§4.74.1δεινοῦ καὶ πάσης πολεμικῆς περιστάσεως.
danger and every warlike circumstance.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διὰ τὴν Ἀρκάδων ἀμφισβήτησιν περὶ Λασιῶνος καὶ τῆς Πισάτιδος πάσης ἀναγκασθέντες ἐπαμύνειν τῇ χώρᾳ καὶ μεταλαβεῖν τὰς ἀγωγὰς τῶν βίων, §4.74.2οὐκέτι περὶ τοῦ πάλιν ἀνακτήσασθαι παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ πάτριον ἀσυλίαν οὐδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἐπιμέλειαν ἔσχον, ἀλλʼ ἔμειναν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν, οὐκ ὀρθῶς κατά γε τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ποιούμενοι πρόνοιαν.
But after this, being forced, on account of the dispute with the Arcadians concerning Lasion and the whole of Pisatis, to defend their country and to change their mode of life, they no longer paid even ordinary attention to recovering again from the Greeks their ancient and ancestral inviolability, but remained in the same condition, not correctly, in my opinion at least, making provision for the future.
§4.74.3εἰ γάρ, ἧς πάντες εὐχόμεθα τοῖς θεοῖς τυχεῖν, καὶ πᾶν ὑπομένομεν ἱμείροντες αὐτῆς μετασχεῖν, καὶ μόνον τοῦτο τῶν νομιζομένων ἀγαθῶν ἀναμφισβήτητόν ἐστι παρʼ ἀνθρώποις, λέγω δὴ τὴν εἰρήνην, ταύτην δυνάμενοί τινες μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ καθήκοντος παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἰς πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἀδήριτον κτᾶσθαι παρολιγωροῦσιν ἢ προυργιαίτερόν τι ποιοῦνται τούτου, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ὁμολογουμένως ἀγνοεῖν δόξαιεν;
For if, when some are able to acquire from the Greeks for all time a peace that is undisputed, accompanied by justice and duty—peace, I say, which we all pray to obtain from the gods, and for the sake of which we endure everything in our longing to share in it, and which alone among acknowledged goods is undisputed among men—if they neglect this or consider something else more important than this, how can they not be admittedly deemed to be ignorant of their own interest?
νὴ Δίʼ, §4.74.4ἀλλʼ ἴσως εὐεπίθετοι τοῖς πολεμεῖν καὶ παρασπονδεῖν προθεμένοις ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀγωγῆς γίνονται τῶν βίων.
Yes, by Zeus, but perhaps, from such a mode of life, they become easy prey to those who purpose to make war and violate treaties.
§4.74.5ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο μὲν σπάνιον, κἄν ποτε γένηται, δυνάμενον κοινῆς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τυγχάνειν ἐπικουρίας· §4.74.6πρὸς δὲ τὰς κατὰ μέρος ἀδικίας ὑπογενομένης τοῖς βίοις χορηγίας, ὅπερ εἰκὸς ὑπάρξειν πάντα χρόνον ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάγουσι, δῆλον ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἠπόρησαν ξένων καὶ μισθοφόρων τῶν κατὰ τόπους ἢ καιροὺς παρεφεδρευόντων.
But that indeed is rare, and if ever it should happen, it is capable of meeting with common assistance from the Greeks; whereas against partial acts of injustice, if a supply of resources were underlying their lives—which is likely to be the case for those who spend all their time in peace—it is clear that they would not have lacked foreign and mercenary forces to protect them in various places or on various occasions.
§4.74.7νῦν δὲ τὸ σπάνιον καὶ παράδοξον δεδιότες, ἐν συνεχέσι πολέμοις καὶ καταφθοραῖς τήν τε χώραν ἔχουσι καὶ τοὺς βίους.
But as it is, through fearing what is rare and unexpected, they keep both their country and their lives in continual wars and destruction.
§4.74.8ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν τῆς Ἠλείων ὑπομνήσεως εἰρήσθω χάριν, ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῶν καιρῶν οὐδέποτε πρότερον εὐφυεστέραν διάθεσιν ἔσχηκε τῆς νῦν πρὸς τὸ παρὰ πάντων ὁμολογουμένην κτήσασθαι τὴν ἀσυλίαν· τὴν δὲ χώραν, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προεῖπον, ἔτι τῆς παλαιᾶς συνηθείας οἷον αἰθυγμάτων ἐμμε
Let this then be said by us for the sake of reminding the Eleans, since the state of affairs has never before presented a more favorable opportunity than the present for acquiring an inviolability agreed upon by all; while their country, as I said above, still retaining as it were some sparks of their ancient custom...