§18περιιὼν κατὰ τοὺς ἀγροὺς καὶ ἐντυγχάνων τῶν πολιτῶν τοῖς πρεσβυτάτοις, οἳ κατέμειναν ἐν τοῖς δήμοις ὀλίγα μὲν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἔχοντες, ἀναγκαῖα δέ, εὖνοι μὲν ὄντες τῷ πλήθει, ἀδύνατοι δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας βοηθεῖν, τούτους ἀφῃρεῖτο τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, περὶ πλείονος ποιούμενος αὐτὸς μικρὰ κερδαίνειν ἢ ἐκείνους μηδὲν ἀδικεῖν· οἳ νῦν αὐτὸν διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο οὐχ οἷοί τέ εἰσιν ἐπεξελθεῖν ἅπαντες, διʼ ὅπερ καὶ τότε ἀδύνατοι τῇ πόλει βοηθεῖν ἦσαν.
Going around the countryside and meeting the oldest of the citizens, who remained in their demes, possessing few of the necessaries of life, but only what was indispensable, being well-disposed to the democracy, but unable because of their age to help, he robbed them of their belongings, considering it of more importance that he himself should make small gains than that he should do them no injustice; all of whom now, for this very reason, are unable to prosecute him, for which very reason they were also then unable to help the city.
§19οὐ μέντοι τοῦτόν γε χρὴ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀδυναμίαν δὶς ὠφεληθῆναι, τότε τʼ ἀφελόμενον ἃ εἶχον, νῦν τε δοκιμασθέντα ὑφʼ ὑμῶν·
Yet this man must not, because of their inability, profit twice—both then by taking away what they had, and now by being approved by you.
ἀλλὰ κἂν ὁστισοῦν παραγένηται τῶν ἀδικηθέντων, μέγα αὐτὸ ἡγήσασθε εἶναι, καὶ τοῦτον ὑπερμισήσατε, ὅστις ἐτόλμησεν, οἷς ἕτεροι διδόναι παρʼ ἑαυτῶν τι προῃροῦντο διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν οἰκτίραντες αὐτούς, τούτων ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα.
But even if any one of the wronged persons comes forward, consider it a great matter, and hate this man exceedingly, who dared to rob of their belongings those very people to whom others, pitying them because of their destitution, preferred to give something of their own.
κάλει μοι τοὺς μάρτυρας.
Call the witnesses for me.
§20Μάρτυρες
οὐ τοίνυν ἔγωγε οἶδα ὅ τι ὑμᾶς διαφερόντως δεῖ γιγνώσκειν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἢ οἱ οἰκεῖοι γιγνώσκουσι· τοιαῦτα γάρ ἐστιν, ὥστʼ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῷ ἄλλο ἡμάρτητο, διὰ μόνα ταῦτα δίκαιον εἶναι ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι.
Witnesses Now, I for my part do not know why you should judge of him differently than his own relatives judge; for his conduct is such that, even if he had committed no other wrong, for these things alone it is just that he should be rejected.
οἷα μὲν οὖν ζῶσα ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ κατηγόρει, παρήσω· ἐξ ὧν δὲ τελευτῶσα τὸν βίον διεπράξατο τεκμαιρομένοις ῥᾴδιόν ἐστιν ὑμῖν γνῶναι ὁποῖός τις ἦν περὶ αὐτήν.
What his mother, while alive, accused him of, I shall pass over; but from what she did when ending her life, it is easy for you to know, by inferring, what sort of person he was towards her.
§21ἐκείνη γὰρ τούτῳ μὲν ἠπίστησεν ἀποθανοῦσαν ἑαυτὴν ἐπιτρέψαι, Ἀντιφάνει δὲ οὐδὲν προσήκουσα πιστεύσασα ἔδωκεν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῆς ταφὴν τρεῖς μνᾶς ἀργυρίου, παραλιποῦσα τοῦτον ὑὸν ὄντα ἑαυτῆς.
For she mistrusted this man to entrust herself to when dead, but trusting Antiphanes, who was no relation, she gave him three minae of silver for her own burial, passing over this man who was her son.
ἆρα δῆλον ὅτι εὖ ᾔδει αὐτὸν οὐδὲ διὰ τὸ προσήκειν αὐτῇ τὰ δέοντα ἂν ποιήσαντα;
Is it not clear that she knew well that he would not have done his duty to her even because of his relationship?
§22καίτοι εἰ μήτηρ, ἣ πέφυκε καὶ ἀδικουμένη ὑπὸ τῶν ἑαυτῆς παίδων μάλιστα ἀνέχεσθαι καὶ μίκρʼ ὠφελουμένη μεγάλα ἔχειν ἡγεῖσθαι διὰ τὸ εὐνοίᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐλέγχῳ τὰ γιγνόμενα δοκιμάζειν, ἐνόμιζε τοῦτον κἂν ἀπὸ τεθνεώσης φέρειν ἑαυτῆς, τί χρὴ ὑμᾶς περὶ αὐτοῦ διανοηθῆναι;
And yet, if a mother—who is of such a nature as to bear most of all even when wronged by her own children, and to consider it a great thing to receive even small benefits, because she judges what is done by affection rather than by close examination—thought that this man would rob her even when dead, what must you think of him?
§23ὅστις γὰρ περὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ἀναγκαίους τοιαῦτα ἁμαρτάνει ἁμαρτήματα, τί ἂν περί γε τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ποιήσειεν;
For one who commits such offences against his own nearest kin, what would he do to strangers?
ὡς οὖν καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ ἐστιν, ἀκούσατε αὐτοῦ τοῦ λαβόντος τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ θάψαντος αὐτήν.
To show that these things also are true, hear the very man who received the money and buried her.
§24Μαρτυρία
τί ἂν οὖν βουληθέντες ὑμεῖς τοῦτον δοκιμάσαιτε;
Testimony With what intent, then, would you approve this man?
πότερον ὡς οὐχ ἡμαρτηκότα;
Whether as one who has not sinned?
ἀλλὰ τὰ μέγιστα περὶ τὴν πατρίδα ἠδίκηκεν·
But he has committed the greatest wrongs against his fatherland.
ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔσται βελτίων;
Or as one who will be better?
τοιγάρτοι πρότερον βελτίων γενόμενος περὶ τὴν πόλιν ὕστερον βουλεύειν ἀξιούτω, φανερόν τι ἀγαθὸν ὥσπερ τότε κακὸν ποιήσας.
Then let him first show himself better towards the city and afterwards deem it right to serve on the Council, having performed some manifest good just as he then did evil.
σωφρονέστερον γάρ ἐστιν ὕστερον πᾶσι τῶν ἔργων τὰς χάριτας ἀποδιδόναι· δεινὸν γὰρ ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ εἶναι, εἰ ἐξ ὧν μὲν ἤδη ἡμάρτηκε μηδέποτε τιμωρηθήσεται, ἐξ ὧν δὲ μέλλει εὖ ποιήσειν ἤδη τετιμήσεται.
For it is more prudent to return thanks to all after their deeds; for it seems to me to be a terrible thing if he is never to be punished for what he has already done wrong, but is already to be honored for what he is going to do well.
§25ἀλλʼ ἄρα ἵνα βελτίους ὦσιν οἱ πολῖται ὁρῶντες ἅπαντας ὁμοίως τιμωμένους, διὰ τοῦτο δοκιμαστέος ἐστίν;
Or is he to be approved so that the citizens may be better by seeing all honored alike?
ἀλλὰ κίνδυνος καὶ τοὺς χρηστούς ἐὰν αἰσθάνωνται ὁμοίως τοῖς πονηροῖς τιμώμενοι, παύσεσθαι τῶν χρηστῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων, τῶν αὐτῶν ἡγουμένους εἶναι τούς τε κακοὺς τιμᾶν καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀμνημονεῖν· ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τόδε ἐνθυμηθῆναι,
But there is a danger that even the good, if they perceive themselves honored alike with the wicked, will cease from their good pursuits, believing that it is the same thing to honor the bad and to be unmindful of the good.
§26ὅτι εἰ μέν τις φρούριόν τι προὔδωκεν ἢ ναῦν ἢ στρατόπεδόν τι, ἐν ᾧ μέρος τι ἐτύγχανε τῶν πολιτῶν ὄν, ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἂν ζημίαις ἐζημιοῦτο, οὗτος δὲ προδοὺς ὅλην τὴν πόλιν οὐχ ὅπως μὴ τιμωρηθήσεται ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπως τιμήσεται παρασκευάζεται.
And this also is worthy of consideration, that if anyone betrayed a fortress or a ship or a camp, in which a portion of the citizens happened to be, he would be punished with the extreme penalties; whereas this man, having betrayed the whole city, is preparing not only how he may not be punished but even how he may be honored.
καίτοι δικαίως γʼ ἄν, ὅστις φανερῶς ὥσπερ οὗτος προὔδωκε τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, οὐ περὶ τοῦ βουλεύειν ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ δουλεύειν καὶ τῆς μεγίστης τιμωρίας ἀγωνίζοιτο.
And yet, justly indeed, whoever has openly betrayed freedom as this man has, would be contesting not about serving on the Council, but about serving as a slave and receiving the greatest punishment.