§1ἡγοῦμαι μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὐδεμίαν ὑμᾶς ποθεῖν ἀκοῦσαι πρόφασιν παρὰ τῶν βουλομένων Ἀλκιβιάδου κατηγορεῖν· τοιοῦτον γὰρ πολίτην ἑαυτὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς παρέσχεν, ὥστε καὶ εἰ μή τις ἰδίᾳ ἀδικούμενος ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τυγχάνει, οὐδὲν ἧττον προσήκει ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἐχθρὸν αὐτὸν ἡγεῖσθαι.
I believe, gentlemen of the jury, that you desire to hear no excuse from those who wish to accuse Alcibiades; for from the beginning he has shown himself to be such a citizen that, even if one does not happen to be personally wronged by him, it is nonetheless fitting, on the basis of his other practices, to regard him as an enemy.
§2οὐ γὰρ μικρὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα οὐδὲ συγγνώμης ἄξια, οὐδʼ ἐλπίδα παρέχοντα ὡς ἔσται τοῦ λοιποῦ βελτίων, ἀλλʼ οὕτω πεπραγμένα καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον κακίας ἀφιγμένα, ὥστʼ ἐπʼ ἐνίοις ὧν οὗτος φιλοτιμεῖται καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αἰσχύνεσθαι.
For his offenses are neither small nor deserving of pardon, nor do they offer any hope that he will be better in the future, but they have been so committed and have reached such a pitch of wickedness that even his enemies are ashamed of some of the things in which this man takes pride.
ἐγὼ μέντοι, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ πρότερον πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῖν διαφορᾶς ὑπαρχούσης, καὶ πάλαι τοῦτον πονηρὸν ἡγούμενος, καὶ νῦν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεπονθὼς κακῶς, πειράσομαι ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν πεπραγμένων μεθʼ ὑμῶν αὐτὸν τιμωρήσασθαι.
I, however, gentlemen of the jury, since there was an enmity between our fathers before us, and since I have long regarded him as a scoundrel, and have now been wronged by him, will attempt with your help to take vengeance on him for all his actions.
§3περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἄλλων Ἀρχεστρατίδης ἱκανῶς κατηγόρησε· καὶ γὰρ τοὺς νόμους ἐπέδειξε καὶ μάρτυρας πάντων παρέσχετο· ὅσα δʼ οὗτος παραλέλοιπεν, ἐγὼ καθʼ ἕκαστον ὑμᾶς διδάξω.
Now Archestratides has sufficiently accused him on the other points; for he has demonstrated the laws and produced witnesses for everything; but whatever he has left out, I will explain to you in detail.
§4εἰκὸς τοίνυν ἐστίν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἐξ οὗ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐποιησάμεθα, πρῶτον περὶ τούτων νυνὶ δικάζοντας μὴ μόνον δικαστὰς ἀλλὰ καὶ νομοθέτας αὐτοὺς γενέσθαι, εὖ εἰδότας ὅτι, ὅπως ἂν ὑμεῖς νυνὶ περὶ αὐτῶν γνῶτε, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον ἡ πόλις αὐτοῖς χρήσεται.
It is reasonable then, gentlemen of the jury, since we made peace, that those who are now judging these matters for the first time should become not only judges but also legislators themselves, knowing well that in whatever way you now decide concerning them, so the city will treat them for the rest of time.
δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ πολίτου χρηστοῦ καὶ δικαστοῦ δικαίου ἔργον εἶναι ταύτῃ τοὺς νόμους διαλαμβάνειν, ὅπῃ εἰς τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον μέλλει συνοίσειν τῇ πόλει.
And it seems to me to be the duty of both a good citizen and a just judge to interpret the laws in this way, in whatever way is likely to benefit the city for the future.
§5τολμῶσι γάρ τινες λέγειν ὡς οὐδεὶς ἔνοχός ἐστι λιποταξίου οὐδὲ δειλίας· μάχην γὰρ οὐδεμίαν γεγονέναι, τὸν δὲ νόμον κελεύειν, ἐάν τις λίπῃ τὴν τάξιν εἰς τοὐπίσω δειλίας ἕνεκα, μαχομένων τῶν ἄλλων, περὶ τούτου τοὺς στρατιώτας δικάζειν.
For some dare to say that no one is liable for desertion or cowardice; for they say no battle took place, and the law commands that if anyone leaves his post to the rear because of cowardice while others are fighting, the soldiers shall judge concerning him.
ὁ δὲ νόμος οὐ περὶ τούτων κελεύει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁπόσοι ἂν μὴ παρῶσιν ἐν τῇ πεζῇ στρατιᾷ.
But the law commands not only concerning these, but also concerning all those who are not present in the infantry.
ἀνάγνωθί μοι τὸν νόμον.
Read me the law.
§6Νόμος
ἀκούετε, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅτι περὶ ἀμφοτέρων κεῖται, καὶ ὅσοι ἂν μάχης οὔσης εἰς τοὐπίσω ἀναχωρήσωσι, καὶ ὅσοι ἂν ἐν τῇ πεζῇ στρατιᾷ μὴ παρῶσι.
Law You hear, gentlemen of the jury, that it is laid down concerning both, both those who retreat to the rear when there is a battle, and those who are not present in the infantry.
σκέψασθε δὲ τίνες εἰσὶν οὓς δεῖ παρεῖναι.
And consider who those are who ought to be present.
οὐχ οἵτινες ἂν τὴν ἡλικίαν ταύτην ἔχωσιν;
Is it not those who are of this age?
οὐχ οὓς ἂν οἱ στρατηγοὶ καταλέξωσιν;
Is it not those whom the generals have enrolled?
ἡγοῦμαι δʼ, §7ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅλῳ τῷ νόμῳ μόνον αὐτὸν τῶν πολιτῶν ἔνοχον εἶναι· ἀστρατείας μὲν γὰρ δικαίως ἂν αὐτὸν ἁλῶναι, ὅτι καταλεγεὶς ὁπλίτης οὐκ ἐξῆθε μεθʼ ὑμῶν, λιποταξίου δέ, ὅτι ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ μόνος οὐ παρέσχε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἑαυτὸν τάξαι, δειλίας δέ, ὅτι δεῖν αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν κινδυνεύειν ἱππεύειν εἵλετο.
And I believe, gentlemen of the jury, that he alone of the citizens is liable under the whole law; for he would justly be convicted of evasion of military service because, having been enrolled as a hoplite, he did not go out with you, and of desertion because in the camp he alone did not present himself to be stationed with the others, and of cowardice because, when he ought to have shared the danger with the hoplites, he chose to serve in the cavalry.
§8καίτοι φασὶν αὐτὸν ταύτην τὴν ἀπολογίαν ποιήσεσθαι, ὡς ἐπειδήπερ ἵππευεν, οὐδὲν ἠδίκει τὴν πόλιν.
And yet they say that he will make this defense, that since he served in the cavalry, he did no wrong to the city.
ἐγὼ δʼ ἡγοῦμαι διὰ τοῦθʼ ὑμᾶς δικαίως ἂν αὐτῷ ὀργίζεσθαι, ὅτι τοῦ νόμου κελεύοντος, ἐάν τις ἀδοκίμαστος ἱππεύῃ, ἄτιμον εἶναι, ἐτόλμησεν ἀδοκίμαστος ἱππεύειν.
But I believe that you would justly be angry with him for this very reason, because, though the law commands that if anyone serves in the cavalry without having passed his scrutiny, he shall be disenfranchised, he dared to serve in the cavalry without having passed his scrutiny.
καί μοι ἀνάγνωθι τὸν νόμον.
And read me the law.
§9Νόμος
οὗτος τοίνυν εἰς τοῦτʼ ἦλθε πονηρίας, καὶ οὕτως ὑμῶν κατεφρόνησε καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἔδεισε καὶ ἱππεύειν ἐπεθύμησε καὶ τῶν νόμων οὐκ ἐφρόντισεν, ὥστε οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τούτων τῶν κινδύνων ἐμέλησεν, ἀλλʼ ἐβουλήθη καὶ ἄτιμος εἶναι καὶ τὰ χρήματʼ αὐτοῦ δημευθῆναι καὶ πάσαις ταῖς κειμέναις ζημίαις ἔνοχος γενέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ μετὰ τῶν πολιτῶν εἶναι καὶ ὁπλίτης γενέσθαι.
Law He then went to such a pitch of wickedness, and so despised you and feared the enemy and desired to serve in the cavalry and cared nothing for the laws, that he did not care at all for any of these dangers, but preferred to be disenfranchised and to have his property confiscated and to become liable to all the established penalties rather than to be with the citizens and to become a hoplite.