§1Ἡ μὲν κατηγορία καὶ [ἡ ἀπολογία] κρίσις οὐ περὶ θανάτου γίγνεται·
The accusation and [the defense's] trial is not about death.
θάνατον μὲν γὰρ ἡ φύσις φανερᾷ τῇ ψήφῳ πάντων κατεψηφίσατο τῶν θνητῶν, ᾗπερ ἡμέρᾳ τις ἐγένετο·
For nature, by its clear vote, has condemned all mortals to death on the very day each was born.
περὶ δὲ τῆς ἀτιμίας καὶ τῆς τιμῆς ὁ κίνδυνός ἐστι, πότερά με χρὴ. . . δικαίως ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ μετ᾿ ὀνειδῶν μεγίστων καὶ τῆς αἰσχίστης αἰτίας βιαίως ἀποθανεῖν.
But the danger is about dishonor and honor, whether I must die justly, or die violently with the greatest reproaches and the most shameful charge.
§2δισσῶν δὲ τούτων ὄντων τοῦ μὲν ὑμεῖς ὅλου κρατεῖτε, τοῦ δ᾿ ἐγώ, τῆς μὲν δίκης ἐγώ, τῆς δὲ βίας ὑμεῖς.
Since these are two things, you rule over the whole of one, and I over the other: I over justice, and you over violence.
ἀποκτεῖναι μὲν γάρ με δυνήσεσθε βουλόμενοι ῥᾳδίως· κρατεῖτε γὰρ καὶ τούτων, ὧν οὐδὲν ἐγὼ τυγχάνω κρατῶν.
For you will be able to kill me easily if you wish, since you rule over these things as well, over which I happen to rule over nothing.
§3Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁ κατήγορος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἢ σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος προδιδόντα με τὴν Ἑλλάδα τοῖς βαρβάροις ἢ δοξάζων οὕτω ταῦτ᾿ ἔχειν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν κατηγορίαν δι᾿ εὔνοιαν τῆς Ἑλλάδος, ἄριστος ἂν ἦν [ὁ] ἀνήρ·
If, therefore, the accuser Odysseus made this accusation either knowing clearly that I was betraying Greece to the barbarians, or believing that this was the case, out of goodwill toward Greece, he would be the best of men.
πῶς γὰρ οὐχ ὅ γε σῴζων πατρίδα, τοκέας, τὴν πᾶσαν Ἑλλάδα, ἔτι δὲ πρὸς τούτοις τὸν ἀδικοῦντα τιμωρούμενος;
For how could he not be, as one who is saving his country, his parents, and the whole of Greece, and moreover, punishing the wrongdoer?
εἰ δὲ φθόνῳ καὶ κακοτεχνίᾳ καὶ πανουργίᾳ συνέθηκε ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν, ὥσπερ δι᾿ ἐκεῖνα κράτιστος ἂν ἦν ἀνήρ, οὕτω διὰ ταῦτα κάκιστος ἀνήρ.
But if he contrived this charge out of envy, malice, and villainy, just as he would be the best of men for those reasons, so for these reasons he is the worst of men.
§4Περὶ τούτων δὲ λέγων πόθεν ἄρξωμαι;
Speaking of these things, where shall I begin?
τί δὲ πρῶτον εἴπω;
What shall I say first?
ποῖ δὲ τῆς ἀπολογίας τράπωμαι;
To what part of my defense shall I turn?
αἰτία γὰρ ἀνεπίδεικτος ἔκπληξιν ἐμφανῆ ἐμποιεῖ, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἔκπληξιν ἀπορεῖν ἀνάγκη τῷ λόγῳ, ἂν μή τι παρ᾿ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς παρούσης ἀνάγκης μάθω, διδασκάλων ἐπικινδυνοτέρων ἢ ποριμωτέρων τυχών.
For an unproven charge causes manifest consternation, and because of this consternation, one must necessarily be at a loss in one's speech, unless I learn something from truth itself and the present necessity, having met with teachers who are more dangerous than resourceful.
§5Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ σαφῶς εἰδὼς ὁ κατήγορος κατηγορεῖ μου, σαφῶς οἶδα· σύνοιδα γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ σαφῶς οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον πεποιηκώς·
That the accuser accuses me without knowing clearly, I know clearly; for I am clearly conscious within myself of having done no such thing.
οὐδ᾿ ἔοιχ᾿ ὅπως ἂν εἰδείη τις εἶναι τὸ μὴ γενόμενον.
Nor is it likely that anyone would know how that which did not happen exists.
εἰ δ᾿ οἰόμενος οὕτω ταῦτ᾿ ἔχειν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν κατηγορίαν, οὐκ ἀληθῆ λέγειν διὰ δισσῶν ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξω τρόπων.
But if he made the accusation believing that this was the case, I will show you in two ways that he is not speaking the truth.
οὔτε γὰρ βουληθεὶς ἐδυνάμην ἂν οὔτε δυνάμενος ἐβουλήθην ἔργοις ἐπιχειρεῖν τοιούτοις.
For neither if I wished could I have done it, nor if I could would I have wished to attempt such deeds.
§6Ἐπὶ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν λόγον εἶμι πρῶτον, ὡς ἀδύνατός εἰμι τοῦτο πράττειν.
First, I will go to this argument, that I am unable to do this.
ἔδει γάρ τινα πρῶτον ἀρχὴν γενέσθαι τῆς προδοσίας, ἡ δ᾿ ἀρχὴ λόγος ἂν εἴη· πρὸ γὰρ τῶν μελλόντων ἔργων ἀνάγκη λόγους γίγνεσθαι πρότερον.
For there had to be some first beginning of the treason, and the beginning would be speech; for prior to future deeds, speeches must necessarily occur beforehand.
λόγοι δὲ πῶς ἂν γένοιντο μὴ συνουσίας τινὸς γενομένης;
But how could speeches occur without some meeting taking place?
συνουσία δὲ τίνα τρόπον γένοιτ᾿ ἂν μήτ᾿ ἐκείνου πρὸς ἐμὲ πέμψαντος μήτε του παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐλθόντος;
And how could a meeting take place if neither he sent anyone to me nor anyone went from me to him?
οὐδὲ γὰρ παραγγελία διὰ γραμμάτων ἀφίκοιτ᾿ ἂν ἄνευ τοῦ φέροντος.
For not even a message by letter could arrive without a carrier.
§7Ἀλλὰ δὴ τοῦτο τῷ λόγῳ δυνατὸν γενέσθω.
But let us suppose this to be possible in the argument.
καὶ δὴ τοίνυν σύνειμι καὶ σύνεστι κἀκεῖνος ἐμοὶ κἀκείνῳ ἐγώ.
And indeed, therefore, I meet with him, and he with me, and I with him.
τίνα τρόπον;
In what way?
τίνι τίς ὤν;
Who being with whom?
Ἕλλην βαρβάρῳ.
A Greek with a barbarian.
πῶς ἀκούων καὶ λέγων;
How listening and speaking?
πότερα μόνος μόνῳ;
Was it alone to alone?
ἀλλ᾿ ἀγνοήσομεν τοὺς ἀλλήλων λόγους.
But we will be ignorant of each other's speech.
ἀλλὰ μεθ᾿ ἑρμηνέως;
But with an interpreter?
τρίτος ἄρα μάρτυς γίγνεται τῶν κρύπτεσθαι δεομένων.
Then a third person becomes a witness to things that need to be kept secret.
§8Ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθω, καίπερ οὐ γενόμενον.
But let this too happen, although it did not happen.
ἔδει δή μ᾿ ἐπὶ τούτοις πίστιν δοῦναι καὶ δέξασθαι.
It was then necessary for me to give and receive a pledge upon these things.
τίς οὖν ἂν ἦν ἡ πίστις;
What, then, would the pledge be?
πότερον ὅρκος;
An oath?
τίς οὖν ἐμοὶ τῷ προδότῃ πιστεύειν ἔμελλεν;
Who, then, was going to trust me, the traitor?
ἀλλ᾿ ὅμηροι;
But hostages?
τίνες;
Who?
οἷον ἐγὼ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἔδωκ᾿ ἄν, οὐ γὰρ εἶχον ἄλλον, ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος τῶν υἱέων τινά· πιστότατα γὰρ ἂν ἦν οὕτως ἐμοί τε παρ᾿ ἐκείνου κείνῳ τε παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ.
For instance, I would have given my brother, for I had no other, and the barbarian one of his sons; for in this way it would have been most trustworthy to me from him and to him from me.
ταῦτα δὲ γιγνόμενα πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ἂν ἦν φανερά.
But if these things were happening, they would have been manifest to all of you.
§9Φήσει τις ὡς χρήμασι τὴν πίστιν ἐποιούμεθα, κεῖνος μὲν διδούς, ἐγὼ δὲ λαμβάνων.
Someone will say that we made the pledge with money, he giving and I receiving.
πότερον οὖν ὀλίγοις;
Was it, then, with a small amount?
ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ εἰκὸς ἀντὶ μεγάλων ὑπουργημάτων ὀλίγα χρήματα λαμβάνειν.
But it is not likely to receive a small amount of money in exchange for great services.
ἀλλὰ πολλά;
But with a large amount?
τίς οὖν ἂν ἦν ἡ κομιδή;
How, then, was the transport?
πόσοι δ᾿ ἂν ἐκόμισαν;
And how many transported it?
εἷς ἢ πολλοί;
One or many?
πολλῶν μὲν γὰρ κομιζόντων πολλοὶ ἂν ἦσαν οἱ μάρτυρες τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἑνὸς δὲ κομίζοντος οὐκ ἂν πολύ τι τὸ φερόμενον ἦν.
For if many were transporting it, there would have been many witnesses to the plot; but if one was transporting it, the amount carried would not have been very large.