§10πότερα δ᾿ ἐκόμισεν ἡμέρας ἢ νυκτός;
Did he carry it by day or by night?
ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ πυκναὶ φυλακαί, δι᾿ ὧν οὐκ ἔστι λαθεῖν.
But if by night, there are many and frequent guards, through whom it is impossible to escape notice.
ἀλλ᾿ ἡμέρας;
But by day?
ἀλλά γε τὸ φῶς πολεμεῖ τοῖς τοιούτοις.
But light is hostile to such deeds.
εἶεν.
Be it so.
ἐγὼ δ᾿ ἐξελθὼν ἐδεξάμην, ἢ κεῖνος ὁ φέρων εἰσῆλθεν;
Did I go out and receive it, or did that carrier enter?
ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἄπορα.
For both are impossible.
λαβὼν δὲ δὴ πῶς ἂν ἔκρυψα καὶ τοὺς ἔνδον καὶ τοὺς ἔξω;
And if I indeed received it, how could I have hidden it from both those inside and those outside?
ποῦ δ᾿ ἄν ἔθηκα;
Where would I have put it?
πῶς δ᾿ ἂν ἐφύλαξα;
And how would I have guarded it?
χρώμενος δ᾿ ἂν φανερὸς ἐγενόμην· μὴ χρώμενος δὲ τί ἂν ὠφελούμην ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν;
If I used it, I would have been visible; but if I did not use it, what benefit would I have had from it?
§11Καὶ δὴ τοίνυν γενέσθω καὶ τὰ μὴ γενόμενα.
And indeed, therefore, let even what did not happen happen.
συνήλθομεν, εἴπομεν, ἠκούσαμεν, χρήματα παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἔλαβον, ἔλαθον λαβών, ἔκρυψα.
We met, we spoke, we heard, I received money from them, I escaped notice in receiving it, I hid it.
ἔδει δήπου πράττειν ὧν ἕνεκα ταῦτ᾿ ἐγένετο.
It was then necessary, of course, to perform the deeds for the sake of which these things happened.
τοῦτο τοίνυν ἔτι τῶν εἰρημένων ἀπορώτερον.
This, therefore, is still more impossible than what has been said.
πότερα μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔπραττον ἢ μεθ᾿ ἑτέρων;
For was I performing it myself, or with others?
ἀλλ᾿ οὐχ ἑνὸς ἡ πρᾶξις.
But the action is not for one person.
ἀλλὰ μεθ᾿ ἑτέρων;
But with others?
τίνων;
Whom?
δηλονότι τῶν συνόντων.
Obviously those who are with me.
πότερον ἐλευθέρων ἢ δούλων;
Were they free men or slaves?
ἐλευθέροις μὲν γὰρ ὑμῖν σύνειμι.
For I am with you who are free.
τίς οὖν ὑμῶν ξύνοιδε;
Who of you, then, is conscious of this?
λεγέτω.
Let him speak!
δούλοις δὲ πῶς οὐκ ἄπιστον;
But with slaves, how is it not untrustworthy?
ἑκόντες τε γὰρ ἐπ᾿ ἐλευθερίᾳ χειμαζόμενοί τε δι᾿ ἀνάγκην κατηγοροῦσιν.
For they accuse both willingly for freedom, and through necessity when tortured.
ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις πῶς ἂν ἐγένετο;
And how could the deed have been done?
§12δηλονότι τοὺς πολεμίους εἰσαγαγεῖν ἔδει κρείττονας ὑμῶν· ὅπερ ἀδύνατον.
Obviously, it was necessary to introduce enemies stronger than you, which is impossible.
πῶς δ᾿ ἂν οὖν εἰσήγαγον;
How, then, could I have introduced them?
πότερα διὰ πυλῶν;
Was it through the gates?
ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἐμὸν ταύτας οὔτε κλῄειν οὔτ᾿ ἀνοίγειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἡγεμόνες κύριοι τούτων.
But it is not mine either to shut or to open them, but the commanders are in control of them.
ἀλλ᾿ ὑπὲρ τειχῶν διὰ κλίμακος;
But over the walls by a ladder?
οὐκοῦν. . . . . . . ἅπαντα γὰρ πλήρη φυλακῶν.
No indeed,... for all places are full of guards.
ἀλλὰ διελὼν τοῦ τείχους;
But by breaking through the wall?
ἅπασιν ἄρα φανερὰ γένοιτ᾿ ἄν.
Then it would have become manifest to all.
ὑπαίθριος γὰρ ὁ βίος· στρατόπεδον γάρ ἐστιν ἐν ὅπλοις, ἐν ᾧ πάντες πάντας ὁρῶσι καὶ πάντες ὑπὸ πάντων ὁρῶνται.
For life is in the open; for it is a camp under arms, in which everyone sees everyone and everyone is seen by everyone.
πάντως ἄρα καὶ πάντῃ ταῦτα πράττειν ἀδύνατον ἦν μοι
Therefore, in every way and altogether, it was impossible for me to do these things.
§13Σκέψασθε τοίνυν καὶ τόδε. τίνος ἕνεκα προσῆκέ μοι βουληθῆναι ταῦτα πράττειν, εἰ μάλιστα πάντων ἐδυνάμην;
Consider, then, this too: for the sake of what was it fitting for me to wish to do these things, even if I were most of all able?
οὐδεὶς γὰρ βούλεται προῖκα τοὺς μεγίστους κινδύνους κινδυνεύειν οὐδὲ τὴν μεγίστην κακότητ᾿ εἶναι κάκιστος, ἀλλ᾿ ἕνεκά του.
For no one wishes to run the greatest risks for nothing, nor to commit the greatest wickedness in order to be the worst of men, but for the sake of something.
τίνος ἂν οὖν;
For the sake of what, then?
καὶ αὖθις πρὸς τόδ᾿ ἐπάνειμι. πότερον ἂν τοῦ τυραννεῖν;
And again I return to this: was it to be a tyrant?
ὑμῶν ἢ τῶν βαρβάρων;
Of you, or of the barbarians?
ἀλλ᾿ ὑμῶν ἀδύνατον τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων, οἷς ὑπάρχει πάντα τὰ μέγιστα, προγόνων ἀρεταί, χρημάτων πλῆθος, ἀριστεῖαι μαχῶν, ἀκμὴ φρονημάτων, βασιλεία πόλεων.
But of you it is impossible, being so many and of such character, who possess all the greatest things: ancestral virtues, abundance of wealth, victories in battles, highness of spirit, sovereignty over cities.
§14ἀλλὰ τῶν βαρβάρων;
But of the barbarians?
ὁ δὲ παραδώσων τίς;
Who, then, would be the one to hand it over?
ἐγὼ δὲ ποίᾳ δυνάμει παραλήψομαι Ἕλλην βαρβάρους, εἷς ὢν πολλούς;
And by what power shall I, being one Greek, take over many barbarians?
πείσας ἢ βιασάμενος;
By persuading or by forcing them?
οὔτε γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι πεισθῆναι βούλοιντ᾿ ἄν, οὔτ᾿ ἐγὼ βιάσασθαι δυναίμην.
For neither would they wish to be persuaded, nor could I force them.
ἀλλ᾿ ἴσως ἑκόντες ἑκόντι παραδώσουσιν ἑαυτούς, μισθὸν τῆς προδοσίας ἀντιδιδόντες;
But perhaps they will hand themselves over willingly to me who am willing, giving in return a reward for the treason?
ἀλλά γε ταῦτα πολλῆς μωρίας καὶ πιστεῦσαι καὶ λέξαι· τίς γὰρ ἂν ἕλοιτο δουλείαν ἀντ᾿ ἐλευθερίας, ἀντὶ τοῦ κρατίστου τὸ κάκιστον;
But indeed, to believe and to say these things is of great folly; for who would choose slavery instead of freedom, the worst instead of the best?
§15Εἴποι τις ἂν ὅτι πλούτου καὶ χρημάτων ἐρασθεὶς ἐπεχείρησα τούτοις.
Someone might say that I attempted these things because I was in love with wealth and money.
ἀλλὰ χρήματα μέτρια μὲν κέκτημαι, πολλῶν δ᾿ οὐδὲν δέομαι.
But I possess moderate money, and have no need for much.
πολλῶν γὰρ δέονται χρημάτων οἱ πολλὰ δαπανῶντες, ἀλλ᾿ οὐχ οἱ. . . . , οὐδ᾿ οἱ κρείττονες τῶν τῆς φύσεως ἡδονῶν, ἀλλ᾿ οἱ δουλεύοντες ταῖς ἡδοναῖς καὶ ζητοῦντες ἀπὸ πλούτου καὶ μεγαλοπρεπείας τὰς τιμὰς κτᾶσθαι.
For those who spend much have need of much money, but not those who... nor those who are stronger than the pleasures of nature, but those who are slaves to pleasures and seek to acquire honors from wealth and magnificence.
τούτων δ᾿ ἐμοὶ πρόσεστιν οὐδέν.
None of these things belongs to me.
ὡς δ᾿ ἀληθῆ λέγω, μάρτυρα πιστὸν παρέξομαι τὸν παροιχόμενον βίον· τῷ δὲ μάρτυρι μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς ἐστε·
And that I am speaking the truth, I will provide my past life as a trustworthy witness; and of this witness, you are the witnesses.
σύνεστε γάρ μοι, διὸ σύνιστε ταῦτα.
For you associate with me, and therefore you know these things.
§16Καὶ μὴν οὐδ᾿ ἂν τιμῆς ἕνεκα τοιούτοις ἔργοις ἀνὴρ ἐπιχειρήσειε καὶ μέσως φρόνιμος.
And indeed, not even for the sake of honor would a man of even moderate wisdom attempt such deeds.
ἀπ᾿ ἀρετῆς γὰρ ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἀπὸ κακότητος αἱ τιμαί· προδότῃ δὲ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἀνδρὶ πῶς ἂν γένοιτο τιμή;
For honors come from virtue, but not from wickedness; and how could there be honor for a man who is a traitor to Greece?
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐδὲ τιμῆς ἐτύγχανον ἐνδεὴς ὤν· ἐτιμώμην γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐντιμοτάτοις ὑπὸ τῶν ἐντιμοτάτων, ὑφ᾿ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ.
Moreover, I was not even in need of honor; for I was honored for the most honorable things by the most honorable men, namely by you for wisdom.