§497κατηγορεῖν μὲν εἴ τι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῖν ὑπάρχει δύσκολον, εἰ δέ τι χρηστὸν νῦν πράξομεν συστάντες, ἀσχάλλειν καὶ μὴ συνιέναι τοῖς αὑτῶν λόγοις ἐλεγχομένους;
[What could be more irrational than] to bring accusations if there is any difficulty between us, but if we now perform something useful by standing together, to be vexed and not to perceive that we are refuted by our own words?
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὀρθῶς ἐκεῖνα πέπρακται, τί κατηγοροῦσιν;
For if those things have been done rightly, why do they bring accusations?
εἰ δʼ ἡμάρτηται, τί οὐ τὰ βελτίω νῦν, ἐπειδή γʼ ἔξεστι, προαιρούμεθα;
But if they were errors, why do we not choose the better things now, since indeed it is possible?
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ἐπιτιμήσεως ἄξια, οὕτω τά γʼ ἐναντία τοῦ κρείττονός ἐστι λόγου.
For just as those things are worthy of censure, so the opposite belongs to the better reason.
ἡγοῦμαι δὲ νοῦν ἐχόντων εἶναι ὅσα μὲν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων καλῶς ἔχει, ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀξιοῦν μιμεῖσθαι καὶ τηρεῖν ὡς οἷόν τε διʼ ἀσφαλείας, ἃ δʼ οὐδʼ ὅλως πεπρᾶχθαι προσῆκε, τούτοις ὡς ἥκιστʼ ἀκολουθεῖν.
And I think it belongs to men of sense to deem it right to imitate and preserve with safety as far as possible those of existing things which are well, but to follow as little as possible those which ought not to have been done at all.
οὐ γὰρ ἐπεξαμαρτάνειν ἦν ἄρα πάντων ἄριστον, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὰ δέοντα βουλεύεσθαι, τούτων δʼ ἀμφοτέρων μέσον ἂν ἁμάρτημά τι συμβῇ, μεταγνῶναι.
For to go on committing errors was not, as it seems, the best of all, but to plan what is necessary from the beginning, and if any error should happen, to repent as a middle course between both of these.
καὶ μὴν εἰ μὲν ὥσπερ ἡμῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, οὕτω καὶ ὑμῖν εἰς ἡμᾶς πέπρακταί τινα δυσχερῆ, τί μᾶλλον ἡμῶν ἢ ὑμῶν ταῦτα κατηγορήκασιν;
And indeed, if some difficult things have been done by us towards you, just as by you towards us, why have they accused us of these things rather than you?
εἰ δʼ οὐδὲν πώποτʼ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡμάρτετε, τοῦ χάριν νῦν ἀξιώσετε πρῶτον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερʼ αὐτῶν συμπροήσεσθε;
But if you have never sinned against us, for what reason will you now deem it right to do so for the first time, in which you will also surrender your own interests along with them?
θαυμάζω δʼ εἰ παρʼ αὐτὰ μὲν τὰ ἐγκλήματα καὶ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν ἐναντιωμάτων ἡμεῖς τε παρʼ ὑμᾶς ἦμεν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡμῖν ἐπεκέχρησθε, ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐκεῖνά τε τῷ χρόνῳ κεκούφισται καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐπʼ ἐκείνοις γεγένηται, εἶτʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀγανακτήσομεν, καὶ χωρὶς μὲν παραδείγματος σωφρονεῖν ἐπιστησόμεθα, τοσούτων δʼ ὑπαρχόντων οὐδὲν βελτίους ἐσόμεθα.
And I wonder if, during the very accusations and the greatest of oppositions, we were with you and you had dealings with us, but when those things have been lightened by time and these have been added to them, we shall then be angry from the beginning, and while without an example we knew how to be wise, with so many existing we shall be no better.
ἀλλʼ εἰ μέν τις τοῖς ἑτέρων παραδείγμασιν ἐχρῆτο ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας, ᾤμεθʼ ἂν δεῖν προσέχειν, παρʼ ἡμῶν δʼ αὐτῶν ἔχοντες τοσαῦτα πῶς οὐ δεινὸν εἰ μὴ χρησόμεθα;
But if anyone used the examples of others for safety, we should think it necessary to pay attention; how is it not terrible if we, having so many from ourselves, shall not use them?
καὶ μὴν εἰ μὲν ὅλως οὐδενὸς δεῖ μεμνῆσθαι, τοῦ χάριν ταῦτʼ ἀνακινοῦσιν;
And indeed, if it is not necessary to remember anything at all, for what reason do they stir these things up?
εἰ δʼ ὀρθῶς ἔχει, μνημονεύειν ἄμεινον τῶν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ καὶ μὴ τὰ βελτίω παρέντας ἑκόντας ἔχεσθαι τῶν χειρόνων.
But if it is right, it is better to remember the things that lead to safety, and not willingly, letting go of the better, to hold on to the worse.
ἡγοῦμαι δʼ εἰ πάντα τἀναντιώτατα ἡμῖν ἐπέπρακτο πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ἀφʼ οὗ τὰς πόλεις οἰκοῦμεν, καὶ πάντα πρὸς Φίλιππον ὑπῆρχεν οἰκειόταθʼ ὑμῖν ἄχρι τούτου, τήν γε παροῦσαν ἡμέραν εἰκότως ἂν ἅπαντα μεταστῆσαι.
And I think that if all the most opposite things had been done by us towards each other since we inhabited our cities, and all things had been most intimate for you towards Philip until now, the present day would reasonably change all of them.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐφέστηκεν ὑμῖν τελευταῖα ταῦτα κελεύων βουλεύσασθαι, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἥκομεν συνδιαλύσοντες ἅπαντα τὸν κίνδυνον.
For he is standing over you commanding you to deliberate on these last things, but we have come to dissolve all danger together.
ὥστʼ εἴπερ §498ἔδει καὶ μνησικακεῖν, ἐκεῖνός γʼ οὐκ εἴα.
So that if indeed it was necessary even to bear a grudge, he at least did not permit it.
ἡδέως δʼ ἂν ἐροίμην τοὺς τἀναντία πρεσβευομένους, πότερον ἀπὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος χρόνου ταῦτʼ ἀξιοῦσι κριθῆναι, ἢ τοῦ παρελθόντος.
And I would gladly ask those who are serving as envoys for the opposite things, whether they think it right that these things be judged from the future time, or the past.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος, τὰ μὲν παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐλευθερία, σωτηρία, τὸ πρώτους ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησι τετάχθαι, πάντʼ ἐστὶ τὰ κάλλιστα· τὰ δʼ ἐξ ἐκείνου τί τις ἂν λέγοι, πλὴν ὅσον αὐτῷ τρέπειν εἰς κεφαλὴν τοὺς θεούς;
For if from the future, the things from us are freedom, safety, and to be ranked first among the Greeks—all the most beautiful things; but as for the things from him, what could anyone say, except that the gods may turn them upon his own head?
ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ παρελθόντος χρόνου δεῖ κριθῆναι, δειξάτω πάνθʼ ὅσα πώποτʼ ἔπραξε Φίλιππος εἰς ὑμᾶς δυοῖν βοηθείαιν ἡμετέραιν ἀντάξια, τῆς τε εἰς Ἁλίαρτον προτέρας καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν φρουρὰν ὕστερον· ὧν ἡ μὲν τῆς Βοιωτίας, ἡ δὲ τῆς Καδμείας Λακεδαιμονίους ἐξήλασεν.
But indeed, if they must be judged from the past time, let him show all that Philip has ever done for you that is worthy of our two assistances: both the former one to Haliartus, and the later one for the guard; of which the one drove the Lacedaemonians out of Boeotia, and the other out of Cadmea.
ἆρʼ ὅμοια ταῦτα τῷ πρὸς Φωκέας βοηθῆσαι;
Are these things similar to assisting the Phocians?
οὐκ ἴσθʼ ὅτι πρὸς μὲν ἐκείνους ἐκ περιουσίας ἠγωνίζεσθε, ἐν αἷς δʼ ἦτε ἀνάγκαις, τότε οὐδένων ἄλλων πλὴν ἡμῶν ἐδεῖσθε, παρεξετάζετε δὲ καὶ τίνες οἱ Φωκεῖς παρὰ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους καὶ πῶς ἔχοντες αὐτῶν ἑκάτεροι.
Do you not know that against them you were contending with plenty of resources, but in what necessities you were then, you needed no others but us, and compare also what kind of men the Phocians were compared to the Lacedaemonians, and how each of them was situated?
οὐχ οἱ μὲν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἄρχοντες, οἱ δʼ οὐδένων ἄμεινον πράττοντες;
Were not the ones the rulers of the Greeks, and the others faring no better than nobody?
καὶ ἐῶ λέγειν ὅτι Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν ὡσπερεὶ διὰ τῆς Ἀττικῆς εἰς τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἐνέβαλον, τὸ ἄστυ παρεξιόντες ἡμῶν, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀτείχιστον ὂν τὸ κατʼ ἀρχάς· Φιλίππῳ δʼ οὐδὲν ἦν πρᾶγμα ἀπὸ Φωκέων, ἀλλʼ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ συμμάχοις εἶχε Φωκέας.
And I refrain from saying that the Lacedaemonians invaded Boeotia as if through Attica, passing by our city, and that too when it was unwalled at the beginning; but for Philip there was no business from the Phocians, but he had the Phocians in the midst of his own allies.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οἰκειότερον μὲν τὸ μέλλον ἅπασι τοῦ παρελθόντος—τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀπηλλοτρίωται καὶ οὔτε χεῖρον οὔτε βέλτιον ἄν τις πράξειεν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὲ μέλλον ἐπέρχεται—ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν καιρῶν τοσοῦτον νικῶμεν, ὥστʼ ἐν μὲν ἐκείνῳ πολὺ τούτου κρείττους περὶ ὑμᾶς γεγενήμεθα, ἐκ δὲ τούτου μία ψῆφος ὑμῖν ἀπόκειται μεθʼ ἡμῶν γίγνεσθαι.
But indeed, the future is more closely related to all than the past—for the one has been alienated and one could do neither worse nor better by it, but the future is approaching—and we conquer so much from both times, that in the former we have become much better towards you than this man, and from the latter one vote lies with you to be with us.
οὕτως ἀμφοτέροις νικῶντες τῷ κυριωτέρῳ μειζόνως περίεσμεν.
Thus, conquering in both, we surpass more greatly in the more decisive one.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἕν τι χρηστὸν ὅμως τῆς πρεσβείας ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ.
But indeed, there is nevertheless one useful thing in his embassy.
δείκνυσι γὰρ ὅπως πεφόβηται τὰς πόλεις καὶ ὅτι συστάντων ἡμῶν οὐδʼ ἡντινοῦν ἐλπίδʼ ἔχει περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων.
For it shows how he has been frightened of the cities, and that if we stand together, he has not even any hope concerning affairs.
ἡμέτερον τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁρῶντας τὸν φόβον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅπη σαθρός ἐστι μηδὲν ἀνεῖναι ῥώμης, ἀλλʼ ἐπικεῖσθαι καὶ παρελέσθαι
It is our part, therefore, seeing his fear and where he is rotten, to remit nothing of our strength, but to press upon him and take away...