43. When he had engaged himself in the care of such matters he made not a single mistake in dealing with the unexpected incidents which daily befell, but he governed the city so reverently and humanely that visitors to the island did not so much envy Evagoras his office as they did the citizens their government under him: for throughout his whole life he never acted unjustly toward anyone but ever honored the good: and while he ruled all his subjects with strictness, yet he punished wrongdoers in accordance with the laws;
43. ἐν τοιαύταις δʼ ἐπιμελείαις αὑτὸν καταστήσας οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἑκάστην προσπιπτόντων οὐδὲ περὶ ἓν πεπλανημένως εἶχεν, ἀλλʼ οὕτω θεοφιλῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως διῴκει τὴν πόλιν ὥστε τοὺς εἰσαφικνουμένους μὴ μᾶλλον Εὐαγόραν τῆς ἀρχῆς ζηλοῦν ἢ τοὺς ἄλλους τῆς ὑπʼ ἐκείνου βασιλείας· ἅπαντα γὰρ τὸν χρόνον διετέλεσεν οὐδένα μὲν ἀδικῶν, τοὺς δὲ χρηστοὺς τιμῶν, καὶ σφόδρα μὲν ἁπάντων ἄρχων, νομίμως δὲ τοὺς ἐξαμαρτόντας κολάζων·
44. and while he was in no need of advisers, yet he sought the counsel of his friends. He yielded often to his intimates, but in everything dominated his enemies: he inspired respect, not by the frownings of his brow, but by the principles of his life—in no thing was he disposed to carelessness or caprice, but observed his agreements in deed as well as word;
44. οὐδὲν μὲν συμβούλων δεόμενος, ὅμως δὲ τοῖς φίλοις συμβουλευόμενος· πολλὰ μὲν τῶν χρωμένων ἡττώμενος, ἅπαντα δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν περιγιγνόμενος· σεμνὸς ὢν οὐ ταῖς τοῦ προσώπου συναγωγαῖς ἀλλὰ ταῖς τοῦ βίου κατασκευαῖς· οὐδὲ πρὸς ἓν ἀτάκτως οὐδʼ ἀνωμάλως διακείμενος, ἀλλʼ ὁμοίως τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ὁμολογίας ὥσπερ τὰς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις διαφυλάττων·
45. he was proud, not of successes that were due to Fortune, but of those that came about through his own efforts: his friends he made subject to himself by his benefactions the rest by his magnanimity he enslaved: he inspired fear, not by venting his wrath upon many, but because in character he far surpassed all others: of his pleasures he was the master and not their servant: by little labor he gained much leisure, but would not, to gain a little respite, leave great labors undone;
45. μέγα φρονῶν οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς διὰ τύχην ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς διʼ αὑτὸν γιγνομένοις· τοὺς μὲν φίλους ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις ὑφʼ αὑτῷ ποιούμενος, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους τῇ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ καταδουλούμενος· φοβερὸς ὢν οὐ τῷ πολλοῖς χαλεπαίνειν, ἀλλὰ τῷ πολὺ τὴν τῶν ἄλλων φύσιν ὑπερβάλλειν· ἡγούμενος τῶν ἡδονῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀγόμενος ὑπʼ αὐτῶν· ὀλίγοις πόνοις πολλὰς ῥᾳστώνας κτώμενος, ἀλλʼ οὐ διὰ μικρὰς ῥᾳθυμίας μεγάλους πόνους ὑπολειπόμενος·
46. in general, he fell in no respect short of the qualities which belong to kings, but choosing from each kind of government the best characteristic, he was democratic in his service to the people, statesmanlike in the administration of the city as a whole, an able general in his good counsel in the face of dangers, and princely in his superiority in all these qualities. That these attributes were inherent in Evagoras, and even more than these, it is easy to learn from his deeds themselves.
46. ὅλως οὐδὲν παραλείπων ὧν προσεῖναι δεῖ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἑκάστης τῆς πολιτείας ἐξειλεγμένος τὸ βέλτιστον, καὶ δημοτικὸς μὲν ὢν τῇ τοῦ πλήθους θεραπείᾳ, πολιτικὸς δὲ τῇ τῆς πόλεως ὅλης διοικήσει, στρατηγικὸς δὲ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους εὐβουλίᾳ, τυραννικὸς δὲ τῷ πᾶσι τούτοις διαφέρειν. καὶ ταῦθʼ ὅτι προσῆν Εὐαγόρᾳ, καὶ πλείω τούτων, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν.
47. After he had taken over the government of the city, which had been reduced to a state of barbarism and, because it was ruled by Phoenicians, was neither hospitable to the Greeks nor acquainted with the arts, nor possessed of a trading-port or harbor, Evagoras remedied all these defects and, besides, acquired much additional territory, surrounded it all with new walls and built triremes, and with other construction so increased the city that it was inferior to none of the cities of Greece. And he caused it to become so powerful that many who formerly despised it, now feared it.
47. παραλαβὼν γὰρ τὴν πόλιν ἐκβεβαρβαρωμένην καὶ διὰ τὴν Φοινίκων ἀρχὴν οὔτε τοὺς Ἕλληνας προσδεχομένην οὔτε τέχνας ἐπισταμένην οὔτʼ ἐμπορίῳ χρωμένην οὔτε λιμένα κεκτημένην ταῦτά τε πάντα διώρθωσε καὶ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ χώραν πολλὴν προσεκτήσατο καὶ τείχη προσπεριεβάλετο καὶ τριήρεις ἐναυπηγήσατο καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις κατασκευαῖς οὕτως ηὔξησε τὴν πόλιν ὥστε μηδεμιᾶς τῶν Ἑλληνίδων ἀπολελεῖφθαι, καὶ δύναμιν τοσαύτην ἐνεποίησεν ὥστε πολλοὺς φοβεῖσθαι τῶν πρότερον καταφρονούντων αὐτῆς.
48. And yet it is not possible that cities should take on such increase unless there are those who govern them by such principles as Evagoras had and as I endeavored to describe a little before. In consequence I am not afraid of appearing to exaggerate in speaking of the qualities of the man, but rather lest I greatly fall short of doing justice to his deeds.
48. καίτοι τηλικαύτας ἐπιδόσεις τὰς πόλεις λαμβάνειν οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἐστίν, ἢν μὴ τις αὐτὰς διοικῇ τοιούτοις ἤθεσιν οἵοις Εὐαγόρας μὲν εἶχεν ἐγὼ δʼ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐπειράθην διελθεῖν. ὥστʼ οὐ δέδοικα μὴ φανῶ μείζω λέγων τῶν ἐκείνῳ προσόντων, ἀλλὰ μὴ πολὺ λίαν ἀπολειφθῶ τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ.
49. For who could do justice to a man of such natural gifts, a man who not only increased the importance of his own city, but advanced the whole region surrounding the island to a regime of mildness and moderation? Before Evagoras gained the throne the inhabitants were so hostile to strangers and fierce that they considered the best rulers to be those who treated the Greeks in the most cruel fashion.
49. τίς γὰρ ἂν ἐφίκοιτο τοιαύτης φύσεως, ὃς οὐ μόνον τὴν αὑτοῦ πόλιν πλείονος ἀξίαν ἐποίησεν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τόπον ὅλον τὸν περιέχοντα τὴν νῆσον ἐπὶ πραότητα καὶ μετριότητα προήγαγεν; πρὶν μέν γε λαβεῖν Εὐαγόραν τὴν ἀρχὴν οὕτως ἀπροσοίστως καὶ χαλεπῶς εἶχον, ὥστε καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τούτους ἐνόμιζον εἶναι βελτίστους οἵτινες ὠμότατα πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας διακείμενοι τυγχάνοιεν·
50. At present, however, they have undergone so great a change that they strive with one another to see who shall be regarded as most friendly to the Greeks, and the majority of them take their wives from us and from them beget children, and they have greater pleasure in owning Greek possessions and observing Greek institutions than in their own, and more of those who occupy themselves with the liberal arts and with education in general now dwell in these regions than in the communities in which they formerly used to live. And for all these changes, no one could deny that Evagoras is responsible.
50. νῦν δὲ τοσοῦτον μεταπεπτώκασιν ὥσθʼ ἁμιλλᾶσθαι μὲν οἵτινες αὐτῶν δόξουσι φιλέλληνες εἶναι μάλιστα, παιδοποιεῖσθαι δὲ τοὺς πλείστους αὐτῶν γυναῖκας λαμβάνοντας παρʼ ἡμῶν, χαίρειν δὲ καὶ τοῖς κτήμασι καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς παρὰ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, πλείους δὲ καὶ τῶν περὶ τὴν μουσικὴν καὶ τῶν περὶ τὴν ἄλλην παίδευσιν ἐν τούτοις τοῖς τόποις διατρίβειν ἢ παρʼ οἷς πρότερον εἰωθότες ἦσαν. καὶ τούτων ἁπάντων οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἂν Εὐαγόραν αἴτιον εἶναι προσομολογήσειεν.
51. The most convincing proof of the character and uprightness of Evagoras is this—that many of the most reputable Greeks left their own fatherlands and came to Cyrus to dwell, because they considered Evagoras’s rule less burdensome and more equitable than that of their own governments at home. To mention all the others by name would be too great a task:
51. μέγιστον δὲ τεκμήριον καὶ τοῦ τρόπου καὶ τῆς ὁσιότητος τῆς ἐκείνου· τῶν γὰρ Ἑλλήνων πολλοὶ καὶ καλοὶ κἀγαθοὶ τὰς αὑτῶν πατρίδας ἀπολιπόντες ἦλθον εἰς Κύπρον οἰκήσοντες, ἡγούμενοι κουφοτέραν καὶ νομιμωτέραν εἶναι τὴν Εὐαγόρου βασιλείαν τῶν οἴκοι πολιτειῶν· ὧν τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ὀνομαστὶ διελθεῖν πολὺ ἂν ἔργον εἴη·
52. but who does not know about Conon, first among the Greeks for his very many glorious deeds, that when his own city had met with ill-fortune, hechose out of all the world Evagoras and came to him, believing that for himself Evagoras would provide the most secure asylum and for his country the most speedy assistance. And indeed Conon, although he had been successful in many previous ventures, in no one of them, it is believed, had he planned more wisely than in this;
52. Κόνωνα δὲ τὸν διὰ πλείστας ἀρετὰς πρωτεύσαντα τῶν Ἑλλήνων τίς οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι δυστυχησάσης τῆς πόλεως ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐκλεξάμενος ὡς Εὐαγόραν ἦλθε, νομίσας καὶ τῷ σώματι βεβαιοτάτην εἶναι τὴν παρʼ ἐκείνῳ καταφυγὴν καὶ τῇ πόλει τάχιστʼ ἂν αὐτὸν γενέσθαι βοηθόν. καὶ πολλὰ πρότερον ἤδη κατωρθωκὼς οὐδὲ περὶ ἑνὸς πώποτε πράγματος ἔδοξεν ἄμεινον ἢ περὶ τούτου βουλεύσασθαι·
53. for the result of his visit to Cyprus was that he both conferred and received most benefits. In the first place, no sooner had Evagoras and Conon met one another than they esteemed each other more highly than those who before had been their intimate friends. Again, they not only were in complete harmony all their lives regarding all other matters, but also in matters relating to our own city they held to the same opinion.
53. συνέβη γὰρ αὐτῷ διὰ τὴν ἄφιξιν τὴν εἰς Κύπρον καὶ ποιῆσαι καὶ παθεῖν πλεῖστʼ ἀγαθά. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔφθασαν ἀλλήλοις πλησιάσαντες καὶ περὶ πλείονος ἐποιήσαντο σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἢ τοὺς πρότερον οἰκείους ὄντας. ἔπειτα περί τε τῶν ἄλλων ὁμονοοῦντες ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον διετέλεσαν καὶ περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην εἶχον.
54. For when they beheld Athens under the domination of the Lacedaemonians and the victim of a great reversal of fortune, they were filled with grief and indignation, both acting fittingly: for Conon was a native son of Athens, and Evagoras, because of his many generous benefactions, had legally been given citizenship by the Athenians. And while they were deliberating how they might free Athens from her misfortunes, the Lacedaemonians themselves soon furnished the opportunity: for, as rulers of the Greeks on land and sea, they became so insatiate that they attempted to ravage Asia also.
54. ὁρῶντες γὰρ αὐτὴν ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίοις οὖσαν καὶ μεγάλῃ μεταβολῇ κεχρημένην λυπηρῶς καὶ βαρέως ἔφερον, ἀμφότεροι προσήκοντα ποιοῦντες· τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἦν φύσει πατρίς, τὸν δὲ διὰ πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας εὐεργεσίας νόμῳ πολίτην ἐπεποίηντο. σκοπουμένοις δʼ αὐτοῖς ὅπως τῶν συμφορῶν αὐτὴν ἀπαλλάξουσι, ταχὺν τὸν καιρὸν Λακεδαιμόνιο παρεσκεύασαν· ἄρχοντες γὰρ τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν εἰς τοῦτʼ ἀπληστίας ἦλθον, ὥστε καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν κακῶς ποιεῖν ἐπεχείρησαν.
55. Conon and Evagoras seized this opportunity, and, as the generals of the Persian king were at a loss to know how to handle the situation, these two advised them to wage war against the Lacedaemonians, not upon land but upon the sea, their opinion being that if the Persians should organize an army on land and with this should gain a victory, the mainland alone would profit, whereas, if they should be victors on the sea, all Hellas would have a share in the victory.
55. λαβόντες δʼ ἐκεῖνοι τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν τῶν βασιλέως ἀπορούντων ὅ τι χρήσωνται τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἐδίδασκον αὐτοὺς μὴ κατὰ γῆν ἀλλὰ κατὰ θάλατταν ποιεῖσθαι τὸν πόλεμον τὸν πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους, νομίζοντες, εἰ μὲν πεζὸν στρατόπεδον καταστήσαιντο καὶ τούτῳ περιγένοιντο, τὰ περὶ τὴν ἤπειρον μόνον καλῶς ἕξειν, εἰ δὲ κατὰ θάλατταν κρατήσειαν, ἅπασαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα τῆς νίκης ταύτης μεθέξειν.
56. And that in fact is what happened: the generals followed this advice, a fleet was assembled, the Lacedaemonians were defeated in a naval battle and lost their supremacy, while the Greeks regained their freedom and our city recovered in some measure its old-time glory and became leader of the allies. And although all this was accomplished with Conon as commander, yet Evagoras both made the outcome possible and furnished the greater part of the armament.
56. ὅπερ συνέβη· πεισθέντων γὰρ ταῦτα τῶν στρατηγῶν καὶ ναυτικοῦ συλλεγέντος Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν κατεναυμαχήθησαν καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπεστερήθησαν, οἱ δʼ Ἕλληνες ἠλευθερώθησαν, ἡ δὲ πόλις ἡμῶν τῆς τε παλαιᾶς δόξης μέρος τι πάλιν ἀνέλαβε καὶ τῶ συμμάχων ἡγεμὼν κατέστη. καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐπράχθη Κόνωνος μὲν στρατηγοῦντος, Εὐαγόρου δὲ τοῦτό τε παρασχόντος καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τὴν πλείστην παρασκευάσαντος.
57. In gratitude we honored them with the highest honors and set up their statues where stands the image of Zeus the Savior, near to it and to one another, a memorial both of the magnitude of their benefactions and of their mutual friendship. The king of Persia, however, did not have the same opinion of them: on the contrary, the greater and more illustrious their deeds the more he feared them. Concerning Conon I will give an account elsewhere; but that toward Evagoras he entertained this feeling not even the king himself sought to conceal.
57. ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμεῖς μὲν αὐτοὺς ἐτιμήσαμεν ταῖς μεγίσταις τιμαῖς καὶ τὰς εἰκόνας αὐτῶν ἐστήσαμεν οὗπερ τὸ τοῦ Διὸς ἄγαλμα τοῦ σωτῆρος, πλησίον ἐκείνου τε καὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν, ἀμφοτέρων ὑπόμνημα καὶ τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς εὐεργεσίας καὶ τῆς φιλίας τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους. βασιλεὺς δʼ οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔσχε περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ ὅσῳ μείζω καὶ πλείονος ἄξια κατειργάσαντο, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἔδεισεν αὐτούς. περὶ μὲν οὖν Κόνωνος ἄλλος ἡμῖν ἔσται λόγος· ὅτι δὲ πρὸς Εὐαγόραν οὕτως ἔσχεν, οὐδʼ αὐτὸς λαθεῖν ἐζήτησεν.
58. For he was manifestly more concerned about the war in Cyprus than about any other, and regarded Evagoras as a more powerful and formidable antagonist than Cyrus, who had disputed the throne with him. The most convincing proof of this statement is this: when the king heard of the preparations Cyrus was making he viewed him with such contempt that because of his indifference Cyrus almost stood at the doors of his palace before he was aware of him. With regard to Evagoras, however, the king had stood in terror of him for so long a time that even while he was receiving benefits from him he had undertaken to make war upon him—a wrongful act, indeed, but his purpose was not altogether unreasonable.
58. φαίνεται γὰρ μᾶλλον μὲν σπουδάσας περὶ τὸν ἐν Κύπρῳ πόλεμον ἢ περὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας, μείζω δὲ καὶ χαλεπώτερον ἐκεῖνον ἀνταγωνιστὴν νομίσας ἢ Κῦρον τὸν περὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἀμφισβητήσαντα. μέγιστον δὲ τεκμήριον· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἀκούων τὰς παρασκευὰς τοσοῦτον κατεφρόνησεν ὥστε διὰ τὸ μὴ φροντίζειν μικροῦ δεῖν ἔλαθεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ βασίλειον ἐπιστάς· πρὸς δὲ τοῦτον οὕτως ἐκ πολλοῦ περιδεῶς ἔσχεν, ὥστε μεταξὺ πάσχων εὖ πολεμεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπεχείρησε, δίκαια μὲν οὐ ποιῶν, οὐ μὴν παντάπασιν ἀλόγως βουλευσάμενος.
59. For the king well knew that many men, both Greeks and barbarians, starting from low and insignificant beginnings, had overthrown great dynasties, and he was aware too of the lofty ambition of Evagoras and that the growth of both his prestige and of his political activities was not taking place by slow degrees: also that Evagoras had unsurpassed natural ability and that Fortune was fighting with him as an ally.
59. ἠπίστατο μὲν γὰρ πολλοὺς καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐκ ταπεινῶν καὶ φαύλων πραγμάτων μεγάλας δυναστείας κατεργασαμένους, ᾐσθάνετο δὲ τὴν Εὐαγόρου μεγαλοψυχίαν καὶ τὰς ἐπιδόσεις αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς δόξης καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων οὐ κατὰ μικρὸν γιγνομένας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἀνυπέρβλητον ἔχοντα καὶ τὴν τύχην αὐτῷ συναγωνιζομένην·
60. Therefore it was not in anger for the events of the past, but with forebodings for the future, nor yet fearing for Cyprus alone, but for reasons far weightier, that he undertook the war against Evagoras. In any case he threw himself into it with such ardor that he expended on this expedition more than fifteen thousand talents.
60. ὥστʼ οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν γεγενημένων ὀργιζόμενος ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων φοβούμενος, οὐδὲ περὶ Κύπρου μόνον δεδιώς, ἀλλὰ πολὺ περὶ μειζόνων ἐποιήσατο τὸν πόλεμον πρὸς αὐτόν. οὕτω δʼ οὖν ὥρμησεν ὥστʼ εἰς τὴν στρατείαν ταύτην πλέον ἢ τάλαντα πεντακισχίλια καὶ μύρια κατηνάλωσεν.
61. But nevertheless, although Evagoras was inferior in all the resources of war, after he had marshalled in opposition to these extraordinarily immense preparations of the king his own determination, he proved himself in these circumstances to be far more worthy of admiration than in all those I have mentioned before. For when his enemies permitted him to be at peace, all he possessed was his own city;
61. ἀλλʼ ὅμως Εὐαγόρας πάσαις ἀπολελειμμένος ταῖς δυνάμεσιν, ἀντιτάξας τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην πρὸς τὰς οὕτως ὑπερμεγέθεις παρασκευάς, ἐπέδειξεν αὑτὸν ἐν τούτοις πολὺ θαυμαστότερον ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς προειρημένοις. ὅτε μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν εἴων εἰρήνην ἄγειν, τὴν αὑτοῦ πόλιν μόνην εἶχεν·
62. but when he was forced to go to war, he proved so valiant, and had so valiant an ally in his son Pnytagoras, that he almost subdued the whole of Cyprus, ravaged Phoenicia, took Tyre by storm, caused Cilicia to revolt from the king, and slew so many of his enemies that many of the Persians, when they mourn over their sorrows, recall the valor of Evagoras.
62. ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἠναγκάσθη πολεμεῖν, τοιοῦτος ἦν καὶ τοιοῦτον εἶχε Πνυταγόραν τὸν υἱὸν τὸν αὑτοῦ συναγωνιστὴν ὥστε μικροῦ μὲν ἐδέησε Κύπρον ἅπασαν κατασχεῖν, Φοινίκην δʼ ἐπόρθησε, Τύρον δὲ κατὰ κράτος εἷλε, Κιλικίαν δὲ βασιλέως ἀπέστησε, τοσούτους δὲ τῶν πολεμίων ἀπώλεσεν ὥστε πολλοὺς Περσῶν πενθοῦντας τὰς αὑτῶν συμφορὰς μεμνῆσθαι τῆς ἀρετῆς τῆς ἐκείνου·
63. And finally he so glutted them with war that the Persian kings, who at other times were not accustomed to make peace with their rebellious subjects until they had become masters of their persons, gladly made peace, abandoning this custom and leaving entirely undisturbed the authority of Evagoras.
63. τελευτῶν δʼ οὕτως ἐνέπλησεν αὐτοὺς τοῦ πολεμεῖν, ὥστʼ εἰθισμένων τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον τῶν βασιλέων μὴ διαλλάττεσθαι τοῖς ἀποστᾶσι πρὶν κύριοι γένοιντο τῶν σωμάτων, ἄσμενοι τὴν εἰρήνην ἐποιήσαντο, λύσαντες μὲν τὸν νόμον τοῦτον, οὐδὲν δὲ κινήσαντες τῆς Εὐαγόρου τυραννίδος.
64. And although the king within three years destroyed the dominion of the Lacedaemonians, who were then at the height of their glory and power, yet after he had waged war against Evagoras for ten years, he left him lord of all that he had possessed before he entered upon the war. But the most amazing thing of all is this: the city which, held by another prince, Evagoras had captured with fifty men, the Great King, with all his vast power, was unable to subdue at all.
64. καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων μὲν τῶν καὶ δόξαν καὶ δύναμιν μεγίστην ἐχόντων κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον ἐντὸς τριῶν ἐτῶν ἀφείλετο τὴν ἀρχήν, Εὐαγόρα δὲ πολεμήσας ἔτη δέκα τῶν αὐτῶν κύριον αὐτὸν κατέλιπεν, ὧνπερ ἦν καὶ πρὶν εἰς τὸν πόλεμον εἰσελθεῖν. ὃ δὲ πάντων δεινότατον· τὴν γὰρ πόλιν, ἣν Εὐαγόρας ἑτέρου τυραννοῦντος μετὰ πεντήκοντʼ ἀνδρῶν εἷλε, ταύτην βασιλεὺς ὁ μέγας τοσαύτην δύναμιν ἔχων οὐχ οἷός τʼ ἐγένετο χειρώσασθαι.
65. In truth, how could one reveal the courage, the wisdom, or the virtues generally of Evagoras more clearly than by pointing to such deeds and perilous enterprises? For he will be shown to have surpassed in his exploits, not only those of other wars, but even those of the war of the heroes which is celebrated in the songs of all men. For they, in company with all Hellas, captured Troy only, but Evagoras, although he possessed but one city, waged war against all Asia. Consequently, if the number of those who wished to praise him had equalled those who lauded the heroes at Troy, he would have gained far greater renown than they.
65. καίτοι πῶς ἄν τις τὴν ἀνδρίαν ἢ τὴν φρόνησιν ἢ σύμπασαν τὴν ἀρετὴν τὴν Εὐαγόρου φανερώτερον ἐπιδείξειεν ἢ διὰ τοιούτων ἔργων καὶ κινδύνων; οὐ γὰρ μόνον φανεῖται τοὺς ἄλλους πολέμους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τῶν ἡρώων ὑπερβαλόμενος, τὸν ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ὑμνούμενον. οἱ μὲν γὰρ μεθʼ ἁπάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος Τροίαν μόνην εἷλον, ὁ δὲ μίαν πόλιν ἔχων πρὸς ἅπασαν τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐπολέμησεν· ὥστʼ εἰ τοσοῦτοι τὸ πλῆθος ἐγκωμιάζειν αὐτὸν ἠβουλήθησαν ὅσοι περ ἐκείνους, πολὺ ἂν μείζω καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν ἔλαβεν.
66. For whom shall we find of the men of that age—if we disregard the fabulous tales and look at the truth—who has accomplished such feats or has brought about changes so great in political affairs? Evagoras, from private estate, made himself a sovereign: his entire family, which had been driven from political power, he restored again to their appropriate honors: the citizens of barbarian birth he transformed into Hellenes, cravens into warriors, and obscure individuals into men of note: and having taken over a country wholly inhospitable and utterly reduced to savagery, he made it more civilized and gentler: furthermore, when he became hostile to the king, he defended himself so gloriously that the Cyprian War has become memorable for ever: and when he was the ally of the king, he made himself so much more serviceable than the others that,
66. τίνα γὰρ εὑρήσομεν τῶν τότε γενομένων, εἰ τοὺς μύθους ἀφέντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν σκοποῖμεν, τοιαῦτα διαπεπραγμένον, ἢ τίνα τοσούτων μεταβολῶν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν αἴτιον γεγενημένον; ὃς αὑτὸν μὲν ἐξ ἰδιώτου τύραννον κατέστησε, τὸ δὲ γένος ἅπαν ἀπεληλαμένον τῆς πολιτείας εἰς τὰς προσηκούσας τιμὰς πάλιν ἐπανήγαγε, τοὺς δὲ πολίτας ἐκ βαρβάρων μὲν Ἕλληνας ἐποίησεν, ἐξ ἀνάνδρων δὲ πολεμικούς, ἐξ ἀδόξων δʼ ὀνομαστούς, τὸν δὲ τόπον ἄμικτον ὅλον παραλαβὼν καὶ παντάπασιν ἐξηγριωμένον ἡμερώτερον καὶ πραότερον κατέστησεν, ἔτι δὲ πρὸς τούτοις εἰς ἔχθραν μὲν βασιλεῖ καταστὰς οὕτως αὐτὸν ἠμύνατο καλῶς ὥστʼ ἀείμνηστον γεγενῆσθαι τὸν πόλεμον τὸν περὶ Κύπρον, ὅτε δʼ ἦν αὐτῷ σύμμαχος, τοσούτῳ χρησιμώτερον αὑτὸν παρέσχε τῶν ἄλλων
68. in the opinion of all, the forces he contributed to the naval battle at Cnidus were the largest, and as the result of this battle, while the king became master of all Asia, the Lacedaemonians instead of ravaging the continent were compelled to fight for their own land, and the Greeks, in place of servitude, gained independence, and the Athenians increased in power so greatly that those who formerly were their rulers came to offer them the hegemony.
68. ὥσθʼ ὁμολογουμένως μεγίστην αὐτῷ συμβαλέσθαι δύναμιν εἰς τὴν ναυμαχίαν τὴν περὶ Κνίδον, ἧς γενομένης βασιλεὺς μὲν ἁπάσης τῆς Ἀσίας κύριος κατέστη, Λακεδαιμόνιοι δʼ ἀντὶ τοῦ τὴν ἤπειρον πορθεῖν περὶ τῆς αὑτῶν κινδυνεύειν ἠναγκάσθησαν, οἱ δʼ Ἕλληνες ἀντὶ δουλείας αὐτονομίας ἔτυχον, Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ τοσοῦτον ἐπέδοσαν ὥστε τοὺς πρότερον αὐτῶν ἄρχοντας ἐλθεῖν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἀρχὴν δώσοντας.
69. Consequently, if anyone should ask me what I regard as the greatest of the achievements of Evagoras, whether the careful military preparations directed against the Lacedaemonians which resulted in the aforesaid successes, or the last war, or the recovery of his throne, or his general administration of affairs, I should be at a great loss what to say in reply: for each achievement to which I happen to direct my attention seems to me the greatest and most admirable.
69. ὥστʼ εἴ τις ἔροιτό με, τί νομίζω μέγιστον εἶναι τῶν Εὐαγόρᾳ πεπραγμένων, πότερον τὰς ἐπιμελείας καὶ τὰς παρασκευὰς τὰς πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐξ ὧν τὰ προειρημένα γέγονεν, ἢ τὸν τελευταῖον πόλεμον, ἢ τὴν κατάληψιν τῆς βασιλείας, ἢ τὴν ὅλην τῶν πραγμάτων διοίκησιν, εἰς πολλὴν ἀπορίαν ἂν κατασταίην· ἀεὶ γάρ μοι δοκεῖ μέγιστον εἶναι καὶ θαυμαστότατον καθʼ ὅ τι ἂν αὐτῶν ἐπιστήσω τὴν διάνοιαν.
70. Therefore, I believe that, if any men of the past have by their merit become immortal, Evagoras also has earned this preferment: and my evidence for that belief is this—that the life he lived on earth has been more blessed by fortune and more favored by the gods than theirs. For of the demigods the greater number and the most renowned were, we shall find, afflicted by the most grievous misfortunes, but Evagoras continued from the beginning to be not only the most admired, but also the most envied for his blessings.
70. ὥστʼ εἴ τινες τῶν προγεγενημένων διʼ ἀρετὴν ἀθάνατοι γεγόνασιν, οἶμαι κἀκεῖνον ἠξιῶσθαι ταύτης τῆς δωρεᾶς, σημείοις χρώμενος ὅτι καὶ τὸν ἐνθάδε χρόνον εὐτυχέστερον καὶ θεοφιλέστερον ἐκείνων διαβεβίωκεν. τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἡμιθέων τοὺς πλείστους καὶ τοὺς ὀνομαστοτάτους εὑρήσομεν ταῖς μεγίσταις συμφοραῖς περιπεσόντας, Εὐαγόρας δʼ οὐ μόνον θαυμαστότατος ἀλλὰ καὶ μακαριστότατος ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὢν διετέλεσεν.
71. For in what respect did he lack utter felicity? Such ancestors Fortune gave to him as to no other man, unless it has been one sprung from the same stock, and so greatly in body and mind did he excel others that he was worthy to hold sway over not only Salamis but the whole of Asia also: and having acquired most gloriously his kingdom he continued in its possession all his life: and though a mortal by birth, he left behind a memory of himself that is immortal, and he lived just so long that he was neither unacquainted with old age, nor afflicted with the infirmities attendant upon that time of life.
71. τί γὰρ ἀπέλιπεν εὐδαιμονίας, ὃς τοιούτων μὲν προγόνων ἔτυχεν οἵων οὐδεὶς ἄλλος, πλὴν εἴ τις ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνῳ γέγονεν, τοσοῦτον δὲ καὶ τῷ σώματι καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ τῶν ἄλλων διήνεγκεν ὥστε μὴ μόνον Σαλαμῖνος ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς Ἀσίας ἁπάσης ἄξιος εἶναι τυραννεῖν, κάλλιστα δὲ κτησάμενος τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν ταύτῃ τὸν βίον διετέλεσε, θνητὸς δὲ γενόμενος ἀθάνατον τὴν περὶ αὑτοῦ μνήμην κατέλιπε, τοσοῦτον δʼ ἐβίω χρόνον ὥστε μήτε τοῦ γήρως ἄμοιρος γενέσθαι μήτε τῶν νόσων μετασχεῖν τῶν διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἡλικίαν γιγνομένων.
72. In addition to these blessings, that which seems to he the rarest and most difficult thing to win—to be blessed with many children who are at the same time good—not even this was denied him, but this also fell to his lot. And the greatest blessing was this: of his offspring he left not one who was addressed merely by a private title: on the contrary, one was called king, others princes, and others princesses. In view of these facts, if any of the poets have used extravagant expressions in characterizing any man of the past, asserting that he was a god among men, or a mortal divinity, all praise of that kind would be especially in harmony with the noble qualities of Evagoras.
72. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ὃ δοκεῖ σπανιώτατον εἶναι καὶ χαλεπώτατον, εὐπαιδίας τυχεῖν ἅμα καὶ πολυπαιδίας, οὐδὲ τούτου διήμαρτεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτʼ αὐτῷ συνέπεσεν. καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, ὅτι τῶν ἐξ αὑτοῦ γεγονότων οὐδένα κατέλιπεν ἰδιωτικοῖς ὀνόμασι προσαγορευόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν βασιλέα καλούμενον, τοὺς δʼ ἄνακτας, τὰς δʼ ἀνάσσας. ὥστʼ εἴ τινες τῶν ποιητῶν περί τινος τῶν προγεγενημένων ὑπερβολαῖς κέχρηνται, λέγοντες ὡς ἦν θεὸς ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἢ δαίμων θνητός, ἅπαντα τὰ τοιαῦτα περὶ τὴν ἐκείνου φύσιν ῥηθῆναι μάλιστʼ ἂν ἁρμόσειεν.
73. No doubt I have omitted much that might be said of Evagoras: for I am past my prime of life, in which I should have worked out this eulogy with greater finish and diligence. Nevertheless, even at my age, to the best of my ability he has not been left without his encomium. For my part, Nicocles, I think that while effigies of the body are fine memorials, yet likenesses of deeds and of the character are of far greater value, and these are to be observed only in discourses composed according to the rules of art.
73. τῶν μὲν οὖν εἰς Εὐαγόραν πολλὰ μὲν οἶμαι παραλιπεῖν· ὑστερίζω γὰρ τῆς ἀκμῆς τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ, μεθʼ ἧς ἀκριβέστερον καὶ φιλοπονώτερον ἐξειργασάμην ἂν τὸν ἔπαινον τοῦτον· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν, ὅσον κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν δύναμιν, οὐκ ἀνεγκωμίαστός ἐστιν. ἐγὼ δʼ, ὦ Νικόκλεις, ἡγοῦμαι καλὰ μὲν εἶναι μνημεῖα καὶ τὰς τῶν σωμάτων εἰκόνας, πολὺ μέντοι πλείονος ἀξίας τὰς τῶν πράξεων καὶ τῆς διανοίας, ἃς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἄν τις μόνον τοῖς τεχνικῶς ἔχουσι θεωρήσειεν.
74. These I prefer to statues because I know, in the first place, that honorable men pride themselves not so much on bodily beauty as they desire to be honored for their deeds and their wisdom: in the second place, because I know that images must of necessity remain solely among those in whose cities they were set up, whereas portrayals in words may be published throughout Hellas, and having been spread abroad in the gatherings of enlightened men, are welcomed among those whose approval is more to be desired than that of all others;
74. προκρίνω δὲ ταύτας πρῶτον μὲν εἰδὼς τοὺς καλοὺς κἀγαθοὺς τῶν ἀνδρῶν οὐχ οὕτως ἐπὶ τῷ κάλλει τοῦ σώματος σεμνυνομένους ὡς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ φιλοτιμουμένους· ἔπειθʼ ὅτι τοὺς μὲν τύπους ἀναγκαῖον παρὰ τούτοις εἶναι μόνοις, παρʼ οἷς ἂν σταθῶσι, τοὺς δὲ λόγους ἐξενεχθῆναί θʼ οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα καί, διαδοθέντας ἐν ταῖς τῶν εὖ φρονούντων διατριβαῖς, ἀγαπᾶσθαι παρʼ οἷς κρεῖττόν ἐστιν ἢ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν εὐδοκιμεῖν·
75. and finally, while no one can make the bodily nature resemble molded statues and portraits in painting, yet for those who do not choose to be slothful, but desire to be good men, it is easy to imitate the character of their fellow-men and their thoughts and purposes—those, I mean, that are embodied in the spoken word.
75. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ὅτι τοῖς μὲν πεπλασμένοις καὶ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις οὐδεὶς ἂν τὴν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν ὁμοιώσειε, τοὺς δὲ τρόπους τοὺς ἀλλήλων καὶ τὰς διανοίας τὰς ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐνούσας ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι μιμεῖσθαι τοῖς μὴ ῥᾳθυμεῖν αἱρουμένοις, ἀλλὰ χρηστοῖς εἶναι βουλομένοις.
76. For these reasons especially I have undertaken to write this discourse because I believed that for you, for your children, and for all the other descendants of Evagoras, it would be by far the best incentive, if someone should assemble his achievements, give them verbal adornment, and submit them to you for your contemplation and study.
76. ὧν ἕνεκα καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπεχείρησα γράφειν τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, ἡγούμενος καὶ σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖς παισὶ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς ἀπʼ Εὐαγόρου γεγονόσι πολὺ καλλίστην ἂν γενέσθαι ταύτην παράκλησιν, εἴ τις ἀθροίσας τὰς ἀρετὰς τὰς ἐκείνου καὶ τῷ λόγῳ κοσμήσας παραδοίη θεωρεῖν ὑμῖν καὶ συνδιατρίβειν αὐταῖς.
77. For we exhort young men to the study of philosophy by praising others in order that they, emulating those who are eulogized, may desire to adopt the same pursuits, but I appeal to you and yours, using as examples not aliens, but members of your own family, and I counsel you to devote your attention to this, that you may not be surpassed in either word or deed by any of the Hellenes And do not imagine that I am reproaching you for indifference at present, because I often admonish you on the same subject.
77. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλους προτρέπομεν ἐπὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἑτέρους ἐπαινοῦντες, ἵνα ζηλοῦντες τοὺς εὐλογουμένους τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνοις ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἐπιθυμῶσιν, ἐγὼ δὲ σὲ καὶ τοὺς σοὺς οὐκ ἀλλοτρίοις παραδείγμασι χρώμενος ἀλλʼ οἰκείοις παρακαλῶ, καὶ συμβουλεύω προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν, ὅπως καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν μηδενὸς ἧττον δυνήσει τῶν Ἑλλήνων.
78. For it has not escaped the notice of either me or anyone else that you, Nicocles, are the first and the only one of those who possess royal power, wealth, and luxury who has undertaken to pursue the study of philosophy, nor that you will cause many kings, emulating your culture, to desire these studies and to abandon the pursuits in which they now take too great pleasure.
78. καὶ μὴ νόμιζέ με καταγιγνώσκειν, ὡς νῦν ἀμελεῖς, ὅτι πολλάκις σοι διακελεύομαι περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν. οὐ γὰρ οὔτʼ ἐμὲ λέληθας οὔτε τοὺς ἄλλους ὅτι καὶ πρῶτος καὶ μόνος τῶν ἐν τυραννίδι καὶ πλούτῳ καὶ τρυφαῖς ὄντων φιλοσοφεῖν καὶ πονεῖν ἐπικεχείρηκας, οὐδʼ ὅτι πολλοὺς τῶν βασιλέων ποιήσεις ζηλώσαντας τὴν σὴν παίδευσιν τούτων τῶν διατριβῶν ἐπιθυμεῖν, ἀφεμένους ἐφʼ οἷς νῦν λίαν χαίρουσιν.
79. Although I am aware of these things, none the less I am acting, and shall continue to act, in the same fashion as spectators at the athletic games: for they do not shout encouragement to the runners who have been distanced in the race, but to those who still strive for the victory.
79. ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐγὼ ταῦτʼ εἰδὼς οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ποιῶ καὶ ποιήσω ταὐτὸν ὅπερ ἐν τοῖς γυμνικοῖς ἀγῶσιν οἱ θεαταί· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι παρακελεύονται τῶν δρομέων οὐ τοῖς ἀπολελειμμένοις ἀλλὰ τοῖς περὶ τῆς νίκης ἁμιλλωμένοις.
80. It is my task, therefore, and that of your other friends, to speak and to write in such fashion as may be likely to incite you to strive eagerly after those things which even now you do in fact desire: and you it behooves not to be negligent, but as at present so in the future to pay heed to yourself and to discipline your mind that you may be worthy of your father and of all your ancestors. For though it is the duty of all to place a high value upon wisdom, yet you kings especially should do so, who have power over very many and weighty affairs.
80. ἐμὸν μὲν οὖν ἔργον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φίλων τοιαῦτα καὶ λέγειν καὶ γράφειν ἐξ ὧν μέλλομέν σε παροξύνειν ὀρέγεσθαι τούτων, ὧνπερ καὶ νῦν τυγχάνεις ἐπιθυμῶν· σοὶ δὲ προσήκει μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ παρόντι καὶ τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον ἐπιμελεῖσθαι καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀσκεῖν, ὅπως ἄξιος ἔσει καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων προγόνων. ὡς ἅπασι μὲν προσήκει περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν φρόνησιν, μάλιστα δʼ ὑμῖν τοῖς πλείστων καὶ μεγίστων κυρίοις οὖσιν.
81. You must not be content if you chance to be already superior to your contemporaries, but you should be chagrined if, endowed as you are by nature, distantly descended from Zeus and in our own time from a man of such distinguished excellence, you shall not far surpass, not only all others, but also those who possess the same high station as yourself It is in your power not to fail in this: for if you persevere in the study of philosophy and make as great progress as heretofore, you will soon become the man it is fitting you should be.
81. χρὴ δʼ οὐκ ἀγαπᾶν, εἰ τῶν παρόντων τυγχάνεις ὢν ἤδη κρείττων, ἀλλʼ ἀγανακτεῖν, εἰ τοιοῦτος μὲν ὢν αὐτὸς τὴν φύσιν, γεγονὼς δὲ τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν ἀπὸ Διός, τὸ δʼ ὑπογυιότατον ἐξ ἀνδρὸς τοιούτου τὴν ἀρετήν, μὴ πολὺ διοίσεις καὶ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς αὐταῖς σοι τιμαῖς ὄντων. ἔστι δʼ ἐπὶ σοὶ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τούτων· ἂν γὰρ ἐμμένῃς τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐπιδιδῷς ὅσον περ νῦν, ταχέως γενήσει τοιοῦτος οἷόν σε προσήκει.