§30.4.1ἧκον δὲ καὶ παρὰ Ῥοδίων πρέσβεις, πρῶτον μὲν οἱ περὶ Φιλοκράτην, μετὰ δὲ τούτους οἱ περὶ Φιλόφρονα καὶ Ἀστυμήδην.
Ambassadors also arrived from the Rhodians, first those under Philocrates, and after them those under Philophron and Astymedes.
§30.4.2οἱ γὰρ Ῥόδιοι κομισάμενοι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, ἣν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἁγέπολιν ἔλαβον εὐθέως μετὰ τὴν παράταξιν, καὶ θεωροῦντες ἐκ ταύτης τὴν πρὸς αὑτοὺς ὀργὴν καὶ τὴν ἀνάτασιν τῆς συγκλήτου παραυτίκα τὰς προειρημένας πρεσβείας ἐξέπεμψαν.
For the Rhodians, having received the reply which Hagepolis and his colleagues had obtained immediately after the battle, and perceiving from it the anger and menacing attitude of the Senate toward them, immediately dispatched the aforementioned embassies.
§30.4.3οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Ἀστυμήδην καὶ Φιλόφρονα κατανοοῦντες ἐκ τῶν ἐντεύξεων καὶ κοινῇ καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν τὴν ὑφόρασιν καὶ τὴν ἀλλοτριότητα τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν πρὸς αὑτοὺς εἰς ἀθυμίαν ὁλοσχερῆ καὶ δυσχρηστίαν ἐνέπιπτον.
But Philophron and Astymedes, perceiving from their interviews, both public and private, the suspicion and alienation of the people toward them, fell into utter despondency and distress.
§30.4.4ὡς δὲ καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν τις ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐμβόλους παρεκάλει τοὺς ὄχλους ἐπὶ τὸν κατὰ Ῥοδίων πόλεμον, §30.4.5τότε δὴ παντάπασιν ἔξω τοῦ φρονεῖν γενόμενοι διὰ τὸν περὶ τῆς πατρίδος κίνδυνον εἰς τοιαύτην ἦλθον διάθεσιν ὥστε καὶ φαιὰ λαβεῖν ἱμάτια καὶ κατὰ τὰς παρακλήσεις μηκέτι παρακαλεῖν μηδʼ ἀξιοῦν τοὺς φίλους, ἀλλὰ δεῖσθαι μετὰ δακρύων μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον βουλεύσασθαι περὶ αὑτῶν.
And when one of the praetors, ascending the rostra, exhorted the crowd to war against the Rhodians, then indeed, completely losing their wits because of the danger to their country, they fell into such a state of mind that they even put on mourning garments, and in their appeals no longer exhorted or made demands of their friends, but begged them with tears not to pass any irrevocable decree concerning them.
§30.4.6μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέρας εἰσαγαγόντος αὐτοὺς Ἀντωνίου τοῦ δημάρχου, τοῦ καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν τὸν παρακαλοῦντα πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον κατασπάσαντος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐμβόλων, ἐποιεῖτο τοὺς λόγους πρῶτον μὲν Φιλόφρων, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον Ἀστυμήδης.
A few days later, when Antonius the tribune—who had also dragged down from the rostra the praetor who was urging them to war—introduced them, Philophron first made his speech, and after him Astymedes.
§30.4.7ὅτε δὴ κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν τὸ κύκνειον ἐξηχήσαντες ἔλαβον ἀποκρίσεις τοιαύτας, διʼ ὧν τοῦ μὲν ὁλοσχεροῦς φόβου τοῦ κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐδόκουν παραλελύσθαι, §30.4.8περὶ δὲ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἐγκλημάτων αὐτοῖς ἡ σύγκλητος πικρῶς καὶ βαρέως ὠνείδισεν.
Then indeed, having sung their swan-song, as the proverb has it, they received a reply of such a nature that they seemed to be relieved of their total fear regarding the war, but concerning the specific charges, the Senate reproached them bitterly and severely.
§30.4.9ἦν δʼ ὁ νοῦς τῆς ἀποκρίσεως τοιοῦτος, ὅτι εἰ μὴ διʼ ὀλίγους ἀνθρώπους τοὺς αὑτῶν φίλους, καὶ μάλιστα διʼ αὐτούς, ᾔδεισαν καλῶς καὶ δικαίως ὡς δέον ἦν αὐτοῖς χρήσασθαι.
The substance of the reply was to this effect: that if it had not been for a few men who were their friends, and especially for their own sakes, they knew well and justly how they ought to have dealt with them.
§30.4.10ὁ δʼ Ἀστυμήδης αὑτῷ μὲν ἐδόκει καλῶς εἰρηκέναι περὶ τῆς πατρίδος, οὐ μὴν τοῖς γε παρεπιδημοῦσιν οὐδὲ τοῖς οἴκοι μένουσιν τῶν Ἑλλήνων οὐδαμῶς ἤρεσκεν.
Now Astymedes thought that he had spoken well on behalf of his country, but he by no means pleased the Greeks who were residing in Rome, nor those who remained at home.
§30.4.11ἐξέβαλε γὰρ ἔγγραπτον μετὰ ταῦτα ποιήσας τὴν σύνταξιν τῆς δικαιολογίας, ἣ τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν ἀναλαμβανόντων εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἄτοπος ἐφαίνετο καὶ τελέως ἀπίθανος.
For he subsequently published his defense in writing, which to most of those who took it into their hands appeared absurd and utterly unconvincing.
§30.4.12συνεστήσατο γὰρ τὴν δικαιολογίαν οὐ μόνον ἐκ τῶν τῆς πατρίδος δικαίων, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων κατηγορίας.
For he constructed his defense not only on the rights of his own country, but still more on the accusation of others.
§30.4.13τὰ μὲν γὰρ εὐεργετήματα καὶ συνεργήματα παραβάλλων καὶ συγκρίνων τὰ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐπειρᾶτο ψευδοποιεῖν καὶ ταπεινοῦν, τὰ δὲ τῶν Ῥοδίων ηὔξανε, πολλαπλασιάζων καθʼ ὅσον οἷός τʼ ἦν· §30.4.14τὰ δʼ ἁμαρτήματα κατὰ τοὐναντίον τὰ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐξωνείδιζε πικρῶς καὶ δυσμενικῶς, τὰ δὲ τῶν Ῥοδίων ἐπειρᾶτο περιστέλλειν, ἵνα κατὰ τὴν παράθεσιν τὰ μὲν οἰκεῖα μικρὰ καὶ συγγνώμης ἄξια φανῇ, τὰ δὲ τῶν πέλας μεγάλα καὶ ἀπαραίτητα τελέως, ἐφʼ οἷς ἔφη συγγνώμης τετευχέναι τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ἅπαντας.
For in comparing and contrasting their services and cooperation, he tried to represent those of others as false and insignificant, while he magnified those of the Rhodians, multiplying them as much as he could; on the other hand, with regard to their offenses, he bitterly and malevolently reproached those of others, while he tried to veil those of the Rhodians, in order that by comparison their own might appear small and deserving of pardon, and those of their neighbors large and completely inexcusable, although he remarked that all those offenders had already obtained pardon.
§30.4.15τὸ δὲ γένος τοῦτο τῆς δικαιολογίας οὐδαμῶς ἂν πρέπειν ἀνδρὶ πολιτικῷ δόξειεν, §30.4.16ἐπείτοι καὶ τῶν κοινοπραγησάντων περί τινων ἀπορρήτων οὐ τοὺς διὰ φόβον ἢ πόρον μηνυτὰς γενομένους τῶν συνειδότων ἐπαινοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς πᾶσαν ἐπιδεξαμένους βάσανον καὶ τιμωρίαν καὶ μηδενὶ τῶν συνειδότων παραιτίους γενομένους τῆς αὐτῆς συμφορᾶς, τούτους ἀποδεχόμεθα καὶ τούτους ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς νομίζομεν.
But this kind of defense would by no means seem becoming to a statesman, since even among those who have acted together in some secret matters, we do not praise those who through fear or gain become informers against their accomplices, but we approve of those who have submitted to every torture and punishment, and have not caused the same misfortune to any of their accomplices, and we consider them honorable men.
§30.4.17ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸν ἄδηλον φόβον πάντα τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἁμαρτήματα τιθεὶς ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν τοῖς κρατοῦσιν καὶ καινοποιήσας, ὑπὲρ ὧν ὁ χρόνος εἰς λήθην ἀγηόχει τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας, πῶς οὐκ ἔμελλε δυσαρεστήσειν τοῖς ἱστορήσασιν;
But how could he, who through an uncertain fear brought all the offenses of others before the eyes of the rulers and revived matters which time had brought the superiors to forget, fail to displease those who investigate history?