§373ὡς θεῖον τὸ χρῆμα τῆς ἀρχῆς·
How divine a thing is empire!
αὐτὴ γὰρ ἑαυτὴν σώζει.
For it preserves itself.
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις οἴκοις ἑνὶ μὲν καὶ δυοῖν οἰκέταιν χαλεπὸν χρήσασθαι, οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ κατὰ ἀλλήλων ὑπάρχουσιν, οὕτω κἀν ταῖς δυναστείαις τὸ πλῆθος τῶν δεδουλωμένων βεβαιοῖ τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῖς προειληφόσι· πάντες γὰρ ἐν κύκλῳ δεδίασιν ἀλλήλους.
For just as in private households it is difficult to manage one or two servants, but many exist in mutual check against one another, so also in sovereignties the multitude of the enslaved secures the strength for those who have taken it beforehand; for all in a circle fear one another.
οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ Σικελία τοῖς ἐνταῦθʼ ἡμῖν οὖσι προσγενομένη αὐτή τε διὰ τούτων σωθήσεται καὶ τἀνταῦθα ἀκριβώσει καὶ σύνδεσμος, εἰ χρὴ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, τῆς ἀρχῆς καθεστήξει.
Thus indeed, Sicily also, being added to us who are here, will both itself be preserved through these, and will make things here secure, and, if one must speak the truth, will become a bond of the empire.
χειρωθέντες γὰρ ἄνθρωποι πολλοὶ καὶ παντοδαποὶ γένος, οὐχ ἕξουσιν ἀποστροφὴν, ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ μὴ περαιτέρω τοῦ παρόντος κακὸν ὥσπερ ἕρμαιον ἡγήσονται τοῖς ὅλοις ἀπειπόντες.
For many men of every kind of race, having been subdued, will have no refuge, but having despaired in everything, they will consider every evil that is not worse than the present as a godsend.
ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα γὰρ ἤδη τῶν φόβων εἴημεν· ἐγὼ δὲ ἑτέρους ἐγγυτέρω τούτων ὁρῶ, τὸ ναυτικὸν εἰ κινήσαιμεν, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, νῦν ἐκ Σικελίας.
But indeed, we might already be in those fears; but I, O Athenians, see others closer than these, if we should now move our navy from Sicily.
καὶ οὐκ ἐκ τῶν Βάκιδος χρησμῶν οὐδʼ Ἀμφιλύτου μαθεῖν δεῖ με, ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς εὖ εἰδὼς ὑμῖν προλέγω Συρακοσίους καὶ Σελινουντίους καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν πολεμίους δεῦρʼ ἥξοντας, ἂν αὐτοὺς καλέσωμεν.
And I do not need to learn it from the oracles of Bacis or Amphilytus, but knowing it well myself, I foretell to you that the Syracusans, Selinuntines, and all the enemies from there will come here, if we summon them.
τούτους γὰρ οὐχ ἧττον καλοῦμεν ἢ τοὺς ἡμετέρους αὐτῶν, ἂν ἅ τινες κελεύουσι ψηφιζώμεθα.
For we summon them no less than our own men, if we vote for what some advise.
οὐ γὰρ ἐξαρκέσει Συρακοσίοις, εἴ γε μηδὲν πεπόνθασιν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν τῇ τύχῃ καὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις λογιοῦνται τοῖς ἀφῃρημένοις, ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐχθροὺς μὲν ὁμοίως ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ παρεστησάμεθα αὐτοὺς, δυνατὸν δʼ εἶναι νῦν μόνως ἀμύνασθαι, κρινοῦσι.
For it will not be sufficient for the Syracusans even if they have suffered nothing, but they will attribute this to fortune and to the Lacedaemonians who took us away, while they will judge us to be enemies just as if we had subdued them, and that it is now only possible to defend themselves.
καίτοι θαυμαστὸν εἴ τις, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ μὲν ἐν τῷ Συρακοσίων λιμένι τριήρεις ἡμετέρας εἶναι φοβερὸν κρίνει τῇ πόλει, τὸ δὲ τὰς τῶν Συρακοσίων καὶ τῶν συμμάχων εἰς τὸν Πειραιᾶ καταπλεῦσαι, τοῦθʼ ὥσπερ σωτήριον τοῖς πράγμασι προσδοκᾷ.
And yet it is wonderful, O Athenians, if someone judges the presence of our triremes in the harbor of the Syracusans as fearful for the city, but expects the sailing of those of the Syracusans and their allies into the Piraeus as if it were salvation for our affairs.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἔστι τις ἡμῖν ἐγγυητὴς, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἄξουσι, καὶ οὐκ ἐθελήσουσι τὴν αὐτὴν ἀποδοῦναι χάριν Λακεδαιμονίοις ἧσπερ οὗτοι νῦν ὑπῆρξαν εἰς αὐτοὺς, ἐφʼ ἡμῖν εἶναι νομίζωμεν ὁπότερʼ ἂν βουλώμεθα τούτων.
For if there is some guarantor for us that they will keep peace, and will not wish to return the same favor to the Lacedaemonians which these have now initiated toward them, let us believe that whichever of these we wish is in our power.
εἰ δʼ οὐχ οὕτω φευξόμεθα αὐτοὺς, ὡς μὴ ὅποι ποτʼ ἂν ἡμῖν ἐπίωσιν, ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκαίως ἔχειν ἀμύνασθαι, τί τὴν Ἀττικὴν ταραχῆς ἐμπίπλαμεν ἀμελήσαντες τῆς Σικελίας;
But if we cannot flee them so as not to have to defend ourselves of necessity here, wherever they may attack us, why do we fill Attica with confusion, neglecting Sicily?
καὶ τί μεθίσταμεν ἐνταῦθα τὸν πόλεμον, ἐξὸν κατέχειν ἐκείνους, ὅπως μήθʼ ἑκόντες μήτʼ ἄκοντες προΐωσι τῆς αὑτῶν;
And why do we transfer the war here, when it is possible to hold them down so that they may not advance from their own land, whether willingly or unwillingly?
ἢ τὸ μὲν ἡμᾶς βουλεύεσθαι περὶ ἐκείνων δυσχερὲς, τὸ δʼ
Or is it that for us to deliberate about them is difficult, while...