§371τὴν Ἀττικὴν πολεμίων καὶ πυρὸς μεστὴν, εἰ μὴ ταῦτα πάντα καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ γενναίως καὶ περαιτέρω τῆς ἀνθρωπείας, εἰ οἷόν τε εἰπεῖν, φύσεως διήνεγκαν, ποῦ μὲν ἂν τρόπαια τοσαῦτα, ποῦ δʼ ἡγεμονία τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ποῦ δʼ αὐτὸ τὸ τοὺς Ἕλληνας εἶναι;
seeing the whole of Attica full of enemies and fire, if they had not endured all these things both with their eyes and with their minds generously and beyond human nature, if one may say so, where would there be so many trophies, where the hegemony of the Greeks, and where the very existence of the Greeks?
τί τούτων ὑπῆρξεν ἂν ὧν, ὡς ἐπὶ πραχθεῖσιν εἰπεῖν, ζῆν οὐ καλὸν χωρίς;
Which of these things would have belonged to us, without which—to speak of them as already accomplished—it is not beautiful to live?
δεῖ τοίνυν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι παραδείγμασι χρωμένους μὴ χείρους εἶναι πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα, εἰδότας ὡς ἡ ῥᾳστώνη καὶ τὸ καθʼ ἡδονὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων περιγίγνεται καὶ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν ἔργων τοὺς ἀρίστους μένει.
We must therefore, using the existing examples, not be worse toward the future, knowing that ease and pleasure arise from troubles, and that the greatest of deeds await the best men.
λέγουσι δέ τινες καὶ περὶ τῶν Ἐγεσταίων ὡς ἐψεύσαντο ἃ εἶπον περὶ τῶν χρημάτων.
And some say also concerning the Segestans that they lied about what they said concerning the money.
ἐγὼ δʼ εἰ μὲν Ἐγεσταίων χάριν τὸν στόλον τοῦτον ἐποιησάμεθα, ὁμολογῶ δεῖν ἀποδέχεσθαι τοὺς κατʼ ἐκείνων λόγους· εἰ δὲ τὸ μὲν σχῆμα τῆς στρατείας Ἐγεσταῖοι καὶ Λεοντῖνοι παρεῖχον, οἱ δὲ κρατῆρες ἄλλο τι βουλομένων ἦσαν καὶ ἡ μέχρι Αἰγίνης ἅμιλλα, τί ταῦτα ληροῦμεν;
But I, if indeed we made this expedition for the sake of the Segestans, confess that we must accept the words against them; but if the Segestans and Leontines provided only the pretext of the campaign, while the loving cups belonged to those who wished for something else, and the race as far as Aegina, why do we talk this nonsense?
οὐ γὰρ εἰ φαῦλοι περὶ ἡμᾶς Ἐγεσταῖοι γεγόνασι, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀκολουθῆσαι προσήκει, οὐδʼ ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι κατʼ ἀνάγκας ἐψεύσαντο, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεπίτηδες ἐναντία ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ψηφίζεσθαι· οὐδʼ ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐν Ἐγέστῃ διημάρτομεν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εὐποριῶν τῶν πολλῶν καὶ οὐδὲν ὁμοίων τοῖς παρʼ ἐκείνων ἐλπισθεῖσιν ἑκόντας ἀποστερηθῆναι.
For it is not because the Segestans have been base toward us that it is fitting for us also to follow them, nor because they lied out of necessity that we should on purpose vote against ourselves; nor, since we failed in the matter of those in Segesta, should we voluntarily be deprived of the other many resources, which are in no way similar to those expected from them.
τοσοῦτον δʼ εἰπεῖν ἔτι βούλομαι· εἰ τοῖς παρʼ Ἐγεσταίων, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, χρήμασι καὶ ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἃς ἐκεῖνοι παρίστασαν, εἰ τούτοις πιστεύσαντες ἀφορμὴν ἱκανὴν ἔσεσθαι τῷ πολέμῳ στρατεύειν ἐπήρθημεν, ἀφιστώμεθα τῆς Σικελίας, καλῶμεν τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν, ἔστω πᾶς ἀχρεῖος λόγος, ὅστις μὴ ταῦτα συμφήσει.
And I wish to say only this much more: if, O Athenians, trusting in the money from the Segestans and the hopes which they presented, that these would be a sufficient resource for the war, we were excited to campaign, let us withdraw from Sicily, let us recall those from there, and let every speech be useless which does not agree with this.
εἰ δʼ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἅτε ὄντες βάρβαροι προσυπισχνοῦντο ὑπὲρ τοῦ τινὲς εἶναι δοκεῖν, ἡμῖν δʼ ἑτέρωθεν τὸ ἰσχυρὸν ἦν [ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος λοιπόν].
But if they, being barbarians, made promising offers for the sake of seeming to be somebody, while we on the other side had our strength [the speech remains then].
ἀναμνησθῶμεν δʼ ἡμετέρου τινὸς αὐτῶν ἔργου, φέροντος εἰς τὰ παρόντα.
And let us remember a certain deed of our own, which bears upon the present.
ἦν γάρ ποτε χρόνος, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅθʼ οἱ μὲν τὴν βασιλέως κακῶς ἡμῶν ἐποίουν τριήρεσι τριακοσίαις καὶ ἔτι πλείοσιν, οἱ δὲ Αἰγίνῃ προσεκάθηντο, Κορίνθιοι δʼ ἐπαρθέντες ἧκον εἰς §372Μέγαρα, ὡς ἢ κινήσοντες τοὺς ἐπʼ Αἰγίνης, ἢ Μεγαρέας αἱρήσοντες ἐρήμους βοηθῶν.
For there was once a time, O Athenians, when some of us were harassing the King's territory with three hundred triremes and even more, while others were blockading Aegina, and the Corinthians, being excited, came to Megara, thinking that they would either move those at Aegina, or take the Megarians who were destitute of help.
ἡμεῖς δὲ τρίτην στρατείαν ἐξεύρομεν, ἧς ἦρχε Μυρωνίδης· οὗτοι δʼ ἦσαν οἱ πρεσβύτατοι καὶ νεώτατοι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, καὶ συμβαλόντες Κορινθίοις ἐκρατοῦμεν πρὸ Μεγάρων· καὶ πάλιν ὡς ἠναίνοντο, ἑτέραν τὴν περὶ τοῦ τροπαίου· εἰς ἃ βλέψαντας καὶ δεδόσθαι τῇ πόλει παρὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς τύχης νομίσαντας τὸ τολμᾶν, οὐ τοὺς ἐκ Σικελίας ἐνταῦθα χρὴ μεταπέμπεσθαι φοβηθέντας· οὐ γὰρ οἱ πρὸς τῷ πρυτανείῳ κάλλιστα τὰς Ἀθήνας φυλάξουσιν· ἀλλʼ εἰ προσδεῖ τοῖς ἐκεῖ βοηθείας, ὥσπερ ἔγωγε οὐκ ἀντιλέγω, πέμπειν ἥτις μετρία, καὶ τάς τε ναῦς τὰς διαβρόχους ἰᾶσθαι ταῖς διαδοχαῖς, αἳ παρέξουσι σχολὴν ἀναψύχειν, καὶ τὸν Γύλιππον μὴ φοβεῖσθαι, στρατιὰν ἐκ τῆς Σικελίας συλλέγοντα, ἀλλʼ οἵτινες ἀντιπρεσβεύσαντες διακωλύσουσιν, ἢ καὶ ἑτέραν ἡμῖν ποριοῦσι, τὴν μὲν ἐξ αὐτῆς Σικελίας, τὴν δʼ ὅθεν ἂν συμβῇ, ταῦτα σκοπεῖσθαι, καὶ τοῖς λόγοις ἐκείνοις ἐρρῶσθαι λέγειν, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ λάβοιμεν τὴν Σικελίαν, ῥᾳδίως ἂν φυλάξαιμεν.
But we devised a third expedition, which Myronides led; and these were the oldest and the youngest of those in the city, and joining battle with the Corinthians, we conquered them before Megara; and again when they denied it, another battle concerning the trophy; looking to which things, and believing that daring has been given to the city by good fortune, we must not recall those from Sicily here because we are afraid; for those at the prytaneum will not guard Athens most beautifully; but if those there need further help, as indeed I do not speak against it, to send what is moderate, and to repair the water-logged ships by reliefs, which will provide leisure to refresh, and not to fear Gylippus, who is collecting an army from Sicily, but to consider these things, who by sending counter-embassies will prevent him, or will even provide another army for us, one from Sicily itself, and the other from wherever it happens, and to tell those arguments to be bid farewell, that even if we take Sicily, we would not easily guard it.
ἐγὼ γὰρ, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, βουλοίμην ἂν οὕτως ἔχειν ἤδη Σικελίαν, ὡς κεκτῆσθαί γε βεβαίως ἐπιτηδειοτάτην ἁπασῶν ὑπολαμβάνω.
For I, O Athenians, would wish Sicily to be already in such a state, as I assume it is the most suitable of all to possess securely.
βλέψωμεν δὲ εἰς τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως παράδειγμα, ὃς ἔχει Κύπρον, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχων οὐ Κύπρου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαλάττης ὅλως, καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τοῦ Φοινίκων ναυτικοῦ· καὶ προσέτι γε αὐτοὺς τοὺς Φοίνικας τοὺς ἔχοντας τὰς ναῦς, αὐτὸς οὐκ ἔχων οἰκείαν οὐδεμίαν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν.
And let us look at the example of the King, who holds Cyprus, being so far distant not only from Cyprus, but even from the sea altogether, and this through the Phoenician navy; and furthermore, he himself, having no ships of his own, so to speak, holds the Phoenicians themselves who have the ships.
καὶ ἐῶ λέγειν Κίλικας καὶ τὸ κύκλῳ τοῦτο πᾶν.
And I leave aside the Cilicians and all this surrounding country.
τί δὴ τὸ αἴτιον, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅτι κἂν μὴ τοῖς ὁμοίοις ἰσχυρὸς ᾖ τις, τῇ δὲ ὅλῃ δυνάμει κρατῇ, πάντα δουλοῦται καὶ κατέχει ῥᾳδίως ἀφορμῇ τῷ φόβῳ χρώμενος;
What indeed is the cause, O Athenians, that even if one is not strong in similar elements, but conquers by overall power, he enslaves all and holds them easily, using fear as a starting-point?
ἐπὶ τούτοις γε, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς λόγοις οὐκ ἔσθʼ ἥτις ἂν πώποτε ἀρχὴ μεγάλη συνέστη, εἴ τινες ἐξεφόβουν τοὺς ἐπιχειροῦντας, ὡς οὐδʼ εἰ προχωροίη, κατασχήσουσι.
On these arguments, O Athenians, no great empire would ever have been established, if some were frightening those who made attempts, as if even if they succeeded, they would not keep hold.
νῦν δʼ ἐνταῦθα δὴ καὶ κάλλιστα ἴδοι τις ἂν
But now, indeed, here one might see most beautifully...