§21.19.1ἠναγκάσθη περὶ τῶν προκειμένων.
He was forced to speak on the matters before them.
ἔφασκεν οὖν ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ἂν εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν καθʼ αὑτόν, ἀλλὰ μεῖναι τελέως διδοὺς ἐκείνοις τὴν ἐξουσίαν· ἕνα δὲ τόπον ἀγωνιᾶν τὸν κατὰ τοὺς Ῥοδίους·
He said, therefore, that he would say nothing else regarding his own affairs, but would remain entirely leaving the decision to them; but that he was anxious about one point, namely that regarding the Rhodians.
§21.19.2διὸ καὶ προῆχθαι νῦν εἰς τὸ λέγειν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐνεστώτων.
For this reason, he had now been led to speak on the present situation.
§21.19.3ἐκείνους γὰρ παρεῖναι μὲν οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑπὲρ τῆς σφετέρας πατρίδος συμφερόντως σπουδάζοντας ἤπερ αὑτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἰδίας ἀρχῆς φιλοτιμεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸ παρόν· §21.19.4τοὺς δὲ λόγους αὐτῶν τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔμφασιν ἔχειν τῇ προθέσει τῇ κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
For indeed, that they were present, striving no less zealously for the benefit of their own country than they themselves were at present competing for their own dominion; but their words had the opposite appearance to their true intention.
τοῦτο δʼ εἶναι ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν.
And this is easy to understand.
§21.19.5ἐρεῖν μὲν γὰρ αὐτούς, ἐπειδὰν εἰσπορευθῶσιν, διότι πάρεισιν οὔτε παρʼ ὑμῶν αἰτούμενοι τὸ παράπαν οὐδὲν οὔθʼ ἡμᾶς βλάπτειν θέλοντες κατʼ οὐδένα τρόπον, πρεσβεύονται δὲ περὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῶν τὴν Ἀσίαν κατοικούντων Ἑλλήνων. "
For they will say, when they enter, that they are present neither to ask for anything at all from you, nor wishing to harm us in any way, but that they come as envoys for the freedom of the Greeks inhabiting Asia.
§21.19.6τοῦτο δʼ οὐχ οὕτως αὐτοῖς εἶναι κεχαρισμένον φήσουσιν ὡς ὑμῖν καθῆκον καὶ τοῖς γεγονόσιν ἔργοις ἀκόλουθον.
And they will say that this is not so much pleasing to themselves as it is fitting for you and consistent with your past deeds.
§21.19.7ἡ μὲν οὖν διὰ τῶν λόγων φαντασία τοιαύτη τις αὐτῶν ἔσται· τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔχοντα τούτοις εὑρεθήσεται διάθεσιν.
Now, the appearance of their words will be of such a kind, but the truth of the matter will be found to have the opposite condition to this.
§21.19.8τῶν γὰρ πόλεων ἐλευθερωθεισῶν, ὡς αὐτοὶ παρακαλοῦσιν, τὴν μὲν τούτων συμβήσεται δύναμιν αὐξηθῆναι πολλαπλασίως, τὴν δʼ ἡμετέραν τρόπον τινὰ καταλυθῆναι.
For if the cities are freed, as they themselves urge, it will happen that their power will be increased many times over, while ours will be in a manner destroyed.
§21.19.9τὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ὄνομα καὶ τῆς αὐτονομίας ἡμῖν μὲν ἄρδην ἀποσπάσει πάντας οὐ μόνον τοὺς νῦν ἐλευθερωθησομένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πρότερον ἡμῖν ὑποταττομένους, ἐπειδὰν ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ ταύτης ὄντες φανεροὶ γένησθε τῆς προαιρέσεως, τούτοις δὲ προσθήσει πάντας.
For the name of freedom and autonomy will tear away entirely from us not only those who are now to be freed, but also those who were formerly subject to us, as soon as you are seen to be of this purpose, and will add them all to these men.
§21.19.10τὰ γὰρ πράγματα φύσιν ἔχει τοιαύτην· δόξαντες γὰρ ἠλευθερῶσθαι διὰ τούτους ὀνόματι μὲν ἔσονται σύμμαχοι τούτων, τῇ δʼ ἀληθείᾳ πᾶν ποιήσουσι τὸ κελευόμενον ἑτοίμως, τῇ μεγίστῃ χάριτι γεγονότες ὑπόχρεοι.
For affairs have such a nature; for seeming to have been freed through them, they will be their allies in name, but in truth they will readily do everything commanded, having become indebted for the greatest favor.
§21.19.11διόπερ, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἀξιοῦμεν ὑμᾶς τοῦτον τὸν τόπον ὑπιδέσθαι, μὴ λάθητε τοὺς μὲν παρὰ τὸ δέον αὔξοντες, τοὺς δʼ ἐλαττοῦντες τῶν φίλων ἀλόγως, §21.19.12ἅμα δὲ τούτοις τοὺς μὲν πολεμίους γεγονότας εὐεργετοῦντες, τοὺς δʼ ἀληθινοὺς φίλους παρορῶντες καὶ
Therefore, gentlemen, we request you to be on your guard against this point, lest you, without realizing it, unduly increase some of your friends while unreasonably diminishing others, and at the same time, benefiting those who have been enemies, while overlooking true friends and