§3.16.8ἠθικὴν δὲ χρὴ τὴν διήγησιν εἶναι· ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο, ἂν εἰδῶμεν τί ἦθος ποιεῖ.
On the other hand, the narrative should be ethical; and this will be so if we know what produces character.
ἓν μὲν δὴ τὸ προαίρεσιν δηλοῦν, ποιὸν δὲ τὸ ἦθος τῷ ποιὰν ταύτην, ἡ δὲ προαίρεσις ποιὰ τῷ τέλει·
One thing indeed is to make choice clear; and character is of a certain quality because this is of a certain quality, and choice is of a certain quality because of the end.
διὰ τοῦτο δʼ οὐκ ἔχουσιν οἱ μαθηματικοὶ λόγοι ἤθη, ὅτι οὐδὲ προαίρεσιν (τὸ γὰρ οὗ ἕνεκα οὐκ ἔχουσιν), ἀλλʼ οἱ Σωκρατικοί· περὶ τοιούτων γὰρ λέγουσιν.
And for this reason mathematical discourses do not have characters, because they do not have choice either (for they do not have that for the sake of which), but Socratic ones do; for they speak about such things.
§3.16.9ἄλλα δʼ ἠθικὰ τὰ ἑπόμενα ἑκάστῳ ἤθει, οἷον ὅτι ἅμα λέγων ἐβάδιζεν· δηλοῖ γὰρ θρασύτητα καὶ ἀγροικίαν ἤθους.
And other ethical things are those that accompany each character, as, for instance, that "while speaking, he was walking at the same time"; for this shows a boldness and rudeness of character.
καὶ μὴ ὡς ἀπὸ διανοίας λέγειν, ὥσπερ οἱ νῦν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐβουλόμην· καὶ προειλόμην γὰρ τοῦτο· ἀλλʼ εἰ μὴ ὠνήμην, βέλτιον
· τὸ μὲν γὰρ φρονίμου τὸ δὲ ἀγαθοῦ· φρονίμου μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῷ τὸ ὠφέλιμον διώκειν, ἀγαθοῦ δʼ ἐν τῷ τὸ καλόν.
And one should not speak as if from intellect, as they do now, but as if from choice: "But I wished it; for I had chosen this beforehand; and even if I did not benefit, it is better." For the former is the mark of a prudent person, the latter of a good person; for the prudent person is characterized by pursuing what is beneficial, and the good person by pursuing what is noble.
ἂν δʼ ἄπιστον ᾖ, τότε τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιλέγειν, ὥσπερ Σοφοκλῆς ποιεῖ· παράδειγμα τὸ ἐκ τῆς Ἀντιγόνης, ὅτι μᾶλλον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἐκήδετο ἢ ἀνδρὸς ἢ τέκνων· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἂν γενέσθαι ἀπολομένων,
"
μητρὸς δʼ ἐν Ἅιδου καὶ πατρὸς βεβηκότων
οὐκ ἔστʼ ἀδελφὸς ὅς τις ἂν βλάστοι ποτέ.
And if it is untrustworthy, then one should add the reason, just as Sophocles does; an example is that from the Antigone, that she cared more for her brother than for her husband or children; for the latter would be replaced if they were lost, "but with mother and father departed to Hades, there is no brother who could ever be born.
"
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἔχῃς αἰτίαν, ἀλλʼ ὅτι οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς ἄπιστα λέγων, ἀλλὰ φύσει τοιοῦτος εἶ· ἀπιστοῦσι γὰρ ἄλλο τι πράττειν ἑκόντα πλὴν τὸ συμφέρον.
"And if you have no reason, you should say that "you are not unaware that you speak of untrustworthy things, but you are such by nature"; for people disbelieve that anyone does anything willingly except for what is advantageous.
§3.16.10ἔτι ἐκ τῶν παθητικῶν λέγε διηγούμενος καὶ τὰ ἑπόμενα ἃ ἴσασι, καὶ τὰ ἴδια ἢ σεαυτῷ ἢ ἐκείνῳ προσόντα· ὁ δʼ ᾤχετό με ὑποβλέψας
. καὶ ὡς περὶ Κρατύλου Αἰσχίνης, ὅτι διασίζων, τοῖν χειροῖν διασείων· πιθανὰ γάρ, διότι σύμβολα γίγνεται ταῦτα ἃ ἴσασιν ἐκείνων ὧν οὐκ ἴσασιν.
Further, speak in your narrative from emotional aspects, both of the accompanying circumstances which they know, and of the traits peculiar either to yourself or to the opponent: "And he went away, having looked askance at me." And as Aeschines says about Cratylus, that "hissing and shaking his hands"; for these are persuasive, because these things which they know become signs of those things which they do not know.
πλεῖστα δὲ τοιαῦτα λαβεῖν ἐξ Ὁμήρου ἔστιν· "
ὧς ἄρʼ ἔφη, γρῆυς δὲ κατέσχετο χερσὶ πρόσωπα· "
οἱ γὰρ δακρύειν ἀρχόμενοι ἐπιλαμβάνονται τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν.
And one can find many such examples in Homer: "So indeed he spoke, and the old woman covered her face with her hands; "for those who begin to weep take hold of their eyes.
καὶ εὐθὺς εἴσαγε καὶ σεαυτὸν ποιόν τινα, ἵνα ὡς τοιοῦτον θεωρῶσιν, καὶ τὸν ἀντίδικον· λανθάνων δὲ ποίει.
And straightway introduce yourself as being of a certain quality, so that they may view you as such, and the opponent likewise; but do this without being noticed.
ὅτι δὲ ῥᾴδιον, ὅρα ἐκ τῶν ἀπαγγελλόντων· περὶ ὧν γὰρ μηθὲν ἴσμεν, ὅμως λαμβάνομεν ὑπόληψιν τινά.
And to see that this is easy, look at those who bring news; for about things of which we know nothing, we nevertheless form a certain conception.
πολλαχοῦ δὲ δεῖ διηγεῖσθαι, καὶ ἐνίοτε οὐκ ἐν ἀρχῇ.
And one must narrate in many places, and sometimes not at the beginning.
§3.16.11ἐν δὲ δημηγορίᾳ ἥκιστα διήγησις ἔστιν, ὅτι περὶ τῶν μελλόντων οὐθεὶς διηγεῖται· ἀλλʼ ἐάν περ διήγησις ᾖ, τῶν γενομένων ἔστω, ἵνα ἀναμνησθέντες ἐκείνων βέλτιον βουλεύσωνται περὶ τῶν ὕστερον, ἢ διαβάλλοντος ἢ ἐπαινοῦντος· ἀλλὰ †τότε οὐ† τὸ τοῦ συμβούλου ποιεῖ ἔργον.
But in political oratory there is least narrative, because no one narrates about the future; but if there is a narrative, let it be of past events, so that having been reminded of them, they may deliberate better about subsequent matters, either when the speaker is prejudicing or praising; but then he does not perform the function of the counselor.
ἂν δʼ ᾖ ἄπιστον, ὑπισχνεῖσθαι δεῖ καὶ αἰτίαν λέγειν εὐθὺς καὶ διατάττειν ὡς βούλονται, οἷον ἡ Ἰοκάστη ἡ Καρκίνου ἐν τῷ Οἰδίποδι ἀεὶ ὑπισχνεῖται πυνθανομένου τοῦ ζητοῦντος τὸν υἱόν, καὶ ὁ Αἵμων ὁ Σοφοκλέους.
And if it is untrustworthy, one must promise and state the reason immediately, and arrange matters as they wish, just as Carcinus' Jocasta in his Oedipus always promises when the one seeking his son inquires, and Sophocles' Haemon.