§559τοὺς δʼ ὅπως ἀκούσονται ταῦθʼ ἃ μὴ πρότερον, ἀλλʼ ὅ τι μέλλει κοινῇ συνοίσειν, τοῦτο καὶ λέγειν προαιρεῖσθαι.
And that the latter [the audience] should consider how they will hear not what they have not heard before, but that they should prefer that the adviser speak that which is going to be of common benefit.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς τοῦ σώματος χρείαις τοῦθʼ ἡμῶν ἕκαστος ἐσπούδακεν, ὅπως τι καινὸν ἀκούσεται, ἀλλʼ οὗτος ἄριστος ἰατρὸς ὅστις ἂν ὑγιεῖς ποιεῖν ἐπίστηται·
For not even in bodily needs does each of us strive to hear something new, but he is the best physician who knows how to make people healthy.
οὐδʼ ἔσθʼ ὅστις ὑμῶν ἀγανακτήσει, ἐὰν διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν σωθῆ διʼ ὧν τις ἤδη καὶ πρότερον.
Nor is there anyone among you who will be indignant if he is saved by the same means as someone was already saved before.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἔγωγε βουλοίμην ἂν ὥσπερ κἀνταῦθʼ ὑμῖν ἔχειν ἡγοῦμαι χαρίσασθαι τῷ τι καὶ πλεῖον ἂν εἰπεῖν ὧν οἱ πρὸ ἡμῶν τοῖς ὁμοίοις ἐγκεχειρηκότες, οὕτως καὶ ὑμᾶς ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ἐθελῆσαι χαρίσασθαι καὶ μὴ μόνον τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον ὃν νῦν ἀκροᾶσθε τούτου τοῦ λόγου ταὐτὰ φρονῆσαι περὶ τῶν λεγομένων, [ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα]—πείσεσθε γὰρ σαφῶς αὐτῷ, εὖ οἶδα ἐγὼ τὴν ὑμετέραν δεξιότητα καὶ φιληκοΐαν—ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς μιᾷ γνώμῃ τὸ λοιπὸν χρῆσθαι καὶ τὴν ἔργῳ πίστιν ὡς ἥσθητε τῷ λόγῳ προσθεῖναι.
Yet, for my part, I would wish that, just as I think I do you a favor here by saying perhaps something more than those who before us attempted similar things, so you too should wish to do yourselves a favor, and not only during this time in which you now listen to this speech to be of the same mind about what is said, [but also in the time after this]—for you will clearly be persuaded by it, as I well know your cleverness and willingness to listen—but also to act with one mind in your dealings with one another for the future, and to add the proof of deeds that you were pleased with the speech.
οἶμαι δὲ ἅπαντας ἂν ὑμᾶς συμφῆσαι, ὥσπερ τῶν ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις λόγων τούτους ἀληθεστάτους ἡγεῖσθε, ὧν ἂν πλεῖστοι καὶ γνωριμώτατοι μάρτυρες ὦσιν, οὕτως καὶ τῶν εἰς συμβουλὴν ἡκόντων οἷς ἂν πλεῖστοι καὶ σπουδαιότατοι μάρτυρες ὦσι, τούτοις μάλιστα χρῆναι πιστεύειν.
And I think you would all agree that, just as you regard those of the speeches in the courts as truest of which there are the most numerous and well-known witnesses, so also of those that pertain to counsel, you should believe most of all those which have the most numerous and excellent witnesses.
τοῦτο τοίνυν εἰς Ὅμηρον τὸν κοινὸν τῶν Ἑλλήνων σύμβουλον καὶ προστάτην ἀνενέγκατε, ὃς ἐποίησε τὸν σοφώτατον τῶν τότε Ἑλλήνων τῇ Ναυσικάᾳ συνευχόμενον ἔτʼ οὔσῃ κόρῃ ἄνδρα τε καὶ οἶκον καὶ ὁμοφροσύνην ὀπάσαι τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτοῖς· "οὐ μὲν γὰρ τοῦδε κρεῖσσον καὶ ἄρειον,
ἢ ὅθʼ ὁμοφρονέοντε νοήμασιν οἶκον ἔχητον
ἀνὴρ ἠδὲ γυνή· πόλλʼ ἄλγεα δυσμενέεσσι,
χάρματα δʼ εὐμενέτησι· μάλιστα δέ τʼ ἔκλυον αὐτοῦ. "
καίτοι μὴ νομίζετε ἑτέρως μὲν ἂν μίαν οἰκίαν καλῶς οἰκῆσαι, ἑτέρως δʼ ἂν πόλιν τὴν πᾶσαν, ἀλλʼ εἰ μία τῶν καθʼ ἕνα ἐστὶν οἰκιῶν σωτηρία τὸ ταὐτὰ φρονεῖν, πολὺ μᾶλλον τὰς πόλεις οὕτω δεῖν ἔχειν, ὅσῳ μιᾶς μὲν οἰκίας διαστάσης εὐκόλως ἴασις εὑρίσκεται, πόλεως δὲ οὐδʼ εὑρεῖν ῥᾳδία γίγνεται· καὶ μιᾶς μὲν οἰκίας εὖ τε καὶ χεῖρον
Refer this, then, to Homer, the common adviser and protector of the Greeks, who represented the wisest of the Greeks of that time praying for Nausicaa, while she was still a maiden, that the gods might grant them a husband, a home, and concord: 'For nothing is greater or better than this, when a husband and wife keep house with one mind; a great grief to their enemies and a joy to their friends, but they themselves know it best.' And yet, do not think that a single household is governed well in one way, and the whole city in another; but if the salvation of individual households is to be of the same mind, much more must cities be so, inasmuch as when a single household is divided, a remedy is easily found, but of a city it is not even easy to find; and while a single household faring well or poorly is of little concern to all, yet when they prosper in common, it is natural that private households also fare better.
§560πραττούσης μικρὸν ὄφελος τοῖς ἅπασι, κοινῇ δὲ εὐθενοῦντας καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις οἴκοις ἄμεινον πράττειν εἰκός ἐστιν. εἰ τοίνυν καὶ τοῖς μέλλουσιν οἰκήσειν οἰκίαν ἤδη συνεύχεσθαι καιρὸν ἡγεῖτο ὁ σύμβουλος περὶ τῆς ὁμονοίας, ἦ που τούς γε ἐκ παλαιοῦ πόλιν οἰκοῦντας καὶ ταύτην οὕτως ἐπιφανῆ πάντα τἄλλα δεύτερα τούτου νομιστέον αὐτοῖς.
If, then, the adviser thought it the right time to pray for concord even for those who were only about to establish a household, surely those who have inhabited a city from of old, and that one so illustrious, must regard everything else as secondary to this.
εἶεν.
Very well.
τριχῆ γὰρ δὴ διαστησώμεθα, καὶ θεωρήσαντες μίαν οἰκίαν ἐκ πόλεως πρῶτον, εἶτα εἰς ἄνδρα ἕνα ἀναβῶμεν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ σκεψώμεθα ποῖός τις ᾧ τις οὐκ ἂν αἰσχύναιτο ὁμοιούμενος.
Let us then divide our argument into three parts, and having first observed a single household out of the city, let us then ascend in our speech to a single man, and examine what kind of person he is whom one would not be ashamed of resembling.
ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα καὶ μάλιστʼ ἂν κατίδοιμεν τὸ διαπεφευγὸς τῆς ὁμονοίας ἀγαθόν.
Indeed, here especially we would perceive the good of concord which has escaped us.
τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἔξω τοῦ φρονεῖν ἢ τίς οὕτως ἄπειρος τῶν ἐν τῇ φύσει ὅστις ἂν τὸν εἰκῆ καὶ ῥᾳδίως μεταβαλλόμενον καὶ μηδέποτε ἐν ταὐτῷ μένοντα μηδὲ ἃ γνοίη φυλάττοντα τοῦ διὰ τέλους χρηστοῦ καὶ βεβαίου προέλοιτʼ ἂν εἰς χρῆσιν;
For who is so out of his mind, or so ignorant of human nature, that he would prefer for his use one who changes randomly and easily, and never remains in the same state, nor guards what he has decided, over one who is good and steadfast to the end?
οἷον τίς ἂν ἢ κηδεῦσαι τῷ τοιούτῳ πρὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου βούλοιτο, ἢ συμβαλεῖν, ἢ συσκηνῶσαι, ἤ τι τῶν πᾶσι κοινῶν, ὁπόσαι πράξεις κατʼ ἀνθρώπους μετασχεῖν, ὅστις μηδʼ αὐτὸς οἶδεν ὃ βούλεται, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ Εὔριπος ἄνω καὶ κάτω φέρεται, πολεμῶν καὶ στασιάζων αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ;
For example, who would wish to connect himself by marriage with such a person in preference to the other, or to do business, or to share a tent, or to participate in any of the common activities, of all the affairs that men share, when he does not even know himself what he wants, but like the Euripus is carried up and down, warring and at faction with himself?
οὐκοῦν ὅ γʼ ἐναντίος τούτῳ νικᾷ πᾶσι τοῖς κριταῖς, ὅστις ἁπλοῦς, γενναῖος, ἀψευδὴς, ταὐτὰ γιγνώσκων περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν, ὁμονοῶν ὡς οἷόν τε μάλιστα αὐτὸς αὑτῷ.
Therefore, the one who is opposite to this wins in the judgment of all, being simple, noble, truthful, holding the same views on the same matters, and in agreement as much as possible with himself.
πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον δυοῖν ἀνδροῖν ὑποκειμένοιν, τοῦ μὲν κατὰ τὴν στασιάζουσαν πόλιν, τοῦ δὲ ὡς δεῖ τὴν ὁμονοοῦσαν ἔχειν, τὸν μὲν ὡς ἀνίατον κακίζοντας, τῷ δὲ ὡς ἀρίστῳ τιθεμένους μὴ διασώσασθαι τὸ εἰκὸς, ἀλλʼ ᾧ τις ἀπεύξαιτʼ ἂν μὴ συντυχεῖν, πῶς χρὴ τοῦτον εἰς τὰ κοινὰ φανῆναι μιμουμένους;
How is it not, then, absurd when two men are assumed, one corresponding to the factional city and the other to how the concordant city ought to be, that while we blame the former as incurably bad and value the latter as the best, we do not preserve consistency, but as to him with whom one would pray not to meet, how should we appear in public affairs imitating him?
καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν ὄνειδος τοῖς ἰδιώταις οὕτως προσήκει φεύγειν ὡς πόλει κοινῇ.
And indeed, there is no disgrace that private citizens ought to avoid so much as the city in common.
ὅσῳ γὰρ μεῖζον τὸ σχῆμα καὶ ὅσῳ πλείους οἱ συνεισόμενοι, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον καθαρεύειν ἁπάντων εἰκός ἐστι τῶν αἰσχρῶν.
For the greater the status and the more numerous those who will know of it, the more it is fitting to be clean of all shameful things.
χωρὶς δὲ τούτων οὐδὲ ὁ κίνδυνος παραπλήσιος.
And apart from these things, the danger is not similar either.
ἰδιώτης μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἑστὼς τὴν γνώμην οὐδὲν μᾶλλον αὐτόχειρ αὑτοῦ γίγνεται, ἀλλʼ ὅσον δοκεῖν εἶναι φαῦλος, τοσοῦτον ζημιοῦται· πόλις δὲ διεστῶσα πρῶτον μὲν διπλῆν φέρεται τὴν ἄνοιαν,
For a private citizen, not being stable in his mind, does not thereby become his own destroyer, but is penalized only so far as to seem worthless; but a divided city, first of all, suffers a double folly,