§490ἀφικόμεθα μὲν οὐ λόγῳ πρὸς Φίλιππον ἀγωνιούμενοι, ἀλλʼ ἔργῳ βοηθήσοντες ὑμῖν τε καὶ τοῖς ὑπολοίποις τῶν Ἑλλήνων πράγμασι.
We have come not to contend with Philip in words, but to aid you in deed and the rest of the Hellenic affairs.
πολλῷ δʼ ἔτι νυνὶ σαφέστερον, ὦ §491ἄνδρες Θηβαῖοι, γιγνώσκομεν ὡς ὀρθῶς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ηὐλαβήθημεν.
And still much more clearly now, O Theban men, we recognize how rightly we were anxious on your behalf.
τὸ γὰρ εἰς τοῦθʼ ἥκειν Φίλιππον τόλμης καὶ δεινότητος ὥστε πρῶτον μὲν ὅλως πρέσβεις ὡς ὑμᾶς, εἶτα βοήθειαν αἰτήσοντας ἀπεσταλκέναι, ἵνʼ ὑμᾶς τε ἀμαχεὶ λάβῃ καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὡς βούλεται διοικήσηται, σφόδρα τῆς τʼ ἐκείνου συνηθείας οἶμαι καὶ προνοίας ὑμῖν ἄξιον.
For Philip's having reached such a point of audacity and cunning as first of all to have sent ambassadors to you, and then those who would ask for aid, so that he may both take you without a fight and manage his affairs against us as he wishes, is, I think, highly characteristic of his usual habit and worthy of caution on your part.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πρᾶγμα καινὸν ἴσως εἶναι δοκεῖ ὑμῖν, τῶν πολεμίων προσαγόντων, ἑτέρους ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἥκειν πεφοβημένους, καὶ μὴ μόνον αὐτεπάγγελτον ἔχειν ὑμᾶς τὴν βοήθειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παράκλησιν προσεῖναι τοῦ ταῦτα δέξασθαι· αἰτούμεθα δʼ ὑμᾶς τοσοῦτον μιμήσασθαι τὴν τῶν Ἀθηναίων πόλιν εἰς τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ παρʼ αὐτοῖς τουτοισὶ τοῖς πρέσβεσι πρώτοις αἰσχύνην ὀφλῆσαι.
Now, this matter perhaps seems strange to you, that while the enemies are advancing, others have come fearing on your behalf, and that you not only have aid offered voluntarily, but also that there is added an exhortation to accept this; but we ask of you only to imitate the city of the Athenians with respect to your own interests and not, in the presence of these very ambassadors, to be the first to incur disgrace.
εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς μὲν οἷς οὗτοί φασι τοσαῦτα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὑπάρχειν ὑπεναντία, πάντα ταῦτʼ ἀνελόντες ἥκομεν συσσώζειν ὑμῖν ἀξιοῦντες τὴν πόλιν, ὑμεῖς δʼ οἱ μηδὲν ἔχοντες ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς μέμψασθαι πάντʼ ἀκονιτὶ προήσεσθε, πῶς οὐ πάντων ἀλογώτατα πράξετε;
For if we, against whom these men say there exist so many hostilities toward you, have come, having set aside all these things, deeming it right to join in saving your city, while you, who have nothing to blame yourselves for, will surrender everything without a fight, how will you not act most unreasonably of all?
ἔστι δʼ οὐχ ὅσον τις ἂν εἴποι τὸ διάφορον τῆς παρούσης ἡμέρας, ἀλλʼ εἰς ἔσχατον ἧκον, δουλεύειν μὲν αὐτοὺς Φιλίππῳ, συγκαταδουλοῦσθαι δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας, ἀγροικίσασθαι δʼ εἰς τοὺς ὑπάρξαντας χρηστότητι, τριῶν δὲ τῶν αἰσχίστων δόξαν παρὰ πᾶσι λαβεῖν, σκαιότητος, πλεονεξίας, ἀχαριστίας· ἢ μετὰ τοῦ πατρίου σχήματος οἰκεῖν τὴν πόλιν, τῆς κοινῆς ἐλευθερίας προστάντας μεθʼ ἡμῶν.
And the difference of the present day is not just as much as one might say, but it has come to the extreme: either to be enslaved themselves to Philip, and to help enslave the rest of the Greeks, and to behave harshly toward those who have shown kindness, and to get a reputation among all for the three most shameful things—stupidity, greed, and ingratitude; or to dwell in your city with your ancestral dignity, standing as champions of the common liberty together with us.
ὃ καὶ θαυμάζω, εἰ τοὺς μὲν ἐκεῖνα τούτων μᾶλλον ὑμῖν προσήκειν ἡγουμένους μισεῖν ἂν δικαίως ἀξιοίητε, Φίλιππον δʼ ἡμῶν περὶ πλείονος ποιήσεσθε, ὃς ἐκείνοις ἐνόχους ὑμᾶς καθίστησι καὶ τοὺς λόγῳ βλασφημοῦντας ἐχθροὺς ἂν νομίζοντες, ἐκεῖνον εἰς συμμάχου τάξιν θήσετε, ὃς ἔργῳ τὰ χείριστα καθʼ ὑμῶν βεβαιοῖ.
At which also I wonder, if, while you would justly deem it right to hate those who think that those things rather than these belong to you, you will value Philip more than us—he who makes you liable to those very things—and while you would consider those who slander you in words to be enemies, you will place in the rank of an ally him who by deed confirms the worst things against you.
εἰ τοίνυν καὶ τὸ ταὐτὰ συμφέρειν ἱκανὴ πίστις οἰκειότητος, καὶ τὸ ταὐτὰ προσήκειν ἡγεῖσθαι βέβαιον δή που φιλίας σύμβολον.
If, therefore, both having the same interests is a sufficient proof of kinship, and holding that the same things are fitting is surely a secure token of friendship.
ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ἅπερ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς προσήκειν ἡγούμεθα, ταῦτα καὶ ὑμῖν, εὐδοξεῖν, προβουλεύειν, προτιμᾶσθαι τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων.
We, therefore, think that the very things which are fitting for ourselves are fitting also for you: to be of good repute, to take counsel beforehand, to be honored above the rest of the Greeks.
§492ὥστε πῶς ἂν δικαίως ἑτέρους εὐνουστέρους ἡμῶν νομίζοιτε;
So how could you justly consider others to be more well-disposed than us?
οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα μὲν ἡμᾶς ἆθλα ἐὰν νικήσωμεν, ἄλλα δʼ ἐστὶν ἃ ὑμᾶς μένει, ἀλλʼ ἃ βουλοίμεθʼ ἂν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι ταῦτα πρὸς ὑμᾶς κοινούμεθα.
For if we conquer, there are not some prizes for us and other things awaiting you, but we share with you those very things which we would wish to happen to ourselves.
ὥστε ἃ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ αὐτῶν πόλει παρὰ τῶν θεῶν αἰτοῦμεν, ταῦτα τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ συνευχόμεθα, ἥκιστα ἐγχωροῦν οἶμαι Φιλίππῳ πρᾶγμα, τὰς αὐτὰς εὐχὰς ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τινὸς ποιήσασθαι.
So that what things we ask from the gods for our own city, these we pray also for yours—a thing which, I think, is least possible for Philip: to make the same prayers for himself and for anyone else.
τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστιν ὁ δυνάστης, μηδένα τῆς ἴσης τιμᾶσθαι· εἰκότως, μᾶλλον δʼ ἀναγκαίως.
For such is the ruler: that no one should be honored with equal honor; reasonably, or rather, by necessity.
ἅμα γὰρ τῶν ἴσων ἑτέρῳ μετέσται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὃ ζητεῖ, τοῦτʼ ἀπολώλεκε.
For the moment another shares in equal things, he himself has lost that which he seeks.
δεῖ γὰρ οἶμαι τὸν μὲν ἄρχειν, τοὺς δὲ ἄρχεσθαι· ταῦτα δʼ ἀμφότερʼ οὐ ταυτὸν βούλεται.
For it is necessary, I think, for one to rule and the others to be ruled; and these two things do not desire the same.
καὶ ταῦτʼ οὐχ ἡμᾶς ἐλέγχειν δεῖ τοῖς λόγοις, ἀλλὰ Φίλιππος ἔργῳ πιστοῦται.
And it is not necessary for us to prove these things with words, but Philip confirms them by deed.
τίς γάρ ἐστι τούτου σύμμαχος, ὅστις οὐ χεῖρον πράττει τῶν πολεμίων;
For who is an ally of his, who does not fare worse than his enemies?
τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἐν μέρει πολέμους διʼ ἀπορρήτων ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ποιεῖται, ὥσπερ νῦν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἥκει συγκρύπτων ὡς οἷόν τε τἀληθές· ἣν δʼ ἐν τῷ καθάπαξ ἔχει γνώμην, ὁμολογεῖ πρὸς ἅπαντας καὶ καταμηνύει διʼ ἑνὸς ῥήματος, ἄν τις ὀρθῶς τηρῇ.
He conducts his individual wars mostly in secret, just as now he has come against you, concealing the truth as much as possible; but the purpose which he has once for all, he confesses to all and reveals by a single phrase, if one observes correctly.
ὅταν γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς αὐτῷ καὶ ταῖς συνθήκαις πρῶτον ἁπάντων ᾖ, βασιλεὺς Μακεδόνων, πῶς οὐκ εἰς ἅπαντας κηρύττει τότε τὰ ἀπόρρητα τῆς γνώμης, καὶ τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν ἐλευθερίας ἐπιθυμούντων εἶναι τούτῳ χρῆσθαι μηδὲ πιστεύειν;
For when in his letters and treaties, first of all stands: 'King of the Macedonians', how does he not then proclaim to all the secrets of his mind, and that it is not possible for anyone of those who desire freedom to associate with or trust this man?
οὐ γὰρ οὕτω γʼ ἀναίσθητος οὐδεὶς οὐδʼ ἔξω τοῦ φρονεῖν, ὅστις ἑνὸς μὲν ἔθνους καὶ τούτου κακῶν μεστοῦ καὶ οὗ μυρίοι βασιλεῖς ἤδη γεγόνασιν, ἀγάλλεσθαι κρατοῦντʼ αὐτὸν ἡγεῖται, τῆς δʼ Ἑλλάδος, ἣ μόνη τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον οὐδένα πώποτʼ ἔσχεν αὑτῆς κύριον, ταύτης δʼ οὔτʼ ἐπιθυμεῖν βασιλέα κληθῆναι οὔθʼ ἃ πράττει πρὸς ἄλλο τι τῶν πάντων ἔχειν τὴν ἀναφορὰν, ἢ ταῦτʼ ἐφεξῆς τὰ ῥήματα συνθεῖναι, Βασιλεὺς Ἑλλήνων Φίλιππος.
For no one is so senseless or out of his mind as to think that he glories in ruling over one nation—and that too full of evils, and of which there have already been ten thousand kings—but does not desire to be called King of Greece, which alone under the sun never yet had any master over herself, nor to think that what he does has reference to anything else than putting these words together in order: 'Philip, King of the Greeks'.
μὴ δῆτα, ἀλεξίκακε Ζεῦ καὶ θεοί.
Never indeed, O Zeus the Averter of Evil and you gods!
θάτερα γὰρ καλλίω καὶ δικαιότερα, ἡμᾶς εἶναι τῶν ἐκείνου κυρίους.
For the other alternative is more honorable and more just: that we should be the masters of his affairs.
εἶτα λέγουσιν ὡς τὰ τῆς Ἀττικῆς βοσκήματα εἰς τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἥξει, καθάπερ χρησμούς τινας ἐξηγούμενοι.
Then they say that the cattle of Attica will come into Boeotia, as if interpreting some oracles.
Φίλιππος δέ γε οἶδε
But Philip indeed knows...