1. Citizens of Athens, I do not doubt that you are all pretty well aware that this trial has been the center of keen partisanship and active canvassing, for you saw the people who were accosting and annoying you just now at the casting of lots. But I have to make a request which ought to be granted without asking, that you will all give less weight to private entreaty or personal influence than to the spirit of justice and to the oath which you severally swore when you entered that box. You will reflect that justice and the oath concern yourselves and the commonwealth, whereas the importunity and party spirit of advocates serve the end of those private ambitions which you are convened by the laws to thwart, not to encourage for the advantage of evil-doers.
1. ὅση μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, σπουδὴ περὶ τουτονὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ παραγγελία γέγονε, σχεδὸν οἶμαι πάντας ὑμᾶς ᾐσθῆσθαι, ἑορακότας ἄρτι τοὺς ὅτʼ ἐκληροῦσθʼ ἐνοχλοῦντας καὶ προσιόντας ὑμῖν. δεήσομαι δὲ πάντων ὑμῶν, ἃ καὶ τοῖς μὴ δεηθεῖσι δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὑπάρχειν, μηδεμίαν μήτε χάριν μήτʼ ἄνδρα ποιεῖσθαι περὶ πλείονος ἢ τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὸν ὅρκον ὃν εἰσελήλυθεν ὑμῶν ἕκαστος ὀμωμοκώς, ἐνθυμουμένους ὅτι ταῦτα μέν ἐσθʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ ὅλης τῆς πόλεως, αἱ δὲ τῶν παρακλήτων αὗται δεήσεις καὶ σπουδαὶ τῶν ἰδίων πλεονεξιῶν εἵνεκα γίγνονται, ἃς ἵνα κωλύηθʼ οἱ νόμοι συνήγαγον ὑμᾶς, οὐχ ἵνα κυρίας τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι ποιῆτε.
2. Now I observe that men who enter public life with honest intentions, even after they have submitted to scrutiny, do still acknowledge a perpetual responsibility. But Aeschines, the defendant, reverses this practice. Before coming into court to justify his proceedings, he has put out of the way one of the men who called him to account, and the others he is constantly threatening. So he is trying to introduce into politics a most dangerous and deplorable practice; for if a man who has undertaken and administered any public function can get rid of accusers not by his honesty but by the fear he inspires, the people will soon lose all control of public affairs.
2. τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἄλλους, ὅσοι πρὸς τὰ κοινὰ δικαίως προσέρχονται, κἂν δεδωκότες ὦσιν εὐθύνας, τὴν ἀειλογίαν ὁρῶ προτεινομένους, τουτονὶ δʼ Αἰσχίνην πολὺ τἀναντία τούτου· πρὶν γὰρ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ λόγον δοῦναι τῶν πεπραγμένων τὸν μὲν ἀνῄρηκε τῶν ἐπὶ τὰς εὐθύνας ἐλθόντων, τοῖς δʼ ἀπειλεῖ περιιών, δεινότατον πάντων ἔθος εἰς τὴν πολιτείαν εἰσάγων καὶ ἀσυμφορώτατον ὑμῖν· εἰ γὰρ ὁ πράξας τι τῶν κοινῶν καὶ διοικήσας τῷ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν φόβῳ καὶ μὴ τῷ δικαίῳ κατασκευάσει μηδένʼ εἶναι κατήγορον αὑτοῦ, παντάπασιν ἄκυροι πάντων ὑμεῖς γενήσεσθε.
3. While I have entire confidence that I shall prove that this man is guilty of serious delinquencies, and that he deserves the most severe punishment, yet, in spite of that assurance, I have a misgiving, which I will explain to you quite frankly. It appears to me, men of Athens, that the trials which come before you are affected quite as much by the conditions of the hour as by the facts; and I am afraid that the long lapse of time since the embassy has inclined you to forget or to acquiesce in these iniquities.
3. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐξελέγξειν πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ πεποιηκότα τουτονὶ καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ὄντα τιμωρίας ἄξιον θαρρῶ καὶ πάνυ πιστεύω· ὃ δὲ καίπερ ὑπειληφὼς ταῦτα φοβοῦμαι, φράσω πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι, ὅτι μοι δοκοῦσιν ἅπαντες οἱ παρʼ ὑμῖν ἀγῶνες οὐχ ἧττον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν καιρῶν ἢ τῶν πραγμάτων εἶναι, καὶ τὸ χρόνον γεγενῆσθαι μετὰ τὴν πρεσβείαν πολὺν δέδοικα, μή τινα λήθην ἢ συνήθειαν τῶν ἀδικημάτων ὑμῖν ἐμπεποιήκῃ.
4. I will, then, suggest a method by which you may nevertheless reach a just conclusion and give a righteous verdict today. By consideration among yourselves, gentlemen, you should form a true conception of what should be included in the vindication which the state requires of any ambassador. He is responsible then, in the first place, for the reports he has made; secondly, for the advice he has offered; thirdly, for his observance of your instructions; then there is the question of times and opportunities; and, to crown all, whether he has done his business corruptly or with integrity.
4. ὡς δή μοι δοκεῖτʼ ἂν ὅμως ἐκ τούτων καὶ γνῶναι τὰ δίκαια καὶ δικάσαι νυνί, τοῦθʼ ὑμῖν λέξω· εἰ σκέψαισθε παρʼ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ λογίσαισθε τίνων προσήκει λόγον παρὰ πρεσβευτοῦ λαβεῖν. πρῶτον μὲν τοίνυν ὧν ἀπήγγειλε, δεύτερον δʼ ὧν ἔπεισε, τρίτον δʼ ὧν προσετάξατʼ αὐτῷ, μετὰ ταῦτα τῶν χρόνων, ἐφʼ ἅπασι δὲ τούτοις, εἰ ἀδωροδοκήτως ἢ μὴ πάντα ταῦτα πέπρακται.
5. Why are these the topics of inquiry? Your conclusions are derived from the ambassador’s reports: you reach a right decision if they are true, a wrong decision if they are false. The advice of ambassadors you regard as the more trustworthy because it is given by men who presumably understand their own mission.
5. τί δήποτε τούτων; ὅτι ἐκ μὲν τῶν ἀπαγγελιῶν τὸ βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ὑμῖν ἐστίν· ἂν μὲν οὖν ὦσιν ἀληθεῖς, τὰ δέοντʼ ἔγνωτε, ἂν δὲ μὴ τοιαῦται, τἀναντία. τὰς δὲ συμβουλίας πιστοτέρας ὑπολαμβάνετʼ εἶναι τὰς τῶν πρέσβεων· ὡς γὰρ εἰδότων περὶ ὧν ἐπέμφθησαν ἀκούετε· οὐδὲν οὖν ἐξελέγχεσθαι δίκαιός ἐστιν ὁ πρεσβευτὴς φαῦλον οὐδʼ ἀσύμφορον ὑμῖν συμβεβουλευκώς.
6. No ambassador, then, ought ever to be convicted of defective or mischievous counsels. Thirdly, when he has been expressly instructed what to say and what to do by resolution of the Assembly, it is his duty to conduct his business according to such instructions. Very well; but how does the question of time arise? Because, men of Athens, in important transactions opportunities are often short-lived: once willfully surrendered and betrayed to the enemy, they cannot be recovered, do what you will.
6. καὶ μὴν περὶ ὧν γε προσετάξατʼ εἰπεῖν ἢ πρᾶξαι καὶ διαρρήδην ἐψηφίσασθε ποιῆσαι, προσήκει διῳκηκέναι. εἶεν· τῶν δὲ δὴ χρόνων διὰ τί; ὅτι πολλάκις, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, συμβαίνει πολλῶν πραγμάτων καὶ μεγάλων καιρὸν ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ γίγνεσθαι, ὃν ἄν τις ἑκὼν καθυφῇ τοῖς ἐναντίοις καὶ προδῷ, οὐδʼ ἂν ὁτιοῦν ποιῇ πάλιν οἷός τʼ ἔσται σῶσαι.
7. Next, as for the question of bribery or no bribery, of course you are agreed that it is a scandalous and abominable offence to accept money for acts injurious to the commonwealth. The author of the statute, however, made no such distinction; he forbade the acceptance of rewards absolutely, holding, as I suppose, that the man who takes them and is thereby corrupted can no longer be trusted by the state as a judge of sound policy.
7. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὑπέρ γε τοῦ προῖκʼ ἢ μή, τὸ μὲν ἐκ τούτων λαμβάνειν, ἐξ ὧν ἡ πόλις βλάπτεται, πάντες οἶδʼ ὅτι φήσαιτʼ ἂν εἶναι δεινὸν καὶ πολλῆς ὀργῆς ἄξιον· ὁ μέντοι τὸν νόμον τιθεὶς οὐ διώρισεν τοῦτο, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς εἶπε μηδαμῶς δῶρα λαμβάνειν, ἡγούμενος, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τὸν ἅπαξ λαβόντα καὶ διαφθαρένθʼ ὑπὸ χρημάτων οὐδὲ κριτὴν ἔτι τῶν συμφερόντων ἀσφαλῆ μένειν τῇ πόλει.
8. If, then, I can establish by clear proofs that the reports of the defendant, Aeschines, were entirely untruthful, and that he prevented the Assembly from hearing the truth from me; that his counsels were totally opposed to your true interests; that he disobeyed all your instructions when on embassy; that by his waste of time many important opportunities were lost to the city; and finally that for all these delinquencies he, as well as Philocrates, accepted presents and rewards; pronounce him guilty and exact a penalty adequate to his crimes. But if I fail to prove all these five charges, or any one of them, then call me an impostor, and acquit him.
8. ἂν μὲν τοίνυν ἐξελέγξω καὶ δείξω σαφῶς Αἰσχίνην τουτονὶ καὶ μηδὲν ἀληθὲς ἀπηγγελκότα καὶ κεκωλυκότʼ ἐμοῦ τὸν δῆμον ἀκοῦσαι τἀληθῆ, καὶ πάντα τἀναντία τῶν συμφερόντων συμβεβουλευκότα, καὶ μηδὲν ὧν προσετάξατʼ ἐν τῇ πρεσβείᾳ πεποιηκότα, καὶ ἀνηλωκότα τοὺς χρόνους ἐν οἷς πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων πραγμάτων καιροὶ προεῖνται τῇ πόλει, καὶ πάντων τούτων δῶρα καὶ μισθοὺς εἰληφότα μετὰ Φιλοκράτους, καταψηφίσασθʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ δίκην ἀξίαν τῶν ἀδικημάτων λάβετε· ἂν δὲ μὴ δείξω ταῦτα, ἢ μὴ πάντα, ἐμὲ μὲν φαῦλον ἡγεῖσθε τοῦτον δʼ ἄφετε.
9. I have many further charges to add, such as must excite universal abhorrence; but, by way of preface, I will first remind you of what doubtless most of you remember,—of the party with which Aeschines at first ranged himself in politics, and of the speeches which he thought fit to make in opposition to Philip. In this way I hope to satisfy you that his early acts and speeches supply abundant proof of his present corruption.
9. πολλὰ δὲ καὶ δεινὰ κατηγορεῖν ἔχων ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις ἕτερʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅστις ἂν οὐκ εἰκότως μισήσειεν αὐτόν, βούλομαι πρὸ πάντων ὧν μέλλω λέγειν μνημονεύοντας ὑμῶν οἶδʼ ὅτι τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπομνῆσαι, τίνα τάξιν ἑαυτὸν ἔταξεν Αἰσχίνης ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ τὸ πρῶτον, καὶ τίνας λόγους κατὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου δημηγορεῖν ᾤετο δεῖν, ἵνʼ εἰδῆθʼ ὅτι τοῖς ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ πεπραγμένοις καὶ δεδημηγορημένοις ἐν ἀρχῇ μάλιστʼ ἐξελεγχθήσεται δῶρʼ ἔχων.
10. Aeschines, then, was the first man in Athens, as he claimed at the time in a speech, to perceive that Philip had designs against Greece, and was corrupting some of the magnates of Arcadia. It was he who, with Ischander, son of Neoptolemus, as his understudy, addressed the Council, and addressed the Assembly, on this subject, and persuaded them to send ambassadors to all the Greek states to convene a conference at Athens for the consideration of war with Philip. It was he who afterwards, on his return from Arcadia, gave a report of the fine long orations which he said he had delivered as your spokesman before the Ten Thousand at Megalopolis in reply to Philip’s champion Hieronymus, and he made a long story of the enormous harm which corrupt statesmen in the pay of Philip were doing not only to their own countries but to the whole of Greece.
10. ἔστι τοίνυν οὗτος ὁ πρῶτος Ἀθηναίων αἰσθόμενος Φίλιππον, ὡς τότε δημηγορῶν ἔφη, ἐπιβουλεύοντα τοῖς Ἕλλησι καὶ διαφθείροντά τινας τῶν ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ προεστηκότων, καὶ ἔχων Ἴσχανδρον τὸν Νεοπτολέμου δευτεραγωνιστήν, προσιὼν μὲν τῇ βουλῇ, προσιὼν δὲ τῷ δήμῳ περὶ τούτων, καὶ πείσας ὑμᾶς πανταχοῖ πρέσβεις πέμψαι τοὺς συνάξοντας δεῦρο τοὺς βουλευσομένους περὶ τοῦ πρὸς Φίλιππον πολέμου, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλων μετὰ ταῦθʼ ἥκων ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας τοὺς καλοὺς ἐκείνους καὶ μακροὺς λόγους, οὓς ἐν τοῖς μυρίοις ἐν Μεγάλῃ πόλει πρὸς Ἱερώνυμον τὸν ὑπὲρ Φιλίππου λέγοντα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἔφη δεδημηγορηκέναι, καὶ διεξιὼν ἡλίκα τὴν Ἑλλάδα πᾶσαν, οὐχὶ τὰς ἰδίας ἀδικοῦσι μόνον πατρίδας οἱ δωροδοκοῦντες καὶ χρήματα λαμβάνοντες παρὰ Φιλίππου.
12. So on the strength of his policy at that time, and of the sample he had exhibited of his conduct, he was actually appointed as one of the ambassadors when you were induced by Aristodemus, Neoptolemus, Ctesiphon and others, who had brought entirely misleading reports from Macedonia, to send an embassy to negotiate peace with Philip. He was chosen, not as one who would make traffic of your interests, not as one who had any confidence in Philip, but as one of the party that was to keep an eye on the rest, for in view of his early speeches, and of his known hostility to Philip, it was natural that you should all have such an opinion of the man.
12. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ταῦτα πολιτευομένου τούτου τότε καὶ τοῦτο τὸ δεῖγμʼ ἐξενηνοχότος περὶ αὑτοῦ, τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης πρέσβεις πέμπειν ὡς Φίλιππον ἐπείσθητε ὑπʼ Ἀριστοδήμου καὶ Νεοπτολέμου καὶ Κτησιφῶντος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἀπαγγελλόντων οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ὑγιές, γίγνεται τῶν πρέσβεων τούτων εἷς καὶ οὗτος, οὐχ ὡς τῶν ἀποδωσομένων τὰ ὑμέτερα, οὐδʼ ὡς τῶν πεπιστευκότων τῷ Φιλίππῳ, ἀλλʼ ὡς τῶν φυλαξόντων τοὺς ἄλλους· διὰ γὰρ τοὺς προειρημένους λόγους καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον ἀπέχθειαν ταύτην εἰκότως περὶ αὐτοῦ πάντες εἴχετε τὴν δόξαν.
13. Then he came to me and proposed that we should act together on the embassy, being especially urgent that we should jointly keep watch upon that infamous scoundrel Philocrates. And until after our return from the first embassy I at least, men of Athens, had no suspicion that he was corrupt and had already sold himself. For apart from the speeches which, as I said, he had made on former occasions, he rose at the first of the two assemblies at which you discussed terms of peace, and began with an exordium which I believe I can repeat to you in the very words he used:
13. προσελθὼν τοίνυν ἐμοὶ μετὰ ταῦτα συνετάττετο κοινῇ πρεσβεύειν, καὶ ὅπως τὸν μιαρὸν καὶ ἀναιδῆ φυλάξομεν ἀμφότεροι, τὸν Φιλοκράτην, πολλὰ παρεκελεύσατο. καὶ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρʼ ἐπανελθεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης πρεσβείας ἐμὲ γοῦν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, διεφθαρμένος καὶ πεπρακὼς ἑαυτὸν ἐλάνθανε. χωρὶς γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν, ὅπερ εἶπον, εἰρήκει πρότερον, ἀναστὰς τῇ προτέρᾳ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐν αἷς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐβουλεύεσθε, ἤρξατʼ ἀρχήν, ἣν ἐγὼ καὶ τοῖς ῥήμασιν οἶμαι τοῖς αὐτοῖς οἷσπερ οὗτος εἶπεν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀπομνημονεύσειν.
14. “If Philocrates, men of Athens, had given many days to studying how best he could thwart the peace, I do not think he could have found a better way than the present proposal. Such a peace as this I for one will never advise the city to make, so long as a single Athenian remains alive; yet I do say that we ought to make peace.” In such terms he spoke, concisely and with moderation.
14. εἰ πάνυ πολὺν ἔφη χρόνον ἐσκόπει Φιλοκράτης, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πῶς ἂν ἄριστʼ ἐναντιωθείη τῇ εἰρήνῃ, οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν ἄμεινον εὑρεῖν οἶμαι ἢ τοιαῦτα γράφοντα. ἐγὼ δὲ ταύτην μὲν τὴν εἰρήνην, ἕως ἂν εἷς Ἀθηναίων λείπηται, οὐδέποτʼ ἂν συμβουλεύσαιμι ποιήσασθαι τῇ πόλει, εἰρήνην μέντοι φημὶ δεῖν ποιεῖσθαι. καὶ τοιούτους τινὰς εἶπε βραχεῖς καὶ μετρίους λόγους.
15. And then on the next day, when the peace was to be ratified, when I supported the resolutions of our allies, and did what I could to secure fair and equitable terms, and when the people sympathized with my purpose and refused to hear a word from the contemptible Philocrates, up jumped the very man who had made the speech I have quoted in the head of all of you only the day before, and addressed you in support of Philocrates, using language for which, as Heaven is my witness, he deserves to die many times over.
15. ὁ δὲ ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν τῇ προτεραίᾳ πάντων ἀκουόντων ὑμῶν, εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν, ἐν ᾗ τὴν εἰρήνην ἔδει κυροῦσθαι, ἐμοῦ τῷ τῶν συμμάχων συνηγοροῦντος δόγματι καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ὅπως ἴση καὶ δικαία γενήσεται πράττοντος, καὶ ὑμῶν βουλομένων ταῦτα καὶ οὐδὲ φωνὴν ἐθελόντων ἀκούειν τοῦ καταπτύστου Φιλοκράτους, ἀναστὰς ἐδημηγόρει καὶ συνηγόρει ʼκείνῳ πολλῶν ἀξίους, ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ πάντες θεοί, θανάτων λόγους, ὡς οὔτε τῶν προγόνων ὑμᾶς μεμνῆσθαι δέοι οὔτε τῶν τὰ τρόπαια καὶ τὰς ναυμαχίας λεγόντων ἀνέχεσθαι, νόμον τε θήσειν καὶ γράψειν μηδενὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὑμᾶς βοηθεῖν, ὃς ἂν μὴ πρότερος βεβοηθηκὼς ὑμῖν ᾖ.
16. He told you that you ought to forget the achievements of your forefathers; that you should not tolerate all that talk about old trophies and sea-fights; and that he would draft and enact a law forbidding aid to any Greeks who had not previously brought aid to you. This speech the shameless reprobate found courage to make while the ambassadors, whom you summoned from the Greek cities at his own suggestion, before he had sold himself, were standing at his elbow and listening to what he said. Well, you appointed him a second time, men of Athens, as an envoy to receive the oath of ratification; and I shall shortly have to tell you how he again wasted time, mishandled all the affairs of the commonwealth, and repeatedly fell out with me in regard to them when I tried to stand in his way. However, by reason of the persistent misconduct of these men, and their disobedience to instructions, we came back from the embassy for the oaths—that is the embassy which is the subject of the present scrutiny—without having realized any single one, great or small, of the advantages which were promised or expected when you approved the peace,—with nothing but deception and disappointment. Then we repaired to the Council. There are many eye-witnesses of what I am about to relate, for the Council-house was thronged with spectators.
16. καὶ ταῦθʼ ὁ σχέτλιος καὶ ἀναιδὴς οὗτος ἐτόλμα λέγειν ἐφεστηκότων τῶν πρέσβεων καὶ ἀκουόντων, οὓς ἀπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων μετεπέμψασθε ὑπὸ τούτου πεισθέντες, ὅτʼ οὔπω πεπρακὼς αὑτὸν ἦν. ὃν μὲν οὖν τρόπον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, χειροτονησάντων ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὅρκους αὐτὸν πάλιν τούς τε χρόνους κατέτριψε καὶ τὰ πράγματα πάντʼ ἐλυμήνατο τὰ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ὅσαι περὶ τούτων ἐμοὶ πρὸς τοῦτον ἀπέχθειαι συνέβησαν βουλομένῳ κωλύειν, αὐτίκʼ ἀκούσεσθε. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ πάλιν ἥκομεν ἐκ τῆς πρεσβείας ταύτης τῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς ὅρκους, ἧσπερ εἰσὶν αἱ νῦν εὔθυναι, οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μέγʼ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν εὑρημένοι τῶν ὅτε τὴν εἰρήνην ἐποιεῖσθε λεχθέντων καὶ προσδοκηθέντων, ἀλλὰ πάντʼ ἐξηπατημένοι, καὶ τούτων ἕτερʼ αὖθις αὖ πεπραχότων καὶ παρʼ αὐτὸ τὸ ψήφισμα πεπρεσβευκότων, προσῇμεν τῇ βουλῇ. καὶ ταυτὶ πολλοὶ συνίσασιν ἃ μέλλω λέγειν· τὸ γὰρ βουλευτήριον μεστὸν ἦν ἰδιωτῶν.
18. I came forward and reported the whole truth to the Council. I denounced these men, and told the whole story, point by point, beginning with those earlier hopes created by the reports of Ctesiphon and Aristodemus, going on to the more recent orations of Aeschines at the approval of the peace, and showing to what straits they had reduced the city. There remained the question of the Phocians and Thermopylae, and we must not—such was my advice—we must not repeat our experience, and throw them overboard, and so, in reliance upon a succession of idle hopes and assurances, allow ourselves to fall into the last extremity of disaster. I convinced the Council;
18. παρελθὼν δʼ ἐγὼ πάντα τἀληθῆ πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν ἀπήγγειλα, καὶ κατηγόρησα τούτων, καὶ ἀνηριθμησάμην ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἐλπίδων ἐκείνων ὧν ὁ Κτησιφῶν καὶ ὁ Ἀριστόδημος ἀπήγγειλαν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα, ὅτε τὴν εἰρήνην ἐποιεῖσθε, ἃ οὗτος ἐδημηγόρησε καὶ εἰς ἃ προήχασι τὴν πόλιν, καὶ περὶ τῶν ὑπολοίπων (ταῦτα δʼ ἦν Φωκεῖς καὶ Πύλαι) μὴ προέσθαι συνεβούλευον, μηδὲ ταὐτὰ παθεῖν, μηδʼ ἀναρτωμένους ἐλπίσιν ἐξ ἐλπίδων καὶ ὑποσχέσεσιν εἰς τοὔσχατον ἐλθεῖν τὰ πράγματʼ ἐᾶσαι. καὶ ἔπεισα ταῦτα τὴν βουλήν.
19. but when the Assembly met, and we had to address the whole body of citizens, Aeschines took the first turn of all of us. And here I most earnestly entreat you to verify my account by your own recollections; for I am now relating transactions which ultimately brought your affairs to complete and final ruin. He utterly ignored the duty of giving a report of the doings of the embassy. He never mentioned the speeches made to the Council, or told you whether he disputed the truth of my statement. But he made such a fine speech, so full of big promises, that he carried you all away with him.
19. ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἧκεν ἡ ἐκκλησία καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔδει λέγειν, παρελθὼν Αἰσχίνης οὑτοσὶ πρῶτος ἡμῶν ἁπάντων (καὶ πρὸς Διὸς καὶ θεῶν πειρᾶσθε συνδιαμνημονεύειν ἂν ἀληθῆ λέγω· τὰ γὰρ πάντα τὰ πράγματα λυμηνάμενʼ ὑμῶν καὶ διαφθείρανθʼ ὅλως ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν ἤδη) τοῦ μὲν ἀπαγγέλλειν τι τῶν πεπρεσβευμένων ἢ περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ βουλῇ ῥηθέντων, εἰ ἄρʼ ἠμφεσβήτει μὴ ἀληθῆ λέγειν ἐμέ, μνησθῆναι πάμπληθες ἀπέσχεν, εἶπε δὲ τοιούτους λόγους καὶ τηλικαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτʼ ἔχοντας ἀγαθά, ὥσθʼ ἅπαντας ὑμᾶς λαβὼν ᾤχετο.
20. For he declared that he had completely converted Philip to the interests of Athens in respect of the Amphictyonic question and of everything else. He went through a long diatribe against the Thebans, which he said he had addressed to Philip himself, recapitulating the main points. He offered you a calculation that, thanks to his diplomacy, without leaving your homes, without any campaigning or worry, within two or three days you would hear the news of the beleaguerment of Thebes, independently of the rest of Boeotia, of the repopulation of Thespiae and Plataea, and of the recovery of Apollo’s treasure, not from the Phocians, but from the Thebans, who had planned the seizure of the temple.
20. ἔφη γὰρ ἥκειν πεπεικὼς Φίλιππον ἅπανθʼ ὅσα συμφέρει τῇ πόλει, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν Ἀμφικτύοσι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, καὶ διεξῆλθε λόγον μακρὸν ὑμῖν, ὃν κατὰ Θηβαίων εἰπεῖν πρὸς Φίλιππον ἔφη, καὶ τὰ κεφάλαιʼ ἀπήγγελλε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἀπελογίζετʼ ἐκ τῶν αὑτῷ πεπρεσβευμένων δυοῖν ἢ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὑμᾶς, μένοντας οἴκοι καὶ οὐ στρατευομένους οὐδʼ ἐνοχλουμένους, Θήβας μὲν πολιορκουμένας αὐτὰς καθʼ αὑτὰς χωρὶς τῆς ἄλλης Βοιωτίας ἀκούσεσθαι, Θεσπιὰς δὲ καὶ Πλαταιὰς οἰκιζομένας, τῷ θεῷ δὲ τὰ χρήματʼ εἰσπραττόμενʼ οὐ παρὰ Φωκέων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ Θηβαίων τῶν βουλευσάντων τὴν κατάληψιν τοῦ ἱεροῦ·
21. It was himself, he added, who had instructed Philip that those who contrived the project were quite as sacrilegious as the men by whose hands it was executed; and therefore the Thebans had set a price on his head!
21. διδάσκειν γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔφη τὸν Φίλιππον ὅτι οὐδὲν ἧττον ἠσεβήκασιν οἱ βεβουλευκότες τῶν ταῖς χερσὶ πραξάντων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο χρήμαθʼ ἑαυτῷ τοὺς Θηβαίους ἐπικεκηρυχέναι.
22. He had even heard some Euboeans, who were thoroughly frightened by the friendship that had been cemented between Philip and Athens, utter these very words: “Gentlemen of the Embassy, we know all about the terms on which you have concluded peace with Philip, and we are aware that you have given up Amphipolis to him, and that he has agreed to hand over Euboea to you.” He had also, he said, settled another matter, but he thought it better not to mention it just yet—some of his colleagues were already so jealous of him. This was a veiled allusion to Oropus.
22. ἀκούειν δὲ καὶ τῶν Εὐβοέων ἐνίων ἔφη πεφοβημένων καὶ τεταραγμένων τὴν πρὸς τὴν πόλιν οἰκειότητα Φιλίππῳ γεγενημένην, ὅτι οὐ λελήθαθʼ ἡμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες πρέσβεις, ἐφʼ οἷς πεποίησθε τὴν εἰρήνην πρὸς Φίλιππον, οὐδʼ ἀγνοοῦμεν ὅτι ὑμεῖς μὲν Ἀμφίπολιν δεδώκατʼ ἐκείνῳ, Φίλιππος δʼ ὑμῖν Εὔβοιαν ὡμολόγηκεν παραδώσειν. εἶναι μέντοι τι καὶ ἄλλο διῳκημένον αὑτῷ, οὐ μήν πω τοῦτο βούλεσθαι λέγειν· καὶ γὰρ νῦν φθονεῖν τινὰς αὑτῷ τῶν συμπρέσβεων. ὑπῃνίττετο δʼ οὕτω καὶ παρεδήλου τὸν Ὠρωπόν.
23. And so, in all the glory of these disclosures, with everybody regarding him as a grand speaker and a marvellous man, he descended from the tribune in his most majestic manner. Then I rose, and said that the whole story was news to me. I attempted to repeat the statement I had made to the Council; but Aeschines and Philocrates posted themselves one on either side of me—shouting, interrupting, and finally jeering. You were all laughing; you would not listen to me, and you did not want to believe anything except what Aeschines had reported.
23. εὐδοκιμῶν δʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις εἰκότως, καὶ δοκῶν καὶ ῥήτωρ ἄριστος εἶναι καὶ ἀνὴρ θαυμαστός, κατέβη μάλα σεμνῶς. ἀναστὰς δʼ ἐγὼ ταῦτά τʼ οὐκ ἔφην εἰδέναι καὶ ἅμʼ ἐπειρώμην τι λέγειν τούτων ὧν εἰς τὴν βουλὴν ἀπήγγειλα. καὶ παραστὰς ὁ μὲν ἔνθεν, ὁ δʼ ἔνθεν, οὑτοσὶ καὶ Φιλοκράτης, ἐβόων, ἐξέκρουόν με, τελευτῶντες ἐχλεύαζον. ὑμεῖς δʼ ἐγελᾶτε, καὶ οὔτʼ ἀκούειν ἠθέλετʼ οὔτε πιστεύειν ἐβούλεσθʼ ἄλλα πλὴν ἃ οὗτος ἀπηγγέλκει.
24. And I must say that your feeling was quite natural. For how could anyone, filled with anticipation of those wonderful benefits, be patient of a speaker who told you that you would never get them, and even denounced the conduct of the benefactors? At the moment, I imagine, everything else was thrown into the shade by the hopes and expectations that were suggested to you; contradiction seemed to be mere annoyance and malice; and these great achievements were thought amazingly fine and most beneficial to the commonwealth.
24. καὶ νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς εἰκός τι παθεῖν ἔμοιγε δοκεῖτε· τίς γὰρ ἂν ἠνέσχετο, τηλικαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτʼ ἔσεσθαι προσδοκῶν ἀγαθά, ἢ ταῦθʼ ὡς οὐκ ἔσται λέγοντός τινος, ἢ κατηγοροῦντος τῶν πεπραγμένων τούτοις; πάντα γὰρ τἄλλʼ, οἶμαι, τότε δεύτερʼ ἦν τῶν ὑποκειμένων προσδοκιῶν καὶ τῶν ἐλπίδων, οἱ δʼ ἀντιλέγοντες ὄχλος ἄλλως καὶ βασκανία κατεφαίνετο, ταῦτα δὲ θαυμάσιʼ ἡλίκα καὶ συμφέροντʼ ἐδόκει πεπρᾶχθαι τῇ πόλει.
25. Why have I begun by reviving these memories and quoting those old speeches? My first and chief object, men of Athens, is that, when you hear me relate some performance that seems to you atrocious and incredible, no one may ask in surprise: “Then why did you not speak out and give us this information instantly?”
25. τοῦ χάριν δὴ ταῦθʼ ὑπέμνησα πρῶτα νῦν ὑμᾶς καὶ διεξῆλθον τούτους τοὺς λόγους; ἑνὸς μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μάλιστα καὶ πρώτου, ἵνα μηδεὶς ὑμῶν, ἐπειδάν τι λέγοντος ἀκούῃ μου τῶν πεπραγμένων, καὶ δοκῇ δεινὸν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπερβάλλον εἶναι, εἶτα τότʼ οὐκ ἔλεγες παραχρῆμα ταῦτʼ οὐδʼ ἐδίδασκες ἡμᾶς;
26. but that, by recalling the assurances by which on every occasion these men stopped others from getting your attention, and that magnificent promise of Aeschines, you may realize that you have to thank him for this crowning injury,—that you were precluded from learning the truth promptly and at the proper time, being cheated by hopes and impostures and vain assurances.
26. θαυμάζῃ, ἀλλὰ μεμνημένοι τὰς ὑποσχέσεις τὰς τούτων, ἃς ἐφʼ ἑκάστων ποιούμενοι τῶν καιρῶν ἐξέκλειον λόγου τυγχάνειν τοὺς ἄλλους, καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τὴν τούτου ταύτην τὴν καλήν, εἰδῆθʼ ὅτι πρὸς ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τοῦτʼ ἠδίκησθʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τἀληθῆ παραχρῆμα καὶ ἡνίκʼ ἔδει πυνθάνεσθαι διεκωλύθητʼ ἐλπίσι καὶ φενακισμοῖς καὶ ὑποσχέσεσιν ἐξαπατώμενοι.
27. That, I say, is my first and main purpose in this narration. What is my second purpose? It is one of no less importance. I want you to remind yourselves of that policy of precaution and distrust of Philip which this man deliberately chose when he was still unbribed, and to compare the confidence and friendship that afterwards sprang up so suddenly; and then, if the fair reports he laid before you have really proved true, and if all the results have been fortunate, to admit the view that that friendship was formed for truth’s sake and in the best interests of the city; but, if the sequel has given the lie to all his predictions, if it has involved the city in much dishonor and in grievous perils, then be assured that his own sordid greed has prompted this change of front, because he has sold the truth for a bribe.
27. πρώτου μὲν τούτου καὶ μάλισθʼ, ὅπερ εἶπον, εἵνεκα ταῦτα διεξῆλθον, δευτέρου δὲ τίνος καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλάττονος ἢ τούτου; ἵνα τὴν ὅτʼ ἀδωροδόκητος ὑπῆρχε προαίρεσιν αὐτοῦ τῆς πολιτείας ἀναμνησθέντες, ὡς προβεβλημένη καὶ ἄπιστος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Φίλιππον, τὴν μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἐξαίφνης γεγονυῖαν πίστιν καὶ φιλίαν σκέψησθε, εἶτʼ εἰ μὲν ἐκβέβηκεν ὅσʼ ἀπήγγειλε πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὗτος καὶ καλῶς ἔχει τὰ πεπραγμένα, διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ τὸ συμφέρον τῇ πόλει γεγενῆσθαι νομίσητε, εἰ δὲ πάντα τἀναντίʼ ὧν οὗτος εἶπε πέπρακται, καὶ πολλὴν αἰσχύνην καὶ μεγάλους κινδύνους ταῦτʼ ἔχει τῇ πόλει, διὰ τὴν αἰσχροκέρδειαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὸ χρημάτων ἀποδόσθαι τἀληθῆ μεταβεβλημένον αὐτὸν εἰδῆτε.
29. Having allowed myself to refer to those old speeches, I wish to relate first of all how these men took the business of the Phocians out of your hands. Gentlemen of the jury, I hope that none of you will regard my charges and accusations as too big for the calibre of the defendant, measuring him against the magnitude of the transactions. Reflect rather that, if any man soever, placed by you in the position he filled, and trusted to deal with the occasions that arose, had taken hire, and had sought to deceive and mislead you as Aeschines did, he would have brought about exactly the same disaster as Aeschines.
29. βούλομαι δʼ, ἐπειδήπερ εἰς τούτους προήχθην τοὺς λόγους, ὃν τρόπον τὰ περὶ τοὺς Φωκέας πράγμαθʼ ὑμῶν παρείλοντο, πρῶτον εἰπεῖν ἁπάντων. δεῖ δὲ μηδένʼ ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἰς τὸ τῶν πραγμάτων μέγεθος βλέψαντα μείζους τὰς κατηγορίας καὶ τὰς αἰτίας τῆς τούτου δόξης νομίσαι, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ὁρᾶν, ὅτι ὅντινʼ ἂν ὑμεῖς εἰς ταύτην τὴν τάξιν κατεστήσατε καὶ τῶν συμβάντων καιρῶν ἐποιήσατε κύριον, οὗτος, εἴπερ ὥσπερ οὗτος ἐβουλήθη μισθώσας αὑτὸν ἐξαπατᾶν ὑμᾶς καὶ φενακίζειν, τῶν ἴσων αἴτιος ἦν ἂν κακῶν ὅσωνπερ καὶ οὗτος.
30. For though you often employ insignificant men for public business, it does not follow that those affairs are insignificant for which the rest of the world acknowledges our competence. Assuredly not. Again, it was Philip, of course, who really destroyed the Phocians; but these men co-operated. The question on which you are to fix your minds is whether they purposely wasted and threw away any chances that came to the embassy of saving the Phocians. I do not suggest that Aeschines destroyed the Phocians all by himself. How could he?
30. οὐ γὰρ εἰ φαύλοις χρῆσθʼ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὰ κοινὰ πολλάκις ἀνθρώποις, καὶ τὰ πράγματʼ ἐστὶ φαῦλα ὧν ἡ πόλις ἀξιοῦται παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις, οὐδὲ πολλοῦ δεῖ. εἶτα καὶ Φωκέας ἀπολώλεκεν μέν, οἶμαι, Φίλιππος, συνηγωνίσαντο δʼ οὗτοι· τοῦτο δὴ δεῖ σκοπεῖν καὶ ὁρᾶν, εἰ ὅσα τῆς Φωκέων σωτηρίας ἐπὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν ἧκε, ταῦθʼ ἅπαντʼ ἀπώλεσαν οὗτοι καὶ διέφθειραν ἑκόντες, οὐχ ὡς ὅδε Φωκέας ἀπώλεσεν καθʼ ἑαυτόν. πόθεν;
31. Give me the resolution which the Council adopted on my report, and the evidence of the member who moved it on that occasion. These documents will satisfy you that I did not hold my peace then, to run away from my actions now,—for I was laying my complaint, and trying to forecast results, at the first opportunity; and also that the Council, not being debarred from hearing the truth from me, did not give these men either a vote of thanks, or an invitation to the public dinner in the Town Hall. We are told that these compliments had never before been withheld from any ambassadors since the foundation of Athens—not even from Timagoras, whom the Assembly condemned to death. These men, however, had to go without them.
31. δὸς δέ μοι τὸ προβούλευμα, ὃ πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀπαγγελίαν ἐψηφίσαθʼ ἡ βουλή, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τὴν τοῦ γράψαντος αὐτὸ τότε, ἵνʼ εἰδῆθʼ ὅτι ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ τότε σιγήσας νῦν ἀφίσταμαι τῶν πεπραγμένων, ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς κατηγόρουν καὶ προεώρων τὰ μέλλοντα, ἡ βουλὴ δέ, ἡ μὴ κωλυθεῖσʼ ἀκοῦσαι τἀληθῆ παρʼ ἐμοῦ, οὔτʼ ἐπῄνεσε τούτους οὔτʼ εἰς τὸ πρυτανεῖον ἠξίωσεν καλέσαι. καίτοι τοῦτʼ, ἀφʼ οὗ γέγονεν ἡ πόλις, οὐδεὶς πώποτέ φησι παθεῖν οὐδένας πρέσβεις, οὐδὲ Τιμαγόραν, οὗ θάνατον κατεχειροτόνησεν ὁ δῆμος.
32. Read first the deposition, and then the resolution, to the jury. (The Deposition and the Resolution are read) Here is no commendation, no invitation from the Council to the ambassadors to dine in the Town Hall. If Aeschines says that such a thing exists, let him produce and exhibit it, and I will sit down. But no; there is none. Now, if all the envoys acted alike, the Council was right in thanking nobody,—for we had all in very truth behaved scandalously indeed. But if some acted rightly and others wrongly, the well-conducted, it would seem, must submit to a discourtesy provoked by those who had played the rogue.
32. ἀλλʼ οὗτοι πεπόνθασιν. λέγε δʼ αὐτοῖς πρῶτον τὴν μαρτυρίαν, εἶτα τὸ προβούλευμα. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑ. ΠΡΟΒΟΥΛΕΥΜΑ. ἐνταῦθʼ οὔτʼ ἔπαινος οὔτε κλῆσις εἰς τὸ πρυτανεῖόν ἐστι τῶν πρέσβεων ὑπὸ τῆς βουλῆς. εἰ δέ φησιν οὗτος, δειξάτω καὶ παρασχέσθω, κἀγὼ καταβαίνω. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστιν. εἰ μὲν τοίνυν ταὐτὰ πάντες ἐπρεσβεύομεν, δικαίως οὐδένʼ ἐπῄνεσεν ἡ βουλή· δεινὰ γὰρ τὰ πεπραγμένα πᾶσιν· εἰ δʼ οἱ μὲν τὰ δίκαιʼ ἔπραττον ἡμῶν, οἱ δὲ τἀναντία, διὰ τοὺς πεπονηρευμένους, ὡς ἔοικε, τοῖς ἐπιεικέσι συμβεβηκὸς ἂν εἴη ταύτης τῆς ἀτιμίας μετεσχηκέναι.
33. How then can you find an easy answer to the question, Who was the rogue? Consult your own recollections, and mark who denounced the transactions at the outset. For it is clear that, if the evil-doer could hold his peace, escape immediate detection, and never afterwards allow himself to be called to account, that was good enough for him; whereas the man with a good conscience bethought himself that it would be very hard if by keeping silence he should become a reputed accomplice in scandalous and wicked actions. Well then, it was I who denounced these men from the outset, and none of them denounced me.
33. πῶς οὖν ῥᾳδίως πάντες εἴσεσθε τίς ποτʼ ἔσθʼ ὁ πονηρός; ἀναμνήσθητε παρʼ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς τίς ἐσθʼ ὁ κατηγορῶν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐξ ἀρχῆς. δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι τῷ μὲν ἠδικηκότι σιγᾶν ἐξήρκει καὶ διακρουσαμένῳ τὸν παρόντα χρόνον μηκέτʼ εἰς λόγον περὶ τῶν πεπραγμένων αὑτὸν καθιστάναι, τῷ δὲ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδότι δεινὸν εἰσῄει, εἰ [δεινῶν καὶ] πονηρῶν ἔργων δόξει κοινωνεῖν τῷ σιωπῆσαι. εἰμὶ τοίνυν ὁ κατηγορῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγὼ τούτων, τούτων δʼ οὐδεὶς ἐμοῦ.
34. Well, the Council adopted this resolution. When the Assembly met, Philip was already at Thermopylae. For that is the beginning of their misdeeds; they had surrendered control to Philip and then,—although the right course for you was, first to hear the facts, next to decide, and finally to carry out your decision,—you heard nothing until he was already on the spot, and it was no easy matter to advise you what to do.
34. ἡ μὲν τοίνυν βουλὴ ταῦτα προὐβεβουλεύκει, τῆς δʼ ἐκκλησίας γιγνομένης καὶ τοῦ Φιλίππου παρόντος ἐν Πύλαις ἤδη—ἦν γὰρ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἁπάντων τῶν ἀδικημάτων, τὸ τὸν Φίλιππον ἐπιστῆσαι τοῖς πράγμασι τούτοις καὶ δέον ὑμᾶς ἀκοῦσαι περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, εἶτα βουλεύσασθαι, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ πράττειν ὅ τι δόξαι, ἅμʼ ἀκούειν κἀκεῖνον παρεῖναι καὶ μηδʼ ὅ τι χρὴ ποιεῖν ῥᾴδιον εἰπεῖν εἶναι.
35. Further, no one read the resolution to the Assembly, and the people never heard it. However, Aeschines rose and delivered that oration which I have already described, about the wonderful advantages he had induced Philip to grant to you, and the price set on his head by the Thebans in consequence; and so, although you were at first alarmed at Philip’s approach, and indignant that the ambassadors had given you no warning, you became as mild as lambs, expecting to get all that you desired, and refused to hear a word from me or anyone else.
35. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τοῦτο μὲν οὐδεὶς ἀνέγνω τῷ δήμῳ τὸ προβούλευμα, οὐδʼ ἤκουσεν ὁ δῆμος, ἀναστὰς δʼ οὗτος ἐδημηγόρει ταῦθʼ ἃ διεξῆλθον ἄρτι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐγώ, τὰ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλʼ ἀγαθά, ἃ πεπεικὼς ἔφη τὸν Φίλιππον ἥκειν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο χρήμαθʼ ἑαυτῷ τοὺς Θηβαίους ἐπικεκηρυχέναι. ὥσθʼ ὑμᾶς, ἐκπεπληγμένους τῇ παρουσίᾳ τὸ πρῶτον τῇ τοῦ Φιλίππου καὶ τούτοις ὀργιζομένους ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ προηγγελκέναι, πραοτέρους γενέσθαι τινός, πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἐβούλεσθʼ ὑμῖν ἔσεσθαι προσδοκήσαντας, καὶ μηδὲ φωνὴν ἐθέλειν ἀκούειν ἐμοῦ μηδʼ ἄλλου μηδενός.
36. Then the letter from Philip was read. It had been composed by Aeschines without our knowledge, and was in fact a downright, explicit written defence of the errors these men had committed. For it alleges that Philip stopped them when they wanted to visit the towns and receive the oaths, and that he detained them in order that they might help him to reconcile the Halians with the Pharsalians; Philip takes on his own shoulders the burden of all their delinquencies:
36. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀνεγιγνώσκεθʼ ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου, ἣν οὗτος ἔγραψʼ ἀπολειφθεὶς ἡμῶν, ἄντικρυς οὕτως καὶ διαρρήδην ἀπολογία γεγραμμένη τῶν τούτοις ἡμαρτημένων. καὶ γὰρ ὡς αὐτὸς κατεκώλυσεν αὐτοὺς βουλομένους ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις ἰέναι καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους ἀπολαμβάνειν, ἔνεστι, καὶ ὡς, ἵνα συνδιαλλάττωσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς Ἁλέας πρὸς τοὺς Φαρσαλίους, κατέσχεν αὐτούς· καὶ πάντʼ ἀναδεχόμενος καὶ εἰς αὑτὸν ποιούμενος τὰ τούτων ἁμαρτήματʼ ἐστίν.
37. but of the Phocians and the Thespians, and of all the promises reported to you by Aeschines,—not a word! The job was not managed in this fashion by mere accident. For derelictions of duty, for which they ought to have been brought to justice, and for their failure to do their work according to your instructions, Philip takes all the blame. He tells you it was his fault,—and of course you were never likely to have any opportunity of punishing him!
37. ὑπὲρ δὲ Φωκέων καὶ Θεσπιῶν ἢ ὧν οὗτος ἀπήγγελλε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ μικρόν. καὶ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου τοῦτον ἐπράχθη τὸν τρόπον, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ μὲν ὧν παρὰ τούτων ὑμᾶς ἔδει δίκην λαμβάνειν οὐ πεποιηκότων οὐδὲ διῳκηκότων οὐδὲν ὧν ὑμεῖς προσετάξατʼ ἐν τῷ ψηφίσματι, ἐκεῖνος ἐκδέχεται τὴν αἰτίαν [καί φησιν αὐτὸς αἴτιος γεγενῆσθαι], ὃν οὐκ ἐμέλλεθʼ ὑμεῖς, οἶμαι, δυνήσεσθαι κολάσαι·
38. On the other hand, all the matters in which he was trying to cheat you and overreach you were left for Aeschines to report by word of mouth, so that you might never have it in your power to incriminate Philip or throw any blame on him, as the assertions were not to be found in the letter or in any other direct communication of his. Read to the jury the letter written by Aeschines and dispatched by Philip. You will observe that it agrees exactly with my description. Read. (The Letter is read) You hear the letter, men of Athens,—such a nice, courteous letter!
38. ἃ δʼ ἐκεῖνος ἐξαπατῆσαι καὶ προλαβεῖν τῆς πόλεως ἐβούλετο, οὗτος ἀπήγγειλεν, ἵνα μηδʼ ἐγκαλέσαι μηδὲ μέμψασθαι μηδὲν ὕστερον ὑμεῖς ἔχοιτε Φιλίππῳ, μήτʼ ἐν ἐπιστολῇ μήτʼ ἄλλοθι μηδαμοῦ τῶν παρʼ ἐκείνου τούτων ἐνόντων. λέγε δʼ αὐτοῖς αὐτὴν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ἣν ἔγραψε μὲν οὗτος, ἔπεμψε δʼ ἐκεῖνος· καὶ σκοπεῖθʼ ὅτι τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, ὃν διεξελήλυθʼ ἐγώ. λέγε. ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ.
39. But about the Phocians, about the Thebans, about everything that Aeschines reported—not a scrape of the pen! There is nothing in it that is honest, as you shall see at once. For he tells you that he detained them that they might help him to reconcile the Halians. Well, the reconciliation of the Halians consisted in their being cast out of their homes, and their country devastated. As for the prisoners, this man, who wanted to know what he could do to oblige you, declares that the idea of getting them liberated never entered his head.
39. ἀκούετʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ὡς καλὴ καὶ φιλάνθρωπος. περὶ δὲ Φωκέων ἢ Θηβαίων ἢ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν οὗτος ἀπήγγειλεν, οὐδὲ γρῦ. ταύτης τοίνυν οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἐσθʼ ὑγιές. καὶ τοῦτʼ αὐτίκα δὴ μάλʼ ὑμεῖς ὄψεσθε. οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ἁλεῖς, οὓς ἵνα συνδιαλλάττωσι κατασχεῖν φησι τούτους, τοιαύτης τετυχήκασι διαλλαγῆς ὥστʼ ἐξελήλανται καὶ ἀνάστατος ἡ πόλις αὐτῶν γέγονε· τοὺς δʼ αἰχμαλώτους ὁ σκοπῶν τί ἂν ὑμῖν χαρίσαιτο οὐδένʼ ἐνθυμηθῆναί φησι λύσασθαι.
40. You know that evidence has already been given before the Assembly,—and that evidence shall now be repeated,—that I had started with a talent in my pocket for their ransom; and therefore, to rob me of a patriotic act, Aeschines persuaded Philip to write these words. Now for the most important point. The man who, in the first letter, which we brought home, wrote these words: “I would write more explicitly of the benefits I intend to confer on you, if I were certain that the alliance will be made,”—this man, now that the alliance has been made, says that he does not know how he can gratify you. Not know the very thing he promised! Why, he must have known it, unless he was hoodwinking us throughout. To prove, however, that he did so write at that time, please take and read the actual passage from the first letter,—beginning here. Read. (The Excerpt is read) You see that, before he got his peace, he covenanted that, if you should make alliance with him as well, he would specify in writing the great benefits that he would confer on Athens.
40. μεμαρτύρηται δὲ δήπουθεν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ πολλάκις, ὡς ἐγὼ τάλαντον ἔχων ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ᾠχόμην, καὶ νῦν δὲ μαρτυρηθήσεται· διὸ καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν φιλοτιμίαν οὗτος ἀφαιρούμενος τοῦτʼ ἔπεισεν ἐκεῖνον ἐγγράψαι. ὃ τοίνυν μέγιστον ἁπάντων· ὁ γὰρ εἰς τὴν προτέραν γράψας ἐπιστολήν, ἣν ἠνέγκαμεν ἡμεῖς, ὅτι ἔγραφον δʼ ἂν καὶ διαρρήδην ἡλίχʼ ὑμᾶς εὖ ποιήσω, εἰ εὖ ᾔδειν καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν μοι γενησομένην, γεγονυίας τῆς συμμαχίας οὔ φησιν εἰδέναι τί ἂν ποιῶν χαρίσαιτο, οὐδʼ ὃ αὐτὸς ὑπέσχετο· τοῦτο γὰρ ᾔδει δηλονότι, εἴπερ μὴ ἐφενάκιζεν. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὅτι ταῦθʼ οὕτω τότʼ ἔγραψε, λέγε μοι λαβὼν ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ἐπιστολῆς αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἐνθένδε.λέγε. ΕΞ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΣ.
41. But now that both peace and alliance are concluded, he says that he does not know what he can do to oblige you, but that, if you will tell him, he will do anything “that is consistent with his own honor and reputation”—taking refuge in this saving clause, and leaving himself a loophole in case you make any proposal or are induced to ask any favor.
41. οὐκοῦν πρὶν μὲν εἰρήνης τυχεῖν, εἰ καὶ συμμαχία προσγένοιτʼ αὐτῷ, γράψειν ὡμολόγει ἡλίκα τὴν πόλιν εὖ ποιήσει· ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἀμφότερʼ αὐτῷ γέγονεν, οὐκ εἰδέναι φησὶ τί ἂν ποιῶν χαρίσαιτο, ἂν δʼ ὑμεῖς λέγητε, ποιήσειν ὃ μήτʼ αἰσχύνην μήτʼ ἀδοξίαν αὐτῷ φέρει, εἰς ταύτας τὰς προφάσεις καταφεύγων, κἂν ἄρʼ εἴπητέ τι καὶ προαχθῆθʼ ὑμεῖς ἐπαγγείλασθαι, ἀναχώρησιν ἑαυτῷ καταλείπων.
42. All this chicanery, and much besides, might have been instantly detected, and you might have been informed and spared the sacrifice of your interests, if you had not been cheated out of the truth by that story of Thespiae and Plataea and the imminent punishment of the Thebans. Yet if Philip’s promises were merely for show, and if the city was to be deluded, it was right to mention them; if, on the other hand, they were really to be fulfilled, it was best to say nothing about them. For if the project was so far matured that the Thebans could gain nothing by hearing of it, why has it not been executed? But if it has been thwarted because they had news of it in time, who let the secret out?
42. ταῦτα τοίνυν καὶ πόλλʼ ἕτερʼ ἐνῆν παραχρῆμα τότʼ εὐθὺς ἐξελέγχειν καὶ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς καὶ μὴ προέσθαι τὰ πράγματʼ ἐᾶν, εἰ μὴ Θεσπιαὶ καὶ Πλαταιαὶ καὶ τὸ Θηβαίους αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα δώσειν δίκην ἀφείλετο τὴν ἀλήθειαν. καίτοι ταῦτα, εἰ μὲν ἀκοῦσαι μὲν ἔδει φενακισθῆναι δὲ τὴν πόλιν, ὀρθῶς ἐλέγετο, εἰ δὲ πραχθῆναι τῷ ὄντι, σιωπᾶσθαι συνέφερεν. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐνταῦθʼ ἦν ἤδη τὰ πράγμαθʼ ὥστε μηδʼ αἰσθομένοις τοῖς Θηβαίοις πλέον εἶναι μηδέν, τί οὐ γέγονεν; εἰ δὲ παρὰ τὸ προαισθέσθαι κεκώλυται, τίς ὁ ἐκλαλήσας; οὐχ οὗτος;
43. Aeschines? Oh no; it was never meant to come off, and he neither wanted it nor expected it; let him be quit of the imputation of blabbing! The truth is that his purpose required that you should be hoodwinked by that talk; that you should refuse to hear the truth from me and should stay at home; and that they should triumphantly carry a decree ensuring the destruction of the Phocians. That is why this tissue of lies was woven; that is why it was made the theme of a popular harangue.
43. ἀλλʼ οὔτʼ ἔμελλεν οὔτʼ ἐβουλήθη ταῦτʼ οὐδʼ ἤλπισεν οὗτος, ὥστε τοῦ γʼ ἐκλελαληκέναι μηδʼ αἰτίαν ἐχέτω· ἀλλὰ φενακισθῆναι τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις ὑμᾶς ἔδει, καὶ ἐμοῦ τἀληθῆ μὴ ʼθελῆσαι ἀκοῦσαι, καὶ αὐτοὺς οἴκοι καταμεῖναι, καὶ ψήφισμα νικῆσαι τοιοῦτο διʼ οὗ Φωκεῖς ἀπολοῦνται. διὰ ταῦτʼ ἐσπαθᾶτο ταῦτα καὶ διὰ ταῦτʼ ἐδημηγορεῖτο.
44. Now when I heard him making all these fine promises, and knew to a certainty that he was lying,—but let me tell you why I knew. First, because, when Philip was on the point of swearing the oath of ratification, the Phocians were expressly excluded from the treaty by these men and that exclusion should have been passed over in silence, if the Phocians were to be delivered; and secondly because none of the ambassadors from Philip, nor Philip’s own letter, but only Aeschines, mentioned the promises.
44. ἀκούων τοίνυν ἐγὼ τηλικαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτʼ ἐπαγγελλομένου τούτου, καὶ ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι ψεύδεται, —καὶ ὅθεν, φράσω πρὸς ὑμᾶς, πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ, ὅτε τοὺς ὅρκους ἔμελλε Φίλιππος ὀμνύναι τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, ἐκσπόνδους ἀποφανθῆναι τοὺς Φωκέας ὑπὸ τούτων, ὃ σιωπᾶν καὶ ἐᾶν εἰκὸς ἦν, εἴπερ ἔμελλον σῴζεσθαι· ἔπειτʼ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου πρέσβεις ταῦτα λέγειν μηδὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν Φιλίππου, ἀλλὰ τοῦτον—ἐκ τούτων οὖν τεκμαιρόμενος, ἀναστὰς καὶ παρελθὼν ἐπειρώμην μὲν ἀντιλέγειν, ὡς δʼ ἀκούειν οὐκ ἠθέλετε, ἡσυχίαν ἔσχον, τοσοῦτο μόνον διαμαρτυράμενος (καὶ πρὸς Διὸς καὶ θεῶν ἀναμιμνῄσκεσθε) ὅτι ταῦτʼ οὔτʼ οἶδʼ οὔτε κοινωνῶ, προσέθηκα δʼ ὡς οὐδὲ προσδοκῶ.
45. So drawing my conclusions, I rose and presented myself, and made an attempt to reply. When you refused me a hearing, I held my peace, except that I protested—and I entreat that you will recall this—that I had no knowledge of the promises, nothing to do with them, and, I added, no faith in them. At the words “no faith in them,” you became exasperated; and I proceeded: “If any of these promises come true, men of Athens, be sure you give thanks and honors and decorations to these gentlemen; but not to me. If, however, things turn out otherwise, see that it is on them that you vent your wrath. I stand aside.”
45. τραχέως δʼ ὑμῶν τῷ μηδὲ προσδοκᾶν σχόντων, καὶ ὅπως γʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἔφην, ἄν τι τούτων γίγνηται, τούτους ἐπαινέσεσθε καὶ τιμήσετε καὶ στεφανώσετε, ἐμὲ δὲ μή· καὶ μέντοι κἄν τι τῶν ἐναντίων, ὅπως τούτοις ὀργιεῖσθε· ἐγὼ δʼ ἀφίσταμαι.
46. “Not now,” said Aeschines, interrupting me, “do not stand aside now; only do not put in your claim then.” “Agreed;” said I, “if I do, I shall be in the wrong.” Then Philocrates rose, and said, in a very supercilious manner: “No wonder Demosthenes and I disagree, men of Athens. He drinks water; I drink wine.” And then you all laughed.
46. μὴ νῦν, ὑπολαβὼν Αἰσχίνης οὑτοσί, μὴ νῦν ἀφίστασο, ἔφη, ἀλλʼ ὅπως τότε μὴ προσποιήσει. νὴ Δίʼ, ἢ ἀδικήσω γʼ, ἔφην. ἐπαναστὰς δʼ ὁ Φιλοκράτης μάλʼ ὑβριστικῶς οὐδὲν, ἔφη, θαυμαστόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ ταὔτʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ Δημοσθένει δοκεῖν· οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ὕδωρ, ἐγὼ δʼ οἶνον πίνω. καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐγελᾶτε.
47. Now look at the decree, which Philocrates afterwards drafted and handed to the clerk. It sounds well enough to the ear; but if you will take into account the occasion on which it was proposed, and the promises which Aeschines was making at the time, it will be clear that they were simply handing over the Phocians to Philip and the Thebans—I might almost say, with shackles on their wrists. Read the decree. (The Decree is read) You observe, men of Athens, how full the decree is of compliments and fine phrases; that it provides that the peace, and also the alliance, made with Philip shall be extended to his posterity; and that thanks are given to Philip for his promise of just dealings.
47. σκέψασθε δὴ τὸ ψήφισμα, ὃ δίδωσι γράψας μετὰ ταῦθʼ ὁ Φιλοκράτης· ἀκοῦσαι μὲν γὰρ οὑτωσὶ παγκάλως ἔχει· ἐπειδὰν δὲ τοὺς καιροὺς συλλογίσηταί τις ἐφʼ ὧν ἐγράφη, καὶ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἃς οὗτος ὑπισχνεῖτο τότε, οὐδὲν ἄλλο φανήσονται πλὴν παραδόντες Φιλίππῳ καὶ Θηβαίοις Φωκέας, μόνον οὐκ ὀπίσω τὼ χεῖρε δήσαντες. λέγε τὸ ψήφισμα. ΨΗΦΙΣΜΑ.
48. But it was not Philip who had made any promises; so far from promising he says that he does not know what to do to oblige you. It was Aeschines who was Philip’s spokesman and gave undertakings. Then Philocrates, taking advantage of your ready acceptance of Aeschines’ words, inserts in the decree a clause providing that, if the Phocians should not do what was right and give up the temple to the Amphictyonic Council, the Athenian people should send a force to coerce the recalcitrants.
48. ὁρᾶτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ ψήφισμα, ὅσων ἐπαίνων καὶ ὅσης εὐφημίας μεστόν ἐστι, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην εἶναι τὴν αὐτὴν ἥνπερ Φιλίππῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐγγόνοις, καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν, καὶ ἐπαινέσαι δὲ Φίλιππον, ὅτι ἐπαγγέλλεται τὰ δίκαια ποιήσειν. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἐκεῖνός γʼ ἐπηγγέλλετο, ἀλλὰ τοσούτου γʼ ἔδει [ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι] ὥστʼ οὐδʼ εἰδέναι φησὶ τί ἂν ποιῶν ὑμῖν χαρίσαιτο. ἀλλʼ οὗτος ἦν ὁ λέγων ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπισχνούμενος. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς παρὰ τούτου λόγους ὡρμηκότας λαβὼν ὑμᾶς ὁ Φιλοκράτης ἐγγράφει τοῦτʼ εἰς τὸ ψήφισμα, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ποιῶσι Φωκεῖς ἃ δεῖ καὶ παραδιδῶσι τοῖς Ἀμφικτύοσιν τὸ ἱερόν, ὅτι βοηθήσει ὁ δῆμος ὁ Ἀθηναίων ἐπὶ τοὺς διακωλύοντας ταῦτα γίγνεσθαι.
50. And so, men of Athens, as you stayed at home instead of taking the field, as the Lacedaemonians had discerned Philip’s treachery and withdrawn, and as no members of the Council were on the spot except the Thessalians and the Thebans, he really has proposed, with the utmost civility, to hand the temple over to them. The wording is, “to the Amphictyons;” but what Amphictyons? There were none there except Thessalians and Thebans. He makes no such proposal as that the Amphictyonic Council should be convened, or that operations should be suspended until it meets, or that Proxenus should march against the Phocians, or that the Athenians should take the field.
50. οὐκοῦν, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μενόντων μὲν ὑμῶν οἴκοι καὶ οὐκ ἐξεληλυθότων, ἀπεληλυθότων δὲ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ προῃσθημένων τὴν ἀπάτην, οὐδενὸς δʼ ἄλλου παρόντος τῶν Ἀμφικτυόνων πλὴν Θετταλῶν καὶ Θηβαίων, εὐφημότατʼ ἀνθρώπων τούτοις παραδοῦναι γέγραφεν τὸ ἱερὸν γράψας τοῖς Ἀμφικτύοσιν παραδοῦναι (ποίοις; οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν αὐτόθι πλὴν Θηβαῖοι καὶ Θετταλοί), ἀλλʼ οὐ συγκαλέσαι δὲ τοὺς Ἀμφικτύονας, οὐδʼ ἐπισχεῖν ἕως ἂν συλλεγῶσιν, οὐδὲ βοηθεῖν Πρόξενον εἰς Φωκέας, οὐδʼ ἐξιέναι Ἀθηναίους, οὐδὲ τοιοῦτʼ οὐδέν.