§21.23.1τῶν ἄλλων δυναστειῶν καταδεεστέρα.
...inferior to any of the other dynasties.
ἔξεστιν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ τοὺς φίλους μεγαλομερῶς σωματοποιῆσαι καὶ τὸ τῆς ἰδίας ὑποθέσεως λαμπρὸν μὴ καταβαλεῖν.
Therefore, Roman gentlemen, it is possible for you both to strengthen your friends in a grand manner, and not to tarnish the splendor of your own purpose.
§21.23.2οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις ταὐτὸν τέλος τῶν ἔργων, ἀλλʼ ἕτερον.
For the end of actions is not the same for you as for other men, but different.
§21.23.3οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι πάντες ὁρμῶσιν πρὸς τὰς πράξεις ὀρεγόμενοι τοῦ καταστρέψασθαι καὶ προσλαβεῖν πόλεις, χορηγίαν, ναῦς· §21.23.4ὑμᾶς δὲ πάντων τούτων ἀπροσδεήτους οἱ θεοὶ πεποιήκασι, πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην τεθεικότες [μὲν] ὑπὸ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἐξουσίαν.
For all other men rush into action longing to conquer and acquire cities, resources, and ships; but the gods have made you to have no need of any of these, having placed the whole inhabited world under your authority.
§21.23.5τίνος οὖν ἔτι προσδεῖσθε, καὶ τίνος ἂν ἔτι δέοι πρόνοιαν ὑμᾶς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἰσχυροτάτην;
What, then, do you still need, and for what else would you need to make the strongest provision?
§21.23.6δῆλον ὡς ἐπαίνου καὶ δόξης παρʼ ἀνθρώποις, ἃ καὶ κτήσασθαι μέν ἐστι δυσχερές, δυσχερέστερον δὲ κτησαμένους διαφυλάξαι.
Clearly, for praise and glory among men, which are both difficult to acquire, and even more difficult for those who have acquired them to preserve.
§21.23.7γνοίητε δʼ ἂν τὸ λεγόμενον οὕτως. ἐπολεμήσατε πρὸς Φίλιππον καὶ πᾶν ὑπεμείνατε χάριν τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐλευθερίας· τοῦτο γὰρ προέθεσθε, καὶ τοῦθʼ ὑμῖν ἆθλον ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ πολέμου περιγέγονεν, ἕτερον δʼ ἁπλῶς οὐδέν.
You may understand what I say in this way: you went to war against Philip and endured everything for the sake of the freedom of the Greeks; for this you set before yourselves, and this came to you as the prize of that war, and absolutely nothing else.
§21.23.8ἀλλʼ ὅμως εὐδοκεῖτε τούτῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς παρὰ Καρχηδονίων φόροις· καὶ μάλα δικαίως·
But nevertheless, you are more pleased with this than with the tributes from the Carthaginians; and very justly so.
§21.23.9τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀργύριόν ἐστι κοινόν τι πάντων ἀνθρώπων κτῆμα, τὸ δὲ καλὸν καὶ πρὸς ἔπαινον καὶ τιμὴν ἀνῆκον θεῶν καὶ τῶν ἔγγιστα τούτοις πεφυκότων ἀνδρῶν ἐστιν.
For money is a common possession of all mankind, but what is noble and belongs to praise and honor belongs to the gods and to those men who are born closest to them.
§21.23.10τοιγαροῦν σεμνότατον τῶν ὑμετέρων ἔργων ἡ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐλευθέρωσις.
Therefore, the most noble of your deeds is the liberation of the Greeks.
τούτῳ νῦν ἐὰν μὲν προσθῆτε τἀκόλουθον, τελειωθήσεται τὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας δόξης. ἐὰν δὲ παρίδητε, καὶ τὰ πρὶν ἐλαττωθήσεται φανερῶς.
If you now add to this what follows from it, the measure of your glory will be perfected; but if you neglect it, even what you did before will be visibly diminished.
§21.23.11ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες, καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως γεγονότες αἱρετισταὶ καὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἀγώνων καὶ κινδύνων ἀληθινῶς ὑμῖν μετεσχηκότες, καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπομεν τὴν τῶν φίλων τάξιν, §21.23.12ἀλλʼ ἅ γε νομίζομεν ὑμῖν καὶ πρέπειν καὶ συμφέρειν, οὐκ ὠκνήσαμεν ὑπομνῆσαι μετὰ παρρησίας, οὐδενὸς στοχασάμενοι τῶν ἄλλων οὐδὲ περὶ πλείονος οὐδὲν ποιησάμενοι τοῦ καθήκοντος αὑτοῖς. " §21.23.13οἱ μὲν οὖν Ῥόδιοι ταῦτʼ εἰπόντες πᾶσιν ἐδόκουν μετρίως καὶ καλῶς διειλέχθαι περὶ τῶν προκειμένων.
We, therefore, gentlemen, having been supporters of your purpose and having truly shared in your greatest struggles and dangers, do not even now abandon the post of friends, but what we believe to be both fitting and advantageous to you, we did not hesitate to remind you of with frankness, aiming at nothing else and holding nothing of greater value than our own duty." The Rhodians, having said this, seemed to everyone to have spoken moderately and well concerning the matters before them.