§415δʼ εὐθὺς καταγελῶσι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ παρʼ αὐτὴν τὴν θέαν οὕτω χαίρουσιν ὡς ἄν τινες παίζοντες.
...immediately laugh them to scorn, or rather, even during the spectacle itself, they delight in such a way as people do when playing.
ἀλλʼ οὐδέν γʼ, οἶμαι, γελοῖον τιμιώτερον τῶν σπουδαίων, οὕτω πολλοῦ δεῖ τά γε δὴ καταγέλαστα ἔμπροσθεν ἄν ποτε τῶν σπουδαίων γενέσθαι.
But nothing ridiculous, I think, is more honored than serious things, so far is it from being possible that laughable things should ever be placed before serious ones.
ἀλλὰ μὴν ὅπου καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ εὐδοξεῖν περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμεθα ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς ὕστερον μνήμης, ὧν γʼ ἐφʼ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ παραχρῆμα τέθνηκεν ἡ δόξα, ποῦ τις ἂν τούτους τιθείη;
But indeed, since we make much of reputation itself for the sake of future remembrance, where should one place those whose glory has died within a day and in an instant?
νὴ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ἐν Λυδοῖς ὠρχήσατο.
By Zeus, but Hercules too danced among the Lydians!
οἱ δέ γʼ αὐτοὶ κἀκεῖνο μυθολογοῦσι περὶ Ἡρακλέους, ὅτι τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὑτοῦ καὶ τοὺς υἱεῖς ἀπέκτεινεν, οὐχ ὡς θέμις εἰπεῖν διατεθείς·
But those same people also mythologize about Hercules that he killed his own wife and sons, being in a state of which it is not lawful to speak.
ἃ τίς ἂν πείθοιτο εὖ φρονῶν;
Who in his right mind would believe these things?
σὺ δʼ οὖν εἰ τὰ μάλιστα πιστεύεις, ἀπόκριναί μοι πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς τούτου χάριν ἡδέως ἂν τὰ σαυτοῦ διαφθείραις.
But if you believe them most of all, answer me by Hercules himself, would you too, for the sake of this, gladly destroy your own possessions?
ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐρεῖς.
But you will not say so.
ἐγὼ δʼ εἰ μὲν ὠρχήσατο ἐν Λυδοῖς Ἡρακλῆς οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν, εἰ δʼ ἄρα, ἀλλὰ μιᾷ γε ἡμέρᾳ καὶ τῆς παιδιᾶς ἕνεκα καὶ ἅμα σκώπτων ἴσως τοὺς Λυδοὺς, καὶ τέταρτον εἴποιμʼ ἂν ὅτι οὐδέν γε χείρων ἐν οἷς ὠρχεῖτο ἐγίγνετο, ἀλλʼ ἦν ὅστις ἦν.
For my part, I cannot say whether Hercules danced among the Lydians, but if indeed he did, it was at least for a single day, for the sake of play, and perhaps at the same time mocking the Lydians, and fourthly, I would say that he became not a bit worse in those things in which he danced, but remained who he was.
οἶδα δὲ καὶ Λακωνικάς τινας ὀρχήσεις καὶ τραγικάς γʼ ἑτέρας, ἐμμελείας, οἶμαι, καλουμένας—οὐ γὰρ ἡ ὄρχησις αἰσχρὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ αἰσχρὸν φευκτὸν πανταχοῦ— ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἐν Λυδοῖς, οὐδʼ εἰσάπαξ, οὐδὲ σκώπτοντες, οὐδʼ ὑγιαίνοντες τἄνδοθεν, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις ἁπάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἐξορχεῖσθε, ἃ μὴ ὅτι τοῦ Ἡρακλέους, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τῆς Ὀμφάλης ἐπαινεῖν ἦν.
And I know also of certain Laconian dances and other tragic ones, called, I think, emmeleiai—for it is not dancing that is shameful, but the shameful is to be avoided everywhere—but you dance away not among the Lydians, nor once, nor mocking, nor being healthy within, but among all men every day, things which were not to be praised, I do not say of Hercules, but not even of Omphale.
τίσι δὲ καὶ προσήκων ὁ χαρακτήρ;
And to whom is this character fitting?
πότερον τοῖς περὶ τοὺς πολιτικοὺς καὶ ἀγωνιστικοὺς τῶν λόγων;
Is it to those concerned with political and competitive speeches?
τἀναντία μέντἂν πάθοιεν τῷ Καινεῖ τῷ Θετταλῷ γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀνδρῶν γενόμενοι.
They would experience the opposite of Caeneus the Thessalian, becoming women from men.
ἀλλὰ τοῖς περὶ τὴν διαλεκτικήν;
But to those concerned with dialectic?
χαρίεις γʼ ἂν οὖν εἴης, ὦ μάσθλης, ἐπὶ σωφροσύνην καὶ ἀνδρείαν καὶ καρτερίαν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέλει παρακαλῶν, οὐ καρτερῶν αὐτὸς μένειν ἐν τῇ τάξει τῶν λόγων, ὡσπερεὶ Σαρδανάπαλλος τῇ κερκίδι τὴν κρόκην ὠθῶν ᾖδε τοὺς εἰς τὴν μάχην παρακλητικούς.
You would be charming indeed, you smooth talker, encouraging temperance, courage, and endurance in this song, while not enduring yourself to remain in the rank of speeches, just as if Sardanapalus, pushing the weft with the shuttle, sang songs of encouragement to battle.
ἀλλʼ ἡγεμόσι δὴ πρέπων ὁ τρόπος;
But is this manner fitting for leaders?
ἀλλὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν;
Or for kings?
§416ἀλλʼ ὅλως ἄρχουσιν;
Or for rulers at all?
οὐδʼ ἡλικίᾳ γε τῶν ἁπασῶν οὐδεμιᾷ.
Nor indeed for any age whatsoever.
πότερον γὰρ τοῖς νεωτέροις;
For is it for the younger?
ἀλλʼ ἑταιρεῖν δόξουσιν, ἐὰν ταῦτα ἀσπάζωνται.
But they will seem to be male prostitutes if they welcome these things.
ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν;
But for mature men?
ἀλλʼ οὐ δόξουσι βεβαιοῦν τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν.
But they will not seem to confirm their name.
ἀλλὰ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις;
But for the older?
ἀλλʼ ἀωρία πολλὴ τῆς αἰσχύνης.
But it is a great untimeliness of shame.
λείπεται δὴ γυναιξὶ, καὶ ταύταις ταῖς ἀσελγεστάταις, πρὸς ἃς τούτους ἄξιον κρίνειν.
It remains, then, for women, and those the most wanton, with whom it is worthy to judge these men.
καίτοι ζηλοῦσι μὲν αὐτὰς, λείπονται δὲ συχνῷ τινι.
And yet they emulate them, but fall short by a great deal.
θαυμάζω δʼ εἰ τοῖς μὲν τὸ νόμισμα διαφθείρουσιν, ἔφη Δημοσθένης, θάνατος ἡ ζημία κεῖται, τοῖς δὲ τοὺς λόγους κιβδήλους καὶ παρασήμους ἀπεργαζομένοις παρρησιάζεσθαι δώσομεν, ἢ τοῦτο πρῶτον λέγειν ἐξεῖναι· κἂν μὲν ῥήματι πταίσῃ τις, ἀμαθὴς εὐθέως, ἂν δʼ ὅλῃ τῇ προαιρέσει διαφθείρῃ τὰ τεταγμένα, οὐκ ἄρα πόρρω πασῶν πανηγύρεων στήσεται.
And I wonder if, while for those who corrupt the coinage, as Demosthenes said, death is established as the penalty, we shall grant freedom of speech to those who make speeches counterfeit and spurious, or permit them to say this first; and if anyone trips in a word, he is immediately unlearned, but if anyone by his whole choice corrupts what has been ordained, he will not, then, stand far from all public assemblies.
καὶ μὴν οὐχ ὑπὲρ λόγων ἡ βουλὴ μόνον, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἁπάσης εὐσχημοσύνης καὶ εὐταξίας καὶ τοῦ πότερον δεῖ τοῖς νόμοις ἐμμένειν, ἢ ποιεῖν ὅ τί τις βούλεται τῆς ἐφʼ ἡμέρᾳ χάριν ἡδονῆς.
And indeed, the deliberation is not only on behalf of speeches, but on behalf of all decency and good order, and whether it is necessary to abide by the laws or to do whatever one wishes for the sake of transient pleasure.
ὧν μὲν γὰρ ἐγὼ λέγω νικώντων, νικᾷ νόμος καὶ κόσμος, ὑφʼ ὧν οὐ μόνον αἱ πόλεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ γῆ πᾶσα καὶ οὐρανὸς αὐτὸς συνέστηκέ τε καὶ σώζεται, ἃ δʼ οὗτοι παραποιοῦσιν ἅπασι καὶ θείοις καὶ ἀνθρωπείοις πράγμασιν ἐχθρῶς ἔχει.
For if what I say prevails, law and order prevail, by which not only cities but also the whole earth and heaven itself are held together and preserved, but what these men counterfeit is hostile to all things, both divine and human.