§469μήτε κινδυνεύειν καὶ ἀμφοτέρους τιμωρήσασθαι καὶ μηδετέροις προσκροῦσαι παραινῶν.
...or he who advises you not to run risks, and to be avenged on both, and to clash with neither?
καὶ μὴν ἐξιοῦσι μὲν ὑμῖν οὐκ εὔδηλον ὡς πιστὰ τὰ παρὰ τῶν συμπολεμησάντων ἀπαντήσειεν, οὖσι δʼ οἴκοι, χωρὶς ἧς ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς παρέξετʼ ἀσφαλείας, δῆλόν ἐστι σαφῶς ὅτι κἀκεῖνοι χάριν ἕξουσιν ἀμφότεροι.
Moreover, if you go out, it is not clear whether a faithful response would meet you from those who fight alongside you, but if you remain at home, apart from the safety you will provide for yourselves, it is clearly obvious that both of those sides will be grateful.
οὐ γὰρ ὧν οὐ συναγωνιζομένων μὲν ὑμῶν ἔτυχον ἑκάτεροι μέμψιν ποιήσονται, τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἴσασι τῶν ἀδυνάτων ὂν, ἀλλʼ ὧν οὐχὶ κακῶς ποιούντων αὐτοὺς ἐπειράθησαν, χάριν ἕξουσιν ἀμφότεροι δικαίως· τοῖς γὰρ μηδετέρους λυπεῖν ἐγνωκόσι τοῦτʼ ἴσασι καταλειπόμενον μόνον.
For they will not make it a matter of blame that they did not happen to have you fighting alongside them—for they know that this is among the impossible things—but they will both justly be grateful for the fact that you did not attempt to do them harm; for they know that this is the only course left for those who have resolved to grieve neither side.
πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄμεινον ἀμφοτέρους ἐπιτρίβοντας καταθέσθαι χάριν ἀμφοτέροις, ἢ τοῖς ἑτέροις προσθεμένους, μηδετέρους οἰκειώσασθαι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν πρότερον, τοῖς δʼ ὕστερον ἐχθροῖς χρήσασθαι;
How then is it not better, while both are wearing each other down, to lay up gratitude with both, than by joining one of the two, to win over neither, but to have some as enemies first, and others later?
ὅτι γὰρ ταῦτʼ εἰκότως ὑφορῶμαι ἔδειξαν ἀρτίως περὶ μὲν τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων οἱ τοῖς Θηβαίοις συναγορεύοντες, περὶ δὲ τῶν Θηβαίων οἱ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις.
For that I view these things with reasonable suspicion, those who advocate for the Thebans recently showed concerning the Lacedaemonians, and those who advocate for the Lacedaemonians concerning the Thebans.
δῆλον δὲ καὶ χωρὶς τῶν παρὰ τούτων λόγων ὅτι πάντα τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον συμπνέοντες καὶ κοινωνοῦντες ἑκάστων, ὡς οὐδεὶς δῆμος εἷς τῶν αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ μετέχει πραγμάτων, εἶτα μῦν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους σὺν τοσαύτῃ σπουδῇ καὶ ῥώμῃ παρόντες, καὶ φίλους ὑμᾶς οὓς τότʼ ἠδίκουν ἀξιοῦντες ἔχειν, οὐδὲν περὶ ὑμῶν ἁπλοῦν οὐδὲ δίκαιον φρονήσουσιν ὕστερον, ἄλλως τε καὶ χρείᾳ νῦν, οὐκ εὐνοίᾳ παραλαβόντες.
And even apart from the speeches of these men, it is clear that they, who during all the former time acted in concert and shared in everything—to a degree that no single people participates in its own affairs—and then now have come against each other with such haste and force, and expect to have as friends you whom they were then wronging, will think nothing straightforward or just about you later, especially since they are taking you to themselves now out of necessity, not goodwill.
ἀλλὰ μὴν ὅπου γε νῦν ἡμᾶς ἐφέδρους εἰδότες, ὅμως πάρεισιν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους, πῶς οὐχ ὅταν τοὺς ἑτέρους ἐξέλωμεν, ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς χρὴ νομίζειν τρέψεσθαι τοὺς περιγενομένους, ἐκεῖνό γʼ εἰδότας ὡς, ἂν ἡμᾶς κρατήσωσιν, οὐδεὶς αὑτοῖς λοιπὸς ἐναντίος ἔσται;
Moreover, when they, knowing us to be waiting in reserve, nevertheless advance against each other, how can we not believe that when we have destroyed one of them, the survivors will turn against us, knowing at least this, that if they conquer us, no opponent will be left to them?
ἀλλʼ ὦ τᾶν τῇ γε ἄλλῃ δίκαιον παρακινδυνεῦσαι, κἂν εἰς τοσαύτην ἀγνωμοσύνην ἐμπεσεῖν δέῃ. δεινὸν γὰρ Λακεδαιμονίους περιιδεῖν ἢ Θηβαίους τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα ἀγαθὰ εἰργασμένους ἀνθρώπους τὴν πόλιν.
"But, my good friend, in other respects at least it is right to run risks, even if we must fall into such ingratitude.
οἶμαι μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους ἑκατέρων τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν οὐκ ἔχειν νῦν διακρῖναι πότεροι πλείους καὶ μείζους εἰσενηνόχασιν ἡμῖν, τοῦτο μὲν ἡνίκα ἐνθυμηθῶ ὡς ἄρα οἰκείως καὶ προθύμως §470ἐνέβαλον ἀμφότεροι καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος δεῦρο, τριάκοντα ἑξῆς ὀλίγου δεῖν ἔτεσι, τοῦτο δὲ ὡς ἡδέως καὶ ῥᾳδίως Δεκέλειαν ἐπετείχισαν ἡμῖν καὶ εἰς Σικελίαν ἀπήντησαν καὶ πανταχοῦ πρὶν κληθῆναι παρῆσαν.
For it is a terrible thing to neglect the Lacedaemonians or the Thebans, people who have performed so many and such great services for our city." I think, indeed, because of the multitude of the benefactions of each, that I cannot now decide which of the two have brought us more and greater ones—on the one hand, when I reflect on how in so friendly and eager a manner both sides invaded here every single year, for almost thirty years in succession; and on the other hand, how pleasantly and easily they fortified Decelea against us, and encountered us in Sicily, and were present everywhere before being called.
περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Πλαταιέων ὀλέθρου παραχωρήσειν ἀλλήλοις ἀμφοτέρους οἴομαι.
For regarding the destruction of the Plataeans, I think both sides will yield to each other.
νὴ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ οὐ κακῶς ἠγωνίσαντο ἐπὶ Δηλίῳ Θηβαῖοι. τί δʼ ἐπʼ Ἀμφιπόλει χεῖρον Λακεδαιμονίους ἐρεῖ τις; τὰς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλας εὐεργεσίας οὐχ οἷός τέ εἰμι ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους ἀκριβῶς καταλέξαι.
"By Zeus, but the Thebans did not fight badly at Delium!" "But at Amphipolis, who will say the Lacedaemonians did worse?" For as for their other "benefactions," I am unable to enumerate them accurately because of their number.
τοιαῦτʼ ἐστὶ τούτων τὰ ἀμοιβαῖα, οἷς κέχρηνται πρὸς τὴν πόλιν.
Such are the mutual actions of these men, which they have practiced towards our city.
ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ προσέθεντο Θηβαῖοι τὸ παλαιόν. Λακεδαιμόνιοι δέ γʼ ὕστερον, ὄντων τῶν τροπαίων ἃ σὺν ἡμῖν ἀνέστησαν. ἆρʼ οὐκ εἰκότως ἀπορῶ πότεροι μειζόνων ἀγαθῶν αἴτιοι τῇ πόλει γεγόνασι;
"But the Thebans allied themselves with the King in the old days." "And the Lacedaemonians did so later, even when there existed the trophies which they had set up together with us." Am I not reasonably at a loss, then, as to which of the two have been the causes of greater goods for the city?
νὴ Δία.
"By Zeus!
ψῆφον γὰρ ἤνεγκαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι περισῶσαι τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν· ἔστι ταῦτα.
For the Lacedaemonians cast their vote to preserve our city." This is so.
οὐκοῦν καὶ Θηβαῖοι καλούντων αὐτοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν· ἔστι καὶ ταῦτα.
"Well then, the Thebans also did not obey when the Lacedaemonians called them." This also is so.
πότερον οὖν δεῖ Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν χάριν ἡμᾶς ἔχειν, ἐπειδήπερ οὐκ ἀνεῖλον τὴν πόλιν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὅνπερ Πλαταιὰς, Θηβαίοις δʼ, ἐπειδήπερ ἀπεῖπον ἐμβάλλοντες·
Should we then be grateful to the Lacedaemonians because they did not destroy the city in the same manner as Plataea, and to the Thebans because they refused to invade?
ἢ Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν ἀνθʼ ὧν εἰς τοῦτʼ ἤγαγον ἡμᾶς ὥστʼ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι χαλεπαίνειν, Θηβαίοις δʼ, ἐπειδήπερ ἁπασῶν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἐμβολῶν αὐτοῖς ἐκοινώνουν, ἐγκαλεῖν πολὺ μᾶλλον, ἢ ʼκείνοις μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ σῶσαι, τούτοις δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ συνεμβαλεῖν ποθʼ ἅπαξ ὀφείλειν χάριν ἡγεῖσθαι;
Or should we be angry with the Lacedaemonians for bringing us to such a state that we were at their mercy, and accuse the Thebans much more because they shared with them in all the previous invasions, or should we think we owe gratitude to the former for saving us, and to the latter for not joining in the invasion once?
καὶ μὴν οὔτε Θηβαίοις μᾶλλον δεῖ πικρῶς ἔχειν τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως ἐνεγκοῦσιν ἢ Λακεδαιμονίοις τὸ ἔχειν ἐκείνοις ὅ τι ἂν βούλωνται ψηφίσασθαι περὶ ἡμῶν παραδοῦσιν, οὔτʼ αὖ Λακεδαιμονίοις τοῖς ἐπὶ τὸν Πειραιᾶ στρατευσαμένοις μᾶλλον ἔχειν ὀργὴν ἢ Θηβαίοις ἀντὶ τῆς αἰτίας διʼ ἣν ἀπελείφθησαν.
Moreover, we ought not to feel more bitterly towards the Thebans who proposed our destruction than towards the Lacedaemonians who allowed them to vote whatever they wished concerning us, nor again should we have more anger towards the Lacedaemonians who campaigned against the Piraeus than towards the Thebans for the reason why they stayed behind.
ἣν ἄν τις ἀκριβῶς ἡμᾶς ἐᾷ σκοπεῖν, τῷ μὴ νικῆσαι τὴν ψῆφον αὐτῶν οὖσαν εὑρήσομεν.
If anyone should allow us to consider this accurately, we shall find that it was because their vote did not prevail.
ἀλλὰ τί ταῦτα ἀκριβολογοῦμαι;
But why am I so precise about these matters?
εἰ γὰρ τὰ μάλιστά τις εὐεργεσίας βούλεται ταῦτα νομίζειν, οὐ διαφέρομαι· ἀλλὰ πῶς ἔγνωκα φράσω πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
For if anyone wishes to regard these as the greatest benefactions, I do not object; but I will tell you how I judge.
εἰ μὲν εἴ τι χρηστὸν
If indeed there is anything good...