§462κατέλαβον τὴν ἀκρόπολιν, πῶς ἂν ἠξιοῦτε;
And if they had captured your acropolis, how would you have expected them to act?
συναλγεῖν ἡμῖν τούτους, ἢ ἐφήδεσθαι, ἢ τί φρονεῖν;
To grieve with us, or to exult, or to feel in what other way?
ἃ γὰρ παρὰ τούτων τότʼ ἂν δικαίως ἀπῃτήσατε, ταῦθʼ ὑμᾶς τούτοις ἔδει νῦν εἰσενεγκεῖν, ἐπειδήπερ προενέπεσον τῇ τούτων πλεονεξίᾳ βούλομαι δὲ πυθέσθαι παρὰ τῶν κατοδυρομένων τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, πότερον ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν σπουδάζουσιν, ἢ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡγεμονίας.
For what you would have justly demanded from them at that time, you ought now to render to them, since they were the first to fall victim to the greed of these men. And I wish to inquire of those who lament for the Lacedaemonians, whether they are anxious for their safety or for their supremacy.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡγεμονίας, οὐκ ᾤμην ἔγωγε δεῖν τοῦτο φροντίζειν, ὅπως Λακεδαιμόνιοι δυναστεύσωσιν, εἰ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας, τί ἐπείγονται;
For if it is for their supremacy, I, for my part, did not think we ought to care for this, that the Lacedaemonians should bear rule; but if it is for their safety, why are they in such a hurry?
ἔνεστι γὰρ καὶ Λακεδαιμονίους καταπολεμηθῆναι καὶ τὴν Σπάρτην εἶναι, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ αἰδέσιμον αὐτοῖς· εἰ μὴ τοῦτο λέγουσιν ὡς, ἐὰν μὴ ἄρχωσι τῶν Ἑλλήνων μηδʼ ἅπερ βούλονται δύνωνται ποιεῖν, οὐδὲ τῆς σωτηρίας προσδέονται, ἀλλʼ ἀπολέσθαι μᾶλλον αἱροῦνται.
For it is possible both for the Lacedaemonians to be vanquished and for Sparta to exist, which is indeed the very thing that is honorable to them; unless they mean to say that, if they do not rule over the Greeks and cannot do whatever they please, they do not even care for safety, but prefer to perish.
εἰ δʼ οὕτως ἔχουσιν, οὐ σφόδρα εἰσὶ ταπεινοί· ἐπεὶ καὶ Θηβαίους ἔγωγε νομίζω σφόδρα ἂν ἀσμένως ὑμῖν ὑπακοῦσαι πρὸ αὐτῶν, ἐὰν κατειργασμένοι τὸν πόλεμον περισῶσαι τὴν πόλιν βούλησθε.
And if they are in this state of mind, they are not at all objects of pity; since I, at least, believe that the Thebans also would very gladly submit to you in preference to them, if you, having brought the war to an end, should wish to preserve their city.
ὅταν γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο διʼ ὑμῶν ἴδωσιν αὑτοῖς γεγονὸς, τὸ ἔχειν ὅ τι ἂν βούλωνται χρήσασθαι Λακεδαιμονίοις, πῶς οὐχ ὅ τι ἂν ὑμεῖς κελεύητε αἱρήσονται, ἢ τίνα καὶ φήσουσιν ὑμῖν ἀποδώσειν χάριν τῆς συμμαχίας καὶ τῶν ἔργων, εἰ τὴν διὰ τῆς ψήφου μὴ ἀντιδώσουσι;
For when they see this very thing accomplished for them through you, namely, to have whatever terms they wish to use against the Lacedaemonians, how will they not choose whatever you command, or what gratitude will they even say they will return to you for the alliance and for your deeds, if they do not give in return that which is through the vote?
τί δʼ ἂν φθάσωσιν ἀναιρεθέντες οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι;
But what if the Lacedaemonians should be destroyed beforehand?
καὶ πῶς τοῦτο γένοιτʼ ἄν;
And how could this happen?
εἰ πάντες νὴ Δία παρατάξαιντο.
If everyone, by Zeus, were to draw up in battle.
ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν οὐδέποτʼ ἂν τοῦτο γένοιτο.
But above all, this could never happen.
οὐ γὰρ ἂν δή που τούς γε παῖδας καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας μεθʼ αὑτῶν ἐξαγάγοιεν.
For they would surely not lead out even their children and wives with themselves.
ἔπειτʼ ἔγωγε ἀντερήσομαι, τί οὖν ἂν οἱ Θηβαῖοι πανδημεὶ πταίσωσι, συνεστηκότων ἡμῶν τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις;
Next, I will ask in return: what if the Thebans should fail with all their forces, while we are standing against the Lacedaemonians?
οὐχ ὑπερβεβηκότες τὸν ὅρον τῆς βοηθείας ἐσόμεθα;
Shall we not have transgressed the limit of our assistance?
πότερον οὖν ἀναιρήσομεν αὐτούς;
Shall we then destroy them?
καὶ πῶς ἀνεκτόν;
And how could that be tolerated?
ἀλλὰ πάλιν μετʼ αὐτῶν ἐσόμεθα;
Or shall we again be on their side?
καὶ τί ἔσται πέρας, ἄν γε πάλιν τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους μειζόνως ἀμυνώμεθα;
And what will be the end, if we again repel the Lacedaemonians more heavily?
οὐ γὰρ δὴ τρυτάνην γε εἰς τὸν πόλεμον κομίσαντες ἐπὶ ταύτης τὰ πράγματα στήσομεν, ἀλλὰ δεῖ τάξιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἑλομένους ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς ῥοπῆς, καὶ μὴ τὸ τῶν πλεόντων μεταστρέψαι πρὸς τὸν ἐλάττω διατοιχοῦντας ἀεί.
For we shall certainly not bring a balance into the war and make affairs stand upon it, but we must choose our position from the beginning and hold fast to the inclination, and not always shift like those partitioning a ship's hold, turning from the greater side to the lesser.
ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὸ μὲν μὴ εἶναι ταμιεύσασθαι τὸν §463πόλεμον κοινόν ἐστιν ἐπʼ ἀμφοῖν, δεῖ δὲ τοὺς ἑτέρους ἑλομένους μὴ καταλιπεῖν μηδὲ προδοῦναι, σκοπῶμεν ποτέρων μᾶλλον προνοηθῆναι προσήκει.
Since, therefore, the inability to regulate the war is common to both cases, and we must not desert or betray the other side once we have chosen them, let us consider which of the two we ought to provide for in preference.
φέρε δὴ πρὸς τοῦ Πλαταιᾶσιν ἐλευθερίου καὶ τῶν τριάκοντα τυράννων, εἰ ὅτε πρῶτον καθίσταντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰς πόλεμον πρέσβεις πεμψάντων, ἀκούσαντες ἀμφοτέρων ἐπὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀπεκλίναμεν κἀκείνους εἱλόμεθα, οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο ἰσχυρότατον ἦν τοῖς νῦν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν λέγουσιν, ὅτι ἤδη τῶν Θηβαίων κατέγνωτε καὶ οὐ δεῖ παριδεῖν οὓς τότʼ ἐποιήσασθε συμμάχους;
Come now, by Zeus the Deliverer at Plataea and by the thirty tyrants, if, when they first entered into war against each other and sent ambassadors, after hearing both sides we had inclined to the Lacedaemonians and chosen them, would this not have been the strongest argument for those now speaking on their behalf, namely, that you have already condemned the Thebans and ought not to overlook those whom you then made your allies?
εἰ τοίνυν οὐκ ἐπὶ Θηβαίους, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ Θηβαίων τότʼ ἐξήλθετε καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀεὶ λοιπὸν ἔχοντες τάξιν αὐτοῖς διετελεῖτε, οὐκ ἰσχύσει νῦν ἡμῖν πάλιν τοῦτο, ὃ τότʼ ἂν τούτοις;
If, then, you did not march out against the Thebans at that time, but on behalf of the Thebans, and continued to maintain the same position with them ever after, will not this very same argument, which would then have been strong for them, now be strong for us?
ὅπου δὲ καὶ πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν Καδμείαν Λακεδαιμονίους εἵλεσθε τούτους, πῶς νῦν μεταθήσεσθε, ὁπότʼ εἰ καὶ μετʼ ἐκείνων ἦτε, τοὺς ἠδικημένους ἀνταλλάξασθαι προσῆκε;
Since you chose these men even before the Lacedaemonians entered the Cadmea, how will you change your mind now, when, even if you had been with them, it would be proper to change in favor of those who have been wronged?
καὶ μὴν εἴ γε ἀπήλαυνον ἡμᾶς οἱ Θηβαῖοι καὶ μὴ ἐδέχοντο, ὑβρίζειν ἅπαντες ἂν ἔφασκον αὐτοὺς καὶ δεινὰ ποιεῖν καὶ μετατάττεσθαι συνεβούλευον ἂν ὑμῖν.
And indeed, if the Thebans were driving us away and not receiving us, everyone would say they were acting insolently and doing terrible things, and would advise you to change sides.
εἰ τοίνυν ἔχονται, ποθοῦσι, καλοῦσιν, οὐχ ἧττον ὑμῶν συστρατευομένων ἢ τῆς νίκης αὐτῆς δέονται, τοῦτʼ αὖ παρʼ οὐδὲν θήσομεν;
If, then, they hold fast to us, long for us, and call upon us, needing your joint campaign no less than victory itself, shall we again count this as nothing?
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἄξιον.
No, it is not worthy.
πῶς οὖν συμμαχήσομεν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ;
How then shall we ally with them, and on what terms?
τουτὶ γὰρ ἀρτίως ἐλέγετο.
For this was said just now.
ἐγὼ δὲ ὅλως μὲν ἄνευ τοῦ μὴ θαυμάζειν λέγω τὸν εἰπόντα ὡς δεινὸν καὶ γελοῖον ἡγοῦμαι τοῦτο τὸ ἐρώτημα· οὐ γὰρ συμμάχους γενομένους ἢ οὕτως ἢ ʼκείνως τότʼ ἔδει ζητεῖν εἰ χρὴ βοηθεῖν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς συμμαχίας σκεψαμένους τότʼ ἐφʼ οἷστισιν ἔσται κοινῇ γνώμῃ σκοπεῖν.
But for my part, quite apart from my being amazed at the one who said it, I think this question is altogether terrible and ridiculous; for they ought not, having become allies either in this way or that, to inquire then whether they should assist, but having considered on what terms the alliance shall be, they ought then to deliberate in common council.
ἔπειτʼ ἔγωγε πρόχειρον ἔχω τοῦτʼ ἀποκρίνασθαι τοῖς ἤδη βουλομένοις εἰδέναι, ἐφʼ οἷσπερ πρότερον.
Next, I have this answer ready for those who already wish to know: on the same terms as before.
καλοῦσι δὲ δήπουθεν ὑμᾶς ὥσπερ καὶ τότε, ὥστε πῶς οὐ συγχωρήσουσιν;
And they surely call upon you just as they did then, so how will they not agree?
ἀλλʼ εἰ δεῖ προαρπάζειν τὸν καιρὸν, ἐπὶ Λακεδαιμονίων ταυτὸν τοῦτο σκοπῶμεν.
But if we must seize the opportunity beforehand, let us consider this same point in the case of the Lacedaemonians.
πολὺ γὰρ τὸ ἐκείνων χαλεπώτερον εὑρήσομεν ὄν.
For we shall find their case to be much more difficult.
εἰ γὰρ ἐφʼ οἷς πρότερον βουλήσονται συμμάχοις ἡμῖν χρῆσθαι, καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν ἡγεῖσθαι βουλήσονται.
For if they wish to employ us as allies on the same terms as before, they will also wish to lead both by land and by sea.
ἱκέτας δὲ καὶ
And suppliants and...