§489ἀξιοῖ τὰς Θήβας ἔχειν, κλητεύσετʼ αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἢ τί χρήσεσθε;
If he demands to hold Thebes, will you summons him before the Greeks, or how will you deal with him?
τί δʼ ἂν διαστήσας τὰς πόλεις καὶ φανεροὺς ἐπιδείξας ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ διιέντας, ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ὑμᾶς τρέπηται προτέρους, ποῦ τὸ καθʼ ὑμᾶς θήσετε;
And if, having divided the cities and shown you openly letting him pass, he should turn against you themselves first, where will you place your safety?
εἰ μὲν τοίνυν τοῖς ἴσοις ὑμᾶς ἀμυνούμεθα, οὐ βοηθήσομεν, εἰ δʼ οὐδὲν μᾶλλον μνησικακήσομεν, πῶς οὐκ εἰς ἔσχατον αἰσχύνης ἀφίξεσθε;
If indeed we retaliate against you in like manner, we shall not help you; but if we bear no more resentment, how will you not arrive at the extremity of shame?
εἶεν.
Very well.
διεῖναι μὲν δὴ διὰ ταῦτα οὐκ ἔστιν ἁπλῶς, λοιπὸν δʼ ἐστὶ συνεισβαλεῖν καὶ κινδυνεύειν, εἴπερ ἐκεῖνος ὑμῖν ἢ ὑμεῖς ἐκείνῳ πιστεύειν μέλλετε.
To let him pass is indeed simply impossible because of these things, and what remains is to join in the invasion and share the danger, if indeed he is to trust you or you him.
σκοπεῖτε δὴ πότερον βελτίους ἂν εἴητε ὑπὲρ τῆς δουλείας τῆς ὑμετέρας αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων κινδυνεύοντες, ἢ παρόντος τοῦ κινδυνεύειν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῆς θʼ ὑμετέρας αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τούτῳ χρώμενοι.
Consider then whether you would be better off risking danger for your own slavery and that of the other Greeks, or employing the opportunity, when the danger is present, of risking it for your own freedom and that of the others.
ἡγοῦμαι δʼ εἰ μὲν συνεισβάλοιτε, πλείους ἐλπίδας ὑμῖν εἶναι κρατηθεῖσιν ἐλευθέροις γενέσθαι ἢ νικῶσιν.
But I believe that if you should join in the invasion, there is more hope for you to become free if defeated than if victorious.
ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐγκλήματα πολλοῖς ἤδη παρήκαμεν, Φίλιππος δʼ ὧνπερ φίλος, τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ δεσπότης ἐστί.
For we have already let go of complaints against many, but Philip is both master and lord of those very people to whom he is a friend.
καὶ μὴν καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν πρὸς μὲν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἴσῃ δή που καὶ ὁμοίᾳ ποιήσεσθε ὥσπερ ἀεί· Φιλίππῳ δʼ ἀκολουθεῖν ἀνάγκη.
And moreover, you will make the alliance with us on equal and similar terms, as always; but with Philip, it is necessary to follow him.
τοῦτο δὲ ὅσον διαφέρει γνῶτε.
And know how great a difference this is.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἡμεῖς πέμψαντες, μὴ γένοιτο δὲ οὐδʼ ἔσται, τοσοῦτον εἴποιμεν πρὸς Φίλιππον, ὅτι ἀκολουθεῖν ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπηρετεῖν ὅ τι ἂν παραγγέλλῃ, ἔσθʼ ὑπὲρ οὗ λοιπὸν ἡμῖν ἀξιώσει πολεμεῖν;
For if we, having sent envoys—and may it not happen, nor will it be—should say this much to Philip, that we have resolved to follow him and to serve whatever he may command, is there anything left for which he will deem it right to make war on us?
οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς εἴποι.
Not a single person would say so.
οὐκοῦν οὐ μικρόν τι μέρος προΐεσθε, ἀλλὰ τοσούτῳ χεῖρον περὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἢ περὶ ἡμῶν βουλεύσεσθε, ὥσθʼ ἡμῖν μὲν, εἰ μηδὲν ἄλλο, τὸ γοῦν ἀγωνίσασθαι περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας λείπεται, ὑμᾶς δὲ δεῖ πρότερον δουλεύειν συγκεχωρηκέναι, πρὶν παρατάξασθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς.
Therefore, you are not giving up some small part, but you will counsel so much worse concerning yourselves than concerning us, that for us, if nothing else, at least the struggle for freedom remains, but you must have agreed to be slaves beforehand, before drawing up in battle array against us.
εἶθʼ ὃ τοῦ πολεμοῦντας ἁμαρτεῖν ἐστι πέρας, τοῦτʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ἀναθήσετε, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου κινδύνοις τὰς τῆς προδοσίας ἀδοξίας ἀναμίξετε;
Will you then impose upon yourselves from the beginning that which is the very end of failing in war, and mix the ignominy of treason with the dangers of war?
μηδαμῶς· ἀλλʼ ἐνθυμηθέντες παρʼ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ὅτι Φίλιππον μὲν αἱρούμενοι, βάρβαρον ἄνθρωπον καὶ φύσει κεχωρισμένον αἱρεῖσθε, κἂν διαρραγῇ τὰ Πύθια ἐξορχούμενος, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τύραννον καὶ ἀλάστορα
By no means; but reflecting within yourselves that in choosing Philip, you choose a barbarian man, separated by nature, even if he should burst himself dancing out the Pythian games, and besides, a tyrant and a destroying spirit of Greece, who has now come against you; whereas in making yourselves close to us, you make yourselves close, first to Greeks and kinsmen, then to neighbors and companions of old, who are now feared on your behalf.
§490τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ νῦν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἥκοντα, ἡμᾶς δʼ οἰκειούμενοι πρῶτον μὲν Ἕλληνας καὶ ὁμοφύλους, ἔπειτʼ ἀστυγείτονας καὶ συνήθεις ἐκ παλαιοῦ καὶ νῦν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν πεφοβημένους οἰκειοῦσθε, χρήσασθε τῷ καιρῷ, σκεψάμενοι πρὸς ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τὸ τῆς πρεσβείας ἑκατέρας σχῆμα.
Use the opportunity, considering besides all other things also the character of each embassy.
ἡμεῖς μὲν τοίνυν ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ νόμοις τραφέντες παραπλησίοις ὑμῖν ἥκομεν αὐτοί τε ὑπὲρ τούτων ἕτοιμοι παρατάττεσθαι καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀξιοῦντες τοιούτους ἑτέρους εἶναι· τούτων δʼ οἱ μὲν προδόται τῶν ἑαυτῶν πατρίδων ἥκουσιν, αἰσχρὸν παράδειγμα πᾶσι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, οἱ δʼ ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης ἀπεσταλμένοι, ἥδιστʼ ἂν εἰ κύριοι νεύματος ἦσαν, αὐτὰ τἀναντία ὑμῖν προδείξοντες.
For we, having been brought up in freedom and under laws similar to yours, have come ourselves ready to draw up in battle array for these things and deeming it right that you should be other such men; but of these, some have come as traitors of their own fatherlands, a shameful example to all the Greeks, and others have been sent by necessity, who would most gladly, if they were masters of their own nod, show you the very opposite.
καίτοι πότερʼ ὑμεῖς Θετταλοὺς εἰς ἐλευθερίαν ἐξαιρούμενοι βελτίους ἂν εἴητε, ἢ οὗτοι πείθοντες ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν δουλείαν ἑαυτοῖς συνεμβῆναι;
And yet, would you be better off delivering the Thessalians into freedom, or these men persuading you to enter with them into slavery?
σκέψασθε δὴ κἀκεῖνο, εἰ περιῆν Ἐπαμεινώνδας, πότερʼ ἂν τούτων ὑμῖν συνεβούλευε, πότερον συγκαταδουλοῦσθαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας Φιλίππῳ καὶ ζῆν ἐν προσθήκης μέρει τούτῳ, ὅς ποθʼ ὡμήρευε παρʼ ὑμῖν, ἢ τἀναντία τούτων;
Consider indeed also that, if Epaminondas were still alive, which of these things would he advise you: to join in enslaving the Greeks to Philip and to live as a mere appendage to this man, who once was a hostage among you, or the opposite of these things?
νῦν τοίνυν ἀντʼ ἐκείνου τὴν ἐκείνου δόξαν αἰσχυνθέντες καὶ τὴν ἐν Λεύκτροις μάχην, εὐξάμενοι τῷ Διὶ τῷ ἐλευθερίῳ καὶ Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ ἀλεξικάκῳ καὶ Ἀπόλλωνι τῷ Πυθίῳ καὶ Ἰσμηνίῳ καὶ θεοῖς καὶ ἥρωσι τοῖς κοινοῖς τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἀξιώσατε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς μεθʼ ἡμῶν ὀφθῆναι· καὶ πειραθῶμεν τοῖς μεθʼ ἡμᾶς ἀρετῆς παραδείγματα μὴ χείρω καταλιπεῖν ἢ παρὰ τῶν προτέρων αὐτοὶ παρελάβομεν.
Now therefore, being ashamed of his glory in his stead, and of the battle of Leuctra, praying to Zeus the Deliverer and Heracles the Averter of Evil and Apollo the Pythian and Ismenian and to the common gods and heroes of the Greeks, deem yourselves worthy to be seen with us; and let us try to leave to those after us examples of virtue not worse than we ourselves received from our predecessors.
οὕτως εἰ προσθῇ τις ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας, θαρρῶμεν, ἐπειγώμεθα· εἰ δέ τις ᾤετο τοῖς πωλοῦσι τὰς πατρίδας μόνοις εἶναι θαρρεῖν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἐγίγνωσκεν.
Thus if anyone joins from the expedition, let us be confident, let us make haste; but if anyone thought that only those who sell their fatherlands have cause to be confident, he did not judge rightly.