§471πεποιήκασι τὴν πόλιν δεῖ σκοπεῖν, οὐκ ἀξιῶ Θηβαίων μὲν τὰς εὐεργεσίας λέγειν, Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ τὰ ἀδικήματα, οὐδʼ αὖ τοὐναντίον, ἀλλʼ ἀμφοτέρων ὅσʼ εὖ πεποιήκασι λέγειν.
If indeed we must consider whether they have done any good for the city, I do not think it right to speak on the one hand of the benefactions of the Thebans and of the wrongdoings of the Lacedaemonians, nor again the reverse, but to speak of all the good things both have done.
εἰ δὲ τὴν ἀγνωμοσύνην αὐτῶν ἐξετάζειν δεῖ, μὴ τὴν μὲν τῶν ἑτέρων ἐπιδεικνύναι, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἑτέρων ἐπικρύπτειν ἐν οἷς εὖ πεποιήκασιν, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδήπερ ἀμφοτέροις τὰ καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχει, δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ ὡς εὐεργέτας ὄντας ἀμφοτέρους μηδετέρους ἀδικῶμεν, ἢ κακόνους ἀμφοτέρους κρίναντες μηδετέροις βοηθῶμεν.
But if we must examine their ingratitude, let us not point out the ingratitude of one side while hiding that of the other among the things in which they have done good, but, since both sides have both kinds of deeds, one of two things: either let us wrong neither side, treating both as benefactors, or let us help neither side, judging both to be ill-disposed.
καὶ μὴν εἴ γε ἀμφοτέροις ἀποδοῦναι δεῖ τὴν ἀξίαν, διʼ ἃ μὲν ἠδικήκασιν ἡμᾶς τὸ μὴ τυχεῖν τῆς βοηθείας, ἀνθʼ ὧν δʼ εὖ πεποιήκασι τὸ μὴ κακῶς παθεῖν ἑκατέροις ὑπαρχέτω, καὶ οὕτως πρὸς ἄμφω καλῶς ὑμῖν ἐσκέψεται.
And indeed, if we must pay to both what they deserve: on account of the wrongs they have done us, let their failing to obtain our help be their lot; but in return for the good things they have done, let their not suffering harm be their lot; and in this way your policy will be well considered towards both.
ἂν δʼ ἐπὶ τούτους ἢ ʼκείνους ἀποκλίνητε, οὐδετέροις δικαίως χρήσεσθε, τοὺς μὲν ὄντων ὧν ἠδικήκασιν εὖ ποιοῦντες, τοὺς δὲ ὄντων ὧν εὐεργετήκασι διαφθείραντες, παρὸν ταμιεύσασθαι τὸ δίκαιον, καὶ τοσοῦτον τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἑτέρους σπουδῆς ἀφελεῖν, ὅσον οὐ δεῖ τοὺς ἑτέρους μισοῦντας ὑπερβάλλειν.
But if you lean towards these or those, you will deal justly with neither, benefiting the ones despite the wrongs they have done, and destroying the others despite the benefits they have conferred, when it is possible to dispense justice, and to subtract so much from our zeal for one side as we ought not to exceed through hating the other.
εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰπεῖν, ἡγοῦμαι Θηβαίοις μὲν ἡμᾶς ὧν οὐ συνεισέβαλλον Λακεδαιμονίοις καὶ ὧν Θρασύβουλον ἐδέξαντο ἀποδεδωκέναι χάριν αὐτάρκη, Λύσανδρον ἀποκτείναντας καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα σύνιστε συμπράξαντας· Λακεδαιμονίοις δʼ ἀντὶ τῆς ψήφου νῦν ἀποδοῦναι δεῖν τὴν χάριν, τὸ παρὸν μετὰ Θηβαίων ἀνελεῖν αὐτοὺς μὴ ποιῆσαι τοῦτο· καὶ τοῖς μὲν τοσοῦτον ἰσχῦσαι τὴν συμμαχίαν, ὅσον μὴ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ὑμᾶς προσθέσθαι, Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ τοσοῦτον τὴν τότε εὐγνωμοσύνην, ὅσον μὴ καὶ νῦν ὑμᾶς μετὰ Θηβαίων γενέσθαι.
And if I must say this also, I think we have returned sufficient gratitude to the Thebans for their not joining the Lacedaemonians in invading us, and for their receiving Thrasybulus, by our killing Lysander and helping them in all the other things you know; and that we must now return gratitude to the Lacedaemonians in return for their vote, by not doing this—namely, destroying them now in alliance with the Thebans; and that for the former, their alliance should have only so much force as to prevent you from joining the Lacedaemonians, and for the Lacedaemonians, their former goodwill should have only so much force as to prevent you from siding with the Thebans now.
ἀνισοῖ δʼ αὐτοὺς κἀκεῖνο, ὅτι οὔτε Λακεδαιμονίοις εὔλογον βοηθεῖν, ἐπειδήπερ τὰς πίστεις παρέβησαν, οὔτε Θηβαίοις, ἐπειδήπερ ἔχουσιν ἰσχυρὰν ἤδη παρʼ αὐτῶν τὴν δίκην.
And this also makes them equal: that it is not reasonable to help the Lacedaemonians, since they violated their pledges, nor the Thebans, since they have already received severe punishment from them.
οὔτʼ οὖν ἐκείνοις συνεπεμβῆναι καλὸν οὔτε τούτους κωλῦσαι δικαίως ἀγανακτοῦντας.
Therefore, it is neither honorable to join in attacking them, nor is it just to hinder these who are justly indignant.
ἐξερήσομαι δὲ τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἑκατέρων εἰρηκότας χωρὶς οὕτως. ἄνδρες, οἳ Λακεδαιμονίοις συνείπατε, τί σπουδάζετε;
And I will ask those who have spoken on behalf of each side separately, in this way: "Men who spoke in support of the Lacedaemonians, what is your aim?
βούλεσθε μὴ λαβεῖν τοὺς Θηβαίους τὴν §472συμμαχίαν, μηδὲ παθεῖν μηδὲν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ἄγνωμον τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους;
Do you wish that the Thebans should not obtain the alliance, and that the Lacedaemonians should suffer nothing unjust at our hands?
ἐγὼ τούτου συνήγορος ὑμῖν. φέρε δὴ πάλιν· ἄνδρες οἱ Θηβαίοις συνειρηκότες βούλεσθε μηδὲν ἐμποδὼν γενέσθαι Θηβαίοις, μηδʼ ἐπὶ Λακεδαιμονίους ἡμᾶς ἀποκλῖναι;
I am your advocate in this." "Come now, on the other hand: Men who have spoken in support of the Thebans, do you wish that nothing should stand in the way of the Thebans, and that we should not lean towards the Lacedaemonians?
σύμψηφος ὑμῖν ἐγώ. καὶ τί κεκράγαμεν εἰκῆ καὶ φιλονεικοῦμεν, οὕτω κοινοῦ καὶ δικαίου πεφηνότος διαλλακτοῦ;
I vote with you on this." And why do we cry out in vain and dispute, when such a fair and just mediator has appeared?
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀπόχρη τὸ μέσον τοῦ πολεμεῖν τούτοις γε· εἰ δὲ μὴ ὑμῖν, ἕτερος λόγος.
But staying in the middle is not enough instead of making war, for these states at least; but if it is not sufficient for you, that is another matter.
καὶ μὴν εἰ τριῶν ὄντων διὰ σπουδῆς ἑκατέροις ὑμῖν, ἑνὸς μὲν τοῦ μὴ κακῶς παθεῖν οὓς ᾕρησθε, ἑτέρου δὲ τοῦ μὴ τοὺς ἐναντίους εὖ, τρίτου δʼ ὅπως μείζους οὓς προῄρησθε ποιήσετε, τοῦτʼ ἀφαιρῶν, ἐκείνων ἔχομαι, πῶς οὖν οὐ διπλάσιον κοινωνῶ τῆς γνώμης ὑμῖν ἢ καθʼ ὅσον διέστηκα;
And indeed, if there are three things about which each of you is eager: first, that those whom you have chosen should not suffer harm; second, that their opponents should not fare well; third, that you should make those whom you have preferred greater; if, by taking away this last one, I hold to the other two, how then do I not share in your opinion twice as much as I differ from it?
προσθήσω δʼ ὅτι καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα κοινωνῶ καθʼ ἃ καὶ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ βελτίους φήσαιτʼ ἂν εἶναι.
And I will add that I agree with you even in those respects in which you yourselves would say it is better.
πῶς γὰρ οὐ βέλτιον κοινῶς τὸ τῇ πόλει συμφέρον ζητεῖν ἢ χάριτός τινος ἢ δυσμενείας ἤδη προσάπτεσθαι;
For how is it not better to seek in common what is advantageous to the city, rather than to attach oneself already to some gratitude or hostility?
εἶτα ἃ τοῖς ἑτέροις ἐπιτιμᾶτε ἑκάτεροι, ταῦτα αὐτοὶ ποιεῖτε.
And then, what each of you censures in the other side, you yourselves do.
οὐκ ἐᾶτε λέγειν τὰς εὐεργεσίας, αὐτοὶ δʼ ὧν ᾕρησθε διέξιτε.
You do not allow them to speak of their benefactions, yet you yourselves recount those of the side you have chosen.
ἀπολογεῖσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, εἶτα κατηγορεῖτε.
You defend against the accusations, and then you accuse.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἐναντίον ἐμαυτῷ ποιεῖν καὶ τούτοις σύμψηφός εἰμι· οὗτοι δʼ ὁμοῦ μὲν αὐτοὶ τοῖς αὑτῶν ἑκάτεροι, ὁμοῦ δὲ τοῖς ἑτέροις τἀναντία φαίνονται λέγοντες.
I, therefore, O Athenians, besides doing nothing contradictory to myself, also vote with these men; whereas they, on the one hand, each contradict their own arguments, and on the other hand, appear to say the opposite of what the other side says.
πρὸς δὲ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως κἀμοὶ τῷ μηδετέροις διαφερομένῳ, καθʼ ὃ γοῦν ὡμογνωμόνηκα, εἶναι δεῖ μέρος.
And besides, I know not how there must be a share for me too, who differ with neither, at least in what I have agreed with them.
εἰς μὲν γὰρ τὸ βοηθεῖν ἀμφοτέροις κελεύειν οὐκ ἔνεστι δήπουθεν ἐλθεῖν τὴν συνηγορίαν.
For, on the one hand, it is surely impossible for advocacy to go so far as to urge helping both.
πῶς γάρ;
How could it?
εἰς δὲ τὸ μηδετέροις ἐπελθεῖν ὁ τοῦ συνηγόρου λοιπὸν τόπος ἐκπέπτωκε.
On the other hand, the remaining role of an advocate has fallen to the option of marching against neither side.
καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι καὶ αὑτοὺς ἑκάτεροι τοῖς ἑτέροις συστρατεύεσθαι κωλύουσιν.
For these men themselves, each side, prevent themselves from campaigning with the other.
οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο ἐστὶν οὑμὸς λόγος ἢ ὥσπερ τινὸς ἀντιγραφέως ἀνάγνωσις συντεθεικότος ἑξῆς τὴν ἑκατέρων ῥῆσιν καὶ μίαν ἐκ δυοῖν πεποιηκότος.
My speech, then, is nothing else than like the reading of some clerk who has arranged the speech of each side in order and made one out of two.
ἀλλὰ μὴν τό γε τοῦ βασιλέως, μέμνησθε γὰρ δή που λεχθὲν ἀρτίως γε, οὐδετέροις ἡμᾶς βοηθεῖν ἐᾷ μᾶλλον ἤπερ προτρέπει τοῖς ἑτέροις· ὅ τι δʼ ἐστὶν ὅ φημι
Moreover, as for the matter of the King—for you surely remember it being mentioned just now—it no more allows us to help either side than it urges us to help one of them; and what I mean by this is...