§1ἐγὼ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ ὑμᾶς αἰτοῦμαι τὰ δίκαια ψηφίσασθαι, καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν δέομαι, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἄλλῃ ἀρχῇ πολλοῦ ἄξιοι τῇ πόλει γεγόνασι, καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀστρατείας γραφῶν κοινοὺς εἶναι τῷ τε διώκοντι καὶ τῷ φεύγοντι, καὶ μὴ βοηθοῦντας ᾧ ἂν βούλωνται πᾶσαν προθυμίαν ἔχειν παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον ὑμᾶς ψηφίσασθαι,
For my part, gentlemen of the jury, I both request you to vote what is just, and I entreat the generals—since in their other offices as well they have been of great value to the city—to be impartial to both prosecutor and defendant in the indictments for evasion of military service, and not, by supporting whomever they please, to show every eagerness to make you vote contrary to justice.
§2ἐνθυμουμένους ὅτι σφόδρʼ ἂν ἠγανακτεῖτε, εἰ ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ δοκιμασίᾳ οἱ θεσμοθέται ἀναβάντες ὑμῶν ἐδέοντο καταψηφίσασθαι, ἡγούμενοι δεινὸν εἶναι εἰ οἱ τιθέντες τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τὴν ψῆφον διδόντες παρακελεύσονται τῶν μὲν μὴ καταψηφίζεσθαι τῶν δὲ καταψηφίζεσθαι.
bearing in mind that you would have been highly indignant if, at your scrutiny, the Thesmothetae had gone up and requested you to vote for condemnation, thinking it terrible if those who set the contest and give the vote should exhort you not to condemn some, but to condemn others.
§3τί δʼ ἂν αἴσχιον ἔθος ἢ δεινότερον πρᾶγμα τούτου ἐν τῇ πόλει γένοιτο, εἰ τολμήσει ὁ μὲν ἄρχων ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἐπικλήρων δίκαις ἀντιβολεῖν καὶ ἱκετεύειν τοὺς δικαστὰς ὅ τι ἂν βούληται πραχθῆναι, ὁ δὲ πολέμαρχος καὶ οἱ ἕνδεκα δεήσονται ἐν ταῖς δίκαις ταῖς ὑφʼ ἑαυτῶν εἰσαγομέναις, §4ὥσπερ καὶ νῦν;
What more shameful custom or what more terrible deed than this could arise in the city, if the Archon should dare in the suits of heiresses to entreat and supplicate the judges that whatever he wishes be done, and the Polemarch and the Eleven should make requests in the suits introduced by themselves, just as they are doing now?
χρὴ τοίνυν καὶ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν τὴν γνώμην ἔχειν, ἐνθυμουμένους ὅτι οὐδὲν διοίσει ὑμᾶς ἰδίᾳ περὶ τῆς ἀστρατείας βοηθεῖν, ἢ τούτων τινὰς δεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς τὴν ψῆφον διδόντας.
You ought, therefore, to hold this same opinion for yourselves, bearing in mind that it will make no difference for you to assist privately in matters of evasion of military service, or for these men themselves to make requests while you are giving your vote.
§5σκέψασθε δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἐὰν ἱκανὸν γένηται τεκμήριον ὅτι οὐδείς πω τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ Ἀλκιβιάδῃ ἦν παρεσκευασμένος.
And consider, gentlemen of the jury, whether it is a sufficient proof that no one of the officers in the camp had made preparations for Alcibiades.
ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτούς, εἴπερ ἀληθῆ λέγουσιν, ἀνακαλεῖν μὲν Πάμφιλον, ὅτι ἀφαιρῶν τὸν ἵππον ἱππέως ἀπεστέρει τὴν πόλιν, ἐπιβάλλειν δὲ τῷ φυλάρχῳ, ὅτι ἐξελαύνων Ἀλκιβιάδην ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ἄκυρον ἐποίει τὴν τούτων τάξιν, κελεύειν δὲ τὸν ταξίαρχον ἐξαλείφειν αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν καταλόγου.
For they ought, if indeed they speak the truth, to have summoned Pamphilus, because by taking away the horse he was depriving the city of a cavalryman, and to have imposed a fine on the phylarch, because by expelling Alcibiades from the tribe he was making their assignment invalid, and to have ordered the taxiarch to erase him from the roll of the hoplites.
§6νῦν δὲ τούτων οὐδὲν ἐποίησαν, ἀλλʼ ἐν μὲν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ περιεώρων αὐτὸν ὑπὸ πάντων προπηλακιζόμενον κἀν τοῖς ἱπποτοξόταις ἱππεύοντα, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὑμᾶς δεῖ παρὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων δίκην λαμβάνειν, χαριζόμενοι μαρτυροῦσιν ὑφʼ ἑαυτῶν αὐτὸν τετάχθαι.
But as it is, they did none of these things, but in the camp they looked on while he was insulted by everyone and served as a horse-archer, and now, when you must exact punishment from the wrongdoers, they testify to favor him that he was assigned by them.
καίτοι δεινόν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, αὐτοὺς μὲν τοὺς στρατηγοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου χειροτονηθέντας μὴ ἂν τολμῆσαι πρότερον ἡμῶν ἡγήσασθαι, ἕως ἐδοκιμάσθησαν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους, Ἀλκιβιάδην δὲ τολμᾶν παρὰ τοὺς τῆς πόλεως νόμους ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ταχθῆναι.
And yet it is terrible, gentlemen of the jury, that the generals themselves, though elected by the people, would not have dared to lead us before they had passed their scrutiny according to the laws, but that Alcibiades should dare to be assigned by them contrary to the laws of the city.
§7δεινὸν δέ μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἰ τῶν μὲν δεδοκιμασμένων ἱππέων οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐστὶν ὅντινα βούλονται αὐτοὶ εἰς τοὺς ὁπλίτας καταλέξαι, τῶν δὲ ὁπλιτῶν ἀδοκιμάστων ὄντων ἐπὶ τούτοις ἔσται ὅντινʼ ἂν βούλωνται ἱππεύειν.
And it seems to me terrible, gentlemen of the jury, if, while they have no power to enroll whomever they wish of the approved cavalrymen into the hoplites, they shall have power over the unscrutinized hoplites to make whomever they wish serve in the cavalry.
§8εἰ μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὄντες κύριοι πολλῶν βουλομένων μηδένα τῶν ἄλλων ἱππεύειν εἴασαν, οὐκ ἂν δικαίως χαρίζοισθε αὐτοῖς· εἰ δʼ ἄκυροι ὄντες ὁμολογήσουσι τάξαι, ἐνθυμεῖσθαι χρὴ ὅτι ὀμωμόκατε τὰ δίκαια γνώσεσθαι, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὅ τι ἂν οὗτοι κελεύωσι ψηφιεῖσθαι, ὥστε οὐδένα χρὴ τῶν δεομένων περὶ πλείονος ὑμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ὅρκων ποιεῖσθαι.
If, therefore, gentlemen of the jury, having the authority when many wished it, they allowed no one else of the others to serve in the cavalry, you would not justly favor them; but if, having no authority, they admit they assigned him, you must bear in mind that you have sworn to decide what is just, and not to vote whatever these men command, so that you must value no one of those who entreat you more than yourselves and your oaths.
§9καὶ μὲν δή, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἴ τῳ δοκεῖ μεγάλη ἡ ζημία εἶναι καὶ λίαν ἰσχυρὸς ὁ νόμος, μεμνῆσθαι χρὴ ὅτι οὐ νομοθετήσοντες περὶ αὐτῶν ἥκετε, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς κειμένους νόμους ψηφιούμενοι, οὐδὲ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας ἐλεήσοντες, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον αὐτοῖς ὀργιούμενοι καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει βοηθήσοντες, εὖ εἰδότες ὅτι ὑπὲρ τῶν παρεληλυθότων ὀλίγους τιμωρησάμενοι πολλοὺς ποιήσετε κοσμιωτέρους ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσι κινδυνεύειν.
And indeed, gentlemen of the jury, if anyone thinks the penalty is great and the law too severe, he must remember that you have not come to legislate about these things, but to vote according to the established laws, nor to pity those who do wrong, but much rather to be angry with them and to assist the whole city, knowing well that by punishing a few for past offenses you will make many more orderly in future dangers.
§10χρὴ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὥσπερ οὗτος ἀμελήσας τῆς πόλεως τὴν αὑτοῦ σωτηρίαν ἐσκέψατο, οὕτως ὑμᾶς ἀμελήσαντας τούτου τῇ πόλει τὰ βέλτιστα ψηφίσασθαι, ἄλλως τε καὶ ὅρκους ὀμωμοκότας καὶ περὶ Ἀλκιβιάδου μέλλοντας ψηφίσασθαι, ὃς ἐὰν ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσῃ, καταγελῶν τῆς πόλεως ἄπεισιν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ χάριν γε ὑμῖν ἀποδώσει τῇ ψήφῳ κρύβδην εὖ παθών, ὃς τῶν φίλων τοὺς φανερῶς αὐτὸν εὖ ποιήσαντας κακῶς ποιεῖ.
And you must, gentlemen of the jury, just as this man neglected the city and looked to his own safety, so you, neglecting him, must vote what is just for the city, especially since you have sworn oaths and are about to vote concerning Alcibiades, who, if he deceives you, will depart laughing at the city; for he will certainly not return thanks to you for having received a benefit secretly by your vote, since he does evil to those of his friends who have openly done him good.
§11ὑμεῖς οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τὰς τούτων δεήσεις περὶ ἐλάττονος ποιησάμενοι τὰ δίκαια ψηφίσασθε.
You, therefore, gentlemen of the jury, holding the entreaties of these men of less account, vote what is just.
ἀποδέδεικται δὲ καταλεγεὶς εἰς τοὺς ὁπλίτας καὶ λιπὼν τὴν τάξιν καὶ τῶν νόμων κωλυόντων ἀδοκίμαστος ἱππεύσας, καὶ περὶ ὧν οἱ νόμοι διαρρήδην οὔτε στρατηγὸν οὔτε ἵππαρχον οὔτε ἄλλον οὐδένα κυριώτερον ἐκείνων ἀποδεικνύουσι, περὶ τούτων ἰδιώτης ὢν τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὑτῷ δεδωκώς.
And it has been proved that he was enrolled in the hoplites and left his post, and served in the cavalry without having passed his scrutiny though the laws forbid it, and concerning matters about which the laws explicitly declare neither general nor hipparch nor anyone else to have more authority than they, he, being a private citizen, has given this power to himself.
§12ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καὶ φίλῳ ὄντι Ἀρχεστρατίδῃ βοηθῶν, καὶ Ἀλκιβιάδην ἐχθρὸν ὄντα ἐμαυτοῦ τιμωρούμενος, δέομαι τὰ δίκαια ψηφίσασθαι· ὑμᾶς δὲ χρὴ τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔχοντας τὴν ψῆφον φέρειν, ἥνπερ ὅτε ᾤεσθε πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους διακινδυνεύσειν.
I, therefore, both assisting Archestratides, who is a friend, and avenging myself on Alcibiades, who is my enemy, request you to vote what is just; and you must cast your vote with the same mind as when you expected to risk your lives against the enemy.