§27#5Ὁ πατὴρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ ἐγὼ αἰτεόμεθα ὁμέας (οὕτω γὰρ εἰπεῖν ἐλευθέρους καὶ φίλους [καὶ] παρὰ φίλων τυχεῖν ἐλευθέρων), ἐκ πατρίδος τῆς ὑμετέρης ὅπλα πολέμια μὴ ἄρασθαι· εἰ δὲ δεῖ, ὥσπερ ἴσως δεῖ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτῶν προεληλυθότας, καὶ δεόμεθα μὴ ἡμέας ἐόντας [ἐν] ἀξιώματι μεγάλῳ καὶ τοιουτέων προϋπάρξαντας, ἐν δούλων μοίρῃ τιθήσεσθαι·
My father, O men of Athens, and I entreat you (for it is fitting to speak thus: that free men and friends should obtain this from free friends) not to raise weapons of war from your homeland against our country; and if it must be so—just as it is perhaps necessary for those who have gone forward on behalf of their own—we also ask that we, who are in great prestige and have previously offered such benefits, should not be placed in the condition of slaves.
ἔτι δὲ, καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἁρμόσει λέγειν, ἱκετεύομεν μὴ ποιήσεσθαι τὰ ἡμέτερα ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς δουρίκτητα, πολλοὶ μειόνων ἢν ἐπάνω γενήσεσθε, ἀλλ’ ὑπιδέσθαι καὶ τοῦτο ὅτι ἑτέρως ἕτερα ἡ τύχη ταχύνει· καί ποτε μικρῶν μεγάλοι προσεδεήθησαν, καὶ οἱ καρτεροὶ δι’ ἀσθενέας σωτηρίης ἔτυχον.
Furthermore—for indeed it will be suitable to speak in this way—we beseech you not to make our possessions won by your spears for yourselves, even if you should rise above many inferior to you, but rather to consider also this: that fortune hastens different matters in different ways; and once, the great stood in need of the small, and the strong obtained salvation through the weak.
Δοκέω δὲ σύνδηλον, ὡς μὴ ἐνδηλότερον εἴπω, ὅτι ἐφ’ ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ οὐ πόλις, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ ἔθνεα ἤδη ποτὲ ὤφθη ὠφεληθέντα ἐν πολεμικοῖς, καὶ ἔνθα τέχνη ἰσχύει.
And I think it is clear enough, so that I may not speak too obviously, that because of one man, not only a city but many nations have already in past times been seen to have been benefited in affairs of war and where skill prevails.
Μηδὲ ἡμέας ἀποβάλησθε· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ ἀπόβλητοι ἐσμὲν, ὡς ἐν ἡμῖν μαρτυρίη κεῖται·
Do not reject us; for indeed we are not to be rejected, as the testimony lies within us.
ἀλλ’ ἀρχὴν μὲν οὗτοι, ἔνθεν γένος εὐχόμεθ’ εἶναι, Ἀσκληπιὸς καὶ Ἡρακλῆς, ἐπ’ ὠφελείῃ ἀνθρώπων ἐγένοντο, καὶ τούτους δι’ ἀρετῆς τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἐν θεῶν χώρῃ ἔχουσι πάντες·
But in the beginning, those from whom we boast to be descended, Asclepius and Heracles, were born for the benefit of mankind, and all people hold them in the place of the gods on account of the virtue they showed here on earth.
πόλις δὲ ἐμὴ καὶ ἐγὼ ὁ λέγων ἐς τούτους ἀνερχόμεθα, ὡς ἀνθρώπων λόγοι κατέχουσιν·
And my city and I, who am speaking, trace our lineage back to them, as the accounts of men hold.
ὅθεν δὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ Ἑλλήνων φανεύμεθα ἀμφότεροι ταύτῃ προϊστάμενοι καὶ ἐπὶ παντὶ καλλίστῳ· οὐ γὰρ μῦθος τὰ Τρωῖκὰ ἀλλ’ ἔργα, ἐν οἷς ἡ Κῶς σὺν τῇσιν ἑωυτῆς νήσοισιν οὐ πολλοστὴ, μεγίστη δ’ ἐς συμμαχίην ἐστίν· οὕτως δὲ καὶ Ἀσκληπιοῦ παῖδες οὐ τέχνῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπλοις ἐπήρκεσαν Ἕλλησι·
Hence indeed, we shall both be seen to stand at the head of the Greeks in this way and in every most beautiful deed; for the Trojan War is not a myth but actual deeds, in which Cos, together with its neighboring islands, is not a small part but is the greatest in alliance; and in this way also the sons of Asclepius assisted the Greeks not only in skill but also with arms.
Μαχάων γέ τοι ψυχὴν κατέθετο ἐν τῇ Τρωάδι, ὅτε, ὡς οἱ ταῦτα γράφοντες λέγουσιν, ἐξ ἵππου ἐς πόλιν τὴν Πριάμου εἰσῆλθε.
Machaon indeed laid down his life in the Troad, when, as those who write these things say, he entered from the wooden horse into the city of Priam.
Μὴ δὴ μήτε καθότι ἔμφυλοι, μήτε καθότι ἐξ ἐπαρηγόντων ἐπαρήγοντες γεγόναμεν Ἕλλησιν, ἀδικήσητε ἡμέας.
Therefore, do not wrong us, neither because we are of the same race, nor because we, being helpers descended from helpers, have been of service to the Greeks.
Οὐ μηκυνέω δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ Κρισαῖα αὖθις οὔτε τὰ Περσικὰ λέγων, ὁκότε καὶ ἀκηκόατε καὶ ἐν χερσὶ μᾶλλον τῶν ἀρτίως εἰρημένων ἐστίν ἐν θυμῷ δὲ λάβετε καὶ οὕτως εὐεργέτας μὴ ὅσιον ἀδικεῖν.
I will not lengthen my speech by speaking again of the Crisaean or the Persian affairs, which you have both heard of and which are more close at hand than those just mentioned; but lay it to heart that it is not holy to wrong such benefactors.
Ἡμέας δὲ εὐεργέτας ὡς τὰ ἔργα φησὶ, τίνες φανεῖσθε, οἱ πατέρων γεγῶτες οἵων οἱ μυθολόγοι εἶπον, ἂν τὸ ἀδικεῖν ἀντὶ. τοῦ χρηστοὶ εἶναι αἱρῆσθε;
Since our deeds show us to be benefactors, what kind of people will you appear to be—you who are descended from such fathers as the myth-tellers have described—if you choose to do wrong instead of being good?
οὐ γὰρ ἐθέλω πικρότερον λέγειν·
For I do not wish to speak too bitterly.
κεῖνοι γὰρ ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Ἡρακλείδαις μὲν ἔτινον χάριτας, ἑτέροις δὲ πολλοῖς εὐεργετηθέντες ἐπήρκεσαν· ὑπολείποι δ’ ἄν με ἡ ἡμέρῃ μακρὰ λέγοντα; εἰ διεξίοιμι ὁκόσοις ὁκόσα ἀπήντηκεν ἀγαθὰ οὐδὲν ἐν χρείῃ ὑμῖν ἐγγεγονόσι.
For those ancestors, O men of Athens, repaid favors to the Heracleidae, and assisted many others who had benefited them; and a long day would fail me if I were to go through how many good things have come to how many people when you had no need of us.
Περιβλέψατε δὲ ἑωυτοὺς, καὶ μηδὲ ἐμεῦ εἰπόντος γνῶτε ὁκοῖα πρήσσετε·
Look around at yourselves, and even without my speaking, know what kind of things you are doing.
κακὸν ἐξουσίη, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσταται τὰ ἑωυτῆς μέτρῳ ταμιεύεσθαι, ἀλλὰ δή τινας καὶ πόλιας καὶ ἔθνεα ἐλυμήνατο.
Unlimited power is an evil thing, O men of Athens, for it does not know how to manage its own affairs with measure, but has indeed ruined certain cities and nations.
Ἐς ἑτέρους δὲ οἷον ἐς κάτοπτρον βλέψαντες ἴδετε αὐτοὶ ἃ ποιέετε, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀληθέα λέγω.
Looking at others as if into a mirror, see for yourselves what you are doing, and that I speak the truth.
Καὶ νέος δὲ νόμος ὅστις εὐτυχίῃ πεποιθὼς, μὴ καὶ ἐς τὰ δυσπετέα βλέπειν· οὐχ ὑμέτερον· πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ ὧδε δαίμονος πεπείρησθε.
And a new custom, which trusts in good fortune and does not look also at difficult circumstances, is not yours; for you have experienced the deity in many ways in this regard.
Οὐδὲν ὑμέας ἀδικέομεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀδικέομεν, μὴ ὅπλοις, ἀλλὰ λόγῳ κριθῶμεν.
We do not wrong you in any way; but if indeed we do, let us be judged not by arms but by speech.
Παραιτέομαι δὲ ὑμέας καὶ τοῦτο, μὴ ποιῆσαι χάριν ἑτέροις ὀφλῆσαι, ἐπικουρήσασιν ἡμῖν· ἐπικουρήσουσι γὰρ, ἢν ὀρθῶς ποιέωσιν, οἵ τε ἐντὸς Θεσσαλίης, Ἄργεος, Λακεδαίμονος, [καὶ] Μακεδονίης βασιλεῖς, [καὶ] εἴκου ἕτεροι Ἡρακλεῖδαι ἢ Ἡρακλειδέων συγγενέες οἰκέουσι.
And I entreat you also in this, not to make yourselves owe gratitude to others who have assisted us; for they will assist us, if they do what is right, both those within Thessaly, Argos, Lacedaemon, and the kings of Macedonia, and if indeed elsewhere other Heracleidae or relatives of the Heracleidae dwell.
Κρεῖσσον ἄτερ βίης τὰ δίκαια ποιέειν ἢ βιασθέντας· οὐκ εἶπον δ’ ἐπανάστασιν· τοῦτο δὲ φανερὸν ποιέω, ὅτι πολλοῖσι μελόμεθα ἢ μελησόμεθα, εἰ μὴ πανταχόθεν οἴχεται τὸ χρηστοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἔτι εἶναι.
It is better to do what is just without violence than under compulsion; and I do not speak of rebellion; but I make this clear, that we are of concern to many, or will be, unless the existence of good men has utterly perished from everywhere.
Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν, μικρὴ γάρ μοι δύναμις λόγου, ἅτε πρὸς ἑτέρων ἐπιμέλειαν ἡρμοσμένῳ, ἐνταῦθα καταπαύσω.
I indeed, then, since my power of speech is small, as one trained for the care of others, will stop here.
Ἀξιῶ δὲ πρὸς ξένους ὑμετέρους καὶ τοὺς ὑμῖν συμβούλους εἰθισμένους εἶναι, καὶ θεῶν καὶ ἡρώων ἕνεκα καὶ χαρίτων, αἳ ἀνθρώποις παρ’ ἀνθρώπων γίνονται, ἔχθρα μὲν εἴργειν τὰ ἀλλήλων ὑμέας, εἰς δὲ φίλα προτρέπεσθαι· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρῃ πόλει τουτέων ἐπιτευξόμεθα, οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅκου ἐλθόντες ὧν ἱμείρομεν εὐμοιρήσομεν.
And I ask your guests and those who are accustomed to be your advisers, for the sake of the gods and heroes and of the favors that come to men from men, to keep you from mutual hostility and to turn you toward friendship; for if we do not obtain these things in your city, I do not know where we can go to be fortunate in what we desire.