§461ἀστυγείτοσι καὶ συμμάχοις τὰ δίκαια φυλάξαι;
our neighbors and allies, to maintain what is just?
ἢ δέδιμεν μή τινʼ ἔχωμεν ἰσχυρὸν σύμμαχον;
Or are we afraid of having some powerful ally?
καὶ τί γένοιτʼ ἂν αἴσχιον ἢ εἴ τις ἀκούσειεν ὅτι Ἀθηναῖοι βούλονται μηδένα τῶν αὐτῶν συμμάχων εὐτυχεῖν;
And what could be more shameful than if someone should hear that the Athenians do not wish any of their own allies to prosper?
καὶ μὴν εἰ τοὺς ἔχοντας δύναμιν φευξόμεθα, τίνας εὐξόμεθʼ ὑμῖν ὑπάρχειν;
And indeed, if we are to avoid those who possess power, for whom shall we pray to be on our side?
ἡμεῖς Κερκυραίους ποτʼ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκσπόνδους ὄντας, συμφέρειν κρίναντες δηλονότι προκαταλαβεῖν αὐτοὺς, ἐπειδήπερ ἴσχυον, καὶ νῦν εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι, εἰ τοῖς Θηβαίοις μηδὲν ὑπῆρχε κοινὸν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, ἄλλως δʼ ἔχοντες δύναμιν ἑωρῶντο, πάντες ἂν ἔφασκον περὶ πλείστου ποιεῖσθαι οἰκειώσασθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἀγαγεῖν καὶ διʼ ἡμῶν ποιήσασθαι.
We once received the Corcyraeans when they were excluded from the treaty, clearly judging it to be advantageous to secure them beforehand, since they were powerful; and now I well know that, if the Thebans had nothing in common with our city, but were seen to possess power in some other way, everyone would have said that we should make it of the highest importance to win these men over, bring them to our side, and make them allies through ourselves.
νῦν τοίνυν ἥκουσιν αὐτόματοι, καὶ τοῦτό εἰσι πεπεισμένοι συνεζεῦχθαι τῇ πόλει καὶ μὴ ἀποστατεῖν, ἄν τις αὐτοὺς δέχηται.
As it is, however, they have come of their own accord, and they are fully resolved to be linked with the city and not to revolt, if anyone will receive them.
καίτοι φρουρὰν μὲν ἤδη τινὲς ἐγκαταστᾶσαν ἐξέβαλον καὶ ὑποκύψαντες βίᾳ κατέδραμον, καὶ πάνθʼ ὡς εἰπεῖν ὅσʼ ἂν ἐκ προσαγωγῆς πραχθῇ ῥᾳδίως ἐπὶ καιροῦ λύεται· εὔνοια δʼ ἑκούσιος, μέχρι ἂν τῶν δικαίων τυγχάνῃ, διαρκέστατόν ἐστι.
And yet, some have already expelled an established garrison, and others, having submitted, overran it by force; and almost everything done by compulsion is easily dissolved when the opportunity arises; whereas voluntary goodwill, as long as it meets with justice, is the most lasting of all things.
σκοπῶ δὲ κἀκεῖνο, εἰ μὴ ἐποιήσαντο τὴν εἰρήνην οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ταύτην δὴ τὴν καλὴν, ἆρʼ ἄλλο τι ἢ πολεμοῦντες ἂν διετελοῦμεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς μέχρι νῦν, ἡμεῖς τε καὶ οἱ Θηβαῖοι, συνεστηκότες ὡς συνεστήκειμεν.
I also consider this: if the Lacedaemonians had not made this 'fine' peace, would we have done anything else but continue to wage war against them until now, both we and the Thebans, united as we were?
εὔδηλον τοῦτʼ ἔστιν.
This is abundantly clear.
εἰ τοίνυν μηδὲν ἐπεξαμαρτόντες πολεμίοις ἂν ἐχρῶνθʼ ἡμῖν, πῶς οὐ νῦν τοῖς αὐτοῖς χρήσονται δικαίως, ὅτε καὶ τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ προσηδικήκασι, τὸ τοιαύτην εἰρήνην συνθέσθαι;
If, therefore, they would have treated us as enemies even though we had committed no further offense, how will they not justly treat us in the same way now, when they have added this very injustice of concluding such a peace?
εἰ δὲ δὴ καὶ μὴ συντέθεινται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παραβεβήκασιν αὐτὴν ταύτην, πῶς οὐκέτι μᾶλλον ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς βοηθητέον;
And if indeed they have not only concluded it but have also transgressed this very peace, how much more must we now help against them?
οὐ γὰρ λύει τὴν ἐκείνων κατηγορίαν ἡ μὴ Θηβαίων δύναμις νῦν· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπῆλθον αὐτοῖς, ἵνʼ ἰσχυροὺς ποιήσωσιν, οὐδʼ ἵνα ταῦθʼ ἃ νῦν πάθωσιν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν—καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἐμεμήνεσαν, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἐσπούδαζον—ἀλλʼ οἶμαι ταῦτα μὲν τύχῃ γέγονε, τὸ δʼ ἐκείνων βούλευμα ἕτερον ἦν·
For the fact that the power of the Thebans is not currently great does not dissolve the accusation against them; for they did not attack them for this purpose, to make them strong, nor in order to suffer what they are now suffering at their hands—for they would have been mad if they had been eager for this—but I suppose these things happened by fortune, while their intention was different.
ἡ δὲ τοῦ δικαίου τάξις, ἐάν τε ἀσθενὴς ἐάν τε ἰσχυρὸς ὁ ἐπιβουλευθεὶς ᾖ, τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον.
But the standard of justice, whether the one plotted against be weak or strong, holds the same principle.
μάθοιτε δʼ ἂν μάλιστα εἰ σκέψαισθε ἐκείνως. εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς Θηβαίους, ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἦλθον καὶ
And you would understand this best if you should consider it in this way: if they had come not against the Thebans, but against you, and...