§435ἀλλὰ τί φήσουσιν οἱ Τρῶες;
But what will the Trojans say?
ἆρʼ οὐ φεύγειν σε φοβούμενον, ὁρῶντα οὐδεμίαν σωτηρίαν ἐὰν μένῃς;
Will they not say that you are fleeing because you are afraid, seeing that there is no safety if you remain?
ἄξιόν γε, οὐ γάρ; τὸ Πριάμου καὶ Νέστορος γῆρας συντεθὲν τοιαύτης αἰσχύνης.
Truly a fine thing, is it not, that the old age of Priam and Nestor combined should meet with such shame.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὐ ποιήσεις, μενεῖς δὲ ἄχρι ἂν ἐπὶ τὰς σὰς σκηνάς τε καὶ ναῦς ὁ Ἕκτωρ ἀφίκηται, κτείνων πάντας ἑξῆς, τηνικαῦτα δὲ αὐτοῖς δείξεις ὅστις εἶ;
But you will not do these things, but will you remain until Hector reaches your tents and ships, killing everyone in order, and at that time will you show them who you are?
εἰ μέν σοι τοσοῦτον περίεστι, πῶς οὐκ αἰσχρὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἐᾶσαι γενέσθαι καὶ μὴ περὶ τῆς ἁπάντων σωτηρίας τῇ περιουσίᾳ χρήσασθαι, ἀλλʼ ὅταν μηδεὶς λίπηται;
If you have so much strength to spare, how is it not shameful to allow that moment to arrive and not to use your abundance for the salvation of everyone, but only when no one is left?
εἰ δʼ ἐργῶδες ἤδη γίγνεται, βοηθητέον ἡνίκʼ ἔξεστιν;
Or if it is already a difficult task, should you not help while it is possible?
ἐγὼ δʼ ἀπιστῶ οὐδʼ ἐκείνῳ, τῷ μὴ οὐ καὶ μόνον σὲ πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς βαρβάρους ἱκανὸν εἶναι καὶ ἔτι κρείττω.
And I do not disbelieve even that, namely that you alone are sufficient against all the barbarians, and even superior to them.
ἡγοῦμαι μέντοι τῷ παντὶ τὸ τοῦ καιροῦ διαφέρειν οὐ μόνον κατὰ τοῦτο ὅτι ἄμεινον ὄντων σοι τῶν θεατῶν καὶ μαρτύρων ἐπιδείξασθαι τὴν ὑπερβολὴν ταύτην, ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ κατʼ ἐκεῖνο, ὅτι τηνικαῦτα μὲν σαυτῷ δόξεις βοηθεῖν καὶ κατʼ ἀνάγκας ἀμύνεσθαι, νῦν δʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν κεκληκότων ἐξιέναι καὶ βοηθεῖν τούτοις· ὥστε οὐ μικρὸν κερδανεῖς παρὰ τὴν χάριν.
However, I think that the moment makes all the difference, not only in this respect, that it is better for you to demonstrate this supreme excellence while your spectators and witnesses are still alive, but also in this, that at that time you will seem to be helping yourself and defending from necessity, whereas now you will seem to go forth on behalf of those who called you and to help them; so that you will gain no small benefit in terms of gratitude.
ὅλως δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ πολέμου ταμίαν γενέσθαι καθʼ ὅσον βούλει μέρος. ἀλλὰ πολλὰ γένοιτʼ ἂν ὧν βούλει μεθʼ ὧν οὐκ ἂν δέξαιο.
In general, it is not possible to be the administrator of war in only such part as you wish; but many things you wish might happen along with things you would not accept.
πεσεῖταί τις καὶ τῶν πάνυ σοι κεχαρισμένων.
Someone of those who are very dear to you will also fall.
καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἐῶ, ἀλλʼ ἡμᾶς τουτουσὶ οὓς προσεῖπας φιλτάτους, καὶ οὓς ἀνέστης ἰδὼν, καὶ οἷς τὸν κρατῆρα ἔστησας καὶ προεῖπας ζωρότερον εἶναι, τί κωλύει καὶ ἡμᾶς αὔριον κεῖσθαι τηνικάδε ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀναμεμιγμένους, καὶ μεθʼ ὧν νῦν σπένδεις, ἀπὸ τούτων ῥυῆναι τὴν γῆν αἵματι καὶ κρατῆρας ἐν Ἕκτορος ἵστασθαι ἐπινικίους καὶ παιᾶνας ᾁδεσθαι σοῦ ζῶντος ὦ Ζεῦ;
And leaving others aside, but as for us here, whom you called dearest, and seeing whom you stood up, and for whom you set up the mixing-bowl and ordered that it be stronger—what prevents even us from lying tomorrow at this very hour mixed together with the others, and the earth from being drenched with blood from those with whom you now pour libations, and victorious mixing-bowls from being set up in Hector's tent, and paeans from being sung while you are alive, O Zeus?
τί δʼ, ἂν ἅμα ταῖς σκηναῖς ἐχομέναις καὶ ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐμπιμπραμέναις καὶ τὴν περιπόθητον ταύτην §436ἀποσφάξωσιν, ἢ καὶ λαβόντες αἰχμάλωτον αὖθις ἄγωσι πρὸς ἑαυτούς;
And what if, while the tents are being captured and the ships are being burned, they should slaughter this deeply-beloved woman, or take her captive and lead her back to themselves?
ἢ νῦν αὕτη κεφάλαιόν ἐστι πάντων τῶν πραγμάτων;
Or is she now the sum of all matters?
ἡδέως δʼ ἄν σου πυθοίμην, εἰ τότε αὐτὴν παραλαβὼν Ἀγαμέμνων ἀπέκτεινεν, ἢ καὶ παρὰ σοὶ μένουσαν, τί χρῆν αὐτὸν ποιεῖν νῦν, ἢ πόσα τὰ ὑποφόνια καταθέντα εὐμενοῦς τυχεῖν, εἰ δὴ νῦν ζῶσαν ἀποκαθιστάντος καὶ προσέτι ὀμνύντος ἃ μάλιστʼ ἂν σὺ βουληθείης, εἶτʼ οὐ παύσει, ἀλλʼ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἥξεις ὀργῆς, ὥστʼ εἰ μὴ παρὰ πάντων λήψει τὴν δίκην κατὰ ἔθνη καὶ κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κατὰ σῶμα ἕκαστον, ἀβίωτον ἠγήσει τὸν βίον σαυτῷ.
And I would gladly learn from you, if Agamemnon had then taken her and killed her, or even while she was remaining with you, what he ought to do now, or how much blood-money he should lay down to obtain your favor? If indeed now, when he restores her alive and moreover swears what you would most desire, you will still not cease, but will come to such a pitch of anger that, unless you extract vengeance from everyone by nations, by cities, and by every single person, you will deem life not worth living for yourself?
ὅρα μὴ αὐτὴν τὴν παῖδα μισήσῃς, ὅταν διʼ αὐτὴν διαφθαρῇ πασσυδὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον.
Watch out lest you hate the girl herself, when because of her the camp is utterly destroyed.
βούλομαι δέ σοι καὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου Χείρωνος λόγον εἰπεῖν, ὅν ποτʼ ἐν τῷ Πηλίῳ διελέχθη πρός τινα τῶν ἀπʼ Αἰτωλίας.
And I wish to tell you also a saying of your teacher Chiron, which he once spoke on Pelion to one of those from Aetolia.
θυμοῦ γὰρ ἔφη μετρίου μὲν οὐδὲν ἂν κάλλιον ἀνθρώπῳ γενέσθαι, τοῦ δὲ ὑπερβάλλοντος οὐδὲν αἴσχιον· ὃς τοὺς μὲν ἐχθροὺς ἀντιλυπήσας ἀπήλλακται, τὸν δὲ ἔχοντα ἀεὶ καὶ συνεχῶς ἀπόλλυσι.
For he said that while nothing could be more beautiful for a man than moderate anger, nothing is uglier than excessive anger; which, after grieving enemies in return, departs, but destroys the one who possesses it always and continuously.
σὺ δὲ μήτε ἐργάσῃ περαιτέρω μηδὲν μήτε αὐτὸς πάθῃς.
And may you neither do anything further, nor suffer it yourself.
ἐνθυμοῦ δὲ ὅτι πᾶσι πράγμασιν ὥσπερ ὅρους ἡ φύσις ἐστήσατο καὶ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἀθάνατον τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις, οὐ πόλεμος, οὐκ εἰρήνη, οὐ χάρις, οὐκ ὀργὴ, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν πάντων οὐδέν·
And bear in mind that nature established limits, as it were, for all things, and nothing of human affairs is immortal—not war, not peace, not gratitude, not anger, not any other thing of all.
ἢ τῆς μὲν φιλίας τῆς ὑπαρχούσης σοι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λύσις εὑρέθη, τῆς δὲ ὀργῆς οὐ φανεῖται πάλιν;
Or was a resolution found for the friendship that existed for you toward the king, but will no resolution appear in turn for your anger?
καὶ μὴν πολὺ βέλτιον τὰς φιλίας ἀθανάτους ἀξιοῦν εἶναι ἢ ʼκείνων ἐρχομένων ὑπὸ τὴν τύχην τῆς ἔχθρας μὴ βούλεσθαι πορίζεσθαι λύσεις·
And indeed it is much better to deem friendships worthy of being immortal than, when those come under fortune, not to wish to provide resolutions for enmity.
δύο γὰρ τούτω θεὰ περιέρχεσθον ἅπαντα τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Νέμεσις καὶ Δίκη, οὐκ ἐῶσαι μεῖζον τῆς φύσεως φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ ῥᾳδίως μικροὺς ἐκ μεγάλων ποιοῦσαι, ἐάν τις αὐτῶν μηδένα ποιῆται λόγον.
For these two goddesses go about all the affairs of men, Nemesis and Dike, not permitting men to think greater than nature, but easily making great men small, if anyone takes no account of them.
καὶ τούτου σοι τὸ παράδειγμα ἐγγύθεν· ὃς σοῦ τότʼ ἐφρόνησε μεῖζον, τίνος
And the example of this is near you: he who then thought more highly than you, of what [fate]...