§8.8.1ὃν δὲ τρόπον ἀγωνιεῖσθε καὶ πῶς χρήσεσθε τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἐπειδὴ γνώμην ἀξιοῦτέ με ἀποφήνασθαι, εἴτʼ ἐμπειρίαν μοι μαρτυροῦντες εἴτʼ εὔνοιαν εἴτε καὶ ἀμφότερα, φράσω καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι.
In what manner you should fight and how you should manage the affairs, since you demand that I express my opinion—whether because you witness to my experience, or my goodwill, or indeed both—I will speak and not conceal it.
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὑμῖν παραινῶ σκοπεῖν, ὅπως εὐσεβῆ καὶ δικαίαν πορίσησθε τοῦ πολέμου πρόφασιν.
First of all, then, I advise you to consider how you may obtain a pious and just pretext for the war.
εὐσεβὴς δὲ καὶ δικαία τοῦ πολέμου πρόφασις, ἥτις ἂν γένοιτο καὶ §8.8.2ἅμα συμφέρουσα ὑμῖν, ἀκούσατέ μου.
And what kind of pious and just pretext of the war there would be, which would at the same time be advantageous to you, hear from me.
Ῥωμαίοις ἡ μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπάρξασα γῆ βραχεῖά ἐστι καὶ λυπρά, ἡ δʼ ἐπίκτητος, ἣν τοὺς περιοίκους ἀφελόμενοι ἔχουσι, πολλὴ καὶ ἀγαθή· καὶ εἰ τῶν ἠδικημένων ἕκαστοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀξιοῖεν ἀπολαβεῖν, οὐδὲν οὕτως μικρὸν οὐδʼ ἀσθενὲς οὐδʼ ἄπορον, ὡς τὸ Ῥωμαίων ἄστυ γενήσεται.
For the Romans, the land they possessed from the beginning is small and poor, but the acquired land, which they hold after taking it from their neighbors, is extensive and good; and if each of those who have been wronged should demand to recover their own, nothing will become so small, weak, and helpless as the city of the Romans.
§8.8.3τούτου δʼ οἴομαι δεῖν ὑμᾶς ἄρξαι.
And I think you ought to begin this.
πέμπετε οὖν πρέσβεις ὡς αὐτοὺς ἀπαιτοῦντες ἃς κατέχουσιν ὑμῶν πόλεις καὶ ὅσα τείχη ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ γῇ ἐνετειχίσαντο ἀξιοῦντες ἐκλιπεῖν, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο βίᾳ σφετερισάμενοι τῶν ὑμετέρων ἔχουσι πείθοντες ἀποδιδόναι.
Send, therefore, envoys to them, demanding back the cities of yours which they hold, and requiring them to evacuate whatever fortifications they have built in your land, and, if they hold anything else of yours which they have usurped by force, persuading them to restore it.
πολέμου δὲ μήπω ἄρχετε, πρὶν ἢ λαβεῖν τὰς παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀποκρίσεις.
But do not yet begin war until you receive their replies.
ἐὰν γὰρ ταῦτα ποιήσητε, δυεῖν ὧν βούλεσθε ὑπάρξει θάτερον ὑμῖν· ἢ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀπολήψεσθε ἄνευ κινδύνων καὶ δαπάνης, ἢ καλὴν καὶ δικαίαν πρόφασιν εἰληφότες ἔσεσθε τοῦ πολέμου.
For if you do this, one of the two things you desire will be yours: either you will recover your own without danger and expense, or you will have obtained a fair and just pretext for the war.
τὸ γὰρ μὴ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀπαιτεῖν καὶ μὴ τυγχάνοντας τούτου πολεμεῖν, ἅπαντες ἂν ὁμολογήσουσιν εἶναι καλόν.
For indeed, not to covet what belongs to others, but to demand back one's own and, if not obtaining it, to make war, all will agree is honorable.
§8.8.4φέρε δή, τί ποιήσειν οἴεσθε Ῥωμαίους ταῦθʼ ὑμῶν προελομένων;
Come now, what do you think the Romans will do when you have made these choices?
πότερον ἀποδώσειν τὰ χωρία ὑμῖν;
Will they restore the places to you?
καὶ τί κωλύσει πάντων αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆναι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων;
And what will prevent them from withdrawing from all that belongs to others?
ἥξουσι γὰρ Αἰκανοί τε καὶ Ἀλβανοὶ καὶ Τυρρηνοὶ καὶ πολλοὶ ἄλλοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστοι γῆν ἀποληψόμενοι.
For the Aequians, the Albans, the Tyrrhenians, and many others will come, each to recover their own land.
ἢ καθέξειν τὰ χωρία καὶ μηθὲν τῶν δικαίων ποιήσειν;
Or will they hold onto the places and do nothing of what is just?
ὅπερ ἐγὼ νομίζω.
Which is what I believe.
οὐκοῦν ἀδικεῖσθαι πρότεροι λέγοντες ὑπʼ αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα χωρήσετε καὶ συμμάχους ἕξετε, ὅσοι τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀφαιρεθέντες ἀπεγνώκασιν ἄλλως ἂν ἔτι αὐτὰ §8.8.5ἢ πολεμοῦντες οὐκ ἀπολήψεσθαι.
Therefore, you, being the first to say that you are wronged by them, will of necessity proceed to arms and will have as allies as many as, having been deprived of their own, have despaired of ever recovering them otherwise than by making war.
κράτιστος δʼ ὁ καιρὸς καὶ οἷος οὐκ ἕτερος ἐπιθέσθαι Ῥωμαίοις, ὃν ἡ τύχη τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις οὐδʼ ἂν ἐλπισθέντα παρεσκεύασεν, ἐν ᾧ στασιάζουσι καὶ ὑποπτεύουσιν ἀλλήλους καὶ ἡγεμόνας ἔχουσιν ἀπείρους πολέμου.
And this is the best opportunity, and like no other, to attack the Romans, which fortune has provided for those who are wronged, one that would not even have been hoped for, in which they are in sedition and suspect one another, and have commanders inexperienced in war.
ἃ μὲν οὖν ὑποτίθεσθαι ἔδει λόγοις καὶ παραινεῖν φίλοις, μετὰ πάσης εὐνοίας καὶ πίστεως εἰρημένα ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ, ταῦτʼ ἐστίν, ἃ δὲ παρʼ αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα ἑκάστοτε προορᾶσθαί τε καὶ μηχανᾶσθαι δεήσει, τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιτρέψατε διανοεῖσθαι.
What, therefore, ought to have been suggested in words and advised to friends, having been spoken by me with all goodwill and faith, are these things; but what it will be necessary to foresee and devise from time to time in the actual deeds, leave to the commanders of the army to consider.
§8.8.6πρόθυμον γὰρ καὶ τοὐμὸν ἔσται, ἐν ᾧ ἄν με τάττητε τόπῳ, καὶ πειράσομαι μηδενὸς εἶναι χείρων μήτε στρατιώτου μήτε λοχαγοῦ μήτε ἡγεμόνος· ἀλλὰ καταχρῆσθέ μοι λαβόντες, ὅπου ἂν μέλλω τι ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσειν, καὶ εὖ ἴστε ὅτι, εἰ πολεμῶν ὑμῖν μεγάλα βλάπτειν δυνατὸς ἦν, καὶ σὺν ὑμῖν ἀγωνιζόμενος μεγάλα δυνήσομαι ὠφελεῖν.
For my part also will be eager, in whatever post you may assign me, and I shall try to be inferior to no one, whether soldier, captain, or general; but make full use of me, taking me wherever I am likely to be of any benefit to you, and know well that, if when making war against you I was able to do great harm, when fighting with you I shall be able to do great benefit.