§374ἐκείνοις ἐγγενέσθαι περὶ ἡμῶν οὐκέτʼ ἔσχατον ἁπάντων;
Or is it that for us to deliberate about them is difficult, while for them to have the opportunity to do so about us is no longer the very worst of all?
καὶ μὴν οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν δέος ἐστὶν ἐπισπάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐνταῦθα μηκέθʼ ὅσον πρότερον δοκεῖν ἀξίους εἶναι.
And indeed, not only is there a fear of drawing the enemies from there, but also that the people here will no longer seem to be as powerful as before.
ἀγανακτῶ δʼ ἔγωγε, εἰ Πελοποννήσιοι μὲν οὐκ ἀποκνήσουσι ναῦς ἑτέρας πληροῦν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ, ἡμεῖς δʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν οὐ τολμήσομεν.
I, for one, am indignant if the Peloponnesians will not hesitate to man other ships for the sake of those in Sicily, while we will not venture to do so for ourselves.
καὶ τῶν μὲν στρατηγῶν φυγὴν κατέγνωμεν Πυθοδώρου καὶ Σοφοκλέους, καὶ τὸν τρίτον αὐτῶν χρήματα ἐπραξάμεθα, ὅτι ἀνέστρεψαν ἐκ Σικελίας καὶ μετέσχον τῶν ἐκεῖ σπονδῶν, αὐτοὶ δὲ τοσαύτην στρατιὰν ἄπρακτον ἀνάξομεν, ἣν οὐ κατὰ σπονδὰς δεήσει κομισθῆναι, ἀλλʼ, αἰσχύνομαι μὲν εἰπεῖν, φεύγουσα δὲ ὀφθήσεται.
And indeed, we condemned Pythodorus and Sophocles, two of our generals, to exile, and we fined the third of them, because they returned from Sicily and took part in the treaty there; yet we ourselves are about to bring back so great an army without having accomplished anything, an army which will not need to be conveyed away under a treaty, but—I am ashamed to say it—will be seen fleeing.
καίτοι ὅταν, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τοὺς τειχήρεις φεύγωμεν, καὶ ὅταν ἐκ νήσου δραπετεύωμεν, κέρδος τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡγούμενοι, ποῦ λοιπὸν ἰσχυριούμεθα;
And yet, O Athenians, when we flee from those within walls, and when we escape from an island, considering survival as a gain, where indeed shall we find our strength hereafter?
ἢ τίς λοιπὸν ἔσται πόλεμος;
Or what war will there be in the future?
οὐκ ἀναμνησθησόμεθα, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ἐν ᾗ τὰς ναῦς ἀπεστέλλομεν παιᾶνας ᾁδοντες καὶ κρατῆρας ἱστάντες καὶ πομπὴν καὶ χάριν ἔργων τετελεσμένων ἀπομιμούμενοι;
Shall we not remember, O Athenians, that day on which we sent out the ships, singing paeans and setting up mixing bowls, mimicking a procession and thanksgiving for deeds already accomplished?
οὐκ αἰσχυνούμεθα τουτονὶ τὸν ἥλιον, εἰ δυοῖν οὕτως ἀνομοίων ἡμῖν ἔσται μάρτυς, τότε μὲν τοσαύτης λαμπρότητος καὶ ὑπερηφανίας, νῦν δὲ ταπεινότητος;
Shall we not be ashamed before this sun, if it is to be a witness to two such dissimilar states of ours—then of such great splendor and pride, but now of humiliation?
ποῖα λάφυρα κομίζοντας, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, δεξόμεθʼ αὐτοὺς, ἢ ποῖα χαριστήρια τῶν ἔργων τοῖς θεοῖς, ἢ ποίους ἐπινίκους ἅμʼ αὐτοῖς ἐνταῦθα ᾀσόμεθα;
Receiving them, O Athenians, with what kind of spoils shall we welcome them, or with what thanksgivings for their deeds to the gods, or what songs of victory shall we sing with them here?
ἢ ποίαν ἅμιλλαν ἁμιλλήσονται πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀναπλέοντες, ὁμοίαν τῇ πρώην;
Or what kind of contest will they contest against one another as they sail back, similar to the one before?
οὐ γὰρ ἄλλο γε οὐδὲν ἢ σιωπῇ καὶ τῶν κελευσμάτων κομισθήσονται, μόνον οὐκ αἰσχυνόμενοι τὴν θάλατταν.
For they will return in silence and without the boatswains' calls, all but feeling shame before the sea.
εἶτα τοὺς μὲν ἐν τοῖς γυμνικοῖς ἀγῶσι πρὸ ὥρας ἀπαγορεύοντας καὶ παρʼ ἀξίαν μικροῦ μισοῦμεν, ἄλλως τε κἂν πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ στεφάνῳ ποιήσωνται τὴν ἀπόρρησιν· αὐτοὶ δʼ ἀγῶνα τοσοῦτον ἀράμενοι καὶ μικροῦ πάντα κατειργασμένοι συγκεκλεικότες Συρακοσίους, ἔχοντες τὴν Σικελίαν, μόνον οὐκ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τὸν στέφανον, εἶτα ἀπορρίψομεν;
Furthermore, those who in athletic contests give up before the hour, we almost hate them undeservedly, especially if they make their withdrawal just at the crown itself; yet we ourselves, having undertaken so great a struggle and having almost accomplished everything, having hemmed in the Syracusans, holding Sicily, with the crown all but in our hands, shall we then cast it away?
μὴ δῆτα, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι.
Surely not, O Athenians.
εὖ γὰρ ἴστε, ὀφθῆναι μόνον ἀρκέσει τοῖς δευτέροις καὶ πάντʼ οἴχεται τὰ Συρακοσίων πράγματα· καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπολαύσονται τοῦ §375Γυλίππου, ὅσον μακροτέραν αὐτοῖς γε γεγενῆσθαι τὴν πολιορκίαν.
For know well, only to be seen will be sufficient for the second force, and all the affairs of the Syracusans are gone; and they will enjoy only so much benefit from Gylippus as that their siege has become longer.
πάντων δʼ ἀτοπώτατον, εἰ Νικίας μὲν, οὗ τί χρὴ πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτʼ ἀργότερον ἐξευρεῖν, ὅμως ἐφʼ ὑμῖν τὴν αἵρεσιν πεποίηκε, δυοῖν θάτερον λείπεσθαι φάσκων, ἢ πέμπειν ἑτέρους, ἢ καλεῖν σφᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἀφῄρηται τὴν καθάπαξ ἐλπίδα, καὶ ταῦτα αὐτὸς ὢν ὁ φοβῶν, προσθήσω δὲ καὶ ὁ φοβούμενος εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ὑμεῖς δʼ οἱ παρʼ ἐκείνου ταῦτʼ ἀκούοντες καὶ οἱ τότʼ ἐκεῖνον ἄκοντα κινήσαντες προκαταγνώσεσθε μηδὲν ἔτʼ εἶναι τῶν ἐκεῖ κατασχεῖν·
And the most absurd of all is if Nicias, than whom who could be found more sluggish for such matters, has nevertheless placed the choice in your hands, saying that one of two things is left—either to send others, or to recall them—and has not taken away hope once and for all, and this although he is himself the one who causes fear, and I will add, who has been fearing from the very beginning.
μηδαμῶς.
Yet you, who hear this from him, and who then moved him against his will, will judge beforehand that it is no longer possible to hold onto the things there; by no means.
ἀλλὰ τῶν τότε εἰρημένων ἀναμνησθέντες καὶ τοὺς ἄγαν ἀσφαλεῖς τοσοῦτον ἐρωτήσαντες, πότερʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ταύτην εἶχον τὴν γνώμην, ἢ μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἦσαν, εἰ μὲν τὰ αὐτὰ φρονεῖν ὑμῖν φήσουσι, κατηγόρους αὑτῶν εἶναι νομίζετε τῇ μεταβολῇ, εἰ δʼ ἑτέρως ἐγίγνωσκον, ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἁμαρτάνειν ἡγεῖσθε, τοῦτο μὲν εἰ πρὶν ψηφίσασθαι * * συμβουλεύειν δέον ἐξελεῖν, τοῦτο δʼ εἰ περὶ ὧν ἥττηνται βιάζονται.
Rather, remembering what was then said, and asking those who are excessively cautious only this, whether they held this opinion from the beginning or were with you; if they say they were of the same mind as you, consider them to be accusers of themselves by their change; but if they thought otherwise, believe that they err in both respects—firstly, if before voting they failed to advise when they ought to have done so, and secondly, if they are now forcing their views on matters in which they have been defeated.
ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅσον ἀσφαλείας τῇ γνώμῃ περίεστι, κεφάλαιον ἀκούσατε.
But so that you may know how much security there is in this decision, hear the main point.
ἀπανιστάμενοι μὲν ἐκεῖθεν πάσας καταλύσετε τὰς ἐλπίδας καὶ οὐδὲ ὄναρ ὑμῖν τῶν ἐκεῖ πραγμάτων ἐπιλείπεται· πέμποντες δὲ τὴν βοήθειαν οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεσθε δυοῖν θατέρου· ἢ γὰρ ἕξετε, ὡς ἐγὼ νομίζω, Σικελίαν, ἢ εἰ τοῦτʼ ἀδύνατον, τό γʼ ἐξεῖναι δεῦρʼ ἀναπλεῖν σώζεται.
If you withdraw from there, you will destroy all hopes, and not even a dream of the affairs there is left to you; but if you send the aid, you will not fail of one of two things: for either you will hold Sicily, as I believe, or if this is impossible, at least the power to sail back here is preserved.
καίτοι ὅτε τοῦ χείρονος νικῶντος μένει τοῦθʼ ὅ τινες νῦν ὡς βέλτιστον εἰσηγοῦνται, πόσον τὸ μεταξὺ χρὴ δοκεῖν εἶναι τῆς γνώμης ἑκατέρας;
And yet, when even if the worse alternative wins, that remains possible which some now propose as the best, how great must the difference be thought to be between the two decisions?
πέμπειν δὲ στρατηγοὺς, οἵτινες τοῦ Νικίου γήρως καὶ τῆς ἐμπειρίας ἀπολαύσαντες τὴν νωθείαν ὑπερβήσονται·
We must send generals who, while enjoying the benefit of Nicias' old age and experience, will overcome his sluggishness.
καὶ μὴν ὅ γε ἀρέσκει μοι τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, τὸ δεῖν οὕτως ποιεῖν, ὅπως μὴ δεύτεροι τῶν πολεμίων ἔλθοιμεν· ὡς εἰ φθάσαιμεν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τοῖς πράγμασι γενόμενοι, δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ οὐ κινήσονται τὸ παράπαν, ἢ πλέον οὐδὲν ἕξουσιν.
And indeed, what pleases me in his letter is the statement that we must act so that we do not arrive second to the enemy; for if we anticipate them by arriving at the scene, one of two things will happen: either they will not move at all, or they will gain no advantage.