§5.98.1πράξεως.
of the enterprise.
ἐν ᾧ δὴ γένει μάλιστʼ ἄν τις ἐπιτιμήσειε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις.
Indeed, in this kind of error one might most of all find fault with leaders.
§5.98.2εἴτε γάρ τινες μηδεμίαν πρόνοιαν ποιησάμενοι μηδʼ ἐκμετρησάμενοι τείχη, κρημνούς, ἕτερα τῶν τοιούτων, διʼ ὧν ἐπιβάλλονται ποιεῖσθαι τὴν εἴσοδον, αὐτόθεν ἀσκέπτως παραγίνονται πόλιν καταληψόμενοι, τίς οὐκ ἂν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιτιμήσειεν;
For if some, without making any foresight or measuring walls, cliffs, and other such things through which they attempt to make their entrance, arrive immediately and thoughtlessly to capture a city, who would not find fault with such people?
§5.98.3εἴτʼ ἐκμετρησάμενοι τὸ καθʼ αὑτούς, κἄπειτα τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν κλιμάκων καὶ καθόλου τῶν τοιούτων ὀργάνων, ἃ μικρὰν ἔχοντα τὴν ἀσχολίαν ἐν μεγάλῳ δίδωσι τὴν αὑτῶν πεῖραν, εἰκῇ καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐγχειρίζουσι, πῶς οὐκ ἄξιον ἐγκαλεῖν;
Or if, having measured what concerns themselves, they then entrust the construction of ladders and in general of such instruments (which, though requiring little trouble to construct, give proof of their utility in major situations) carelessly to ordinary men, how is it not worthy of blame?
§5.98.4οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων πράξεων ἢ ποιῆσαί τι τῶν δεόντων ἢ μηδὲν παθεῖν δεινόν, §5.98.5ἀλλʼ ἅμα ταῖς ἀποτυχίαις ἕπεται βλάβη κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους, κατʼ αὐτὸν μὲν τὸν τοῦ πράττειν καιρὸν κίνδυνος περὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν ἀνδρῶν, ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον κατὰ τὰς ἀπολύσεις, ὅταν ἅπαξ καταφρονηθῶσι.
For in such actions, it is not a matter of either accomplishing what is necessary or suffering nothing terrible; but on the contrary, failure is immediately followed by damage in many ways: during the actual moment of action, there is danger for the best of the men, and still more during the retreat, when once they have come to be held in contempt.
§5.98.6πολλὰ δὲ καὶ λίαν τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶ παραδείγματα· πλείους γὰρ ἂν εὕροι τις τῶν ἀποτυγχανόντων ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐπιβολαῖς τοὺς μὲν ἀπολωλότας, τοὺς δʼ εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον παραγεγονότας κίνδυνον, τῶν ἀβλαβῶς ἀπολελυμένων.
And there are very many examples of this; for one would find that, among those who fail in such attempts, those who perished or came into the extreme danger are more numerous than those who escaped unharmed.
§5.98.7πρός γε μὴν τὸ μέλλον ὁμολογουμένως ἀπιστίας καὶ μῖσος ἐξεργάζονται καθʼ αὑτῶν, ἔτι δὲ φυλακὴν παραγγέλλουσι πᾶσιν· §5.98.8οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοῖς παθοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς συνεῖσι τὸ γεγονὸς τρόπον τινὰ παράγγελμα δίδοται προσέχειν αὑτοῖς καὶ φυλάττεσθαι.
Moreover, for the future, they admittedly bring distrust and hatred upon themselves, and furthermore, they sound an alarm of watchfulness to all; for not only to those who have suffered, but also to those who have understood what happened, a kind of warning is given to pay attention to themselves and to be on their guard.
§5.98.9διόπερ οὐδέποτε ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐπινοίαις εἰκῇ χρηστέον τοὺς ἐπὶ πραγμάτων ταττομένους.
Therefore, those who are appointed to affairs of state must never use such designs carelessly.
§5.98.10ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ἐκμετρήσεως καὶ κατασκευῆς τῶν τοιούτων εὐχερὴς καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος, ἐὰν λαμβάνηται μεθοδικῶς.
Yet the method of measuring and constructing such things is easy and infallible, if it is undertaken systematically.
§5.98.11νῦν μὲν οὖν τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς διηγήσεως ἀποδοτέον· περὶ δὲ τοῦ τοιούτου γένους πάλιν μεταλαβόντες ἁρμόζοντα καιρὸν καὶ τόπον κατὰ τὴν πραγματείαν πειρασόμεθα συνυποδεικνύειν πῶς ἄν τις ἥκιστα περὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπιβολὰς ἁμαρτάνοι.
Now, therefore, we must return to the thread of our narrative; but on this subject, we shall endeavor, when we find a suitable opportunity and place again in the course of our work, to point out as well how one might avoid errors in such attempts to the utmost.