§1εἰ μὲν περὶ ἄλλου τινὸς ἢ τοῦ σώματος, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, Καλλίας ἠγωνίζετο, ἐξήρκει ἄν μοι καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων εἰρημένα·
If, gentlemen of the jury, Callias were disputing about any other matter than his own person, the speeches delivered by the others would have been sufficient for me.
νῦν δέ μοι δοκεῖ αἰσχρὸν εἶναι, κελεύοντος καὶ δεομένου, καὶ φίλου ὄντος καὶ ἐμοὶ καὶ ἕως ἔζη τῷ πατρί, καὶ πολλῶν συμβολαίων ἡμῖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους γεγενημένων, μὴ βοηθῆσαι Καλλία τὰ δίκαια, ὅπως ἂν δύνωμαι.
But as it is, since he requests and entreats me, and since he is a friend both to me and, while he lived, to my father, and as many transactions have occurred between us, it seems to me to be a shameful thing not to assist Callias to the best of my power in obtaining his rights.
§2ἐνόμιζον μὲν οὖν οὕτως μετοικεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει, ὥστε πολὺ πρότερον ἀγαθοῦ τινος τεύξεσθαι παρʼ ὑμῶν ἢ ἐπὶ τοιαύταις αἰτίαις εἰς τοσοῦτον κίνδυνον καταστήσεσθαι·
Now, I used to think that his status as a resident alien in this city was such that he would much sooner obtain some favor from you than be brought into so great a danger on such charges.
νῦν δὲ οἱ ἐπιβουλεύοντες οὐχ ἧττον ἐπικίνδυνον ποιοῦσι τὸν βίον τοῖς μηδὲν ἀδικοῦσιν ἢ τοῖς πολλῶν κακῶν αἰτίοις οὖσιν.
But now, those who form conspiracies make life no less dangerous for those who do no wrong than for those who are the causes of many evils.
§3ὑμᾶς δὲ ἄξιον μὴ τοὺς μὲν τῶν θεραπόντων λόγους πιστοὺς νομίζειν, τοὺς δὲ τούτων ἀπίστους, ἐνθυμουμένους ὅτι Καλλίᾳ μὲν οὐδεὶς πώποτε οὔτʼ ἰδιώτης ἐνεκάλεσεν οὔτε ἄρχων, οἰκῶν δʼ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει πολλὰ μὲν ἀγαθὰ ὑμᾶς ἐποίησεν, οὐδεμίαν δὲ σχὼν αἰτίαν εἰς τοῦτο τῆς ἡλικίας ἀφῖκται, οὗτοι δὲ ἐν ἅπαντι τῷ βίῳ μεγάλα ἡμαρτηκότες καὶ πολλῶν κακῶν πεπειραμένοι, ὥσπερ ἀγαθοῦ τινος αἴτιοι γεγενημένοι περὶ ἐλευθερίας νυνὶ ποιοῦνται τοὺς λόγους. καὶ οὐ θαυμάζω·
It is right that you should not consider the words of slaves to be trustworthy and those of these men to be untrustworthy, when you reflect that no one, whether a private citizen or a magistrate, has ever accused Callias, and that while residing in this city he has done you many services, and has reached this age without incurring any charge; whereas these men, having committed great offences throughout their lives and having experienced many evils, now speak about their freedom as though they had been the cause of some good.
§4ἴσασι γὰρ ὅτι, ἐὰν μὲν ψευδόμενοι ἐλεγχθῶσιν, οὐδὲν μεῖζον τῶν ὑπαρχόντων πείσονται, ἐὰν δὲ ἐξαπατήσωσι, τῶν παρόντων κακῶν ἔσονται ἀπηλλαγμένοι.
And I do not wonder at it; for they know that, if they are detected in falsehood, they will suffer nothing worse than their present condition, but if they deceive you, they will be delivered from their present evils.
καίτοι τοὺς τοιούτους οὔτε κατηγόρους οὔτε μάρτυρας πιστοὺς χρὴ νομίζειν εἶναι, οἵτινες αὐτοὶ μεγάλα κερδαίνοντες περὶ ἑτέρων ποιοῦνται τοὺς λόγους, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον ὅσοι τῷ δημοσίῳ βοηθοῦντες εἰς κινδύνους σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καθιστᾶσιν.
Yet you ought not to consider such men as trustworthy either as accusers or as witnesses, who, while gaining great advantages themselves, speak about others, but much rather those who, in assisting the public interest, expose themselves to dangers.
§5ἄξιον δέ μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι οὐ τούτων ἴδιον ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἀλλὰ κοινὸν ἁπάντων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει·
And it seems to me to be right to consider this trial not as the private concern of these men, but as common to all in the city.
οὐ γὰρ τούτοις μόνοις εἰσὶ θεράποντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, οἳ πρὸς τὴν τούτων τύχην ἀποβλέποντες οὐκέτι σκέψονται ὅ τι ἂν ἀγαθὸν εἰργασμένοι τοὺς δεσπότας ἐλεύθεροι γένοιντο, ἀλλʼ ὅ τι ψεῦδος περὶ αὐτῶν μηνύσαντες
For these are not the only ones who have slaves, but all others have them too, who, looking to the fate of these men, will no longer consider what good they can do for their masters to obtain their freedom, but what falsehood they can report about them...