§9ὅτι ὁ θεὶς τὸν περὶ τῶν δοκιμασιῶν νόμον οὐχ ἥκιστα τῶν ἐν ὀλιγαρχίᾳ ἀρξάντων ἕνεκα ἔθηκεν, ἡγούμενος δεινὸν εἶναι, εἰ διʼ οὓς ἡ δημοκρατία κατελύετο, οὗτοι ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πολιτείᾳ πάλιν ἄρξουσι, καὶ κύριοι γενήσονται τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς πόλεως, ἣν πρότερον παραλαβόντες οὕτως αἰσχρῶς καὶ δεινῶς ἐλωβήσαντο.
that the one who established the law concerning scrutinies enacted it not least for the sake of those who had ruled under the oligarchy, thinking it dreadful if those through whom the democracy was overthrown should rule again under this very constitution, and become masters of the laws and the city, which they had previously taken over and ravaged so shamefully and terribly.
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἄξιον τῆς δοκιμασίας ὀλιγώρως ἔχειν, οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἡγουμένους τὸ πρᾶγμα μὴ φροντίζειν αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ φυλάττειν· ὡς ἐν τῷ ἕκαστον δικαίως ἄρχειν ἥ τε πολιτεία καὶ τὸ ἄλλο πλῆθος τὸ ὑμέτερον σῴζεται §10καὶ εἰ μὲν δὴ βουλεύσων νυνὶ ἐδοκιμάζετο καὶ ὡς ἱππευκότος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν τριάκοντα τοὔνομα ἐν ταῖς σανίσιν ἐνεγέγραπτο, καὶ ἄνευ κατηγόρου ἂν αὐτὸν ἀπεδοκιμάζετε·
Therefore, it is not right to treat the scrutiny with neglect, nor to fail to care for it by thinking it a small matter, but rather to guard it; for it is in each person ruling justly that both the constitution and the rest of your multitude are preserved. And indeed, if he were now being scrutinized to become a councillor, and his name had been inscribed on the tablets as having served in the cavalry under the Thirty, you would have rejected him even without an accuser.
νῦν δέ, ὅτε μὴ μόνον ἱππευκὼς μηδὲ βεβουλευκώς, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πλῆθος ἐξημαρτηκὼς φαίνεται, οὐκ ἂν ἄτοπον ποιήσαιτε, εἰ μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔχοντες περὶ αὐτοῦ φανεῖσθε; §11καὶ μὲν δὴ βουλεύειν γε δοκιμασθεὶς πεντακοσιοστὸς ὢν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐνιαυτὸν ἂν μόνον ἐβούλευσεν, ὥστε καὶ εἴ τι ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐξαμαρτάνειν ἐβούλετο, ῥᾳδίως ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐκωλύετο, ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀξιούμενος αὐτὸς καθʼ αὑτὸν ἄρξει, καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἐν Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ βουλῆς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον τῶν μεγίστων κύριος γενήσεται. §12ὥστε ὑμῖν καθήκειν περὶ ταύτης τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀκριβεστέραν τὴν δοκιμασίαν ἢ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρχῶν ποιεῖσθαι.
But now, when he is shown not only to have served in the cavalry, nor merely to have been a councillor, but also to have committed wrongs against the multitude, would you not act absurdly if you do not appear to hold the same opinion concerning him? And indeed, if he had been approved to serve as a councillor, being one of the five hundred, he would have served with the others for only a year, so that even if he wished to commit any wrong during this time, he would easily have been prevented by the others. But being deemed worthy of this office, he will rule by himself, and along with the Council of the Areopagus, he will be master of the greatest matters for all time. Therefore, it is fitting for you to conduct a more rigorous scrutiny for this office than for the other offices.
εἰ δὲ μή, πῶς οἴεσθε τὸ ἄλλο πλῆθος τῶν πολιτῶν διακείσεσθαι, ὅταν αἴσθωνται, ὃν προσῆκε δίκας τῶν ἡμαρτημένων διδόναι, τοῦτον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν τοιαύτης ἀρχῆς ἠξιωμένον;
Otherwise, how do you think the rest of the citizens will feel when they realize that this man, who ought to pay the penalty for his wrongs, has been deemed worthy of such an office by you?
καὶ φόνου δίκας δικάζοντα, ὃν ἔδει αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ βουλῆς κρίνεσθαι;
And when they see him judging trials for homicide, when he himself ought to have been tried by the Council of the Areopagus?
καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἴδωσιν ἐστεφανωμένον, καὶ ἐπικλήρων καὶ ὀρφανῶν κύριον γεγενημένον, ὧν ἐνίοις αὐτὸς τῆς ὀρφανίας αἴτιος γεγένηται; §13ἆρʼ οὐκ οἴεσθε αὐτοὺς χαλεπῶς διακείσεσθαι καὶ ὑμᾶς αὐτῶν αἰτίους ἡγήσεσθαι, ὅταν γένωνται ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς χρόνοις, ἐν οἷς αὐτῶν πολλοὶ εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἀπήγοντο καὶ ἄκριτοι ὑπὸ τούτων ἀπώλλυντο καὶ φεύγειν τὴν σφετέραν αὐτῶν ἠναγκάζοντο;
And when, in addition to this, they see him crowned and become the master over heiresses and orphans, for some of whom he himself is the cause of their orphanhood? Do you not think they will feel bitter and hold you responsible for them, when they recall those times in which many of them were dragged off to prison and perished without trial at the hands of these men, and were forced to flee their own country?
κἀκεῖνο πρὸς ἐνθυμηθῶσιν, ὅτι ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος ἀνὴρ αἴτιος γεγένηται Λεωδάμαντά τε ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι καὶ τοῦτον δοκιμασθῆναι, τοῦ μὲν κατήγορος γενόμενος, ὑπὲρ τούτου δὲ ἀπολογήσασθαι παρασκευασάμενος, ὃς πῶς πρὸς τὴν πόλιν διάκειται καὶ πόσων αἴτιος αὐτῇ κακῶν γεγένηται; §14ἢ πιθόμενοι πῶς ἂν οἴεσθε διαβληθῆναι;
And let them bear this further in mind, that this very same man has been the cause of both Leodamas being rejected and this man being approved, by becoming the accuser of the former and preparing to defend the latter—a man who, how is he disposed toward the city, and of how many evils has he been the cause for it? Or if you are persuaded, how do you think you will be defamed?
τότε μὲν γὰρ ὑμᾶς ᾤοντο ὀργισθέντας Λεωδάμαντα ἀποδοκιμάσαι· ἐὰν δὲ τοῦτον δοκιμάσητε, εὖ εἴσονται ὅτι οὐ δικαίᾳ γνώμῃ περὶ αὐτοῦ κέχρησθε.
For at that time, they thought you rejected Leodamas because you were angry; but if you approve this man, they will well know that you have not used a just judgment concerning him.
ἔστι δὲ τούτοις μὲν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἁγών, ὑμῖν δὲ πρὸς ἅπασαν τὴν πόλιν, ἣ σκοπεῖ νυνὶ τίνα ὑμεῖς γνώμην περὶ αὐτῆς ἕξετε. §15καὶ μηδεὶς ὑμῶν ἡγείσθω με Λεωδάμαντι χαριζόμενον κατηγορεῖν Εὐάνδρου, ὅτι φίλος ὢν τυγχάνει, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ τῆς πόλεως προνοούμενον.
For them, this is a contest against you, but for you, it is against the whole city, which is now watching to see what opinion you will hold concerning it. And let no one of you think that I am accusing Evander to gratify Leodamas because he happens to be a friend, but rather that I am looking out for you and the city.
ῥᾴδιον δʼ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος μαθεῖν.
It is easy to learn this from the matter itself.
Λεωδάμαντι γὰρ συμφέρει τοῦτον δοκιμασθῆναι, οὕτω γὰρ ὑμεῖς μάλιστα διαβληθήσεσθε, καὶ δόξετε ἀντὶ δημοτικῶν ἀνθρώπων ὀλιγαρχικοὺς εἰς τὰς ἀρχὰς καθιστάναι·
For it is to Leodamas' advantage that this man be approved, since in this way you will be most defamed, and will seem to establish oligarchic men in office instead of democratic ones.
ὑμῖν δὲ τόνδε ἀποδοκιμάσαι, δόξετε γὰρ κἀκεῖνον δικαίως ἀποδοκιμάσαι· ἐὰν δὲ μηδὲ τόνδε, οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνον δικαίως.
But for you, it is to reject this man, for you will seem to have rejected that other one justly; whereas if you do not reject this one either, you will not seem to have rejected that one justly either.