§386μὲν οὐκ αἰσχύνονται, ἐκεῖνο δὲ, εἰ μὴ τυχόντες τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπανίασιν;
Or do they not feel shame at this, but at that, if they return without having achieved their purpose?
εἰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὸ αἰσχρόν ἐστι, τί μᾶλλον ἐάν γε μένωσι λύεται, ἕως ἂν τὸ τυχεῖν ἓν τῶν ἀδυνάτων;
For if the shame is in this, how is it any more resolved if they remain, as long as succeeding is one of the impossible things?
ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ τοὐναντίον, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, φαίνεται, ἔτι μεῖζον ταύτῃ γε τὸ αἰσχρὸν καθίστασθαι.
For to me, O Athenians, on the contrary, the shame seems to become still greater in this way.
εἰ γὰρ ἐμμείναντες ὥς τι δράσοντες, εἶτα πείσονται πλείονα ἢ νυνὶ πεπόνθασι, πῶς οὐχ ὅπερ εἶπον συμβήσεται;
For if, remaining on the ground as if to achieve something, they then suffer more than they have suffered now, how will it not happen just as I said?
ἀλλὰ μὴν ὅτε τοῦθʼ ἓν φαμὲν ἂν αἰσχύνεσθαι τὸ μηδὲν καταπρᾶξαι, οὐχ ἡ νῦν κλῆσις ἔχει τὸ αἰσχρόν· οὐδὲν γὰρ μᾶλλον αὐτὴ τά γε ἐκεῖ διέφθαρκεν, ἀλλʼ ἡ τότε ἔκπεμψις τῶν ἀδυνάτων ἡμᾶς ἐπιθυμοῦντας ἤλεγξεν.
Yet surely, when we say that this one thing, namely achieving nothing, is what should be ashamed of, it is not the present recall that holds the shame; for it has in no way ruined the affairs there, but rather the dispatch at that time exposed us as desiring impossible things.
ὥστε τοῖς ἐκεῖνα πείσασιν ἐγκλητέον, οὐ τοῖς ταῦτα συμβουλεύουσι.
Therefore, those who persuaded us to do those things are to be blamed, not those who advise these things.
διὰ γὰρ ἐκείνους φεύγειν ἠναγκάσμεθα, ὡς αὐτοὶ λέγουσι, ἐξὸν κατὰ χώρας ἐξ ἀρχῆς μένειν.
For because of them we have been forced to flee, as they themselves say, when it was possible from the beginning to remain in our own country.
ἐγὼ δʼ οὐδὲ φυγὴν εἴποιμʼ ἂν, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τόν γε τοιοῦτον εἶναι· οὐδαμῶς.
But I, O Athenians, would not even call such a thing a flight; by no means.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιόντας αὐτοὺς μὴ ἐτολμῶμεν ὑφίστασθαι, εἰκότως ἄν τις ἔφη δειλίαν εἶναι· εἰ δὲ ἐπήλθομεν ἐκ περιουσίας, εἰ μὲν προὐχώρει, μὴ προαπελθεῖν, ἀντιπεσόντος δὲ ἀναχωρεῖν τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστι σωφροσύνης.
For if we did not dare to withstand them when they attacked, one might reasonably have said it was cowardice; but if we attacked with resources to spare, not to depart beforehand if things went well, but to retreat when fortune turned against us, belongs to the same wisdom.
οἱ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πλείονος πόλεμοι τοῦτον ἔχουσι τὸν νοῦν, ἂν μὲν ἐξῇ λαβεῖν, τολμᾶν, εἰ δὲ μὴ, τό γε δεύτερον, μὴ χείρω τἀρχαῖα ποιῆσαι·
For wars for the sake of more have this principle: if it is possible to take, to dare, but if not, then at least as a second best, not to make our original possessions worse.
ὥσπερ οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς χρηματιστὰς ὁρῶμεν οὐκ εἰ μὴ πλείω τὰ ὄντα ποιῆσαι δυνήσονται, καὶ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἑκόντας βλαπτομένους, ἀλλʼ ἐπιχειροῦντας μὲν ἐάν τι περιῇ, μὴ φιλονεικοῦντας δὲ ἐάν τι κωλύῃ.
Just as, I think, we also see good businessmen, not willingly suffering loss even in their original capital if they cannot make their possessions more, but making attempts if there is any surplus, yet not persisting obstinately if something hinders.
ἐπὶ τούτοις γε, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς λόγοις οὐδὲ νῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ παρατειχίσματος χρῆν ἀναχωρῆσαι Νικίαν, οὐδʼ ὅσους ἀγῶνας ἠγωνίσαντο οἱ στρατιῶται, οὐκέτι χρῆν ἀναχωρεῖν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐπειδή γε ἅπαξ συνέστησαν.
According to these arguments, O Athenians, Nicias ought not even now to have retreated from the counter-wall, nor, however many contests the soldiers had fought, ought they to have retreated any longer, as it seems, once they had clashed.
μωρία ταῦτα καὶ γέλως.
This is folly and a laughing-stock.
ὅτι δʼ οὐδὲν ἔξω τῶν εἰωθότων οὐδʼ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπείας φύσεως ποιήσομεν, ἂν μὴ τοῖς ἀνηνύτοις προσκαθεζώμεθα, ὀλίγων ἅμα καὶ ἐναργῶν ἀναμνήσθητε.
And that we shall do nothing contrary to custom, nor contrary to human nature, if we do not persist in impossible tasks, remember a few yet vivid examples.
οἶδα μὲν γὰρ εἰς Θετταλίαν ποθʼ ἡμᾶς στρατεύσαντας ὑπὲρ §387τῶν Ὀρέστου πραγμάτων, ὡς οὐ προὐχώρει, πάλιν μετʼ ἐκείνου δεῦρʼ ἀναστρέψαντας·
For I know that we once marched into Thessaly on behalf of the affairs of Orestes, and when things did not progress, we turned back here again with him.
οἶδα δὲ εἰς Οἰνιάδας Ἀκαρνάνων διαβάντας, ὡς οὐκ ἦν ἑλεῖν, ἀναχωρήσαντας, Περικλέους, οὐ Νικίου στρατηγοῦντος·
And I know that we crossed over to Oeniadae of the Acarnanians, and when it was not possible to take it, we retreated, when Pericles, not Nicias, was general.
οἶδα δὲ τὴν Βοιωτίαν οὐ μικροῦ σχόντας, ὥσπερ οὗτοι νῦν φασι τὰς Συρακούσας, ἀλλʼ ἑλόντας πᾶσαν καὶ πάλιν ἐκλιπόντας, ὡς ἐπλήγημεν, τὴν τῶν ληφθέντων ἐν τῇ μάχῃ σωτηρίαν πλείονος ἀξίαν κρίναντας.
And I know that we held Boeotia, not in small part as these men now say of Syracuse, but having captured the whole of it and then left it again when we were struck, judging the safety of those captured in the battle to be of greater value.
καὶ μὴν καὶ Ἀχαΐαν γε καὶ ἕτερα μέμνησθε ἀποδόντες Πελοποννησίοις ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης.
And indeed, you also remember having restored Achaea and other territories to the Peloponnesians for the sake of peace.
καίτοι ὅτε τῶν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου πλεονεξιῶν ἑκόντες ἀπηλλάττεσθʼ, ἵνʼ εἰρήνη γένοιτο, ἦ που ἐν αὐτοῖς γε τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου πράγμασι καὶ ταῖς ἀνάγκαις εἰκὸς μὴ διπλοῦς τοὺς κινδύνους ἐθέλειν προστίθεσθαι.
And yet, when you willingly parted with the advantages of war so that peace might come, surely in the very events and necessities of war itself it is reasonable not to wish to add double dangers.
οὗτοι δὲ καὶ διπλῶν πέρα καὶ οὐκ ἐλάττους ἢ τὸ θαρρεῖν ἀφαιρεῖσθαι.
But these men add dangers even beyond double, and not less than to deprive us of our confidence.
σκέψασθε δὴ καὶ τόδε, ὅτι Λακεδαιμόνιοι καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος ἐμβάλλοντες εἰς τὴν Ἀττικὴν οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο ἀναχωροῦντες, τοσαῦτα ὅσα ἠδύναντο βλάψαντες·
Consider also this, that the Lacedaemonians, invading Attica year by year, were not ashamed of retreating after having done as much damage as they could.
καὶ νὴ Δία γε ἐνέβαλλον μὲν ἕως αὐτοῖς περιῆν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδεισαν ὑπὲρ τῆς χώρας, ἐπαύσαντο.
And, by Zeus, they continued to invade as long as they had resources to spare; but when they feared for their own land, they stopped.
νυνὶ δὲ πάλιν φρουροῦσιν ἐν Δεκελείᾳ, ἐπειδὴ περίεστι τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς.
And now they are keeping guard in Decelea again, since they have the upper hand in the situation.
τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ὁ καιρὸς καὶ τὸ ἐξεῖναι.
Such is the power of opportunity and capability.
οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἐκ προρρήσεως ἅπαντα κατεργάζεται οὐδʼ οἱ πόλεμοι δουλεύουσι ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις, ἀλλʼ ἡ τύχη τὰ πλείω διαιρεῖ, ἧς ὅσον δίδωσι μεταλαμβάνοντας εἰδέναι τι χρὴ καὶ παριδεῖν.
For no one among men achieves everything according to prediction, nor do wars serve our desires, but fortune decides the most part, and of what she gives, we must take our share, understanding some things and overlooking others.
χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἐναντίος οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν τῷ σοφωτέρῳ, ὃς εἰ μηδὲν πράττοιεν οἱ νῦν ἀπελθόντες, ὡς ἐξέσται καὶ ἀμφοῖν ἀναπλεῖν ἐπαγγέλλεται.
And apart from these things, this argument of theirs is contrary to their more clever one, which promises that if those who have now departed achieve nothing, it will be possible for both fleets to sail back.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ αἰσχρὸν τὸ φεύγειν κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἔτʼ αἴσχιον ἔσται τότε, ὅταν ἀμφοτέρους καταλαμβάνῃ τοὺς στόλους.
For if fleeing is shameful in any way whatsoever under the circumstances, it will be even more shameful then, when it overtakes both expeditions.
εἰ δʼ ἰσχυρὸν ἡ ἀνάγκη, τί δεῖ τὰ πράγματα ἀφέντας φοβεῖν ὑμᾶς τοῖς ὀνόμασι;
But if necessity is strong, why is it necessary to let go of the actual situation and terrify you with mere words?
τοσούτῳ γὰρ βελτίων ἡ νῦν ἀναχώρησις, ὅσῳ μάχας τε νενικηκότες, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν καὶ τὰς Συρακούσας αὐτὰς παρὰ μικρὸν ἐλθόντες ἔχειν, εἶτα ἀντιπεσούσης τῆς τύχης ἀναστρέψομεν, ἀμφοῖν σημεῖα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις καταλιπόντες, τῆς τε ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγώνων εὐψυχίας
For the present retreat is so much better, O Athenians, inasmuch as we shall turn back after having won battles both by land and by sea, and having come within a hair's breadth of holding Syracuse itself, and then when fortune turned against us, leaving behind signs to all men of both our courage in the contests...