἅπαξ ἁμάρτῃ τις εἴτʼ ἀπατηθεὶς εἴτʼ ἀναγκασθείς, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὅμοια δεῖ πράττειν, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνου μεμνημένους τἆλλα ὅπως μὴ τοιαῦτα γενήσεται σκοπεῖν.
For if someone errs once, whether deceived or compelled, they do not have to do the same in the remaining cases; rather, remembering that error, they must see to it that other things do not turn out in like manner.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐστιν, ἃ κοινῇ πάντας ὑμᾶς οἴομαι δεῖν ἐγνωκότας εἶναι, καὶ παρεσκευάσθαι πρὸς τὰς ἀδίκους τοῦ δήμου πλεονεξίας παραινῶ.
These are the things, therefore, which I think you all ought to have recognized in common, and I advise you to be prepared against the unjust encroachments of the people.