§317πάντας ἔρως δεινὸς καὶ φιλία θαυμαστή τις ἐντέτηκεν ἐκ παιδός.
A terrible love and some wonderful friendship have been deeply melted into all of them from childhood.
ὥστε καὶ σοὶ νῦν οὐ μόνον οὐ νεμεσῶ τῆς γνώμης ἣν ἔχεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγχαίρω.
Therefore, I not only do not resent you for the opinion you hold, but I even congratulate you.
καὶ φιλῶν οὐκ ἀνήσω, ὅτι μὴ καὶ ὅσον οἷόν τε προσθήσω, νομίζων ἀκριβῶς ἑταῖρόν τε ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ στασιώτην εἶναι.
And I shall not cease loving you, but will add as much as possible, considering you to be truly my companion and associate.
οὐ γὰρ εἰς μελάνδετον σάκος ταυροσφαγοῦντες, ὡς Αἰσχύλος ἐποίησεν, ἀλλʼ εἰς τοὺς Πλάτωνος λόγους ἀφορῶντες, ὥσπερ τινὰς συναγωγέας καὶ κοινοὺς, εἰκότως ἂν πιστεύειν ἀλλήλοις ἔχοιμεν περὶ ἁπάντων.
For we do not slaughter a bull over a black-bound shield, as Aeschylus wrote, but by looking to the speeches of Plato as certain unifiers and common bonds, we can reasonably trust one another in all things.
πάρεστι δέ σοι γνῶναι ὅτι καὶ ἡμῖν τι προσήκει Πλάτωνος, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοσοῦτον ὅσον τοῖς σοφοῖς, ἀλλʼ ὅσον γε ἐπίστασθαι χαίρειν τῷ ἀνδρί.
And it is possible for you to know that Plato also concerns us to some extent, even if not as much as the wise, but at least as much as to know how to delight in the man.
ἥ τε γὰρ ἡμῖν φωνὴ σὺν θεοῖς εἰπεῖν οὐχὶ κώλυμα τὸ μηδὲν ἂν τῶν ἐκείνου δέξασθαι δύνασθαι, οὐδέ τις ἡμᾶς ἀπελαύνει πρόρρησις εἰ καὶ μυστηρίων, καὶ τὸν βίον οὐ παντάπασιν ἀπᾴδειν φασὶ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης οἱ πεπειραμένοι.
For our voice, to speak with the gods' help, is not such a hindrance as to be unable to receive any of his teachings, nor does any proclamation—even if of mysteries—drive us away, and those who have experienced it say that our life does not entirely discord with his mind.
ἀλλʼ εἴτʼ ἐγὼ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον ἔφην τότε εἴτʼ ἐκεῖνος νῦν κατʼ ἐμὲ, οὐκ ἄν μοι δοκεῖ μέσος ἐγγενέσθαι οὐδὲ παρελθεῖν παρὰ τῷ ἑτέρῳ τὸν ἕτερον εὐνοίας ἕνεκα καὶ τοῦ ταὐτὰ γιγνώσκειν περὶ τῶν ὅλων εἶεν.
But whether I spoke according to him then, or he speaks according to me now, it does not seem to me that anyone could come between us, nor that one could surpass the other in goodwill and in holding the same opinion about the whole of things.
φέρε δὴ πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ φιλίου Διὸς, ἐπεὶ καὶ Πλάτων τό τε ἀληθὲς ἁπανταχοῦ τιμᾷ καὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις συνουσίας ἀφορμὴν φιλίας ἀληθινῆς ὑπολαμβάνει, σαφέστερον κατίδωμεν τί ποτε ἦν ὅ σοι προσέστη τῶν λόγων, οὓς δὴ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμῖν φασί τινες πεποιῆσθαι.
Come then, by Zeus the protector of friendship, since Plato also honors truth everywhere and takes the association in dialogues as the starting point of true friendship, let us see more clearly what it was in our speeches that offended you—those speeches which some say we composed against him.
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπειρώμην πανταχοῦ σύμψηφον ὄντα ἐμαυτῷ δεικνύναι.
For I was trying to show him as voting with me in every respect.
εἴτε γάρ τι ἡμῖν λελήρηται, οὐδὲν δεῖ τῆς Στησιχόρου παλινῳδίας, ἀλλὰ σπογγιὰ ἰάσεται, εἴτε τι καὶ κρεῖττον ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἔνεστιν ἢ ὡς τοῦτο τὸ ἆθλον πρέπειν αὐτοῖς.
For if we have talked any nonsense, there is no need for Stesichorus' recantation, but a sponge will cure it, or if there is indeed something better in the speeches than that this prize should befit them.
σὺ δὲ ἐπαίνει μὲν, εἴ σοι μὴ δοκεῖ, μηδὲν μᾶλλον, συγγίγνωσκε δὲ ὅμως, εἰ μὴ καὶ τιμῆς ἀξιοῖς, §318ἀλλὰ τούτου γε ἂν ἀξιοῖς.
You, indeed, if you do not think so, do not praise them any more, but forgive nonetheless, even if you do not deem them worthy of honor, yet you would at least deem them worthy of this.
ἔφησθα, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, δυσχεραίνειν ὅτι ἦν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις μνήμη τῆς εἰς Σικελίαν ἀποδημίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι τοῦ βίου δὴ καθάπτεσθαι τοῦ Πλάτωνος ἐν τούτοις ἐδοκοῦμεν· ἐχρῆν δὲ ἄρα τοῦτο μὲν χωρίς που εἶναι, τὸν λόγον δὲ ἐλέγχειν, καὶ ταῦτά γε οὐκ ἐραστοῦ μόνον τὰ ἐγκλήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σωφρονοῦντος περὶ λόγους.
You said, as I learn, that you were displeased because there was in the speeches a mention of his journey to Sicily, and because we seemed in these to attack the life of Plato; and that this indeed ought to have been kept separate, and the speech itself refuted; and these charges come not only from a lover, but also from one who is sober-minded about speeches.
ἀλλʼ ὅρα δὴ μὴ ἀναίτιόν με αἰτιᾷ.
But see to it that you do not accuse me without cause.
ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ ἔλεγον δή που Πλάτωνα κακῶς, ὥσπερ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ τινὶ κρίνων, οὐδʼ ᾐτιώμην τὰς ἀποδημίας, ἵνα χείρων νομίζοιτο, ἀλλὰ κἀν τούτοις μαρτυρεῖν ἔφασκον ἐμαυτῷ τε καὶ ῥητορικῇ.
For I was not, of course, speaking ill of Plato, as if judging him in some court, nor was I blaming his journeys so that he might be thought worse, but I claimed that even in these he bore witness to me and to rhetoric.
δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι εἰ μὲν μικροῦ τινος ἄξιον ἦν τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἢ τὸ δίκην λαμβάνειν ἀδικηθέντα, οὐδʼ ἂν ἐκεῖνον ἐπῆρεν οὐδεὶς πέλαγός τε τοσοῦτον πλεῖν καὶ παρʼ ἄνδρα τύραννον ὑπὲρ τῶν Λίωνος πραγμάτων, οὐδέ γε ἐκεῖθεν ἀναστρέψαντο συμπράττειν ἅπαντα Δίωνι, κατελθεῖν τε βουλομένῳ καὶ δίκην ὧν ἐπεπόνθει λαμβάνειν.
For it is clear that if to be wronged, or to get justice when wronged, were of little value, no one would have urged him to sail such a great sea and go to a tyrant's court for the sake of Dion's affairs, nor, upon returning from there, to cooperate in everything with Dion, who wished to return and get justice for what he had suffered.
νῦν δὲ ἔργῳ μαρτυρεῖν αὐτὸν ὅτι οὐ φαύλης φύσεως οὐδὲ τῆς τυχούσης εἴη δυνάμεως τὸ τοῖς ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι μὴ ἐπιτρέπειν.
But as it is, he bears witness by his deeds that not to permit those who attempt to do wrong is the mark of no mean nature nor of ordinary power.
καὶ ταῦθʼ ὅτι ἀληθῆ εἰσὶ μὲν οἱ τῶν λόγων δήπουθεν ἀκούσαντες, εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ λόγοι.
And that these things are true, those who have heard the speeches are surely witnesses, as are the speeches themselves.
καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἐῶ μεθʼ ὅσης αἰδοῦς καὶ πραότητος περὶ αὐτῶν τούτων διειλέγμεθα, τοσοῦτον δεινότητος εἰσφερόμενοι ὅσον μήτε ἐκεῖνον διέβαλλε κἀμοὶ κρείττω καθίστη τὸν λόγον, ἀλλʼ εἰσεποιήσαμεν ὥσπερ παράβασιν χωρίον ἐξαίρετον αὐτῷ.
And I omit other things, such as with how much respect and gentleness we spoke of these very matters, bringing in only so much skill as would neither slander him nor make my argument superior to his, but we inserted, as it were, a parabasis as an exceptional place for him.
οὗ σὺ εἰ μὲν ἤκουσας, ἀναμνήσθητι, εἰ δὲ μὴ ἤκουσας, μὴ προκαταγίγνωσκε.
Of which if you have heard it, remember it, and if you have not, do not prejudge.
φέρε οὖν σοι ὥσπερ οἱ ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις ἀγωνιζόμενοι αὐτὰ ἐκ τοῦ βιβλίου παράσχωμαι.
Come then, let me present these very things to you from the book, just like those who contend in the courts.
ἐκ τοῦ βιβλίου.
From the book.
μικρὸν δέ τι βούλομαι διαλαβεῖν, μή τις ὅλως οἰηθῇ με τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις κατηγορεῖν Πλάτωνος, ἢ λέγειν κακῶς μετὰ ἀφορμῆς.
But I wish to make a small distinction, lest anyone should think at all that I am accusing Plato with these speeches, or speaking ill of him with some pretext.
ἐγὼ γὰρ οὔτε αὐτὸς ἔγκλημα δή που ποιοῦμαι εἴ που καὶ ὁπωσοῦν ᾠήθη δεῖν Πλάτων ἀποδημῆσαι οὔτʼ εἰ ἄλλος τις προφέρει νοῦν ἔχειν ἡγοῦμαι, οὔθʼ ὅλως ἔξω τῶν εἰς τὸν λόγον ἡκόντων οὐδὲν περιεργάζομαι, [ὥστε εἰ δεῖ καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν
For neither do I myself make it an accusation, I suppose, if indeed and in whatever way Plato thought he ought to travel abroad, nor if anyone else brings it forward do I consider them to be sensible, nor do I meddle at all with anything outside what pertains to the argument, so that if it is necessary to say this also...