§398μηδὲν νῦν παθεῖν παραπλήσιον, ἀλλʼ ἀτοπώτατον νομίσαι τῶν ἁπάντων εἶναι εἰ Νίσαιαν μὲν καὶ Πηγὰς καὶ Ἀχαΐαν ἔχοντές ποτε, τούτων ἐθελονταὶ παρεχωρήσαμεν, πλείονος ἀξίαν τὴν εἰρήνην τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πολέμου πλεονεξιῶν ἡγούμενοι, νυνὶ δʼ ἐξὸν μετὰ τοῦ μηδὲν προέσθαι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων δόξαν φρονήσεως ἅμα καὶ δυνάμεως προσλαβεῖν οὐκ ἐθελήσομεν.
And we must not suffer anything similar now, but think it the most absurd of all things if, while we once voluntarily surrendered Nisaea, Pegae, and Achaea when we held them, holding peace to be of more value than the advantages of war, now, when it is open to us to acquire a reputation for both wisdom and power without giving up any of our existing possessions, we shall not be willing to do so.
ἀλλʼ ἐκλείπειν μέν ποτε τὴν πόλιν καὶ προΐεσθαι καὶ ἱερὰ καὶ τάφους καὶ ἅμα τοῖς σώμασι καὶ τοῖς οὖσι κινδυνεύειν ᾠόμεθα δεῖν, τῆς κοινῆς σωτηρίας τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἕνεκα, ἐξὸν δʼ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ παύσασθαι κινδυνεύοντας σῶσαι τὰ πράγματʼ αὐτοῖς, οὐ τολμήσομεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν ἀθλητῶν εὖ βουλεύεσθαι νομίζομεν οἵτινες ἂν νικῶντες καταλύωσι καὶ μὴ πρὸς ἀνάγκην, αὐτοὶ δʼ οὐχ οὕτω πράξομεν, οὐδʼ εἰσόμεθα ὅτι πρὸς μὲν τοὺς βαρβάρους καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων ἴσως προσήκει προϊέναι, τοὺς δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγῶνας τοῖς στεφανίταις ἀγῶσι νομίζειν προσεοικέναι καὶ τὴν νίκην ἀποχρῶν ἡγεῖσθαι τέλος, πέρα δὲ μηδὲν ζητεῖν.
But while we once thought it necessary to abandon our city, to give up temples and tombs, and to run risks with both our bodies and our possessions for the sake of the common safety of the Greeks, shall we not now, when it is possible in the very ceasing of running risks to save our affairs, have the courage to do so? Instead, while we think those athletes are wise who retire when they are victorious and not by necessity, shall we ourselves not act in this way? Nor shall we recognize that, while against the barbarians it is perhaps fitting to go even to the extreme, we ought to think that contests of the Greeks against one another resemble those contests where crowns are the prize, and to deem victory a sufficient end, seeking nothing beyond.
εἰ δʼ αὖ κἀκεῖνον ἀληθῆ χρὴ νομίζειν τὸν λόγον ὡς ὁ πρὸς ἀλλήλους πόλεμος τοῖς Ἕλλησι στάσει προσέοικεν, ἄριστον δή που σκοπεῖν ὅπως τις ὡς τάχιστʼ αὐτὸν καταλύσεται καὶ μὴ ζητεῖν εἰς ἀπέραντον ἐκτείνειν οὗ μηδʼ ἄρξασθαι προσῆκε.
And if, on the other hand, we must believe that saying to be true, that war against one another resembles civil strife for the Greeks, it is surely best to consider how one may most quickly end it, and not to seek to spin out to infinity what ought not even to have been begun.
καὶ μὴν εἰ πρότερον δυσκόλως τινὲς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔσχον πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐξ ἀδίκων ὑπονοιῶν, νῦν γε ἅπαντες σωτῆρας ἑαυτῶν κρινοῦσιν, ἐὰν αὐτοὺς πραγμάτων καὶ κακῶν ἀπαλλάξητε.
Indeed, if formerly some of the Greeks were ill-disposed toward you out of unjust suspicions, now at least all will judge you to be their saviors, if you deliver them from troubles and evils.
οὐ γὰρ τοῖς κατʼ ἀνάγκην δεηθεῖσι τὴν χάριν προσθήσουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς καὶ ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα βουλεύσασθαι κυρίοις οὖσι τὰ κοινῇ συμφέροντα προκρίνασιν.
For they will not bestow their gratitude upon those who complied when forced by necessity, but upon those who, being masters of deciding both this and that course, preferred what was for the common interest.
ἡγοῦμαι δʼ εἰ μέν τι πιστόν ἐστι Λακεδαιμονίοις, πανταχῆ καλῶς ἡμῖν ἔσεσθαι διεγνωσμένα, εἰ δʼ αὖ νεωτερίζειν ἐγχειροῖεν, οὐκ εἶναι κρείττω κατʼ αὐτῶν λαβήν.
And I think that if there is any good faith in the Lacedaemonians, our decisions will turn out well for us in every way; but if, on the contrary, they should attempt to make revolutionary moves, there is no better hold against them.
εἰ γὰρ ὅταν μὲν δέῃ σώζειν, ὑπέρχονται, θαρρήσαντες δὲ ἐπίασιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως οὐχ ἡμῖν στρατηγήσουσιν.
For if, when they need to be saved, they cringingly flatter us, but when they grow confident they attack us, it is impossible that they will not end up acting in our favor.
ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ ὁμοῦ φαύλους τε ἡγήσονται καὶ μισήσουσιν ἅπαντες, ἡμῖν δὲ μετʼ εὐφημίας ὅ τι ἂν §399οἷοί τʼ ὦσιν ὑπηρετεῖν προθυμήσονται.
For all men will at once deem them base and hate them, while they will eagerly strive to serve us with praise in whatever way they are able.
θαυμάζω δʼ εἴ τις δέδοικε μὲν μὴ λύσωσι τὰς σπονδὰς, πολεμεῖν δʼ ἐξεπίτηδες αἱρεῖται καὶ μὴ λογίζεται τοὐναντίον ἢ βούλεται ποιῶν.
But I wonder if anyone fears lest they break the treaty, yet deliberately chooses to make war and does not consider that he is doing the opposite of what he wishes.
ὅπως γὰρ ἀσφαλῶς γενήσονται πράττειν, οὐκ ἐξ ἀρχῆς γενέσθαι κωλύειν προσῆκεν.
For how they will fare securely, it was fitting not to prevent from happening from the very beginning.
οἶμαι δʼ εἰ πανούργους καὶ σφόδρα ἀσφαλεῖς τις ἡγεῖται Λακεδαιμονίους, ὑπό γʼ αὐτῶν τῶν συμφορῶν πεπαιδευμένους ἔσεσθαι μαλακωτέρους· ὁρῶντες γὰρ ὡς οὐδὲ τὰ πρόσθεν αὐτοῖς εἰς καλὸν ἧκεν, εἰ μὴ ἑκόντες, ἀλλʼ ἄκοντες σωφρονήσουσι.
And I think that if anyone considers the Lacedaemonians to be cunning and extremely cautious, they will be made gentler, having been disciplined by their very misfortunes; for seeing that even their past actions did not turn out well for us, they will, if not willingly, then unwillingly act with moderation.
δεξαίμην δʼ ἂν ἔγωγε καὶ δεύτερον αὐτῶν παρακινησάντων πολεμεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ νυνί.
For my part, I would rather accept making war if they made a second provocative move, than doing so now.
τότε μὲν γὰρ τὴν παρὰ τῶν θεῶν αὖ βοήθειαν προσυπάρξειν ἡγοῦμαι τῇ πόλει, νῦν δʼ οὐδὲν εἶναι τοσοῦτον ἀνθʼ ὅτου προσῆκε περαιτέρω τοῦ συνοίσοντος φιλονεικεῖν.
For then I believe that help from the gods will again be present to our city, whereas now there is nothing so great for the sake of which we ought to contend beyond what is beneficial.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν εἶπον ἃ βέλτιστα ἡγούμην.
I, then, have said what I believed to be best.
εὔχομαι δὲ δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ καὶ ὑμῖν συνδοκεῖν, ἢ μετὰ τῶν ὑμῖν αὖ δοξάντων γενέσθαι τὴν τύχην.
And I pray for one of two things: either that you also agree, or that fortune go with whatever you decide.