§475ἤδη τὰ σώματα φθείρεται, χρημάτων δʼ, ἅ ποτʼ εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν συνηγάγομεν, τοσοῦτος ὄγκος ἐξερρύηκε, δεῖται δὲ ἡλικίας ἡ πόλις, ἣν ἀνερχομένην ἄρτι μὴ λυμηνώμεθα, ἀλλʼ ἐν ὅσῳ μισοῦσιν οὗτοι, χαλεπαίνουσιν, ἀλλήλοις ἐπίασιν, ἀπειλοῦσιν, ἡμεῖς ἀθλοθέται καθώμεθα τοῦ πολέμου, τὴν πόλιν περιέποντες, συλλέγοντες αὐτῇ χρήματα, ἵππους, τριήρεις, κατασκευάζοντες ὅλως τὰ πράγματα, ὥσπερ οἱ τὰς πεπονηκυίας οἰκίας ἀναλαμβάνοντες.
Already our bodies are being worn out, and of the money which we once accumulated in the Acropolis, so great a bulk has flowed away. The city is in need of a generation of youth, which is just rising, and let us not ruin it; but while these men hate each other, are angry, attack each other, and threaten, let us sit as the stewards of the war, caring for the city, collecting money, horses, and triremes for her, and in general restoring affairs, just like those who rebuild worn-out houses.
κἂν ἐμοὶ πεισθῆτε καὶ κατάσχητε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς, ἥξουσι καὶ δεύτερον πρεσβεῖαι καὶ παρὰ τούτων καὶ παρʼ ἐκείνων, ἥξουσιν, εὖ ἴστε, ὅταν οὕτω πάνθʼ ὑμῖν συντεταγμένα καὶ καθεστηκότα φαίνηται·
And if you obey me and restrain yourselves, embassies will come a second time, both from these and from those; they will come, be well assured, when all things appear to you to be so organized and established.
οἶμαι δʼ οὐ τούτους μόνους, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους σὺν θεοῖς εἰπεῖν πρεσβεύσεσθαι, τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλίας ἐπιθυμοῦντας, ἐὰν ὑπομείνητε καὶ τῇ τούτων φιλονεικίᾳ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἡγεμονίας κατασκευὴν ἐθελήσητε ἀποχρήσασθαι.
And I think that not only these, but also many others, with the help of the gods, will send embassies, desiring our friendship, if you endure and are willing to make full use of their rivalry for the establishment of our hegemony.
οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνό γέ τίς φησι δεδιέναι, μὴ συστῶσιν ἀμφότεροι καὶ ἀφέντες ἀλλήλους ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τράπωνται, οὐχ ὡς εὐμενῶς ἡμῖν ἢ τούτων ἢ ʼκείνων ἐχόντων λέγω, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδήπερ οὐκ ἔνεστι λόγος τῷ πράγματι.
For no one indeed says that he fears that very thing, lest both should unite and, letting each other go, turn against us; I do not say this because either of these or those are well-disposed to us, but because there is no reason in such a thing.
ἀντὶ τοῦ γὰρ νὴ Δία συστήσονται;
For indeed, by Zeus, on what account will they unite?
ὅτι νὴ Δίʼ οὐ συνεπεστρατεύσαμεν οὐδετέροις;
Because, by Zeus, we did not join either side in the campaign?
οὐκοῦν ὅσῳπερ ἂν μᾶλλον ὀργίζωνται, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἀμήχανόν ἐστιν αὐτοῖς συστῆναι.
Therefore, by how much more they are angry, by so much more is it impossible for them to unite.
ὅταν γὰρ ἑκάτεροι τῷ μὴ διʼ ὑμῶν δεδυνῆσθαι κακῶς ποιῆσαι τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀγανακτῶσιν, πῶς αὐτούς γε ἀφήσουσιν;
For when each side is vexed because they were unable through you to do harm to their opponents, how will they let them go?
ἢ πῶς μετʼ ἀλλήλων ἔσονται, ὅταν ἑκάτεροι τοῖς ἑτέροις συνειδῶσιν ὀργιζομένοις, ἐπειδήπερ οὐκ ἔσχον ὑμᾶς συμμάχους ἐπʼ αὐτούς;
Or how will they be with each other, when each side is conscious that the other is angry, since they did not have you as allies against them?
χωρὶς δὲ τούτων οὐδʼ ἐν τούτῳ σχολῆς εἶεν ἂν νῦν, ἀλλὰ Θηβαῖοι μὲν ἔγκεινται, νομίζοντες ἕτοιμον εἶναι σφίσι Λακεδαιμονίους ἀνελεῖν, καὶ οὐδʼ ἂν ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλέως ἀρχῇ τούτων τῶν ἔργων πρὸς οἷς εἰσι νῦν ἀποσταῖεν· Λακεδαιμόνιοι δʼ ἥδιστʼ ἂν τεθναῖεν ἅπαντες, εἰ λήψονται δίκην παρὰ Θηβαίων· οὕτω διʼ ὀργῆς αὐτοὺς ἔχουσι.
And apart from these things, they would not even have leisure for this now; on the one hand, the Thebans are pressing on, thinking it is ready for them to destroy the Lacedaemonians, and they would not withdraw from these deeds in which they are now engaged, not even for the King's empire; on the other hand, the Lacedaemonians would most gladly all die, if they can take vengeance on the Thebans; so greatly do they hold them in anger.
καὶ θαῦμά γʼ οὐδὲν παρʼ ἀξίαν δοκοῦντας ἡττᾶσθαι §476χαλεπῶς ὑπὸ τῆς αἰσχύνης διακεῖσθαι.
And indeed it is no wonder that those who seem to be defeated undeservedly are in a difficult state because of their shame.
ὡς δʼ εἰπεῖν κεφάλαιον, τὸ πρὸς αὐτοὺς μῖσος αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ παροξυσμὸς ἐπεσκότησε τῇ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν δυσμενείᾳ, καὶ ὥσπερ νέφους ὑπελθόντος οὐδὲν τῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καθορῶσιν.
To speak in sum, their mutual hatred and provocation have overshadowed their ill-will toward our city, and just as if a cloud had come over them, they see nothing of the things concerning us.
ἀλλʼ εἰ νῦν φοβούμεθα αὐτοὺς ἂν μὴ ἀδικῶμεν, πῶς οὐ πολὺ μᾶλλον φοβησόμεθα εἰκότως μὴ τοῖς ἑτέροις προσθεμένων ἡμῶν ἅτεροι κρατήσωσι;
But if we now fear them lest we do them wrong, how shall we not much more reasonably fear lest, if we join one of the sides, the other should conquer?
νῦν μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν δέος ἐκ τῶν περιγενομένων, ἐάν τι νεωτερίζωσι.
For now there is no fear from those who survive, if they make any revolutionary attempt.
κεκομμένοι γὰρ καὶ τεταλαιπωρηκότες τάχα δὴ τὴν Καδμείαν νίκην νενικηκότες αἰσθήσονται, πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀκεραίους καὶ καθαροὺς ἐὰν ἀγωνίζωνται.
For having been beaten and having suffered, they will soon perceive that they have won a Cadmean victory, if they contend against us who are undamaged and pure.
εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἑτέροις προσθείμεθα, τοῦτο μὲν, ἂν κρατῆσαι συμβῇ τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον εἶναι δεῖ μετεσχηκότας, ὥστε ἐὰν ὕστερον ἀγνωμονῶσιν, ἐξ ἴσου γιγνόμεθα αὐτοῖς, τοῦτο δὲ, ἂν κλίνῃ τὰ πράγματα, δῆλός ἐσθʼ ὁ κίνδυνος.
But if we should join one of the sides, on the one hand, if it happens that we master affairs, we must also share in no less of the evils, so that if they are later ungrateful, we become on equal terms with them; on the other hand, if affairs incline to defeat, the danger is manifest.
νῦν μὲν οὖν οἱ νικήσαντες αὐτῶν ἡμῖν νικῶσιν, ἐκείνως δὲ διʼ ἡμῶν, ἂν οὕτως τύχῃ, κρατήσουσιν οἱ ἕτεροι.
Now indeed their victors conquer for us, but in that way the others will master affairs through us, if it so happens.
εἶτʼ οὐδʼ ἄλλως ὅμοια τοῖς τούτων τὰ ἡμέτερα.
Moreover, in other respects our affairs are not similar to theirs.
Λακεδαιμόνιοι γὰρ ἐσχατιὰν Πελοποννήσου κατοικοῦντες ἐν σκέπῃ πολλῇ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων εἰσί· Θηβαῖοί τε ὑπὲρ Κιθαιρῶνα ἀπελήλανται· ἡ δὲ ἡμετέρα πόλις ἐν πόρῳ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ οὐδεμία οὐδετέροις ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑτέρους ἔξοδος ἔσται, πρὶν εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐμβαλεῖν, ταύτην δὴ τὴν πρόχειρον αὖ φθείρεσθαι.
For the Lacedaemonians, dwelling in the extremity of the Peloponnese, are in great shelter from the war and its affairs; and the Thebans have been driven beyond Cithaeron; but our city is in the path of the war, and there will be no exit for either side against the other before they invade our land, so that this land, which is close at hand, will again be destroyed.
ὅλως δὲ οὐχ ὁρῶ περὶ ὅτου πολεμήσομεν, εἰ μήτε τούτοις μήτε ἐκείνοις ὑπομενοῦμεν περὶ ἀναιρέσεως, ἢ καθεδούμεθα ἐν μεταιχμίῳ φειδόμενοι τῶν ἀντιπάλων, ἐξὸν ὅλως φεύγειν τὸ δοκεῖν ἢ τούτους ἢ ʼκείνους κακοῦν, μηδὲν πρὸς ὀργὴν ἀποφηναμένους τοῖς πρέσβεσιν, ἀλλʼ οὑτωσὶ πράως καὶ μετρίως ἀμφοτέροις εἶναι, καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐπʼ ἄλλους ἐκάλουν, ὑπακοῦσαι ῥᾳδίως ἂν, ἐπʼ ἀλλήλους δὲ καλούντων οὐκ ἐθέλειν παρεῖναι, οὐ τὸ εὖ ποιῆσαι τοὺς ἑτέρους φεύγοντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὁποτέρους κακῶς.
In general, I do not see what we shall fight for, if we neither endure to fight with these nor with those for their destruction, or if we sit in the space between them, sparing our adversaries, when it is possible to escape altogether the appearance of harming either these or those, by declaring nothing in anger to the ambassadors, but being thus gentle and moderate to both, and if they called us against others, we would easily obey, but when they call us against each other, we are unwilling to be present, not fleeing from doing good to one side, but from doing harm to either.
ταῦτα δὲ κἀμοὶ φαίνεται εὔλογα εἶναι πανταχῆ σκοποῦντι.
These things seem to me also to be reasonable as I consider them in every way.
φοβοῦμαι δὲ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ βελτίους ἦτε τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπανορθοῦν ἢ τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν εὖ τίθεσθαι.
But I fear, men of Athens, lest you are better at correcting the affairs of others than at setting your own affairs well.