§36.12.1οὐ χρὴ δὲ θαυμάζειν ἐὰν ποτὲ μὲν τῷ κυρίῳ σημαίνωμεν αὑτοὺς ὀνόματι, ποτὲ δὲ ταῖς κοιναῖς ἐμφάσεσιν, οἷον οὕτως "ἐμοῦ δὲ ταῦτʼ εἰπόντοσ" §36.12.2καὶ πάλιν "ἡμῶν δὲ συγκαταθεμένων. "ἐπὶ πολὺ γὰρ ἐμπεπλεγμένων ἡμῶν εἰς τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα μελλούσας ἱστορεῖσθαι πράξεις, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι μεταλαμβάνειν τὰς περὶ αὑτῶν σημασίας, ἵνα μήτε τοὔνομα συνεχῶς προφερόμενοι προσκόπτωμεν ταυτολογοῦντες μήτε πάλιν "ἐμοῦ" καὶ "διʼ ἐμέ" παρʼ ἕκαστον λέγοντες λάθωμεν εἰς φορτικὴν διάθεσιν ἐμπίπτοντες, §36.12.3ἀλλὰ συγχρώμενοι πᾶσι τούτοις καὶ μεταλαμβάνοντες ἀεὶ τὸ τῷ καιρῷ πρέπον ἐφʼ ὅσον οἷόν τε διαφεύγωμεν τὸ λίαν ἐπαχθὲς τῆς περὶ αὑτῶν λαλιᾶς,
Nor should one wonder if we sometimes indicate ourselves by our proper name and sometimes by general expressions, such as "and when I had said this," and again, "and when we had agreed." For since we are deeply involved in the actions that are to be narrated hereafter, it is necessary to vary the designations concerning ourselves, so that we may neither cause offense by repeating ourselves through constantly pronouncing our proper name, nor, on the other hand, by saying "I" and "through me" at every turn, slip unconsciously into an offensive manner, but rather, by employing all these methods together and always substituting what is appropriate to the occasion, avoid as far as possible the extreme offensiveness of talking about ourselves.
§36.12.4ἐπειδὴ φύσει μὲν ἀπρόσδεκτός ἐστιν ὁ τοιοῦτος λόγος, ἀναγκαῖος δʼ ὑπάρχει πολλάκις, ὅταν μὴ δυνατὸν ἄλλως ᾖ δηλῶσαι τὸ προκείμενον.
For while such talk is by nature unacceptable, it is often necessary when it is not otherwise possible to make the matter at hand clear.
§36.12.5γέγονε δέ τι πρὸς τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ἡμῖν οἷον ἐκ ταὐτομάτου συνέργημα τὸ μηδένα μέχρι γε τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς καιρῶν ταὐτὸν ἡμῖν ὄνομα κεκληρονομηκέναι κυρίως, ὅσον γε καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι. —
Moreover, in this regard we have had a kind of accidental assistance, namely, that as far as we know, no one up to our own times has inherited the same proper name as ourselves. —