§483ἀλλὰ μὴν πρός γε τὰς αἰτίας καὶ τὰς διαβολὰς, αἷς ἐχρήσαντο καθʼ ἡμῶν οἱ πρέσβεις, ἐνθυμεῖσθʼ ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν ἑαυτοῖς περιπίπτουσιν, εἰ τἀληθῆ λέγουσιν.
And indeed, regarding the accusations and slanders which the envoys have used against us, reflect that, first of all, they contradict themselves, if they are speaking the truth.
εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀλλήλων ἔχομέν τι κατηγορῆσαι, ἡμῶν ταῦτʼ ἂν εἴη πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφορὰ, ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῦ μηδὲν μετέχοντος τῶν ἐγκλημάτων.
For if we have something to accuse each other of, this would be a dispute between ourselves against each other, but not of the one who has no part in the complaints.
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἐκεῖνον πέμπειν ὡς ὑμᾶς παροξυνοῦντα προσῆκεν, ἀλλʼ ὑμᾶς εἴπερ ᾤεσθε δεῖν μνησικακεῖν, κἀκεῖνον καὶ πάντας ὅσους ἠδύνασθʼ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς καλεῖν.
So it was not fitting for him to send anyone to you to stir you up, but for you, if indeed you thought it necessary to bear a grudge, to call both him and as many as you could against us.
ὅτε δʼ αὐτοὶ καθʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς σωφρονεῖν ἐπίστασθε, πῶς ἐκείνῳ γε ταράττοντι προσέξετε;
But when you yourselves know how to be wise by yourselves, how will you pay attention to him who is causing confusion?
εἰ μὴ τοῦτό τις εἴποι, ὡς ὑπὲρ μὲν ὑμῶν αὐτῶν πράως οἴσετε, ὑπὲρ δʼ ἐκείνου μνησικακήσετε, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν οἷς ὑμεῖς, οὐκ ἐκεῖνος, ὕβρισθε, εἴ γε δεῖ τι τούτων εἰπεῖν.
Unless someone should say this: that for your own sakes you will bear it gently, but for his sake you will bear a grudge, and this in matters in which you, not he, have been insulted, if indeed any of these things must be said.
ἔπειτα κἀκεῖνο σκοπεῖτε, ὅπως μὴ ἅμα θʼ ὑμεῖς ὀργιζόμενοι φανήσεσθε καὶ τὴν δίκην παρʼ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν εἰληφότες, καὶ τοσούτῳ χείρους ἡμῶν περὶ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς γεγενημένοι, ὥσθʼ ἡμεῖς μὲν ἥκομεν συσσώζειν ὑμῖν ὄντες ἕτοιμοι τὰ πράγματα, ὑμεῖς δὲ—τί δʼ ἄν τις λέγοι τὸ βλάσφημον;
Then look also to that, so that you do not appear both to be angry and at the same time to have taken the punishment from yourselves, and to have become so much worse than us towards yourselves, so that we indeed have come ready to save your affairs with you, but you—why should one speak of what is ominous?
καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὲν τούτων ἕνεκα ὅσα πώποθʼ ὑμεῖς ἐμέμψασθε καὶ διʼ ἅ φασι δεῖν ὑμᾶς ἀγανακτεῖν ὁ Φίλιππος ἐπέρχεται, δῶμέν τι λέγειν τούτοις· εἰ δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι κατέχειν ἑαυτὸν, δειξάτω Πύθων, εἰ καὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν τι τοσοῦτον κατεγνώκατε, ὥστε μνησικακοῦντες ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ὀρθῶς ἂν ἡγεῖσθαι βουλεύεσθαι.
For indeed, if on account of those things, as many as you have ever complained of and because of which they say you must be indignant, Philip is marching, let us grant that these men have something to say; but if it is because of his inability to restrain himself, let Python show if you have condemned yourselves for something so great that, bearing a grudge, you would think you were deliberating correctly against yourselves.
χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἅπαντας ἂν οἶμαι συμφῆσαι τὸ μὲν ἡμᾶς ὄντας Ἕλληνας καὶ ὁμοφύλους ἐρίζειν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὑπὲρ ἀρχῆς καὶ τάξεως ἀνεπίφθονον εἶναι καὶ τῶν νενομισμένων, τὸν δʼ ὅλως ἀλλότριον μηδεμιᾶς ὀργῆς μηδʼ ἔριδος χρῆναι προσίεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ δύʼ ἀδελφοὶ πρωτείων ἠμφισβήτουν ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, ἕν γʼ ἂν ἐκεῖνο ταυτὸν ἐγίγνωσκον, εἴ τις ξένος καὶ μηδὲν προσήκων ἐβιάζετο, κοιναῖς ταῖς θύραις ἀποκλείειν, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν μηδενὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν λαβὴν εἶναι τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀπόρρητα· —οὕτω γὰρ καὶ λέγειν ἄξιον περὶ αὐτῶν—ἀλλὰ νομίζειν τοὺς μὲν τῶν Ἑλλήνων πρὸς ἀλλήλους πολέμους καὶ τὰ ἐγκλήματα ταῖς §484στάσεσι προσεοικέναι, καὶ δεῖν μάλιστα μὲν, εἰ οἷόν τε, σκοπεῖν ὅπως μὴ συμβήσεται, εἰ δʼ ἄρα, τὴν ταχίστην ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, τὸν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους καὶ πάλαι κακόνους πόλεμον φύσει προσειρῆσθαι, καὶ μὴ καιρῶν εἶναι ταῦτα νοσήματα καὶ φορὰν, ἀλλʼ ἀθανάτους ἑστάναι τούτων τοὺς ὅρους, ὥσπερ ὅταν τῳ χρέος ὀφείληται.
But apart from these things, I think everyone would agree that for us, being Greeks and of the same race, to dispute with each other for hegemony and rank is free from blame and according to custom, but that we should not admit a complete stranger to any anger or dispute, but in the same manner as if two brothers were disputing about the first place among themselves, they would at least decide that one and the same thing: if some stranger and one who is not related should force his way in, to shut him out with a common door; so in Greek affairs, the things that are secrets among ourselves should not be a handle for anyone from outside. —for it is fitting to speak of them in this way—but we should think that the wars of the Greeks against one of another and the complaints are like civil strifes, and that we must especially, if possible, see to it that they do not happen, but if they do, to be rid of them as quickly as possible, but that the war against the barbarians and those who have long been ill-disposed is declared by nature, and that these are not sicknesses of circumstances and a passing trend, but that the boundaries of these stand immortal, just as when a debt is owed to someone.
ὅλως δʼ εἰ μὲν ἔξεστι μνησικακεῖν, δίκαιον μὲν οὒ, χρῆσθε δʼ, εἰ βούλεσθε, τούτῳ· εἰ δὲ κρείττων ὁ καιρὸς τῆς τοιαύτης μικροψυχίας, ἐπὶ θάτερα συμβούλῳ τῷ Φιλίππῳ χρησώμεθα καὶ νομίσωμεν ἥκειν αὐτὸν οἷον ἀκούσιον διαλλακτήν.
On the whole, if indeed it is permitted to bear a grudge, which is not just, use it if you wish; but if the occasion is greater than such small-mindedness, let us employ Philip as an advisor for the other side, and let us think that he has come as an involuntary reconciler.
ἡμῖν μέν γε εἰ μηδὲν ἄλλο, μέμψασθαί γε τὸ κοινὸν τοῦτο ἔχοι τις ἄν.
To us, at least, if nothing else, someone might be able to object to this common fault.
Φίλιππος δὲ οὐδαμοῦ καταλείπει τὸν οἷα πέπονθεν ἐροῦνθʼ ὑφʼ αὑτοῦ οὕτω κακῶς ἀπολογεῖσθαι περὶ τούτων μελετᾷ.
But Philip nowhere leaves anyone who will say what he has suffered by him; he is so diligent in making a bad defense concerning these things.
καὶ μὴν εἰ μὲν ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς καιροῖς τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἐμέλλετε ἀγνωμονήσειν τι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, τάχʼ ἄν τις ἦν συγγνώμη· νῦν δὲ σκέψασθε οἷα παιδεύουσιν ὑμᾶς, ὡς οὔτε δίκαια οὔθʼ ὑμῖν συμφέροντα.
And indeed, if in the very crises of the complaints you were going to act unreasonably towards us, perhaps there would be some excuse; but now look at what things they are teaching you, how they are neither just nor beneficial to you.
εἰ γὰρ ἡνίκα μὲν διʼ ἀπεχθείας ἀλλήλοις ἦμεν, κατείχετε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς, ὅτε δʼ ἔργῳ πάντα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν λέλυται καὶ συστρατεύεσθαι βουλόμενοι πάρεσμεν, τηνικαῦτα ὀργιεῖσθε, σκοπεῖσθε μὴ θάτερον οὗ βούλεσθε ποιήσητε.
For if, when we were in mutual hatred, you restrained yourselves, but when in fact everything has been resolved by us and we are present wishing to campaign together, at that very time you are going to be angry, look to it lest you do the opposite of what you wish.
οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι δόξετε μνησικακεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὖ ποιεῖν προῃρημένοις ὀργίζεσθαι.
For you will seem not to bear a grudge against those who wrong you, but to be angry with those who have chosen to do you good.
καὶ μὴν ἀμφοτέροις οὕτω γʼ ἂν ἐναντίως τοῦ δέοντος χρήσαισθε, [καὶ ὑμῖν ἀμφοτέρως τοῦ δέοντος ἐναντίως] τὸν μὲν καθʼ ὑμῶν ἥκοντα τῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν προκρίναντες, ἡμῖν δʼ αὖ μετριώτερον ἐχθροῖς οὖσιν ἢ φίλοις χρώμενοι.
And indeed, you would thus treat both in a way contrary to what is necessary, [and to yourselves in both ways contrary to what is necessary,] preferring the one who has come against you to those who are on your behalf, and treating us more gently when we were enemies than now when we are friends.
πάντων δʼ ἀτοπώτατον τὰ μὲν ἐγκλήματα κοινὰ ἑκατέρωθεν εἶναι, τὸ δʼ ὀργίζεσθαι παρʼ ὑμῖν μόνοις, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ στρατεύματος ὄντος οὐκ ἐπὶ ζωστῆρι οὐδʼ ἐν μεθορίοις τῆς Ἀττικῆς καὶ τῆς Βοιωτίας, ἀλλʼ ἐν μεθορίοις τῆς Φωκίδος καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας, ἐν προθύροις οὑτωσὶ τῶν Θηβῶν, ὥστε με φρίττειν νυνὶ περὶ ταῖς πύλαις.
But of all things the most absurd is that the complaints are common on both sides, but the being angry is with you alone, and this when the army is not at Zoster, nor on the borders of Attica and Boeotia, but on the borders of Phocis and your territory, right at the very portals of Thebes, so that I shudder now for the gates.
τί ποτʼ οὖν ὑμετέρου τοῦ πράγματος ὄντος ἡμεῖς ἥκομεν τεταραγμένοι;
Why on earth then, when the matter is yours, have we come in agitation?
μάλιστα μὲν οἶμαι τύχη τις ἀμφοῖν ταῖν πόλεσιν ἀγαθὴ στρατηγεῖ, ἔπειτʼ αἴσχιστον ἦν ἔργῳ
Most of all, I think some good fortune is commanding both cities, and next, it was most shameful in deed