§380Ἀθηναῖοι;
O Athenians?
πότερον τῷ τὰ οἰκεῖα βεβαίως καρποῦσθαι;
Is it because we securely enjoy our own possessions?
ἀλλʼ οὕτω γʼ εἴη τοῖς πολεμίοις.
Nay, may it be so for our enemies!
ἀλλὰ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὁπλιτῶν καὶ ἱππέων;
But is it because of the multitude of our hoplites and cavalry?
ἀλλὰ φοβοῦμαι μὲν εἰπεῖν, ἐξάγομαι δὲ, ἐξελύσαμεν, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸν κατάλογον καὶ τὰς συντάξεις πέρα τοῦ καιροῦ διεσείσαμεν.
But though I fear to say it, yet I am constrained to do so: we have weakened the muster-roll, O Athenians, and we have shaken our organization beyond what the occasion allows.
ἃ γὰρ εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν ὑπάρχειν ἀποκείμενα χρῆν τῇ πόλει, ταῦτʼ ἀπολέξαντες ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Ἐγεσταίων καὶ Λεοντίνων σκιᾶς εἰς τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπεστείλαμεν, καὶ τῆς παροιμίας οὐ πόρρω θέομεν τὰ νῦν· ἐπιθυμίᾳ γὰρ τῶν πλειόνων καὶ ἀπόντων—ἀλλʼ ἐάσω τὸ βλάσφημον—ἀλλʼ ὅπως γε μὴ στερηθῶμεν τῶν ὄντων, τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν ἁμαρτεῖν οἴομαι προσθείς.
For those resources which ought to have been laid up and available for the safety of the city, we have selected and sent to the western parts of the inhabited world for the sake of the shadow of the Egestaeans and Leontines, and we are now running not far from the proverb: for in our desire for more and for things absent—but I will let pass the ill-omened word—but at least that we may not be deprived of what we have, I think I should not err in adding this.
οὐ μιμησόμεθα, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τοὺς ἰατροὺς, οἳ τὰ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι ῥεύματα οὐκ ἐῶσι περαιτέρω χωρεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ φλεγμαῖνον ἴσχουσι, πρὶν εἰς ἅπαντα τὸν ὄγκον χυθῆναι·
Shall we not, O Athenians, imitate the physicians, who do not allow the humours in the body to advance further, but check the inflamed part before it diffuses through the whole frame?
οὐ σωφρονιοῦμεν τὰς ἄγαν ὁρμὰς, ἀλλʼ ὁρωμένου τοῦ προτέρου κακοῦ τὰ δεύτερα προσθήσομεν καὶ βαρυνοῦμεν τὰ πράγματα ἑτέροις ἵπποις καὶ ἑτέροις ἀνδράσι καὶ χρήμασι, καὶ συμποριοῦμεν τροφὴν τῷ πολέμῳ κακὴν, ὥσπερ εἴ τινες πυρκαϊᾶς ἡμμένης ἀμελήσαντες σβεννύναι ξύλα καὶ φορυτὸν καὶ ὕλην συμφέροιεν, ὡς τούτῳ τὸ πῦρ ἐπισχήσοντες;
Shall we not moderate our excessive impulses, but, while the former disaster is visible before our eyes, add a second one and weigh down our affairs with more horses and more men and more money, and gather together a bad nourishment for the war, just as if some people, neglecting to extinguish a blazing fire, should bring together wood and brushwood and timber, as if they would stop the fire by this means?
μὴ ὑμεῖς γε, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, μηδὲν ἀβέλτερον πάθητε μηδὲ ἐξαπατήσητε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς, ὥσπερ οἱ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς συγκλείοντες, ὅπως μὴ ὁρῶσιν ἃ μὴ θέλουσιν.
Do not, O Athenians, suffer anything so foolish nor deceive yourselves, like those who close their eyes in order not to see what they do not wish.
ἀλλʼ ἰδόντες οἷ πρόεισι τὰ πράγματα, ἕως ἔτι καιρὸς καὶ κύριοι τῆς βουλῆς καθέστατε, ἐπίσχετε καὶ μὴ βούλεσθε δυοῖν ὁδοῖν τὴν μὲν καθʼ ὑμῶν ἰδεῖν, τὴν δὲ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἀγνοεῖν.
But seeing whither affairs are advancing, while there is still time and you remain masters of your counsel, hold back, and do not wish, of two paths, to see the one that is against you, while ignoring the one that is for your benefit.
οὐδὲ γὰρ νῦν ἐνδείᾳ σωμάτων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παρασκευῆς οὕτω διατέθειται τὰ πράγματα, ἵνʼ ὡς ἀγεννέστερον αὐτοῖς ἐγχειρήσαντας ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς καταμεμφώμεθα, ἀλλʼ ἕνεκα μὲν στόλου λαμπρότητος καὶ περιουσίας ἅπαντα πέπρακται, τῇ τύχῃ δὲ ἐπταίκαμεν καὶ τῷ προεῖσθαι τὸ μέγιστον τῶν πλεονεκτημάτων, τοῦτο δʼ ἦν ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ τῷ μὴ ἐπιστῆναι ταῖς Συρακούσαις ἐν ἀκμῇ τοῦ φόβου, πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ Νικίου καὶ ὅτου τις βούλεται κατηγορείτω· οἱ δʼ οὖν καιροὶ προεῖνται, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε §381ἀναλαβεῖν αὐτοὺς, οὐδʼ ἂν δὶς τοσούτους ἀποστείλωμεν.
For not even now are affairs in such a state through lack of men and other equipment that we should blame ourselves for having set about them too ignobly, but as far as the splendor and abundance of the armament are concerned, everything has been done; but we have stumbled through fortune, and through having thrown away the greatest of advantages, which was the opportunity, and through not falling upon Syracuse at the height of their fear; for these things, let anyone accuse Nicias or whoever he pleases; however, the opportunities have been thrown away, and it is not possible to recover them, not even if we should send twice as many.
ὀφθέντες μὲν γὰρ ἐξαίφνης ἐκπλήττουσι καὶ ὀλίγοι πολλοὺς καὶ φαυλότεροι κρείττονας, ὅταν δʼ ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας διάθωνται τὸν πόλεμον οἱ τὰ δεινὰ προσδοκήσαντες πολλῷ ῥᾴους εἰσὶν ἀμύνασθαι τῶν ἐπελθόντων, τὴν μὲν ὀργὴν ἐξ ὧν ἐφοβήθησαν ἔχοντες, τὴν δʼ ἰσχὺν τῇ σχολῇ προσειληφότες.
For when seen suddenly, even few startle many, and the inferior the superior; but when those who expected dreadful things settle the war at their leisure, they are much easier to ward off the invaders, keeping the anger arising from what they feared, and having acquired strength from their leisure.
δοκεῖ δʼ ἔμοιγε Νικίας εἰς ταυτὸν ἀφῖχθαι κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν εἰς ὅπερ τότε δημηγορῶν.
And to me Nicias seems to have arrived in his letter at the very same point as when he was then speaking in the assembly.
δημηγορῶν τε γὰρ, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, βουλόμενος τῆς στρατείας ὑμᾶς ἀποστρέψαι πλῆθος ᾔτησε τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἥκιστʼ ἂν ὑμᾶς ᾠήθη δοῦναι, ἵνʼ ἐκ τούτου πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἡσυχίαν τράπησθε —ὃ καὶ σφόδρα δῆλόν ἐστιν ὡς οὐκ ἐνδείᾳ δυνάμεως εἰς ταῦτα ἐλήλυθε· πάντα γὰρ ὧν ἐμνήσθη λαβὼν ἐξέπλευσεν—ἐπιστέλλων τε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκεῖ νῦν πραγμάτων ἓν μὲν εὐθὺς καὶ σαφὲς αἰσχύνεσθαί μοι δοκεῖ δηλοῦν ὅτι ὑμῖν κλητέον ἐστὶν αὐτούς· προστίθησι δʼ ὥσπερ παραμυθούμενος αἵρεσιν εἶναι ἢ τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν καλεῖν, ἢ πέμπειν τοσαύτην βοήθειαν, ὅση τοῖς ἐκεῖ φόβοις ἀρκέσει.
For when speaking in the assembly, O Athenians, wishing to turn you away from the expedition, he asked for so great a multitude as he thought you would least likely grant, so that as a result of this you might turn to the necessary quiet—which also makes it very clear that he has not come to this pass through lack of force; for he sailed out having received everything that he mentioned—and in sending word about the affairs over there now, on the one hand he seems to me immediately and clearly to be ashamed to disclose that you must recall them; but he adds, as if comforting you, that there is a choice either to recall them from there, or to send so great a reinforcement as will suffice for the fears there.
ἂν οὖν, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ νῦν ταυτὸν ὅπερ πρότερον συμβῇ καὶ ὑμεῖς μὲν πρὸς τὴν βοήθειαν καὶ τὸ πέμπειν ὁπόσους ἂν μάλιστα ἐθελήσειεν ὁρμήσητε, οἱ δὲ ταῖς αὐταῖς ἀπορίαις ἐμπέσωσι νὴ Δίʼ, οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοῦτο γένοιτο;
If therefore, O Athenians, the very same thing as before should happen now too, and you on your part should rush to send aid and to send as many as he might most wish, while they should fall into the same difficulties, by Zeus, for would this not happen?
μηδὲ γὰρ γένοιτο, ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ πάντες θεοὶ, οὐδὲ ἐγὼ βούλομαι μὴ ὅτι συμβῆναι, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δεῖσαι μὴ γένηται.
May it indeed not happen, O Zeus and all gods! I too do not wish, not to say that it should happen, but not even to fear this very thing lest it happen.
ἀλλʼ οἶμαι πάντες ἐπιστάμεθα ὅτι νῦν οὐ μόνον εὐξόμενοι συνήλθομεν ὥσπερ εἰς ἱερὸν, ἀλλὰ σκεψόμενοι περὶ τῶν ὅλων.
But I think we all know that we have now come together not merely to pray, as if into a temple, but to deliberate concerning the whole state of affairs.
δεῖ δὲ εὐχομένους μὲν τὰ μέγιστα καὶ τὰ ἥδιστα αἰτεῖν τοὺς θεοὺς, βουλευομένους δὲ τὰ ἀσφαλέστατα ἐκ τῶν παρόντων αἱρεῖσθαι τούς γε μήθʼ αὑτοῖς μήτε τοῖς θεοῖς μέλλοντας ὕστερον ἐγκαλεῖν.
And those who pray ought to ask the gods for the greatest and most pleasant things, but those who deliberate ought to choose the safest course from the present circumstances, if they are not to blame either themselves or the gods later.
φρασάτω τις οὖν ἐμοὶ τίνα χρὴ λαβεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐγγυητὴν ἀξιόχρεων τῷ θαρρῆσαι θεῶν, οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων γε οὐδενὶ, ὡς ἡ αὐτὴ ἀπιοῦσα δύναμις τἀκεῖ κατασχήσει καὶ
Let someone therefore tell me what worthy guarantor we ought to accept from among the gods—for surely of men there is none—to encourage us that the same force now departing will master the affairs over there and