§419παράσχες μοι κεῖραι σεαυτὸν, ἢ τῶν ὀνύχων ἀφελεῖν, ἢ ξέσαι, ταῦτα γὰρ ἔσθʼ ἡ ʼμὴ τέχνη; ἀλλʼ οἶμαι, κἂν ἁλουργίδα τις φορῇ κἂν ὁπωσοῦν ᾖ σεμνὸς, αὐτὸς εἶσι παρʼ ἐκεῖνον καὶ καλεῖ γε ὡς αὑτὸν, ὅταν του τῶν ἐκείνου δεηθῇ.
"... allow me to shave you, or to cut your nails, or to trim you, for is this not my art?" But indeed, I think, even if someone wears a purple robe and is ever so stately, he himself goes to that man and even calls him to his own place when he needs any of his services.
καὶ τί δεῖ μακρόν τινα ἐκτείνειν κατάλογον τεχνῶν;
And why is it necessary to spin out a long catalogue of arts?
σχεδὸν γὰρ πάντα ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν οὕτως ἔχοντα εὑρήσομεν.
For we shall find almost all of them, so to speak, being in this condition.
εἶθʼ οἳ μὲν οὐδʼ αὐτοὶ μεῖζον φρονεῖν οὐδενὸς ἀξιώσαιεν ἂν, οἶμαι δʼ οὐδʼ ἴσον τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τέχνην ταύτην ἔχουσιν ὑπηρετεῖν τοῖς πολλοῖς, οὗτοι μὲν τοὺς δεησομένους ἀναμενοῦσι καὶ οὐ ταπεινωθήσονται περαιτέρω τοῦ σχήματος, οἱ δὲ τὴν καλλίστην καὶ τὴν ἐλευθεριωτάτην ἐπαγγελλόμενοι δύναμιν, διʼ ἧς ἅπαντα πράγματα ἐξετάζεται καὶ δοκιμάζεται, καὶ μικρὰ καὶ μείζω καὶ καλλίω καὶ θάτερα, οὗτοι δʼ οὐκ εἰ μηδὲν ἄλλο, τούτους γε μιμήσονται, καὶ τὴν μὲν τῶν λόγων ἐπιμέλειάν τε καὶ μελέτην αὑτοῖς προσήκειν νομιοῦσι, τὸ δʼ ἢ τούτοις ἢ ἑαυτοῖς χρῆσθαι, τοῦτο δʼ ἑτέρων ἔργον ἡγήσονται;
If, then, those who would not deem themselves worthy to think highly of themselves compared to anyone, and indeed not even on an equal footing with others, but rather possess this art of serving the multitude, will wait for those in need and will not humble themselves beyond their proper station; shall those who profess the most beautiful and most liberal power, through which all matters are examined and tested, both small and great, beautiful and otherwise, shall these, if nothing else, not imitate them, and while they believe that the care and practice of speeches belong to themselves, think that making use of these or of themselves is the business of others?
καὶ ὡς ἔοικεν ὁ μὲν σκυτοτόμος καὶ ὑφάντης, ἐὰν ἀφέντες ἐφʼ ᾧ κάθηνται περιέρχωνται συλλέγοντες τοὺς προσφοιτήσοντας, οὐ μόνον οὐ πράξουσι τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντα ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαφθεροῦσι τὰς τέχνας, ὁ δὲ ῥήτωρ ἐὰν τοὺς λόγους ἀφεὶς τοὺς ἀκουσομένους συλλέγῃ, κάλλισθʼ οὕτω περὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ βουλεύσεται;
And as it seems, if the shoemaker and the weaver, leaving the place where they sit, go around collecting those who will visit them, they will not only fail to do what is appropriate for themselves, but will also ruin their arts; whereas if the orator, leaving his speeches, goes around collecting those who will listen, will he thus consult best for his own interests?
οὒκ, ἀλλʼ οὕτω καὶ μάλισθʼ, ὥς γʼ ἐγὼ φαίην ἂν, τὰ ὑπάρχοντα διαφθερεῖ.
No, but in this way, as I would say, he will most of all ruin his existing resources.
καὶ μὴν εἰ πανταχοῦ τὸ τὴν τάξιν λιπεῖν αἰσχρὸν καὶ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους, ῥήτωρ γε μάλιστʼ ἂν οὕτω λίποι τὴν τάξιν, εἰ τοὺς τυχόντας θεραπεύων φαυλότερον καθʼ αὑτὸν τὸ σχῆμα τῆς τέχνης ποιοῖ.
Moreover, if to desert one's post is everywhere shameful and against the laws, an orator would most of all desert his post in this way, if by paying court to anyone who comes along, he should make the character of his art baser than it is.
σκέψαι γὰρ εἴ σοι τῶν καλῶς ἐχόντων ἢ λόγον καταλιπόντων εἶναι δοκεῖ τοὺς μὲν γῆμαι προθυμουμένους παρὰ τὰς τῶν κορῶν θύρας καθέζεσθαι, θεραπεύοντας ἢ αὐτὰς ἢ γονέας ἤ τινα ἄλλον τῶν προσηκόντων, τοὺς δὲ τῶν λόγων ἐπιθυμητὰς εἶναι φάσκοντας ἀμελήσαντας θεραπεύειν τὸν ῥήτορα αὐτὸν καὶ πειρᾶσθαι πείθειν ἀμωσγέπως προσέσθαι σφᾶς εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν, ἔπειτα
For consider whether it seems to you to be of those things which are proper or make sense, that those who are eager to marry should sit at the doors of the maidens, paying court either to them or to their parents or to someone else of their relatives; while those who claim to be lovers of speeches, neglecting to pay court to the orator himself and to try by some means or other to persuade him to admit them into association, then accuse him and say that he, after all, does not wish to do so.
§420καταιτιᾶσθαι καὶ λέγειν ὡς ἄρʼ οὐ βούλεται. καὶ τίς ὦ πρὸς θεῶν σοι Κάλχας ἢ Μόψος ταῦτα ἐμαντεύσατο;
And who, by the gods, what Calchas or Mopsus prophesied these things to you?
οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐπειράθης.
For you yourself did not make the trial.
καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνό γʼ ἔστʼ εἰπεῖν ὡς ἄρα οἱ μὲν τὰς ἄλλας ἐπιστήμας ἢ τέχνας μετιόντες ἴσασι καλῶς ἃ δεῖ βεβουλεῦσθαι περὶ αὐτῶν, οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων ὄντες μόνοι πάντων ἢ μάλιστά γε ἀγνοήσουσιν.
And indeed, one cannot even say that those who pursue other sciences or arts know well what they must decide about them, while those who are occupied with speeches alone of all, or at least most of all, will be ignorant.
ἀλλʼ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ κάλλιστον καὶ μέγιστον καὶ ἀληθινώτατόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τῶν λόγων εἰπεῖν ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ἄλλο τι πράττοντας οὐδὲν κωλύει τὰ μὲν τῆς τέχνης ἐπίστασθαι, τὸ δʼ ὅπως χρὴ βεβουλεῦσθαι περὶ αὐτῶν ἀγνοεῖν. οἱ δὲ λόγοι χωρὶς τῆς ἄλλης δυνάμεως καὶ τὸ πῶς προσοιστέον ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς παρέχουσι γιγνώσκειν.
But this very thing is the most beautiful, greatest, and truest thing to say on behalf of speeches, that nothing prevents those who practice any other thing from knowing the matters of their art, but being ignorant of how they must decide about them; whereas speeches, apart from their other power, provide the knowledge of how one must approach them.
εἰκότως· οἷς γὰρ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων κρίνειν προσήκει, κομιδῆ περί γʼ αὑτῶν ἀγνοεῖν οὐκ εἰκός ἐστι.
And with good reason; for those whose business it is to judge concerning other things, it is not likely that they should be altogether ignorant of their own.
φέρε δὴ τούτων οὕτως ὑποκειμένων τοὐμὸν θεάσασθε, κἂν μὲν εὑρίσκητε ἢ ῥᾳθυμοῦντα ἤ τι τῶν πάντων ἄλλο προὐργιαίτερον τῆς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις διατριβῆς ποιούμενον ἢ νῦν ἢ πρότερον λέγω, μᾶλλον δʼ ὅλως ἐλλελοιπότα ὑπερβολὴν τῆς περὶ ταῦτα προθυμίας τε καὶ σπουδῆς, αἰτιᾶσθε καὶ μέμφεσθε ὅ τι βούλεσθε.
Come then, these things being thus assumed, look at my case; and if you find me either being idle or making anything else of all things of greater consequence than my occupation in speeches, speaking either of now or before, or rather having altogether fallen short of the highest degree of eagerness and zeal concerning these things, accuse and blame me for whatever you wish.
εἰ δὲ καὶ σκώμματος οὐδὲν ἴσως λελοιπότα, ὡς ἄρα αὐτόχρημα λόγος τις εἴην, πέρα δʼ οὐδέν μοι περιείργασται πώποτε πλὴν ὅσα πρὸς θεοὺς, ταῦτα δʼ εἴργασται μὲν καὶ πέπρακται σὺν αὐτοῖς εἰπεῖν εἰς δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν ὡς ἐπιμελέστατα, περιείργασται δʼ οὐδαμῶς· εἰ ταῦθʼ οὕτως ἔχοντα φαίνοιτο, συγκαλύψασθε ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέροις οἱ μήτε χρῆσθαι τολμῶντες καὶ προσέτι τὰς γυναῖκας μιμούμενοι, ἅς φασιν, ἐπειδὰν αὐταὶ μηδὲν ὧν δεῖ τῇ γνώμῃ ποιῶσι, τοῖς ἀνδράσι περιτρέπειν τὰ σφέτερʼ αὐτῶν ἁμαρτήματα καὶ κακά.
But if indeed, perhaps not even having left any room for mockery, as though I were literally speech itself, and nothing beyond this has ever been busied by me except what is toward the gods (and these things have been worked and done, to speak with their help, to the best of our power with the greatest care, and have by no means been busied superfluously); if these things should appear to be in this state, cover yourselves for both reasons, you who neither dare to make use of them and moreover imitate the women, who, as they say, whenever they themselves do nothing of what they ought in their judgment, turn their own errors and evils upon their husbands.
σκοπεῖτε δὴ καθάπερ τινὰς εὐθύνας ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐξετάζοντες ὡς δυνατὸν διὰ βραχυτάτων.
Consider then, examining from the beginning as if in a kind of audit, as briefly as possible.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς νέῳ ἔτʼ ὄντι χρῆσθαι διδασκάλοις καὶ φήμας πρώτας παρʼ ἐκείνων ἦ μὴν πρωτεύσειν γενέσθαι μοι.
For God granted to me, while I was still young, to make use of teachers, and to have the first prophecies from them that I should indeed hold the first place.