§84ἑτέρων τιμῶν τυχεῖν.
...or to obtain other honors.
πλείστοις δὴ πάντων αἴτιος Ἀλέξανδρος ἐγένετο, μάλιστα μὲν οἶμαι τοιούτους παρέχων ἑκάστοις τοὺς παῖδας ὥστε καὶ τοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας καὶ μετέχοντας τῆς εἰσόδου τῆς παρʼ ἐκεῖνον εὐδοκιμεῖν παρὰ τοῖς ἐπιστήσασιν, ἔπειτα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ τὰς τοιαύτας χάριτας ἀντὶ τῶν συνήθων τοῖς ἄλλοις αἰτούμενος.
Alexander became the cause of these things for the greatest number of all, chiefly, I think, by presenting the children to each of their parents in such a condition that even those who accompanied them and shared in their entry to him won high esteem among those in authority, and secondly, because he himself openly asked for such favors (from the emperors) instead of the things others usually request.
παραπλήσια δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς βασιλικοῖς πράγμασιν· ἐλύπησε μὲν γὰρ οὐδένα πώποτε, ἀγαθὸν δέ τι καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ φίλους καὶ πατρίδα καὶ πόλεις ἐργαζόμενος διεβίω.
And it was similar also in royal affairs; for he never grieved anyone at all, but lived out his life doing some good to relatives, friends, homeland, and cities.
μυρία δὲ εὐεργετήσας μυρίους οὐδένα πώποτε τῆς εὐεργεσίας μισθὸν ᾔτησε, τῆς μέντοι τέχνης οὐκ ᾐσχύνετο λαμβάνων.
And though he benefited countless people in countless ways, he never asked for any reward for his beneficence, yet he was not ashamed to receive fees for his art.
ἐδόκει γὰρ αὐτῷ λυσιτελεῖν τοῖς νέοις μαθημάτων ἕνεκα τολμᾶν προΐεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα ὅστις δυνατός· ἐπεὶ τούς γε ἀδυνάτους οὐκ ἠνώχλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρʼ αὑτοῦ προστιθέντα αὐτὸν ἴσμεν.
For it seemed to him to be of advantage to the young to venture to spend money for the sake of learning, and this only for whoever was able; for he did not trouble those who were unable, but we know that he even added contribution from his own pocket.
οὐ τοίνυν ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς τέχνης καὶ τῶν συνουσιῶν τοσαῦτα ὠφέλει, τὰ δʼ εἰς πράξεις τε καὶ πολιτείαν ἑτέρων ἡττήθη.
Therefore, he did not merely benefit people so much from his art and lessons, while falling behind others in matters of action and public life.
εἰδείητε δʼ ἂν ὑμεῖς μάλιστα κἀγὼ παρʼ ὑμῶν τινῶν ταῦτα πυνθάνομαι, ὡς ὑμῖν μικροῦ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν ἐκ καινῆς ἀνώρθωσεν.
This you would know best, and I myself learn this from some of you, that he restored almost your entire city anew for you.
οὕτως οὐ μόνον λόγος ἦν τις τὸ ἐκείνου πρᾶγμα· ὃ δὲ τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων πλείονος ἄξιον, ἡ σωφροσύνη καὶ τὸ δίκαιον, ἡγούμενον πάντων ὧν ἐκεῖνος καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν ἠξίου, καὶ τὸ μηδαμοῦ τὴν χρείαν ἐκβαίνειν, ἀλλʼ εἶναι νοῦν ἐχούσας τὰς φιλοτιμίας ἃς ὑμῖν προὐξένει.
Thus his achievement was not just mere words; and what is worth more than buildings—namely temperance and justice, which guided everything he thought worthy to speak and do, and the fact of never exceeding necessity, but that the honors he procured for you were sensible—(was also true).
οὐ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐπὶ τούτῳ προῖκα χρηστὸς ἦν, ἀλλʼ οἱ μέγιστοι τῶν κόσμων ὑμῖν τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλοψυχίας σημεῖον εἰσίν.
Nevertheless, not even in this was he good for nothing in return, but the greatest of your ornaments are a sign of his magnanimity.
ἡγοῦμαι δʼ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν πώποτε ἀνάλωσεν εἰς ὑμᾶς, ἔκ γε τῶν ἄλλων ὧν ἔλεγε καὶ ἔπραττεν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν εἰκότως ἂν αὐτὸν εὐεργέτην νομίζεσθαι.
And I think that even if he had never spent anything on you, from the other things he said and did on your behalf, he would naturally be considered your benefactor.
εἰ δʼ αὖ μηδὲν μὲν ἄλλο μήτʼ εἶπε μήτʼ ἔπραξε, τοσαῦτα δὲ οἴκοθεν εἰσήνεγκεν, εἰκότως ἂν αὐτὸν ἐν πρώτοις εὐδοξεῖν.
If, on the other hand, he had said or done nothing else, but had contributed so much from his own house, he would naturally be of high repute among the first.
καὶ μὴν εἰ μήτε ἀπὸ χρημάτων μήτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων χρήσιμος ὑμῖν ἐγένετο δημοσίᾳ, τό γʼ ἐν τούτῳ καταστῆναι τάξεως αὐτὸν ἐν §85τοῖς Ἕλλησιν εἰκότως ἂν ὑμῖν εἶχε φιλοτιμίαν· ἡ γὰρ ἐκείνου δόξα κοινὴ τῆς πόλεως γεγένηται.
And indeed, if he had become useful to you publicly neither from money nor from other things, yet his being established in such a rank among the Greeks would naturally have brought honor to you; for his glory has become the common property of the city.
μέγα γὰρ καὶ πόλει καὶ ἔθνει ἕνα τὸν πρῶτον παρέχεσθαι.
For it is a great thing for both a city and a nation to produce one foremost man.
ὑμεῖς δὲ καὶ διαφερόντως ἑτέρων τῆς ἐκείνου τύχης ἀπελαύσατε.
And you, moreover, enjoyed his fortune in a way distinguished from others.
οὐδενὶ γὰρ τῶν πάντων οὕτως ὠνομάζετο ἡ πατρίς.
For his homeland was named in association with him like that of no other man.
ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ οἱ ἄλλοι πατρόθεν ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων πραγμάτων γνωρίζονται, οὕτως ἐκεῖνος μετὰ τῆς πόλεως εὐθὺς ἠκούετο.
But just as others are recognized by their father's name or from other circumstances, so he was immediately heard of together with the city.
ἐπεὶ κἀν τοῖς βιβλίοις ἃ διωρθοῦτο τοῦτο ἐγκαταλέλειπται σύμβολον. ἐπὶ γὰρ τῷ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ παράγραμμα ἦν ἡ πατρίς.
Since even in the books which he edited, this token has been left behind; for alongside the name of Alexander, his homeland was written.
ὥστε ὁσάκις τις ἐκείνου μέμνηται, τοσαυτάκις ὑμεῖς εὐδοκιμεῖτε.
So that as often as anyone remembers him, so often do you gain good repute.
καὶ καθέστηκεν ὑμῶν ἡ πόλις ἐν μητροπόλεως σχήματι τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ Ἑλλάδι.
And your city has been established in the position of a mother-city to ancient Greece.
ἀνθʼ ὧν δικαίως τόν τε τάφον κοσμεῖτε καὶ ὡς ἀρχηγέτην καὶ οἰκιστὴν τιμᾶτε τοῖς πᾶσι τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ ψηφίζεσθε, ἃ τοῖς πρώτοις κτίσασι τὴν πόλιν ὑμῶν.
In return for which, you rightly adorn his tomb and honor the man in all things as a founder and colonizer, and pass decrees for him such as you did for the first founders of your city.
ταῦτα γὰρ οὖν μικρόν τί με ὡς ἐπὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ παρεμυθήσατο ἀκούσαντα, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα μάλιστα ἐπιστεῖλαι προήχθην ἀγασθεὶς τῆς γνώμης.
For indeed, hearing these things comforted me a little in my misfortune, and for this reason especially I was moved to send this letter, having admired your resolution.
αἰσχρὸν γὰρ εἰ Ἀμφιπολῖται μὲν Βρασίδᾳ θύειν ἠξίουν ὡς ἥρωι καὶ οἰκιστῇ, ὅτι αὐτοὺς Ἀθηναίων ἀπέστησεν, ὑμεῖς δὲ ὃς ὑμᾶς συνέστησεν ἅπασι τοῖς Ἕλλησι, καὶ ὃς δυσχεροῦς μὲν οὐδενὸς οὐδενὶ πώποτε αἴτιος κατέστη, πάντας δὲ ὠφελῶν καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ διετέλεσεν ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἀρξάμενος τῆς πατρίδος, τοῦτον μὴ ἐμέλλετε ἐν ἀρχηγέτου μοίρᾳ τιμήσειν, κοινοῦ γε τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὡς ἐγώ φημι.
For it would be shameful if, while the Amphipolitans deemed it right to sacrifice to Brasidas as a hero and founder because he detached them from the Athenians, you, on the other hand, were not going to honor in the rank of a founder—and a common one to the Greeks, as I say—the man who introduced you to all the Greeks, and who never became the cause of anything unpleasant to anyone, but continued to benefit everyone in both word and deed, beginning with you, his homeland.
καὶ μὴν εἰ Ὅμηρον Σμυρναίοις παρασχέσθαι καὶ Παρίοις Ἀρχίλοχον καὶ Βοιωτοῖς Ἡσίοδον καὶ Κείοις δὴ Σιμωνίδην καὶ Στησίχορον Ἱμεραίοις καὶ Θηβαίοις Πίνδαρον καὶ Μυτιληναίοις Σαπφὼ καὶ Ἀλκαῖον καὶ ἑτέροις ἑτέρους τινὰς φέρει φιλοτιμίαν, τὰς γὰρ Ἀθήνας ἐῶ τὰ νῦν, ἦ που καὶ ὑμᾶς μέγα φρονεῖν εἰκὸς ἐπὶ τῷ τούτους ἅπαντας κοσμήσαντι καὶ δείξαντι.
And indeed, if to produce Homer brings honor to the Smyrnaeans, and Archilochus to the Parians, and Hesiod to the Boeotians, and Simonides to the Ceans, and Stesichorus to the Himeraeans, and Pindar to the Thebans, and Sappho and Alcaeus to the Mytilenians, and some others to other peoples—for I pass over Athens for the present—surely it is natural for you also to be highly proud of the man who adorned and displayed all of these.
οἶμαι γὰρ εἴ τις θεῶν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἀνάστασιν ἔτι τούτου ζῶντος πάντας ἂν
For I think that if any of the gods had granted them a resurrection while he was still alive, they would all...