58. But, it may be said, the only sufferers will be those I have mentioned, and all my remarks apply to them alone. That is quite untrue. But I could not even attempt to examine all the instances of men who have benefited you, but who by this law, if it is not repealed, will be robbed of their rewards; by calling your attention to one or two further decrees, I absolve myself from discussing these cases.
58. ἀλλὰ νὴ Δίʼ οὗτοι μόνοι τοῦτο πείσονται, καὶ περὶ τούτων μόνων ποιοῦμαι λόγον τοσοῦτον. πολλοῦ γε καὶ δέω. ἀλλὰ πάντας μὲν οὐδʼ ἂν ἐγχειρήσαιμʼ ἐξετάζειν ὅσοι πεποιηκότες ὑμᾶς εὖ διὰ τὸν νόμον, εἰ μὴ λυθήσεται, τὰ δοθέντʼ ἀφαιρεθήσονται· ἓν δʼ ἢ δύο δείξας ἔτι ψηφίσματʼ ἀπαλλάττομαι τοῦ περὶ τούτων λέγειν.
59. In the first place, then, will you not wrong the Thasian supporters of Ecphantus, if you revoke their immunity—I mean the men who handed over Thasos to you by expelling the armed garrison of the Lacedaemonians and admitting Thrasybulus, and thus, by bringing their own country on to your side, were the means of winning for you the alliance of the district bordering on Thrace?
59. τοῦτο μὲν τοίνυν Θασίους τοὺς μετʼ Ἐκφάντου πῶς οὐκ ἀδικήσετε, ἐὰν ἀφαιρῆσθε τὴν ἀτέλειαν, οἳ παραδόντες ὑμῖν Θάσον καὶ τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων φρουρὰν μεθʼ ὅπλων ἐκβαλόντες καὶ Θρασύβουλον εἰσαγαγόντες καὶ παρασχόντες φίλην ὑμῖν τὴν αὑτῶν πατρίδα αἴτιοι τοῦ γενέσθαι σύμμαχον τὸν περὶ Θρᾴκην τόπον ὑμῖν ἐγένοντο;
60. In the second place, will you not wrong Archebius and Heraclides, who by putting Byzantium into the hands of Thrasybulus made you masters of the Hellespont, so that you farmed out the toll of ten per cent, and thus being well furnished with money forced the Lacedaemonians to conclude a peace favorable to you? When subsequently they were banished, you, Athenians, passed what I think was a very proper decree in favor of men exiled through devotion to your interests, conferring on them the title of Friends of the State and Benefactors, together with immunity from all taxes. For your sakes they were in exile, from you they received a just recompense; and are we now to let them be robbed of this, though we can charge them with no fault? But that would be scandalous.
60. τοῦτο δʼ Ἀρχέβιον καὶ Ἡρακλείδην, οἳ Βυζάντιον παραδόντες Θρασυβούλῳ κυρίους ὑμᾶς ἐποίησαν τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου, ὥστε τὴν δεκάτην ἀποδόσθαι καὶ χρημάτων εὐπορήσαντας Λακεδαιμονίους ἀναγκάσαι τοιαύτην, οἵαν ὑμῖν ἐδόκει, ποιήσασθαι τὴν εἰρήνην; ὧν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἐκπεσόντων ἐψηφίσασθʼ ἅπερ, οἶμαι, φεύγουσιν εὐεργέταις διʼ ὑμᾶς προσῆκε, προξενίαν, εὐεργεσίαν, ἀτέλειαν ἁπάντων. εἶτα τοὺς διʼ ὑμᾶς φεύγοντας καὶ δικαίως τι παρʼ ὑμῶν εὑρομένους ἐάσωμεν ἀφαιρεθῆναι ταῦτα, μηδὲν ἔχοντες ἐγκαλέσαι; ἀλλʼ αἰσχρὸν ἂν εἴη.
61. You will grasp the situation best if you will reason it out for yourselves in this way. Suppose at the present day a party of those in power at Pydna or Potidaea or any of those other places which are subject to Philip and hostile to you— just as Thasos and Byzantium then were friendly to the Lacedaemonians and estranged from you—promised to hand them over to you in return for the same rewards that you gave to Ecphantus of Thasos and Archebius of Byzantium; and suppose some of these gentlemen here objected to their proposal on the ground that it would be monstrous if a select few of the resident aliens were to escape the public services; how would you deal with their arguments?
61. μάθοιτε δὲ τοῦτο μάλιστʼ ἄν, ἐκείνως εἰ λογίσαισθε πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτούς· εἴ τινες νυνὶ τῶν ἐχόντων Πύδναν ἢ Ποτείδαιαν ἤ τι τῶν ἄλλων χωρίων, ἃ Φιλίππῳ μέν ἐστιν ὑπήκοα, ὑμῖν δʼ ἐχθρά, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ὅνπερ ἡ Θάσος ἦν τότε καὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν οἰκεῖα, ὑμῖν δʼ ἀλλότρια, παραδώσειν ταῦτʼ ἐπαγγείλαιντο, ἂν αὐτοῖς τὰς αὐτὰς δῶτε δωρειὰς ὥσπερ Ἐκφάντῳ τῷ Θασίῳ καὶ Ἀρχεβίῳ τῷ Βυζαντίῳ, καί τινες τούτων ἀντιλέγοιεν αὐτοῖς ταῦτα λέγοντες, ὡς δεινὸν εἴ τινες μόνοι τῶν ἄλλων μετοίκων μὴ χορηγοῖεν, πῶς ποτʼ ἂν ἔχοιτε πρὸς τοὺς ταῦτα λέγοντας;
62. Is it not certain that you would refuse to listen to such malignant pettifoggers? If so, then it is disgraceful that you should consider such an objection malignant when you are going to receive a benefit, but should lend an ear to it when it is proposed to revoke your gifts to former benefactors. Now let us pass to another argument.
62. ἢ δῆλον ὅτι φωνὴν οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοισθʼ ὡς συκοφαντούντων; οὔκουν αἰσχρὸν εἰ μέλλοντες μὲν εὖ πάσχειν συκοφάντην ἂν τὸν ταῦτα λέγονθʼ ἡγοῖσθε, ἐπὶ τῷ δʼ ἀφελέσθαι τὰς τῶν προτέρων εὐεργετῶν δωρειὰς ταῦτα λεγόντων ἀκούσεσθε;
63. The men who betrayed Pydna and the other places to Philip—what prompted them to injure us? Is it not obvious to everyone that it was the reward which they calculated on receiving from Philip for their services? Which, then, ought you to have chosen to do, Leptines? To induce our enemies, if you can, to give up honoring those who become their benefactors on the strength of injuries done to us, or to impose a law on us which takes away some part of the rewards which our own benefactors are enjoying? I fancy the former. But that I may not wander from the present point, take and read the decrees passed in honor of the Thasians and the Byzantines. [The decrees are read] You have heard the decrees, gentlemen of the jury.
63. φέρε δὴ κἀκεῖνʼ ἐξετάσωμεν. οἱ προδόντες τὴν Πύδναν καὶ τἄλλα χωρία τῷ Φιλίππῳ τῷ ποτʼ ἐπαρθέντες ἡμᾶς ἠδίκουν; ἢ πᾶσι πρόδηλον τοῦτο, ὅτι ταῖς παρʼ ἐκείνου δωρειαῖς, ἃς διὰ ταῦτʼ ἔσεσθαι σφίσιν ἡγοῦντο; πότερον οὖν μᾶλλον ἔδει σʼ, ὦ Λεπτίνη, τοὺς ἐχθρούς, εἰ δύνασαι, πεῖσαι τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀδικήμασι γιγνομένους ἐκείνων εὐεργέτας μὴ τιμᾶν, ἢ θεῖναι νόμον ἡμῖν ὃς τῶν τοῖς ἡμετέροις εὐεργέταις ὑπαρχουσῶν δωρειῶν ἀφαιρεῖταί τι; ἐγὼ μὲν ἐκεῖνʼ οἶμαι. ἀλλʼ ἵνα μὴ πόρρω τοῦ παρόντος γένωμαι, λαβὲ τὰ ψηφίσμαθʼ ἃ τοῖς Θασίοις καὶ Βυζαντίοις ἐγράφη. λέγε. ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΑ.
64. Perhaps some of the men named are no longer alive. But their deeds survive, since they were done once for all. It is fitting, therefore, to allow these inscriptions to hold good for all time, that as long as any of the men are alive, they may suffer no wrong at your hands, and when they die, those inscriptions may be a memorial of our national character, and may stand as proofs to all who wish to do us service, declaring how many benefactors our city has benefited in return.
64. ἠκούσατε μὲν τῶν ψηφισμάτων, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί. τούτων δʼ ἴσως ἔνιοι τῶν ἀνδρῶν οὐκέτʼ εἰσίν. ἀλλὰ τὰ ἔργα τὰ πραχθέντʼ ἔστιν, ἐπειδήπερ ἅπαξ ἐπράχθη. προσήκει τοίνυν τὰς στήλας ταύτας κυρίας ἐᾶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον, ἵνʼ, ἕως μὲν ἄν τινες ζῶσι, μηδὲν ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἀδικῶνται, ἐπειδὰν δὲ τελευτήσωσιν, ἐκεῖναι τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἤθους μνημεῖον ὦσι, καὶ παραδείγμαθʼ ἑστῶσι τοῖς βουλομένοις τι ποιεῖν ὑμᾶς ἀγαθόν, ὅσους εὖ ποιήσαντας ἡ πόλις ἀντʼ εὖ πεποίηκεν.
65. Nor indeed would I have you forget this, men of Athens, that it is a most disgraceful thing to show and proclaim to all mankind that the misfortunes which these men endured for your sake have been confirmed to them for ever, while the grants which they received from you in recompense have been even now rescinded.
65. καὶ μὴν μηδʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, λανθανέτω, ὅτι τῶν αἰσχίστων ἐστὶν πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἰδεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι τὰς μὲν συμφοράς, αἷς διʼ ὑμᾶς ἐχρήσανθʼ οἱ ἄνδρες οὗτοι, πάντα τὸν χρόνον κυρίας αὐτοῖς γεγενημένας, τὰς δὲ δωρειάς, ἃς ἀντὶ τούτων ἔλαβον παρʼ ὑμῶν, καὶ δὴ λελυμένας.
66. For it would have been far more fitting to mitigate their distress by letting them keep your gifts, than, while the distress remains, to rob them of your bounty. In Heaven’s name, I ask you, who is there that will choose to do you service with the prospect of instant punishment by your enemies, if he fails, and of a dubious gratitude from you, if he succeeds?
66. πολὺ γὰρ μᾶλλον ἥρμοττεν τὰ δοθέντʼ ἐῶντας τῶν ἀτυχημάτων ἀφαιρεῖν ἢ τούτων μενόντων τὰς δωρειὰς ἀφαιρεῖσθαι. φέρε γὰρ πρὸς Διός, τίς ἔστιν ὅστις εὖ ποιεῖν ὑμᾶς βουλήσεται, μέλλων, ἂν μὲν ἀποτύχῃ, παραχρῆμα δίκην δώσειν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ἂν δὲ κατορθώσῃ, τὰς χάριτας παρʼ ὑμῶν ἀπίστους ἕξειν;
67. Now I should be greatly vexed, gentlemen of the jury, if I thought that the only real charge I was bringing against the law was its depriving many of our alien benefactors of the immunity, but should seem unable to point to any deserving recipient of the honor among our own fellow-countrymen. For my prayer would ever be that Athens may abound in all blessings, but especially that the best men and the most numerous benefactors of this city may be her own citizens.
67. πάνυ τοίνυν ἀχθοίμην ἄν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἰ τοῦτο μόνον δόξαιμι δίκαιον κατηγορεῖν τοῦ νόμου, ὅτι πολλοὺς ξένους εὐεργέτας ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν ἀτέλειαν, τῶν δὲ πολιτῶν μηδένʼ ἄξιον δοκοίην ἔχειν δεῖξαι τῶν εὑρημένων ταύτην τὴν τιμήν. καὶ γὰρ τἄλλʼ ἀγάθʼ εὐξαίμην ἂν ἔγωγε παρʼ ἡμῖν εἶναι πλεῖστα, καὶ ἄνδρας ἀρίστους καὶ πλείστους εὐεργέτας τῆς πόλεως πολίτας εἶναι.
68. First of all, then, in the case of Conon, ask yourselves whether dissatisfaction with the man or his performances justifies the cancelling of the gifts conferred on him. For, as some of you who are his contemporaries can attest, it was just after the return of the exiled democrats from the Piraeus, when our city was so weak that she had not a single ship, and Conon, who was a general in the Persian service and received no prompting whatever from you, defeated the Lacedaemonians at sea and taught the former dictators of Greece to show you deference; he cleared the islands of their military governors, and coming here he restored our Long Walls; and he was the first to make the hegemony of Greece once more the subject of dispute between Athens and Sparta.
68. πρῶτον μὲν τοίνυν Κόνωνα σκοπεῖτε, εἰ ἄρʼ ἄξιον, καταμεμψαμένους ἢ τὸν ἄνδρα ἢ τὰ πεπραγμένα, ἄκυρόν τι ποιῆσαι τῶν ἐκείνῳ δοθέντων. οὗτος γάρ, ὡς ὑμῶν τινῶν ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡλικίαν ὄντων, μετὰ τὴν τοῦ δήμου κάθοδον τὴν ἐκ Πειραιῶς ἀσθενοῦς ἡμῶν τῆς πόλεως οὔσης καὶ ναῦν οὐδεμίαν κεκτημένης, στρατηγῶν βασιλεῖ, παρʼ ὑμῶν οὐδʼ ἡντινοῦν ἀφορμὴν λαβών, κατεναυμάχησεν Λακεδαιμονίους, καὶ πρότερον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπιτάττοντας εἴθισʼ ἀκούειν ὑμῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἁρμοστὰς ἐξήλασεν ἐκ τῶν νήσων, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα δεῦρʼ ἐλθὼν ἀνέστησε τὰ τείχη, καὶ πρῶτος πάλιν περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐποίησε τῇ πόλει τὸν λόγον πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους εἶναι.
69. For, indeed, he has the unique distinction of being thus mentioned in his inscription; “Whereas Conon,” it runs, “freed the allies of Athens.” That inscription, gentlemen of the jury, is his glory in your estimation, but it is yours in the estimation of all Greece. For whatever boon any one of us confers on the other states, the credit of it is reaped by the fame of our city.
69. καὶ γάρ τοι μόνῳ τῶν πάντων αὐτῷ τοῦτʼ ἐν τῇ στήλῃ γέγραπται· ἐπειδὴ [Κόνων] φησὶν ἠλευθέρωσε τοὺς Ἀθηναίων συμμάχους. ἔστιν δὲ τοῦτο τὸ γράμμʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἐκείνῳ μὲν φιλοτιμία πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτούς, ὑμῖν δὲ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς Ἕλληνας· ὅτου γὰρ ἄν τις παρʼ ὑμῶν ἀγαθοῦ τοῖς ἄλλοις αἴτιος γένηται, τούτου τὴν δόξαν τὸ τῆς πόλεως ὄνομα καρποῦται.
70. Therefore his contemporaries not only granted him immunity, but also set up his statue in bronze—the first man so honored since Harmodius and Aristogiton. For they felt that he too, in breaking up the empire of the Lacedaemonians, had ended no insignificant tyranny. In order, then, that you may give a closer attention to my words, the clerk shall read the actual decrees which you then passed in favor of Conon. Read them. [The decrees are read] It was not, then, only by you, Athenians, that Conon was honored for the services that I have described, but by many others, who rightly felt bound to show gratitude for the benefits they had received.
70. διόπερ οὐ μόνον αὐτῷ τὴν ἀτέλειαν ἔδωκαν οἱ τότε, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαλκῆν εἰκόνα, ὥσπερ Ἁρμοδίου καὶ Ἀριστογείτονος, ἔστησαν πρώτου· ἡγοῦντο γὰρ οὐ μικρὰν τυραννίδα καὶ τοῦτον τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων ἀρχὴν καταλύσαντα πεπαυκέναι. ἵνʼ οὖν μᾶλλον οἷς λέγω προσέχητε, τὰ ψηφίσμαθʼ ὑμῖν αὔτʼ ἀναγνώσεται τὰ τότε ψηφισθέντα τῷ Κόνωνι. λέγε. ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΑ.
71. And so it is to your dishonor, men of Athens, that in other states his rewards hold good, but of your rewards alone he is to lose this part. Neither is this creditable—to honor him when living, with all the distinctions that have been recited to you, but when he is dead to take back some part of your former gifts. For many of his achievements, men of Athens, deserve praise, and all of them make it improper to revoke the gifts they earned for him, but the noblest deed of all was his restoration of the Long Walls.
71. οὐ τοίνυν ὑφʼ ὑμῶν μόνον ὁ Κόνων, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τότʼ ἐτιμήθη πράξας ἃ διεξῆλθον ἐγώ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπʼ ἄλλων πολλῶν, οἳ δικαίως ὧν εὐεργέτηντο χάριν ᾤοντο δεῖν ἀποδιδόναι. οὔκουν αἰσχρόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, εἰ αἱ μὲν παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις δωρειαὶ βέβαιοι μένουσιν αὐτῷ, τῆς δὲ παρʼ ὑμῶν μόνης τοῦτʼ ἀφαιρήσεται; καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνο καλόν, ζῶντα μὲν αὐτὸν οὕτω τιμᾶν ὥστε τοσούτων ὅσων ἀκηκόατʼ ἀξιοῦν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ τετελεύτηκεν, [μηδεμίαν ποιησαμένους τούτων μνείαν] ἀφελέσθαι τι τῶν δοθέντων τότε. πολλὰ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν ὑπʼ ἐκείνου πραχθέντων ἄξιʼ ἐπαίνου, διʼ ἃ πάντα προσήκει μὴ λύειν τὰς ἐπὶ τούτοις δοθείσας δωρειάς, κάλλιστον δὲ πάντων ἡ τῶν τειχῶν ἀνάστασις.
73. You will realize this if you compare the way in which Themistocles, the most famous man of his age, accomplished the same result. Now history tells us that Themistocles bade his countrymen get on with the building and detain anyone who came from Sparta, while he went off himself on an embassy to the Lacedaemonians; and while negotiations went on there and the news kept coming that the Athenians were fortifying, he denied it and told them to send envoys to see for themselves, and when these envoys did not return, he urged them to send more. Indeed, I expect you have all heard the story of how he hoodwinked them.
73. γνοίη δʼ ἄν τις εἰ παραθείη πῶς Θεμιστοκλῆς, ὁ τῶν καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἁπάντων ἀνδρῶν ἐνδοξότατος, ταὐτὸ τοῦτʼ ἐποίησεν. λέγεται τοίνυν ἐκεῖνος, τειχίζειν εἰπὼν τοῖς πολίταις, κἂν ἀφικνῆταί τις ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος, κατέχειν κελεύσας, οἴχεσθαι πρεσβεύων αὐτὸς ὡς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, λόγων δὲ γιγνομένων ἐκεῖ καί τινων ἀπαγγελλόντων ὡς Ἀθηναῖοι τειχίζουσιν, ἀρνεῖσθαι καὶ πρέσβεις πέμπειν σκεψομένους κελεύειν, ἐπειδὴ δʼ οὐχ ἧκον οὗτοι, πέμπειν ἑτέρους παραινεῖν. καὶ πάντες ἴσως ἀκηκόαθʼ ὃν τρόπον ἐξαπατῆσαι λέγεται.
74. Now I assert—and I earnestly appeal to you, Athenians, not to take offence at what is coming, but to consider whether it is true—I assert that in proportion as openness is better than secrecy, and it is more honorable to gain one’s end by victory than by trickery, so Conon deserves more credit than Themistocles for building the walls. For the latter achieved it by evading those who would have prevented it, but the former by beating them in battle. Therefore it is not right that so great a man should be wronged by you, or should gain less than those orators who will try to prove that you ought to deduct something from what was bestowed on him.
74. φημὶ τοίνυν ἐγώ (καὶ πρὸς Διός, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μηδεὶς φθόνῳ τὸ μέλλον ἀκούσῃ, ἀλλʼ ἂν ἀληθὲς ᾖ σκοπείτω), ὅσῳ τὸ φανερῶς τοῦ λάθρᾳ κρεῖττον, καὶ τὸ νικῶντας τοῦ παρακρουσαμένους πράττειν ὁτιοῦν ἐντιμότερον, τοσούτῳ κάλλιον Κόνωνα τὰ τείχη στῆσαι Θεμιστοκλέους· ὁ μὲν γὰρ λαθών, ὁ δὲ νικήσας τοὺς κωλύσοντας αὔτʼ ἐποίησεν. οὐ τοίνυν ἄξιον τὸν τοιοῦτον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἀδικηθῆναι, οὐδʼ ἔλαττον σχεῖν τῶν ῥητόρων τῶν διδαξόντων ὡς ἀφελέσθαι τι χρὴ τῶν ἐκείνῳ δοθέντων.
75. Very well. But, they will say, we may let the son of Chabrias be robbed of the immunity which his father justly received from you and bequeathed to him. But I am sure there is not a single right-minded man who would approve of that. Now, perhaps you know, even without any words from me, that Chabrias was a man of high character; yet there is no harm if I too recall briefly his achievements.
75. εἶεν. ἀλλὰ νὴ Δία τὸν παῖδα τὸν Χαβρίου περιίδωμεν ἀφαιρεθέντα τὴν ἀτέλειαν, ἣν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ δικαίως παρʼ ὑμῶν λαβὼν κατέλιπεν. ἀλλʼ οὐδένʼ ἀνθρώπων εὖ φρονοῦντʼ οἶμαι ταῦτʼ ἂν φῆσαι καλῶς ἔχειν. ἴστε μὲν οὖν ἴσως, καὶ ἄνευ τοῦ παρʼ ἐμοῦ λόγου, ὅτι σπουδαῖος Χαβρίας ἦν ἀνήρ, οὐ μὴν κωλύει γʼ οὐδὲν κἀμὲ διὰ βραχέων ἐπιμνησθῆναι τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ.
76. How skilfully, as your commander, he drew up your ranks at Thebes to face the whole power of the Peloponnese, how he slew Gorgopas in Aegina, what trophies he set up in Cyprus and afterwards in Egypt, how he visited, I might almost say, every land, yet nowhere disgraced our city’s name or his own—of all these exploits it is by no means easy to speak adequately, and it would be a great shame if my words should make them fall below the estimate of him which each one of you has formed in his own mind. But of some, which I think I could never belittle in describing them, I will try to remind you.
76. ὃν μὲν οὖν τρόπον ὑμᾶς ἔχων πρὸς ἅπαντας Πελοποννησίους παρετάξατʼ ἐν Θήβαις, καὶ ὡς Γοργώπαν ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν Αἰγίνῃ, καὶ ὅσʼ ἐν Κύπρῳ τρόπαιʼ ἔστησεν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ὅτι πᾶσαν ἐπελθὼν ὀλίγου δέω λέγειν χώραν οὐδαμοῦ τὸ τῆς πόλεως ὄνομʼ οὐδʼ αὑτὸν κατῄσχυνεν, οὔτε πάνυ ῥᾴδιον κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν εἰπεῖν, πολλή τʼ αἰσχύνη λέγοντος ἐμοῦ ταῦτʼ ἐλάττω φανῆναι τῆς ἐν ἑκάστῳ νῦν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξης ὑπαρχούσης· ἃ δʼ οὐδαμῶς ἂν εἰπὼν οἴομαι μικρὰ ποιῆσαι, ταῦθʼ ὑπομνῆσαι πειράσομαι.
77. Now, he beat the Lacedaemonians in a sea-fight and took forty-nine warships; he captured most of the islands near and handed them over to you, turning their previous enmity into friendship; he brought to Athens three thousand captives, and paid into the treasury more than a hundred and ten talents taken from the enemy. And in all these facts some of the oldest among you can bear me out. But in addition, he captured more than twenty warships, one or two at a time, and brought them all into your harbors.
77. ἐνίκησεν μὲν τοίνυν Λακεδαιμονίους ναυμαχίᾳ καὶ πεντήκοντα μιᾶς δεούσας ἔλαβʼ αἰχμαλώτους τριήρεις, εἷλε δὲ τῶν νήσων τούτων τὰς πολλὰς καὶ παρέδωκεν ὑμῖν καὶ φιλίας ἐποίησεν ἐχθρῶς ἐχούσας πρότερον, τρισχίλια δʼ αἰχμάλωτα σώματα δεῦρʼ ἤγαγεν, καὶ πλεῖν ἢ δέκα καὶ ἑκατὸν τάλαντʼ ἀπέφηνʼ ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων. καὶ τούτων πάντων ὑμῶν τινὲς οἱ πρεσβύτατοι μάρτυρές εἰσί μοι. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἄλλας τριήρεις πλεῖν ἢ εἴκοσιν εἷλε, κατὰ μίαν καὶ δύο λαμβάνων, ἃς ἁπάσας εἰς τοὺς ὑμετέρους λιμένας κατήγαγεν.
78. To sum up; he alone of all our generals never lost a city, a fort, a ship, or a man, as long as he led you; and none of your enemies can boast a single trophy won from you and him, while you possess many won from many enemies while he was your general. But for fear lest my speech should omit any of his exploits, the clerk shall read to you an inventory of all the ships he took and where he took each, the number of cities and the amount of treasure captured, and the place where he set up each trophy. Read. [The exploits of Chabrias are read] Does it seem to any of you, gentlemen of the jury, that this man, who captured so many cities and ships from your enemies by his victories on sea, and who was the source of so much honor, but never of disgrace, to your city, deserves to be deprived of the immunity which he obtained at your hands and bequeathed to his son?
78. ἑνὶ δὲ κεφαλαίῳ μόνος τῶν πάντων στρατηγῶν οὐ πόλιν, οὐ φρούριον, οὐ ναῦν, οὐ στρατιώτην ἀπώλεσεν οὐδένʼ ἡγούμενος ὑμῶν, οὐδʼ ἔστιν οὐδενὶ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἐχθρῶν τρόπαιον οὐδὲν ἀφʼ ὑμῶν τε κἀκείνου, ὑμῖν δʼ ἀπὸ πολλῶν πόλλʼ ἐκείνου στρατηγοῦντος. ἵνα δὲ μὴ λέγων παραλίπω τι τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ, ἀναγνώσεται γεγραμμένας ὑμῖν τάς τε ναῦς ὅσας ἔλαβεν καὶ οὗ ἑκάστην, καὶ τῶν πόλεων τὸν ἀριθμὸν καὶ τῶν χρημάτων τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ τῶν τροπαίων οὗ ἕκαστον. λέγε. ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΧΑΒΡΟΥ.
79. I cannot believe it, for it is out of all reason. Had he lost a single city or as few as ten ships, Leptines and his supporters would have impeached him for high treason, and if he had been convicted, he would have been a ruined man for ever.
79. δοκεῖ τισὶν ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὗτος ὃ τοσαύτας πόλεις λαβὼν καὶ τριήρεις τῶν πολεμίων ναυμαχίᾳ νικήσας, καὶ τοσούτων καλῶν αἴτιος ὤν, αἰσχροῦ δʼ οὐδενὸς τῇ πόλει, ἄξιος εἶναι ἀποστερηθῆναι τὴν ἀτέλειαν ἣν εὕρετο παρʼ ὑμῶν καὶ τῷ υἱεῖ κατέλιπεν; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἴομαι. καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἄλογον εἴη· μίαν μὲν πόλιν εἰ ἀπώλεσεν ἢ ναῦς δέκα μόνας, περὶ προδοσίας ἂν αὐτὸν εἰσήγγελλον οὗτοι, καὶ εἰ ἑάλω, τὸν ἅπαντʼ ἂν ἀπωλώλει χρόνον·
80. But since, on the contrary, he took seventeen cities, and captured seventy ships and three thousand prisoners, and paid into the treasury a hundred and ten talents, and set up so many trophies, in that case shall not his rewards for these services stand good? Moreover, Athenians, it will be seen that Chabrias during his lifetime did everything in your behalf, and that he met death itself in no other service; so that for this, as well as for all that he did in his life, you ought to show yourselves generously disposed to his son.
80. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοὐναντίον ἑπτακαίδεκα μὲν πόλεις εἷλεν, ἑβδομήκοντα δὲ ναῦς ἔλαβεν, τρισχιλίους δʼ αἰχμαλώτους, δέκα δὲ καὶ ἑκατὸν τάλαντʼ ἀπέφηνεν, τοσαῦτα δʼ ἔστησε τρόπαια, τηνικαῦτα δʼ οὐκ ἔσται κύριʼ αὐτῷ τὰ δοθέντʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις; καὶ μήν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ ζῶν πάνθʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν φανήσεται πράξας Χαβρίας, καὶ τὴν τελευτὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ βίου πεποιημένος οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἄλλου τινός, ὥστε δικαίως ἂν οὐ μόνον διὰ τὰ ζῶντι πεπραγμένα φαίνοισθʼ εὐνοϊκῶς διακείμενοι πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ ταύτην.
81. Then this too, Athenians, demands your consideration—that we must not prove less generous than the Chians in our treatment of our benefactors. For if they, against whom Chabrias carried arms as an enemy, have not now revoked any of their former gifts, but have made ancient services outweigh recent offences, while you, in whose cause he marched against them to his death, so far from honoring him the more on that account, are even going to rob him of part of the reward of his past services, how will you escape the ignominy that you deserve?
81. ἄξιον τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κἀκεῖνο σκοπεῖν, ὅπως μὴ φανούμεθα φαυλότεροι Χίων περὶ τοὺς εὐεργέτας γεγενημένοι. εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι μέν, ἐφʼ οὓς μεθʼ ὅπλων ἦλθεν ἐν ἐχθροῦ τάξει, μηδὲν ὧν ἔδοσαν πρότερον νῦν ἀφῄρηνται, ἀλλὰ τὰς πάλαι χάριτας μείζους τῶν καινῶν ἐγκλημάτων πεποίηνται, ὑμεῖς δέ, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐπʼ ἐκείνους ἐλθὼν ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ ταῦτʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον αὐτὸν τιμᾶν καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς πρότερον εὐεργεσίαις τι δοθέντων ἀφῃρημένοι φανήσεσθε, πῶς οὐκ εἰκότως αἰσχύνην ἕξετε;
82. Moreover, should the son be robbed of part of his reward, his treatment would be undeserved in view of the fact that no man’s child was ever orphaned through the fault of Chabrias, though he frequently led you in war, but the boy himself has grown up an orphan, just because of his father’s devotion to your cause. For to me he seems truly to have been such a staunch patriot, that though reputed to be the most cautious of commanders, as indeed he was, it was for your sake that he displayed that quality whenever he led you, but for his own sake, when he found himself assigned to the post of danger, he forgot all his caution and preferred to lay down his life rather than tarnish the honors that you had bestowed.
82. καὶ μὴν καὶ κατʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἀνάξιʼ ἂν εἴη πεπονθὼς ὁ παῖς εἴ ⟨τι⟩ τῆς δωρειᾶς ἀφαιρεθείη, καθʼ ὃ πολλάκις ὑμῶν στρατηγήσαντος Χαβρίου οὐδενὸς πώποθʼ υἱὸς ὀρφανὸς διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐγένετο, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐν ὀρφανίᾳ τέθραπται διὰ τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς φιλοτιμίαν τοῦ πατρός. οὕτω γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἔμοιγε φαίνεται βεβαίως πως ἐκεῖνος φιλόπολις, ὥστε δοκῶν καὶ ὢν ἀσφαλέστατος στρατηγὸς ἁπάντων, ὑπὲρ μὲν ὑμῶν, ὁπόθʼ ἡγοῖτο, ἐχρῆτο τούτῳ, ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ δέ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸν ἐτάχθη κινδυνεύειν, παρεῖδε, καὶ μᾶλλον εἵλετο μὴ ζῆν ἢ καταισχῦναι τὰς παρʼ ὑμῶν ὑπαρχούσας αὐτῷ τιμάς.
83. After that, are we to rob the son of those honors which inspired the father to conquer or to die? And what shall we say, men of Athens, when the trophies that he set up as general in your name stand plain for all men to see, but a part of the reward for those trophies is found to have been filched away? Will you not observe, men of Athens, and reflect that today we are not judging the law, to see whether it is suitable or not? It is you who are under examination, to see whether you are suitable persons to receive benefits in the future or whether you are not.
83. εἶθʼ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐκεῖνος ᾤετο δεῖν ἀποθνῄσκειν ἢ νικᾶν, ταῦθʼ ἡμεῖς ἀφελώμεθα τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ; καὶ τί φήσομεν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅταν τὰ μὲν τρόπαιʼ ἑστήκῃ δῆλα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, ἃ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν στρατηγῶν ἐκεῖνος ἔστησε, τῶν δʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις δωρειῶν ἀφῃρημένον τι φαίνηται; οὐ σκέψεσθʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ λογιεῖσθε, ὅτι νῦν οὐχ ὁ νόμος κρίνεται πότερον ἔστʼ ἐπιτήδειος ἢ οὔ, ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς δοκιμάζεσθʼ εἴτʼ ἐπιτήδειοι πάσχειν ἔστʼ εὖ τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον εἴτε μή;
84. Turn now to the decree passed in honor of Chabrias. Just look and see; it must be somewhere there. There is one thing further that I want to say about Chabrias. You, Athenians, in honoring Iphicrates, honored not only him but also on his account Strabax and Polystratus; and again, when giving your reward to Timotheus, you also for his sake rewarded Clearchus and some others with the citizenship;
84. λαβὲ δὴ καὶ τὸ τῷ Χαβρίᾳ ψήφισμα ψηφισθέν. ὅρα δὴ καὶ σκόπει· δεῖ γὰρ αὔτʼ ἐνταῦθʼ εἶναί που. ἐγὼ δʼ ἔτι τοῦτʼ εἰπεῖν ὑπὲρ Χαβρίου βούλομαι. ὑμεῖς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τιμῶντές ποτʼ Ἰφικράτην, οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν ἐτιμήσατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ διʼ ἐκεῖνον Στράβακα καὶ Πολύστρατον· καὶ πάλιν, Τιμοθέῳ διδόντες τὴν δωρειάν, διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐδώκατε καὶ Κλεάρχῳ καί τισιν ἄλλοις πολιτείαν· Χαβρίας δʼ αὐτὸς ἐτιμήθη παρʼ ὑμῖν μόνος.
85. but in the case of Chabrias your honors were for him alone. Now, if at the time when he was receiving his reward, he had claimed that as you had rewarded others for the sake of Iphicrates and Timotheus, so for his sake you should reward some of those men who have actually received the immunity, but to whom our opponents object so strongly that they want all alike to be deprived of it, would you not have granted him that boon? I cannot doubt it.
85. εἰ δὴ τόθʼ, ὅθʼ εὑρίσκετο τὴν δωρειάν, ἠξίωσεν ὑμᾶς, ὥσπερ διʼ Ἰφικράτην καὶ Τιμόθεον εὖ τινὰς πεποιήκατε, οὕτω καὶ διʼ αὑτὸν εὖ ποιῆσαι τούτων τινὰς τῶν εὑρημένων τὴν ἀτέλειαν, οὓς νῦν οὗτοι μεμφόμενοι πάντας ἀφαιρεῖσθαι κελεύουσιν ὁμοίως, οὐκ ἂν ἐδώκατε ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν χάριν; ἔγωγʼ ἡγοῦμαι.
86. For his sake you would have rewarded them then; yet now, on their account, will you take away the immunity from Chabrias himself? Why, that is absurd! For it is inconsistent to seem so generous, when the benefits are recent, that you honor not the benefactors only but their friends as well, but, when a short time has elapsed, to take away even the rewards that you have given to the benefactors. [The decrees on the honour of Chabrias are read] So these whose names you have heard, as well as many others, are the men whom you will injure if you do not repeal the law.
86. εἶθʼ οἷς διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἂν τότʼ ἐδώκατε δωρειάν, διὰ τούτους νῦν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀφαιρήσεσθε τὴν ἀτέλειαν; ἀλλʼ ἄλογον. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῖν ἁρμόττει δοκεῖν παρὰ μὲν τὰς εὐεργεσίας οὕτω προχείρως ἔχειν ὥστε μὴ μόνους αὐτοὺς τοὺς εὐεργέτας τιμᾶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων φίλους, ἐπειδὰν δὲ χρόνος διέλθῃ βραχύς, καὶ ὅσʼ αὐτοῖς δεδώκατε, ταῦτʼ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι. ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΧΑΒΡΙΟΥ ΤΙΜΩΝ.
87. Just reflect and ponder in your own minds, if any of these men now passed away could somehow come to know of the present proceedings, what just ground they would have for indignation! For if of the deeds that each wrought for your advantage there is to be a judgement based on words, if actions nobly performed by them, unless nobly avowed by us in speech, have been wrought in vain for all their toil, are they not suffering a terrible wrong?
87. οὓς μὲν τοίνυν ἀδικήσετε, εἰ μὴ λύσετε τὸν νόμον, πρὸς πολλοῖς ἄλλοις, οὓς ἀκηκόατε, εἰσίν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί. σκοπεῖτε δὴ καὶ λογίσασθʼ ἐν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, εἴ τινες τούτων τῶν τετελευτηκότων λάβοιεν τρόπῳ τινὶ τοῦ νυνὶ γιγνομένου πράγματος αἴσθησιν, ὡς ἂν εἰκότως ἀγανακτήσειαν. εἰ γὰρ ὧν ἔργῳ πεποίηκεν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ὑμᾶς εὖ, τούτων ἐκ λόγου κρίσις γίγνεται, καὶ τὰ καλῶς πραχθένθʼ ὑπʼ ἐκείνων, ἂν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν μὴ καλῶς ῥηθῇ τῷ λόγῳ, μάτην τοῖς πονήσασιν εἴργασται, πῶς οὐ δεινὰ πάσχουσιν;
88. Now, to satisfy you, Athenians, that every argument that we submit to you is based on perfectly just grounds, and that not a single argument is intended to mislead and deceive you, the clerk shall read the law drafted and proposed by us to take the place of the present one, which we contend is mischievous. For our law will show you that we take some care to ensure that you shall be saved from the appearance of a dishonorable act; that if anyone objects to one of the recipients, he can deprive him of his gift, if the objection is sound, after trial in your courts; and also that those whose claim to the gifts none could dispute shall keep them.
88. ἵνα τοίνυν εἰδῆτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅτι ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐπὶ πᾶσι δικαίοις ποιούμεθα τοὺς λόγους πάντας οὓς λέγομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔσθʼ ὅ τι τοῦ παρακρούσασθαι καὶ φενακίσαι λέγεται παρʼ ἡμῶν ἕνεκα, ἀναγνώσεται τὸν νόμον ὑμῖν ὃν παρεισφέρομεν γράψαντες ἀντὶ τοῦδε, ὃν οὐκ ἐπιτήδειον εἶναί φαμεν. γνώσεσθε γὰρ ἐκ τούτου πρόνοιάν τινʼ ἔχοντας ἡμᾶς καὶ ὅπως ὑμεῖς μηδὲν αἰσχρὸν ποιῆσαι δόξετε, καὶ ὅπως, εἴ τινά τις καταμέμφεται τῶν εὑρημένων τὰς δωρειάς, ἂν δίκαιον ᾖ, κρίνας παρʼ ὑμῖν ἀφαιρήσεται, καὶ ὅπως, οὓς οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀντείποι μὴ οὐ δεῖν ἔχειν, ἕξουσιν τὰ δοθέντα.
89. And in all this there is nothing new, no innovation of our own; but the old law, transgressed by Leptines, lays down this procedure in legislation, that if a man disapproves of an existing law, he shall bring an indictment against it, but shall himself introduce an alternative, such as he proposes to enact after repeal of the other, and that you, after hearing arguments, shall choose the better law.
89. καὶ τούτων πάντων οὐδὲν ἔσθʼ ἡμέτερον οὐδὲ καινὸν εὕρημα, ἀλλʼ ὁ παλαιός, ὃν οὗτος παρέβη, νόμος οὕτω κελεύει νομοθετεῖν, γράφεσθαι μέν, ἄν τίς τινα τῶν ὑπαρχόντων νόμων μὴ καλῶς ἔχειν ἡγῆται, παρεισφέρειν δʼ αὐτὸν ἄλλον, ὃν ἂν τιθῇ λύων ἐκεῖνον, ὑμᾶς δʼ ἀκούσαντες ἑλέσθαι τὸν κρείττω.
90. For Solon, who imposed this method, did not think it right that while the junior archons, who are appointed by lot to administer the laws, undergo two scrutinies before entering on office, one in the Council and a second in the law-courts before you, the laws themselves, which regulate their official acts and all other civic duties, should be passed at haphazard to meet some emergency, and should be at once valid without passing a scrutiny.
90. οὐ γὰρ ᾤετο δεῖν ὁ Σόλων, ὁ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον προστάξας νομοθετεῖν, τοὺς μὲν θεσμοθέτας τοὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς νόμους κληρουμένους δὶς δοκιμασθέντας ἄρχειν, ἔν τε τῇ βουλῇ καὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ, τοὺς δὲ νόμους αὐτούς, καθʼ οὓς καὶ τούτοις ἄρχειν καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις πολιτεύεσθαι προσήκει, ἐπὶ καιροῦ τεθέντας, ὅπως ἔτυχον, μὴ δοκιμασθέντας κυρίους εἶναι.
91. For in those days, indeed, while they legislated in that way, they kept to the existing laws and were not always proposing new ones; but ever since certain statesmen rose to power and, as I am informed, contrived to get into their own hands the right to initiate legislation at any time and in any way they wished, there are so many contradictory statutes that for a long time you have had to appoint a commission to sort out the contradictory ones;
91. καὶ γάρ τοι τότε μέν, τέως τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον ἐνομοθέτουν, τοῖς μὲν ὑπάρχουσι νόμοις ἐχρῶντο, καινοὺς δʼ οὐκ ἐτίθεσαν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν πολιτευομένων τινὲς δυνηθέντες, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, κατεσκεύασαν αὑτοῖς ἐξεῖναι νομοθετεῖν, ὅταν τις βούληται καὶ ὃν ἂν τύχῃ τρόπον, τοσοῦτοι μὲν οἱ ἐναντίοι σφίσιν αὑτοῖς εἰσὶ νόμοι, ὥστε χειροτονεῖθʼ ὑμεῖς τοὺς διαλέξοντας τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐπὶ πάμπολυν ἤδη χρόνον, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ οὐδὲν μᾶλλον δύναται πέρας ἔχειν·
92. yet in spite of this the business never comes to an end. Our laws are no better than so many decrees; nay, you will find that the laws which have to be observed in drafting the decrees are later than the decrees themselves. Not to be content, then, with a bare assertion, but to show you the actual law to which I refer, please take and read the law constituting the original legislative commission. [The law is read] You understand, Athenians, the beauty of Solon’s directions for legislating.
92. ψηφισμάτων δʼ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν διαφέρουσιν οἱ νόμοι, ἀλλὰ νεώτεροι οἱ νόμοι, καθʼ οὓς τὰ ψηφίσματα δεῖ γράφεσθαι, τῶν ψηφισμάτων αὐτῶν ὑμῖν εἰσίν. ἵνʼ οὖν μὴ λόγον λέγω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν νόμον αὐτὸν ὅν φημι δείξω, λαβέ μοι τὸν νόμον καθʼ ὃν ἦσαν οἱ πρότερον νομοθέται. λέγε. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
93. The first stage is in your courts, before men under oath, where all other ratifications are made; the next is the repeal of the contradictory laws, so that there may be only one law dealing with each subject, and that the plain citizen may not be puzzled by such contradictions and be at a disadvantage compared with those who are acquainted with the whole body of law, but that all may have the same ordinances before them, simple and clear to read and understand.
93. συνίεθʼ ὃν τρόπον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὁ Σόλων τοὺς νόμους ὡς καλῶς κελεύει τιθέναι, πρῶτον μὲν παρʼ ὑμῖν, ἐν τοῖς ὀμωμοκόσιν, παρʼ οἷσπερ καὶ τἄλλα κυροῦται, ἔπειτα λύοντα τοὺς ἐναντίους, ἵνʼ εἷς ᾖ περὶ τῶν ὄντων ἑκάστου νόμος, καὶ μὴ τοὺς ἰδιώτας αὐτὸ τοῦτο ταράττῃ καὶ ποιῇ τῶν ἅπαντας εἰδότων τοὺς νόμους ἔλαττον ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσιν ᾖ ταὔτʼ ἀναγνῶναι καὶ μαθεῖν ἁπλᾶ καὶ σαφῆ τὰ δίκαια.
94. Moreover, before these proceedings, Solon ordered that the laws should be exposed before the statues of the eponymous heroes and handed in to the town-clerk to recite them at the meetings of the Assembly, so that each of you may hear them more than once and digest them at leisure, and if they are just and expedient, may add them to the statute-book. Now, numerous as those enactments are, Leptines yonder has observed not one of them, for, if he had, I do not think that you would ever have consented to pass his law. We on the other hand, Athenians, have observed them all, and we are submitting a much better and more equitable law than his. You will realize that when you hear it.
94. καὶ πρὸ τούτων γʼ ἐπέταξεν ἐκθεῖναι πρόσθε τῶν ἐπωνύμων καὶ τῷ γραμματεῖ παραδοῦναι, τοῦτον δʼ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἀναγιγνώσκειν, ἵνʼ ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἀκούσας πολλάκις καὶ κατὰ σχολὴν σκεψάμενος, ἃν ᾖ καὶ δίκαια καὶ συμφέροντα, ταῦτα νομοθετῇ. τούτων τοίνυν τοσούτων ὄντων [δικαίων] τὸ πλῆθος, οὑτοσὶ μὲν οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἐποίησε [Λεπτίνης]· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ὑμεῖς ποτʼ ἐπείσθητε, ὡς ἐγὼ νομίζω, θέσθαι τὸν νόμον· ἡμεῖς δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πάντα, καὶ παρεισφέρομεν πολλῷ καὶ κρείττω καὶ δικαιότερον τοῦ τούτου νόμον.
95. Take and read first of all the clauses of his law which we have indicted, and next the clauses we propose to substitute for them. Read. [The law is read] These are the parts of the law of Leptines which we arraign as unsatisfactory. Next in order read our proposed amendments. Pray attend, gentlemen of the jury, to these as they are recited. Read. [The law is read] Stop there.
95. γνώσεσθε δʼ ἀκούοντες. λαβὲ καὶ λέγε πρῶτον μὲν ἃ τοῦ τούτου νόμου γεγράμμεθα, εἶθʼ ἅ φαμεν δεῖν ἀντὶ τούτων τεθῆναι. λέγε. ΝΟΜΟΣ. ταῦτα μέν ἐσθʼ ἃ τοῦ τούτου νόμου διώκομεν ὡς οὐκ ἐπιτήδεια. τὰ δʼ ἑξῆς λέγε, ἃ τούτων εἶναι βελτίω φαμέν. προσέχετʼ, ἄνδρες δικασταί, τούτοις ἀναγιγνωσκομένοις τὸν νοῦν. λέγε. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
96. The laws now in force contain this provision—a capital one, men of Athens, and unambiguous—that “all rewards granted by the people shall be valid.” Equitable too, by all the powers! So Leptines should not have proposed his own law until he had indicted and repealed this. As it is, neglecting proof of his own violation of the law, he nevertheless proceeded to legislate, in face of the fact that another law proclaims his law indictable for this very offence, namely, for contradicting previous legislation. Here is the very law in question. [The law is read] Men of Athens, is not the provision that “all rewards granted by the people shall be valid” contradicted by the clause that “no one shall be immune,” no one, that is, of those to whom the people has granted immunity?
96. ἐπίσχες. τοῦτο μέν ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς οὖσι νόμοις κυρίοις ὑπάρχον καλόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ σαφές, τὰς δωρειὰς ὅσας ὁ δῆμος ἔδωκε κυρίας εἶναι· δίκαιον, ὦ γῆ καὶ θεοί. χρῆν τοίνυν Λεπτίνην μὴ πρότερον τιθέναι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νόμον πρὶν τοῦτον ἔλυσε γραψάμενος. νῦν δὲ μαρτυρίαν καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ καταλείπων ὅτι παρανομεῖ τουτονὶ τὸν νόμον, ὅμως ἐνομοθέτει, καὶ ταῦθʼ ἑτέρου κελεύοντος νόμου καὶ κατʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτʼ ἔνοχον εἶναι τῇ γραφῇ, ἐὰν ἐναντίος ᾖ τοῖς πρότερον κειμένοις νόμοις. λαβὲ δʼ αὐτὸν τὸν νόμον. >ΝΟΜΟΣ.
97. That is plain enough, at any rate. But it is not so in the alternative law which my friend here proposes, and which confirms what you have granted, and provides a fair ground of action against those who have imposed upon you, or have subsequently injured you, or are generally undeserving; so that you will thus prevent anyone you please from retaining his grant. Read the law. [The law is read] You hear the law, Athenians, and you understand that it enables the deserving to retain their rewards, and those who are judged otherwise to be deprived of any privilege they have unjustly secured; for the future everything is left in your hands, as is right, to grant or to withhold.
97. οὔκουν ἐναντίον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῷ κυρίας εἶναι τὰς δωρειάς, ὅσας ὁ δῆμος ἔδωκε, τὸ μηδένʼ εἶναι ἀτελῆ τούτων οἷς ὁ δῆμος ἔδωκεν; σαφῶς γʼ οὑτωσί. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν ᾧ νῦν ὅδʼ ἀντεισφέρει νόμῳ, ἀλλʼ ἅ τʼ ἐδώκατε, κύρια, καὶ πρόφασις δικαία κατὰ τῶν ἢ παρακρουσαμένων ἢ μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀδικούντων ἢ ὅλως ἀναξίων, διʼ ἣν ὃν ἂν ὑμῖν δοκῇ κωλύσετʼ ἔχειν τὴν δωρειάν. λέγε τὸν νόμον. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
98. Now I do not think that Leptines will deny that this law is sound and just, or, if he does, that he will be able to prove it. But perhaps he will try to lead you astray by repeating what he said before the junior archons. For he alleged that the publication of this amended law was a mere trick, and that should his own law be repealed, this one would never be passed.
98. ἀκούετʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ καταμανθάνετε, ὅτι ἐνταῦθʼ ἔνι καὶ τοὺς ἀξίους ἔχειν τὰ δοθέντα καὶ τοὺς μὴ τοιούτους κριθέντας, ἐὰν ἀδίκως τι λάβωσιν, ἀφαιρεθῆναι, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐφʼ ὑμῖν εἶναι πάνθʼ, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ δίκαιον, καὶ δοῦναι καὶ μή. ὡς μὲν τοίνυν οὐχὶ καλῶς οὗτος ἔχει καὶ δικαίως ὁ νόμος, οὔτʼ ἐρεῖν οἴομαι Λεπτίνην οὔτʼ, ἐὰν λέγῃ, δεῖξαι δυνήσεσθαι· ἃ δὲ πρὸς τοῖς θεσμοθέταις ἔλεγεν, ταῦτʼ ἴσως λέγων παράγειν ὑμᾶς ζητήσει. ἔφη γὰρ ἐξαπάτης εἵνεκα παραγεγράφθαι τοῦτον τὸν νόμον, ἐὰν δʼ ὃν αὐτὸς ἔθηκεν λυθῇ, τοῦτον οὐ τεθήσεσθαι.
99. Now, to avoid dispute, I will not press the point that the old law of Solon, in accordance with which the junior archons have notified these amendments to you, clearly enjoins that if the law of Leptines is repealed by your vote, the alternative law shall be valid. I will pass to another point. Leptines, in saying this, obviously admits that our law is better and fairer than his own, but bases his argument on the way in which it is to be passed.
99. ἐγὼ δʼ, ὅτι μὲν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ψήφῳ τοῦ τούτου νόμου λυθέντος τὸν παρεισενεχθέντα κύριον εἶναι σαφῶς ὁ παλαιὸς κελεύει νόμος, καθʼ ὃν οἱ θεσμοθέται τοῦτον ὑμῖν παρέγραψαν, ἐάσω, ἵνα μὴ περὶ τούτου τις ἀντιλέγῃ μοι, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνʼ εἶμι. ὅταν ταῦτα λέγῃ δήπου, ὁμολογεῖ μὲν εἶναι βελτίω καὶ δικαιότερον τόνδε τὸν νόμον οὗ τέθεικεν αὐτός, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ πῶς τεθήσεται ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον.
100. Now, in the first place, there are many ways open to him, if he wishes, of compelling the amender to introduce his own law. In the next place, Phormio and myself and anyone else he likes to name are prepared to guarantee that we will introduce it. You know there is a law making death the penalty for anyone who breaks his promise to the Assembly or one of the Councils or law-courts. You have our guarantee, our promise. Let the archons record it, and let the matter rest in their hands.
100. πρῶτον μὲν τοίνυν εἰσὶν αὐτῷ κατὰ τοῦ παρεισφέροντος πολλοὶ τρόποι, διʼ ὧν, ἂν βούληται, θεῖναι τὸν νόμον αὐτὸν ἀναγκάσει. ἔπειτʼ ἐγγυώμεθʼ ἡμεῖς, ἐγώ, Φορμίων, ἄλλον εἴ τινα βούλεται, θήσειν τὸν νόμον. ἔστι δὲ δήπου νόμος ὑμῖν, ἐάν τις ὑποσχόμενός τι τὸν δῆμον ἢ τὴν βουλὴν ἢ δικαστήριον ἐξαπατήσῃ, τὰ ἔσχατα πάσχειν. ἐγγυώμεθα, ὑπισχνούμεθα· οἱ θεσμοθέται ταῦτα γραφόντων, ἐπὶ τούτοις τὸ πρᾶγμα γιγνέσθω.
101. Neither do anything that is unworthy of this court, nor, if a worthless person is found among those who enjoy the grant, let him keep it; only let each case be judged on its merits. But if Leptines shall say that that is all talk and humbug, this at any rate is not mere talk; let him bring in the amended law himself and cease to say that we will not do so. It is surely a greater honor to propose the law, stamped with your approval, than this of his own devising.
101. μήθʼ ὑμεῖς ποιήσητε μηδὲν ἀνάξιον ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, μήτε, εἴ τις φαῦλός ἐστι τῶν εὑρημένων τὴν δωρειάν, ἐχέτω, ἀλλʼ ἰδίᾳ κατὰ τόνδε κριθήτω τὸν νόμον. εἰ δὲ ταῦτα λόγους καὶ φλυαρίας εἶναι φήσει, ἐκεῖνό γʼ οὐ λόγος· αὐτὸς θέτω, καὶ μὴ λεγέτω τοῦθʼ, ὡς οὐ θήσομεν ἡμεῖς. κάλλιον δὲ δήπου τὸν ὑφʼ ὑμῶν κριθέντα καλῶς ἔχειν νόμον εἰσφέρειν ἢ ὃν νῦν ἀφʼ αὑτοῦ τίθησιν.
102. It seems to me, Athenians, that Leptines—and pray, be not angry, for I am not going to say anything offensive about you—Leptines has either never read Solon’s laws or else does not understand them. For if Solon made a law that every man could grant his property to whomsoever he pleased, in default of legitimate offspring, not with the object of depriving the next of kin of their rights of consanguinity, but that by making the prize open to all he might excite a rivalry in doing good one to another;
102. ἐμοὶ δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δοκεῖ Λεπτίνης (καί μοι μηδὲν ὀργισθῇς· οὐδὲν γὰρ φλαῦρον ἐρῶ σε) ἢ οὐκ ἀνεγνωκέναι τοὺς Σόλωνος νόμους ἢ οὐ συνιέναι. εἰ γὰρ ὁ μὲν Σόλων ἔθηκεν νόμον ἐξεῖναι δοῦναι τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ᾧ ἄν τις βούληται, ἐὰν μὴ παῖδες ὦσι γνήσιοι, οὐχ ἵνʼ ἀποστερήσῃ τοὺς ἐγγυτάτω γένει τῆς ἀγχιστείας, ἀλλʼ ἵνʼ εἰς τὸ μέσον καταθεὶς τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐφάμιλλον ποιήσῃ τὸ ποιεῖν ἀλλήλους εὖ, σὺ δὲ τοὐναντίον εἰσενήνοχας μὴ ἐξεῖναι τῷ δήμῳ τῶν αὑτοῦ δοῦναι μηδενὶ μηδέν, πῶς σέ τις φήσει τοὺς Σόλωνος ἀνεγνωκέναι νόμους ἢ συνιέναι;
103. and if you, on the contrary, have proposed a law that the people shall not be permitted to bestow on any man any part of what is their own, how can you be said to have read or understood the laws of Solon? You make the nation barren of would-be patriots by proclaiming unmistakably that those who benefit us shall gain nothing by it. Again, there is another excellent law of Solon, forbidding a man to speak ill of the dead, even if he is himself defamed by the dead man’s children. You do not speak ill of our departed benefactors, Leptines; you do ill to them, when you blame one and assert that another is unworthy, though these charges have nothing to do with the dead men. Are you not very far from the intention of Solon?
103. ὃς ἔρημον ποιεῖς τὸν δῆμον τῶν φιλοτιμησομένων, προλέγων καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαθόν τι ποιοῦσιν οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἔσται πλέον. καὶ μὴν κἀκεῖνος τῶν καλῶς δοκούντων ἔχειν νόμων Σόλωνός ἐστι, μὴ λέγειν κακῶς τὸν τεθνεῶτα, μηδʼ ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκείνου τις ἀκούῃ παίδων αὐτός· σὺ δὲ ποιεῖς, οὐ λέγεις κακῶς τοὺς τετελευτηκότας τῶν εὐεργετῶν, τῷ δεῖνι μεμφόμενος καὶ τὸν δεῖνʼ ἀνάξιον εἶναι φάσκων, ὧν οὐδὲν ἐκείνοις προσῆκεν. ἆρʼ οὐ πολὺ τοῦ Σόλωνος ἀποστατεῖς τῇ γνώμῃ;
105. Now I have been quite seriously informed that with regard to the absolute prohibition of all rewards, whatever a man’s services may be, our opponents are prepared to use some such argument as this. The Lacedaemonians, who are a well-organized state, and the Thebans grant no such reward to any of their citizens, and yet possibly there are some good men among them. In my opinion, men of Athens, all such arguments are provocative, and intended to persuade you to abolish the immunities, but just they are certainly not. For I am quite aware that the Thebans and the Lacedaemonians and ourselves do not observe the same laws and customs, nor the same form of government.
105. πάνυ τοίνυν σπουδῇ τις ἀπήγγελλέ μοι περὶ τοῦ μηδενὶ δεῖν μηδὲν διδόναι, μηδʼ ἂν ὁτιοῦν πράξῃ, τοιοῦτόν τι λέγειν αὐτοὺς παρεσκευάσθαι, ὡς ἄρʼ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καλῶς πολιτευόμενοι καὶ Θηβαῖοι οὐδενὶ τῶν παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς διδόασι τοιαύτην οὐδεμίαν τιμήν· καίτοι καὶ παρʼ ἐκείνοις τινές εἰσιν ἴσως ἀγαθοί. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκοῦσιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πάντες οἱ τοιοῦτοι λόγοι παροξυντικοὶ μὲν εἶναι πρὸς τὸ τὰς ἀτελείας ὑμᾶς ἀφελέσθαι πεῖσαι, οὐ μέντοι δίκαιοί γʼ οὐδαμῇ. οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοῶ τοῦθʼ ὅτι Θηβαῖοι καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ ἡμεῖς οὔτε νόμοις οὔτʼ ἔθεσιν χρώμεθα τοῖς αὐτοῖς οὔτε πολιτείᾳ.
106. For in the first place, if this is their argument, they are about to do exactly what a man cannot do at Sparta—praise the laws of Athens or of any other state; nay, so far from that, he is obliged to praise, as well as do, whatever accords with his native constitution. Then again, though the Lacedaemonians do not hold with these customs, yet there are other honors at Sparta, which our citizens to a man would shrink from introducing here.
106. αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο πρῶτον, ὃ νῦν οὗτοι ποιήσουσιν, ἐὰν ταῦτα λέγωσιν, οὐκ ἔξεστι ποιεῖν παρὰ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις, τὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐπαινεῖν νόμιμα οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν δείνων, πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ, ἀλλʼ ἃ τῇ παρʼ ἐκείνοις πολιτείᾳ συμφέρει, ταῦτʼ ἐπαινεῖν ἀνάγκη [καὶ ποιεῖν]. εἶτα καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῶν μὲν τοιούτων ἀφεστᾶσιν, ἄλλαι δέ τινες παρʼ ἐκείνοις εἰσὶ τιμαί, ἃς ἀπεύξαιτʼ ἂν ἅπας ὁ δῆμος ἐνταυθοῖ γενέσθαι.
107. What, then, are those honors? Not to take each singly, I will describe one which comprises all the rest. Whenever a man for his good conduct is elected to the Senate, or Gerusia, as they call it, he is absolute master of the mass of citizens. For at Sparta the prize of merit is to share with one’s peers the supremacy in the State; but with us the people is supreme, and any other form of supremacy is forbidden by imprecations and laws and other safeguards, but we have crowns of honor and immunities and free maintenance and similar rewards, which anyone may win, if he is a good citizen.
107. τίνες οὖν εἰσιν αὗται; τὰς μὲν καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐάσω, μίαν δʼ ἣ συλλαβοῦσα τὰς ἄλλας ἔχει, δίειμι. ἐπειδάν τις εἰς τὴν καλουμένην γερουσίαν ἐγκριθῇ παρασχὼν αὑτὸν οἷον χρή, δεσπότης ἐστὶ τῶν πολλῶν. ἐκεῖ μὲν γάρ ἐστι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἆθλον τῆς πολιτείας κυρίῳ γενέσθαι μετὰ τῶν ὁμοίων, παρὰ δʼ ἡμῖν ταύτης μὲν ὁ δῆμος κύριος, καὶ ἀραὶ καὶ νόμοι καὶ φυλακαὶ ὅπως μηδεὶς ἄλλος κύριος γενήσεται, στέφανοι δὲ καὶ ἀτέλειαι καὶ σιτήσεις καὶ τοιαῦτʼ ἐστίν, ὧν ἄν τις ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς ὢν τύχοι.
108. And both these customs are right enough, the one at Sparta and the other here. Why? Because in an oligarchy harmony is attained by the equality of those who control the State, but the freedom of a democracy is guarded by the rivalry with which good citizens compete for the rewards offered by the people.
108. καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀμφότερʼ ὀρθῶς ἔχει, καὶ τἀκεῖ καὶ τὰ παρʼ ἡμῖν. διὰ τί; ὅτι τὰς μὲν διὰ τῶν ὀλίγων πολιτείας τὸ πάντας ἔχειν ἴσον ἀλλήλοις τοὺς τῶν κοινῶν κυρίους ὁμονοεῖν ποιεῖ, τὴν δὲ τῶν δήμων ἐλευθερίαν ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ἅμιλλα, ἣν ἐπὶ ταῖς παρὰ τοῦ δήμου δωρειαῖς πρὸς αὑτοὺς ποιοῦνται, φυλάττει.
109. Again, with regard to the absence of honors at Thebes, I think I can express the truth thus. The Thebans, men of Athens, plume themselves more on brutality and iniquity than you on humanity and love of justice. If a prayer may be allowed, may they never cease to withhold honor and admiration from those who do them service, or to deal with kindred states in the same way (For you remember how they treated Orchomenus. ) And never may you cease to do the opposite, honoring your benefactors and winning your rights from your fellow-citizens by debate and in harmony with the laws!
109. καὶ μὴν περὶ τοῦ γε μηδὲ Θηβαίους μηδένα τιμᾶν, ἐκεῖνʼ ἂν ἔχειν εἰπεῖν ἀληθὲς οἴομαι. μεῖζον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Θηβαῖοι φρονοῦσιν ἐπʼ ὠμότητι καὶ πονηρίᾳ ἢ ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ καὶ τῷ τὰ δίκαια βούλεσθαι. μήτʼ οὖν ἐκεῖνοί ποτε παύσαιντο, εἰ ἄρʼ εὔξασθαι δεῖ, τοὺς μὲν ἑαυτοὺς ἀγαθόν τι ποιοῦντας μήτε τιμῶντες μήτε θαυμάζοντες, τοὺς δὲ συγγενεῖς (ἴστε γὰρ ὃν τρόπον Ὀρχομενὸν διέθηκαν) οὕτω μεταχειριζόμενοι, μήθʼ ὑμεῖς τἀναντία τούτοις τοὺς μὲν εὐεργέτας τιμῶντες, παρὰ δὲ τῶν πολιτῶν λόγῳ μετὰ τῶν νόμων τὰ δίκαια λαμβάνοντες.
110. And in general, I think that then only ought you to praise the habits and character of other nations and decry your own, when it is possible to prove that they are more prosperous than you. As long as you (thank Heaven!) are more prosperous than they, in public policy, in internal harmony, and in every other way, why should you belittle your national institutions and imitate theirs? Even if theirs could be proved superior in theory, yet the good fortune that you have enjoyed under your own institutions makes it worth your while to retain them.
110. ὅλως δʼ οἶμαι τότε δεῖν τοὺς ἑτέρων ἐπαινεῖν τρόπους καὶ ἔθη τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἐπιτιμῶντας, ὅταν ᾖ δεῖξαι βέλτιον ἐκείνους πράττοντας ὑμῶν. ὅτε δʼ ὑμεῖς, καλῶς ποιοῦντες, καὶ κατὰ τὰς κοινὰς πράξεις καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν καὶ κατὰ τἄλλα πάντʼ ἄμεινον ἐκείνων πράττετε, τοῦ χάριν ἂν τῶν ὑμετέρων αὐτῶν ἐθῶν ὀλιγωροῦντες ἐκεῖνα διώκοιτε; εἰ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τὸν λογισμὸν ἐκεῖνα φανείη βελτίω, τῆς γε τύχης ἕνεχʼ ᾗ παρὰ ταῦτʼ ἀγαθῇ κέχρησθε, ἐπὶ τούτων ἄξιον μεῖναι.
111. Besides all this, if I must say what I think is right, I would put it in this way. It is not right, Athenians, to cite the laws of the Lacedaemonians or of the Thebans in order to undermine the laws established here; it is not right that you should want to put a man to death for transplanting to Athens any of the institutions that have made those nations great, and yet lend a willing ear to those who propose to destroy the institutions under which our democracy has flourished.
111. εἰ δὲ δεῖ παρὰ πάντα ταῦτʼ εἰπεῖν ὃ δίκαιον ἡγοῦμαι, ἐκεῖνʼ ἂν ἔγωγʼ εἴποιμι. οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων νόμους οὐδὲ τοὺς Θηβαίων λέγειν ἐπὶ τῷ τοὺς ἐνθάδε λυμαίνεσθαι, οὐδὲ διʼ ὧν μὲν ἐκεῖνοι μεγάλοι [τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας καὶ δεσποτείας εἰσί], κἂν ἀποκτεῖναι βούλεσθαι τὸν παρʼ ἡμῖν τούτων τι κατασκευάσαντα, διὰ δʼ ὧν ὁ παρʼ ἡμῖν δῆμος εὐδαίμων, ταῦθʼ ὡς ἀνελεῖν δεῖ λεγόντων τινῶν ἐθέλειν ἀκούειν.
112. Then they have another argument ready; that even at Athens in former generations men who had rendered great services met with no recognition of this sort, but were content with an inscription in the Hermes-Portico. Perhaps indeed the inscription will be read to you. But in my opinion, Athenians, this argument is in many ways prejudicial to the State, besides being unjust.
112. ἔστι τοίνυν τις πρόχειρος λόγος, ὡς ἄρα καὶ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων πόλλʼ ἀγάθʼ εἰργασμένοι τινὲς οὐδενὸς ἠξιοῦντο τοιούτου, ἀλλʼ ἀγαπητῶς ἐπιγράμματος ἐν τοῖς Ἑρμαῖς ἔτυχον· καὶ ἴσως τοῦθʼ ὑμῖν ἀναγνώσεται τοὐπίγραμμα. ἐγὼ δʼ ἡγοῦμαι τοῦτον τὸν λόγον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ πόλλʼ ἀσύμφορον εἶναι τῇ πόλει λέγεσθαι, πρὸς δὲ καὶ οὐδὲ δίκαιον.
113. For if anyone says that even these men deserved no honor, let him say who does deserve it, if there is no one either before or after them. If he shall say “no one,” I should be very sorry for our city, if no one in the course of its history has proved worthy of reward. Again, if while admitting their merit he points out that they got nothing by it, assuredly he accuses the city of ingratitude. But that is not the truth or anything like it; but whenever a man maliciously gives a wrong twist to his arguments, I think they must appear hateful.
113. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀναξίους εἶναί τις φήσει κἀκείνους τιμᾶσθαι, τίς ἄξιος, εἰπάτω, εἰ μήτε τῶν προτέρων μηδεὶς μήτε τῶν ὑστέρων· εἰ δὲ μηδένα φήσει, συναχθεσθείην ἂν ἔγωγε τῇ πόλει, εἰ μηδεὶς ἐν ἅπαντι τῷ χρόνῳ γέγονʼ ἄξιος εὖ παθεῖν. καὶ μὴν εἴ γʼ ὁμολογῶν ἐκείνους εἶναι σπουδαίους μὴ τετυχηκότας δείξει μηδενός, τῆς πόλεως ὡς ἀχαρίστου δήπου κατηγορεῖ. ἔστι δʼ οὐχ οὕτω ταῦτʼ ἔχοντα, οὐδʼ ὀλίγου δεῖ· ἀλλʼ ἐπειδάν τις οἶμαι κακουργῶν ἐπὶ μὴ προσήκοντα πράγματα τοὺς λόγους μεταφέρῃ, δυσχερεῖς ἀνάγκη φαίνεσθαι.