§405ποιῆσαι τοὺς χρωμένους, καὶ πρὶν εἶναι δῆλον ἥντινα τῆς προθυμίας κομιεῖται χάριν, αὑτὸν τῶν ὄντων τὰ βέλτιστʼ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι.
(before doing any good) to those who use it, and before it is clear what kind of return they will receive for their eagerness, to deprive oneself of the best of one's possessions.
οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γε τοῦ Ζωπύρου καὶ τοῦ Κεφαλλῆνος παράδειγμʼ ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὧν ὁ μὲν τὴν ῥῖνα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὰ ὦτα λωβησάμενος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα, ὁ δὲ πληγαῖς αὑτὸν αἰκισάμενος κατέδυ Τρώων πόλιν εὐρυάγυιαν, ὁ μὲν Βαβυλῶνα λαβεῖν, ὁ δὲ Τροίαν ἐσπουδακώς.
For we certainly cannot cite the example of Zopyrus and the Cephallenian, of whom the former entered Babylon having mutilated his own nose and ears, while the latter slipped into the wide-wayed city of the Trojans having scourged and disfigured himself—the one eager to take Babylon, the other Troy.
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἴσα δή που τὰ ἆθλα, κρατῆσαι πολεμίων καὶ τὰ ὦτα γαργαλίσαι τινῶν.
For in the first place, the prizes are surely not equal: to conquer enemies, and to tickle the ears of some people.
ἔπειτʼ αὐτὸ τοὐναντίον ἐκ τῶν παραδειγμάτων ἀπαντᾷ.
Secondly, the very opposite conclusion arises from these examples.
εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὕτω σφόδρα καρτερεῖν ἠπίσταντο ὥστε μηδὲ τοῦ σώματος φείδεσθαι τοῦ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἐσχάτας ἀλγηδόνας καὶ πόνους ὑπομένειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγνωσμένων ἐγκαταλιπεῖν, οὗτοι δʼ, ἐξὸν ἄνευ πραγμάτων καὶ ταλαιπωρίας τὴν ὑπόθεσιν διασώζειν τὴν ἑαυτῶν, αἱροῦνται μαλακίζεσθαι, πῶς οὐχὶ δικαίως ὁτιοῦν ἂν πάθοιεν;
For if those men knew how to endure so strongly as not even to spare their own bodies, but to undergo the ultimate pains and labors in order not to abandon any of their original designs, while these men, when it is possible without trouble and distress to preserve their own position, choose to play the coward, how should they not justly suffer anything?
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἁκεῖνοι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἔδρασαν, ταῦτʼ εἰκότως ἂν τούτους ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων παθεῖν οἴομαι, πορνείας ἕνεκα καὶ ὕβρεως τῆς εἰς τοὺς λόγους.
For my part, I think it is reasonable that these men should suffer from others the very things that those men did to themselves, on account of their prostitution and insolence toward speeches.
ἢ κομιδῆ γʼ ἂν ἐκείνους μιμήσαιντο ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν τάξιν μὴ λιπεῖν, οἳ νῦν ἐπὶ τῷ λιπεῖν πάντα ποιοῦσιν, ἵνα μὴ λέγω πάσχουσιν.
Or would they completely imitate those men for the sake of not leaving their post, when they now do everything—not to say suffer—for the sake of leaving it?
ἔτι τοίνυν Ὀδυσσεὺς μὲν καὶ Ζώπυρος οὐκ οὔσης ἴσως ἄλλης ἁλώσεως αὐτοῖς τῶν πολεμίων οὕτω ταῦθʼ ὑπέστησαν· οὗτοι δὲ τί καὶ φήσουσι;
Furthermore, Odysseus and Zopyrus undertook these things thus when there was perhaps no other way of capturing the enemy; but what will these men say?
πότερον οὐκ εἶναι τοῖς βελτίστοις καὶ τοῖς ὀρθοτάτοις λόγοις ἄγειν καὶ πείθειν ἀνθρώπους;
Is it that it is not possible to lead and persuade men with the best and most correct speeches?
ἀλλʼ αἰσχρὸς ὁ λόγος, οὐ μόνον ψευδής.
But that assertion is not only false but disgraceful.
ἀλλʼ ἐξὸν ἐκείνως ἄγειν οὕτως μᾶλλον αἱρεῖσθαι;
Or, when it is possible to lead in that way, do they rather choose this way?
περιττὴν ἄρα τὴν αἰσχύνην προστίθενται.
Then they are adding superfluous shame to themselves.
πάλιν δὲ ἀναλάβωμεν.
But let us take up the argument again.
οὐκ ἔσθʼ ἕτερον τρόπον ἀνθρώπους ἄγειν ἢ τοῦτον, δῶμεν τοῦ λόγου χάριν, εἰ δοκεῖ.
Let us grant, for the sake of argument, if you please, that there is no other way to lead men than this.
οὐκοῦν εἰ χωρὶς μὲν τὸ βέλτιον, χωρὶς δὲ τὸ ἄγειν, §406τί δεῖ τὸ βέλτιον προΐεσθαι, εἴπερ, κἂν μὴ ἄγωμεν, τό γε βέλτιον τοῦτο πράττομεν;
Therefore, if the "best" is separate, and "leading" is separate, why must we abandon the best, if indeed, even if we do not lead, we are doing this very best?
εἰ δʼ ἐστὶν ὁμοῦ τό τε ἄγειν καὶ τὸ βέλτιον, εἰ μὲν ἐκεῖνο βέλτιον, ἐκείνως ἄγειν ἐστὶν, εἰ δʼ οὕτω μόνως ἄγειν συμβαίνει, τοῦτο βέλτιον.
But if leading and the best are together, if that way is better, to lead is to do so in that way; but if it happens that leading is possible only in this way, then this is the best.
τί οὖν διαιροῦσι καὶ χωρὶς μὲν τὸ βέλτιον τιθέασι, χωρὶς δὲ ἃ τῶν ἄλλων ἕνεχʼ ἡμάρτανον;
Why, then, do they divide them and set the best apart, and apart the errors they committed for the sake of others?
ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἄντικρυς οὑτωσὶ μεθύειν δοκοῦσι περὶ τοὺς λόγους ὅταν εἰς ταῦτα καταφεύγωσι.
For my part, they seem to me downright drunk concerning speeches when they fly to these refuges.
καὶ μὴν ὅτι γε οὔτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγουσιν οὔτʼ ἀληθέσι προσόμοια, ἀλλὰ τῷ μέλλοντι καὶ πείσειν ἀνθρώπους καὶ ὅλως ὑποχειρίους ἕξειν, τὴν βελτίστην καὶ τὴν ἐρρωμενεστάτην καὶ πάντως ἀδιάφθορον καὶ ἄμεμπτον ἐκ τῶν δυνατῶν ἰτέον καὶ προαιρετέον, καὶ συχνοῦ λόγου δεῖξαι καὶ βραχέος πάνυ, βραχέος μὲν λέγω, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα οὕτω σαφὲς εἶναι, μακροτέρου δὲ, ὅτι μυρίοις ἄν τις ἔχοι καὶ τεκμηρίοις καὶ παραδείγμασι δεικνύναι.
And indeed, that they speak neither what is true nor what is like the truth, but that one who is to both persuade men and hold them completely in subjection must, as far as possible, go after and choose the best, the most vigorous, and altogether incorruptible and blameless path, can be shown both by a long argument and by a very brief one—brief, I say, because it is so exceedingly clear, and longer, because one could show it by countless proofs and examples.
πρῶτον μὲν, εἰ βούλει, τοὺς τῶν πολέμων ἀγωνιστὰς ἐνθυμηθῶμεν, ποτέρως ἂν μᾶλλον αὐτοί τε σώζοιντο καὶ τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους τρέποιντο καὶ χειροῖντο, πότερον βεβαίοις καὶ ὑγιέσι καὶ στεγανοῖς τοῖς ὅπλοις χρώμενοι, ἢ τὸ μὲν ξίφος καττιτέρου φέροντες, φλοιῷ δὲ τὸν θώρακα πεποιημένον, τὸ δʼ αὖ δόρυ σύκινον, καὶ κράνος δὴ καὶ ἀσπίδα ὡς ἀπὸ τούτων εἰκάσαι;
First, if you please, let us consider the combatants in wars, in which of the two ways they would rather save themselves and rout and master their opponents: whether by using firm, sound, and tight-fitting weapons, or by carrying a sword of tin, a breastplate made of bark, a spear of fig-wood, and a helmet and shield to be guessed from these?
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οἶμαι τὴν περὶ ταῦτα ἀκρίβειαν καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε ἐκ βελτίστων καὶ ὡς βέλτιστα κατεσκευάσθαι καὶ παρὰ τὴν μάχην ἀντέχειν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἅμα καὶ δόξαν καὶ νίκην καὶ πάνθʼ ὅσα ταύτης ἄν τις τῆς μερίδος θείη, διαφέρειν τοῖς ἔχουσι καὶ χρωμένοις.
For my part, I think that precision in these matters, and having been equipped from the beginning with the best materials and in the best possible way, and holding out during the battle, makes a decisive difference to those who possess and use them, for safety as well as for glory, victory, and everything that one would place in this category.
ῥαγέντων δὲ ἢ κλασθέντων, ἤ τινʼ ἄλλον συντριβέντων τρόπον, ἢ καὶ οἴκοθεν εὐθὺς χαύνων καὶ σαπρῶν ὄντων, κληρονομεῖν τὰ σώματα τῆς τύχης καὶ μηδὲ τοῖς πάνυ γενναίοις ὑπάρχειν εὑρεῖν ὅ τι χρήσονται· ταῦτά γε καὶ Ὅμηρος μαρτυρεῖ.
But if they are torn or broken, or crushed in any other way, or are loose and rotten straight from home, their bodies inherit their fortune, and it is not possible even for the very noble to find what they should do; Homer also testifies to these things.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τῶν ἡρώων
For indeed, in his poems, of the heroes...