§384Σικελιώτας ὁ πόλεμος.
(if your war were only against) the Siceliots.
ταὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα λέγω καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ πραγμάτων, ὡς οὐκ ἂν ὑμᾶς ἐκφύγοι σχολῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων παραπεσούσης.
And I say these very same things also concerning the affairs in Italy, that it would not escape you if leisure from other things should present itself.
εἰ μέντοι δεήσει κατὰ ταυτὸν καὶ Πελοποννησίοις καὶ τοῖς ἐν Σικελίᾳ καὶ Ἕλλησι καὶ βαρβάροις πολεμεῖν, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἔτι τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀντιπέρας ἠπείρου μετʼ ἐκείνων ἐσομένοις, οὐκέτι τοῦτʼ ἔχω θαρρεῖν, ἀλλὰ δέδοικα τὰς ἐλπίδας ἡμῶν μακρὰς οὔσας.
But if indeed it is necessary to fight at the same time against both the Peloponnesians and those in Sicily, both Greeks and barbarians, and in addition to these, further, against those from the opposite continent who will be with them, I can no longer be confident in this, but I fear that our hopes are too far-reaching.
ἡ γὰρ παρενθήκη τοῦ πολέμου κινδυνεύει μείζων τοῦ κεφαλαίου ἡμῖν καθίστασθαι, οἵτινες ἀξιοῦμεν Σικελίαν καὶ Ἰταλίαν καὶ Καρχηδόνα καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὑποχειρίους ποιήσασθαι, ἵνʼ αὐτοὺς δεῦρο κομίσαντες τὴν Πελοπόννησον παριστῶμεν.
For the side-interest of the war is in danger of becoming greater for us than the main subject, we who think it right to make Sicily, Italy, Carthage, and almost all mankind subject to us, in order that by bringing them here we may bring the Peloponnese to terms.
ἐμοὶ δὲ, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ μηδεὶς ὑπολάβῃ δυσκόλως, τοὐναντίον δοκεῖ πρότερον ἐγχωρεῖν τε καὶ χρῆναι τὴν Πελοπόννησον ὑφʼ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ποιήσασθαι, ἵνα διὰ τούτων τῶν ἔξω τοσούτων κρατήσωμεν, καὶ δεῖν διὰ τούτων ἐκεῖνα προσκτήσασθαι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἐκεῖ τούτων ἕνεκα ἐγχειρεῖν ἐν ἀκαιρίᾳ.
But to me, O Athenians—and let no one take it ill—it seems on the contrary that it is first possible and necessary to make the Peloponnese subject to ourselves, in order that through these we may conquer those so many external forces, and that we ought through these to acquire those things rather than to lay hands on those things for the sake of these at an inopportune time.
ὅτι δʼ οὐκ ἐκείνῳ τῷ λόγῳ χρὴ πιστεύειν, ὡς ἡ πολλὴ τῆς Συρακοσίων δυνάμεως πρὸς ἡμῶν ἐστιν, ἀκούσατε.
And hear why we must not trust that argument, namely that the great part of the power of the Syracusans is on our side.
οὐδεὶς, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ οὔτε Ἑλλήνων λέγω οὔτε βαρβάρων ἐξ ἴσου Συρακοσίους τε μισεῖ καὶ ἡμῖν εὐνοϊκῶς ἔχει, ἀλλʼ ὥς μοι δοκοῦσι διακεῖσθαι φράσω.
No one, O Athenians, of those in Sicily—I speak of neither Greeks nor barbarians—hates the Syracusans equally and is well-disposed to us, but I will tell you how they seem to me to be disposed.
ἐκεῖνοι, μέχρι μὲν μηδεὶς ἀφῖκτο παρʼ ἡμῶν εἰς Σικελίαν, ἐδυσχέραινον Συρακοσίους, ὥσπερ ἡμᾶς πολλοὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων συμμάχων.
Those people, as long as no one from us had arrived in Sicily, were annoyed at the Syracusans, just as many of our allies are at us.
οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἑκὼν οἶμαι δουλεύειν βούλεται.
For no one, I suppose, willingly wishes to be a slave.
δυνάμεως δὲ τοσαύτης φανείσης, καὶ πάλιν ἄλλης πεμπομένης ὑφʼ ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς διανοίας οὔσης περιφανοῦς, οὐκέτʼ ἐκείνους μισοῦσι μᾶλλον ἢ ἡμᾶς δεδίασιν, ὥσθʼ ἡμεῖς διαλλακταὶ γιγνόμεθα αὐτοῖς.
But when so great a power has appeared, and again another is being sent by us and our intention is conspicuous, they no longer hate them more than they fear us, so that we are becoming peacemakers for them.
πολὺ γὰρ αὖ μᾶλλον αἱρήσονται τοὺς οἰκείους καὶ ὁμοίους, ἐὰν ἄρα καὶ παριδεῖν δέῃ μικρὸν ἐλαττουμένους αὐτῶν, ἢ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους καὶ ἐπήλυδας.
For they will choose far rather their own and similar people, even if indeed they must overlook their being slightly inferior to them, than foreigners and intruders.
ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἃ δέδοικα καὶ πρὸς τούτοις, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων ψευδολογίαν, ὑφʼ ἧς διαβεβλήμεθα, ὡς τῷ βιαίως ἄρχειν ἅπαντας ὑπερβεβληκότες.
These are the things I fear, and in addition to these, O Athenians, the false speaking of the Lacedaemonians, by which we have been slandered, as though we surpassed all in ruling by force.
πάντων δʼ ἀτοπώτατον τῆς μὲν Ἀττικῆς αὐτῆς παραχωρῆσαι τοῦ μὴ μάχεσθαι μηδὲ κινδυνεύειν ἕνεκα, ὑπὲρ δὲ §385τῶν ἐν Συρακούσαις αἱρεῖσθαι ὁτιοῦν καὶ παθεῖν;
And is it not the most absurd of all things to withdraw from Attica itself for the sake of not fighting nor running risks, but for the sake of the affairs in Syracuse to choose to do and suffer anything?
ἢ οὐκ ἀκούετε τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ὡς εἰ μή τις αἱρήσει τὸ παρατείχισμα χειρὶ συχνῇ βιασάμενος, πέρας τἀν τῇ γῇ πράγματα ἔχει;
Or do you not hear the letter, that unless someone takes the counter-wall by forcing it with a large hand, the affairs on land have reached an end?
οὐκοῦν ἄτοπον τοὺς αὐτοὺς κινδύνους ὑπὲρ μὲν τῆς οἰκείας καὶ τῶν ὄντων φεύγειν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας καὶ τῶν μηδὲν προσηκόντων ὑφίστασθαι.
Is it not therefore absurd to flee the same dangers for the sake of our own land and possessions, but to undergo them for the sake of another's and of things in no way belonging to us?
καὶ μὴν ἐνταῦθα μὲν πρὸς Πελοποννησίους καὶ Βοιωτοὺς ἐγίγνετʼ ἂν ἡ μάχη, ἐκεῖ δὲ πρός τε τοὺς αὐτοὺς τούτους παρόντας καὶ πρὸς ἄλλους ἔτι πλείονας, τοὺς μὲν ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς νήσου, τοὺς δʼ ὅθεν ἂν τύχῃ.
And indeed, here the battle would be against Peloponnesians and Boeotians, but there against both these same enemies being present and against still more others, some from the island itself, and others from wherever it may happen.
καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ὑπὲρ φυλακῆς γε τῆς χώρας εἰ λάβοιμεν οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποιμι· παντελῶς γὰρ ἂν ἀγνοοίην τὰ παρόντα.
And indeed, I would not even say that if we should take it, we should do so for the sake of guarding the country; for I would be completely ignorant of the present situation.
καίτοι πρός γε τὸ τῆς Κύπρου παράδειγμα τοσοῦτον εἰπεῖν εἶχον, ὅτι βασιλεὺς μὲν ἄρχει Κύπρου διὰ πάσης συνεχοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ, ἡμῖν δὲ εὐθὺς πρὶν Μαλέαν περιπλεῦσαι πᾶν τὸ ἐν δεξιᾷ πολέμιον.
And yet, regarding the example of Cyprus, I was able to say this much: that the King rules Cyprus through all continuous territory from his own, but for us, immediately before sailing around Malea, everything on the right is hostile.
ἀλλʼ ἐῶ ταῦτα.
But I let these things go.
διδότω τις ἡμῖν θεῶν Σικελίαν καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν, εἰ βούλεσθε, ὁ πάντα ἐγὼ δεδιὼς ἐγγυῶμαι.
Let some one of the gods give us Sicily and the rest, if you wish—I, who fear everything, guarantee this.
ἀλλὰ τί δεῖ τοὺς πόρρωθεν φόβους καὶ κινδύνους δεδιέναι, ἀφέντα τοὺς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς;
But why is it necessary to fear the distant fears and dangers, letting go of those before our eyes?
πρὸς ταῦτα λεγόντων ὡς ἡ Σικελία πολλὴ καὶ ἀγαθὴ καὶ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον λυσιτελεστάτη· ἀλλʼ ὅπως μὴ μεταβάλῃ ποθʼ ἡμῖν τὰς ἐπωνυμίας, μηδὲ τὸ τοῦ Πέρσου πάθωμεν, ὃς ἀκούων Μαρδονίου περὶ τῆς Εὐρώπης ὅτι πολλὴ καὶ ἀγαθὴ καὶ οὐδὲν φαυλοτέρα τῆς Ἀσίας κεκτῆσθαι, ἀγαπητὸν κέρδος εὗρε τὴν σωτηρίαν.
To this, let them say that Sicily is large and good and most profitable for the war; but we must take care lest it should ever change its names for us, and lest we suffer the fate of the Persian, who, hearing from Mardonius about Europe that it was large and good and in no way inferior to Asia to possess, found survival to be a welcome gain.
ὅτου γὰρ ἂν πράγματος μὴ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡγῆται, τό γε λοιπὸν ὕθλοι καὶ σκιαί.
For of whatever matter capability does not lead, the rest is nonsense and shadows.
νὴ Δίʼ αἰσχρὸν γὰρ φυγεῖν ἐκ Σικελίας.
"By Zeus, for it is shameful to flee from Sicily," they say.
πότερον εἰ κρατῆσαι παρὸν φεύγοιμεν, ἢ καὶ ὁπωσοῦν;
Is it if we should flee when it is possible to conquer, or in any way whatsoever?
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐὰν κρατῆσαι παρὸν, δειξάτω τις ὡς ἔξεστιν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὁπωσοῦν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τὸ σωθῆναι δεινὸν ἡγοῦνται.
For if it is when it is possible to conquer, let someone show that it is possible; but if in any way whatsoever, they think nothing other than that to be saved is a terrible thing.
ἔτι τοίνυν ἡδέως ἂν ἐροίμην αὐτοὺς πότερον αὐτὸν τὸν κατάπλουν τῶν τριήρων καὶ στρατιωτῶν αἰσχρὸν νομίζουσιν.
Furthermore, then, I would gladly ask them whether they think the sailing back itself of the triremes and soldiers to be shameful.
ἀλλὰ μὴν τοῦτό γε εὐξάμεθα ἐξ ἀρχῆς δή που, δέξασθαι σῶς αὐτούς.
Yet indeed, this is what we prayed for from the beginning, surely, to receive them safe.
ἢ τοῦτο
Or is this...