§61πλειόνων καὶ οὐδὲ τούτων ἀρκούντων, ἀλλὰ κεκενωμένων μὲν τῶν πανταχοῦ ταμιείων, ἀεὶ δὲ μείζονος ὄντος τοῦ περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος φόβου, οὐ τοῦ πλείονος ἐδεήθη οὐδʼ ἐζήτησεν οὐδὲ διὰ χρήματα κακὸς ἐγένετο, ἀλλʼ ἀνῆκε καὶ ἐπεκούφισεν, οὐ μόνον δικαιότατος, ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλανθρωπότατος βασιλέων περὶ ταῦτα γενόμενος.
...when they were more, and not even these were sufficient, but the treasuries everywhere were emptied, and the fear about the future was always greater, he did not need more, nor did he seek it, nor did he become evil because of money, but he remitted and lightened them, becoming not only the most just, but also the most philanthropic of kings regarding these matters.
καὶ τοιοῦτος μὲν εἰς χρήματα.
And such indeed he was regarding money.
τὴν δὲ πρὸς τὰς δίκας δικαιοσύνην καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν τίς ἂν ἀξίως ἐπαινέσειε;
But who could worthily praise his justice and philanthropy regarding trials?
τίς γὰρ Ῥαδάμανθυς ἢ τίς Αἰακὸς οὕτω δίκαιον ἑαυτὸν πρὸς ἅπαντα δικαστὴν διεφύλαξε;
For what Rhadamanthys or what Aeacus preserved himself so just a judge toward everything?
μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ μὲν δίκαιον οὐκ ἀεὶ οὐδὲ πανταχῆ φιλάνθρωπον, ὁ δὲ τὸ μὲν δίκαιον ἀκριβῶς οἶδεν, ὡς αὐτὸς νομοθέτης ὢν καὶ εὑρετὴς αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲν δὲ ἔξω τοῦ δικαίου ποιῶν, ὅμως αὐτῷ τούτῳ βεβαιοῖ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὥστε δικαιοσύνης τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην ταυτὸν δύνασθαι φιλανθρωπίᾳ τῇ καθαρωτάτῃ.
Rather indeed, justice is not always nor everywhere philanthropic, but he knows justice precisely, as if he himself were its lawgiver and finder, and doing nothing outside of justice, nevertheless by this very thing he confirms his philanthropy, so that the most precise of justice can have the same power as the purest philanthropy.
τούτου δὲ αἴτιον ὅτι οὐκ εἰς ἑτέρους ὁρῶν ἑρμηνέας οὕτω λαμβάνει τὸ δίκαιον, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς ἔχων ἐκ παιδείας τῶν ὡς ἀληθῶς καλῶν καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιστήμην τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων ἐμπειρίαν προσειληφὼς, ὥστε μή τι τῶν γεγραμμένων διαφεύγειν αὐτὸν, οὕτως τὰς κρίσεις ποιεῖται περὶ πάντων.
And the cause of this is that, not looking to other interpreters does he thus understand justice, but himself having from education the knowledge of things truly beautiful and good, and having acquired experience from the laws so that nothing of what is written escapes him, he thus makes his judgments about all things.
οὐδεὶς γοῦν ἔστιν ὅστις οὐ τῶν δικαίων ἀπῆλθε τυχὼν, οὐδʼ ἐμέμψατο τῶν κριθέντων ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ, οὔτε διώκων ἡττηθεὶς οὔτε φεύγων ἁλοὺς, ἀλλὰ στέργοντες ἀμφότεροι καὶ προσκυνοῦντες ἀπέρχονται, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ψῆφον περὶ τῶν ἐγνωσμένων ὅ τε ἡττηθεὶς καὶ ὁ νικήσας φέρει.
No one, at any rate, is there who did not depart having obtained his rights, nor did anyone complain of those judged before him, neither the prosecutor who was defeated, nor the defendant who was convicted, but both departing well-pleased and paying respect, both the defeated and the victor bear the same vote concerning what was decided.
κἂν ἄρα συμβῇ τισι τὴν τιμωρίαν ὑποσχεῖν, οὐ τὸ παθεῖν καὶ δοῦναι δίκην δεινὸν νομίζουσιν, ἀλλὰ μὴ μείζω προσπαθεῖν κέρδος τίθενται·
And if indeed it happens to some to pay the penalty, they do not think that suffering and paying the penalty is a terrible thing, but they count it a gain not to suffer more.
οὐ γὰρ μῖσος αὐτῷ τῶν δεδρακότων αἱ τιμωρίαι δύνανται, ἀλλὰ παιδείαν, μάλιστα μὲν, εἴ πως οἷόν τε, καὶ αὐτῶν, εἰ δὲ μὴ, τῶν ἀκουσομένων.
For punishments do not signify for him hatred toward those who did the deeds, but education—most of all, if somehow possible, of themselves, but if not, of those who will hear of it.
εἰ δʼ αὖ τὸ φιλέλληνα εἶναι καλὸν καὶ πρέπον βασιλεῖ, τῷ προσήκων ὁ ἔπαινος οὕτως;
But if, on the other hand, to be a philellene is noble and fitting for a king, to whom is this praise so appropriate?
οὕτω γὰρ σφόδρα φιλέλλην ἐστὶν §62ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ περίεστι τούτου τοῦ καλοῦ ὥστε ἠμελημένης τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων παιδείας καὶ καταπεφρονημένης, ἀνῃρημένων δὲ τῶν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ τιμῶν, παρεωσμένου δὲ καὶ ἐν οὐδενὸς ὄντος μέρει παντὸς τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ, οὐκ ἠμέλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ταῖς ὑπαρχούσαις τιμαῖς καὶ ἄλλας προσέθηκε.
For so very philellene is the king, and so much does he excel in this noble quality, that when the education of the Greeks was neglected and despised, and the honors for it were abolished, and the whole Greek element was pushed aside and of no account, the king did not neglect it, but in addition to the existing honors, he added others.
καὶ περὶ μὲν δικαιοσύνης τοσαῦτα.
And concerning justice indeed, so much.
φιλανθρωπία γε μὴν τίς μείζων ταύτης καὶ φανερωτέρα;
Yet what philanthropy is greater and more manifest than this?
ᾗ κατεπτηχὸς ἅπαν τὸ ὑπήκοον καὶ ὑπὸ φόβου δεδουλωμένον, πολλῶν τῶν κατηκόων περιιόντων καὶ ὠτακουστούντων κατὰ πάσας τὰς πόλεις εἴ τις φθέγξαιτό τι, ἐλεύθερον δὲ οὐδὲν οὔτε φρονῆσαί τι οὔτε εἰπεῖν οἷόν τε ὂν, ἀνῃρημένης τῆς σώφρονος καὶ δικαίας παρρησίας, τρέμοντος δὲ ἑκάστου σκιὰν, ἀπήλλαξε τοῦ φόβου τούτου καὶ ἠλευθέρωσε τὰς ἁπάντων ψυχὰς, ἐντελῆ καὶ ὁλόκληρον ἀποδοὺς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς.
By which, when all the subject people were cowering and enslaved by fear, many of the subjects going about and eavesdropping in all the cities to see if anyone spoke anything, and it being impossible to think or say anything free, the sober and just free speech having been abolished, and each one trembling at his shadow, he delivered them from this fear and freed the souls of all, restoring complete and entire freedom to them.
ὃ τοίνυν μέγιστον τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως φιλανθρωπίας καὶ κρεῖττον ἅπαντος παραδείγματος· ὢν γὰρ τηλικοῦτος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡμερότητι καὶ ἐπιεικείᾳ διενήνοχεν ἁπάντων βασιλέων, ὥστε μικρὸν μὲν οἷα πατὴρ, μικρὸν δὲ οἷα ποιμὴν τῶν ἄλλων εἰπεῖν εἶναι, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ποιηταὶ δυνάστας ἡμεροῦντες ἐφθέγξαντο.
This, then, is the greatest of the king's philanthropy and superior to every example; for being so great, the king has excelled all kings in gentleness and equity, so that it is a small thing to say that he is like a father, and a small thing that he is like a shepherd to the others, and all things that poets uttered to make rulers gentle.
τίνα γὰρ τρόπον ἐπιεικείας παραλέλοιπεν;
For in what manner of equity has he failed?
οὐ κοινότατος μὲν ὁ τρόπος τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἅπαν τὸ ὑπήκοον καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ πάσης προφάσεως ἐντυγχάνοντας, ἡ δὲ τοῦ σχήματος αὐτοῦ πραότης ὡς φιλάνθρωπος καὶ τῆς διαλέκτου τὸ εὔκρατον καὶ τὸ μηδὲν δεῖν ἕνεκα τῆς προσόδου πραγματεύεσθαι, ἀλλʼ ὑπάρχειν ὥσπερ εἴσω περιρραντηρίων παριέναι τοῖς τι καὶ μικρὸν συνειδόσιν ἑαυτοῖς ἀγαθὸν, πῶς οὐ πάσης ἐπέκεινα πραότητος καὶ φιλανθρωπίας;
Is not the manner of his philanthropy most accessible to all the subjects and to those who meet him on any occasion, and the gentleness of his bearing so philanthropic, and the temperance of his speech, and the fact that there is no need to trouble oneself for the sake of an audience, but that it is like entering within the lustral vessels for those who are conscious of some good in themselves, even if small—how is this not beyond all gentleness and philanthropy?
οὐ γὰρ ὡς σπάνιον καὶ δυσπρόσοδον παρέχων ἑαυτὸν ἡγεῖται τὴν τοῦ μέγας καὶ θαυμαστὸς καὶ τοιοῦτος οἷος μηδεὶς ἄλλος πώποτε ἐγένετο δόξαν ἀποίσεσθαι βασιλεὺς, ἀλλʼ οὕτως ἂν μάλιστα βεβαιοῦν τὴν τοῦ τοιοῦτος εἶναι προσηγορίαν, εἰ τὴν παρʼ αὑτοῦ εὔνοιαν καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν κοινὴν ἅπασι
For he does not think that by making himself rare and difficult to approach, he as a king will carry off the reputation of being great and wonderful and such as no other has ever been, but that he would thus most of all confirm the title of being such a person, if he should offer his goodwill and philanthropy in common to all...