1. I have discussed with Antipater the course which is expedient for our city and for you, at sufficient length, I am convinced; but I wished to write to you also regarding the action which I think should be taken after the conclusion of peace, and while this advice is similar to that in my discourse, it is, however, expressed much more concisely.
1. ἐγὼ διελέχθην μὲν καὶ πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον περί τε τῶν τῇ πόλει καὶ τῶν σοὶ συμφερόντων ἐξαρκούντως, ὡς ἐμαυτὸν ἔπειθον, ἠβουλήθην δὲ καὶ πρὸς σὲ γράψαι περὶ ὧν μοι δοκεῖ πρακτέον εἶναι μετὰ τὴν εἰρήνην, παραπλήσια μὲν τοῖς ἐν τῷ λόγῳ γεγραμμένοις, πολὺ δ’ ἐκείνων συντομώτερα.
2. At that time, you recall, I counselled you that, after you had reconciled our city with Sparta, Thebes, and Argos, you should bring all the Greeks into concord, as I was of opinion that if you should persuade the principal cities to be favorably inclined to such a course, the others also would quickly follow. At that time, however, the state of affairs was different, and now it has come to pass that the need of persuasion no longer exists; for on account of the battle which has taken place, all are compelled to be prudent and to desire that which they surmise you wish to do and to say, namely, that they must desist from the madness and the spirit of aggrandizement, which they were wont to display in their relations with each other, and must carry the war into Asia.
2. κατ’ ἐκεῖνον μὲν γὰρ τὸν χρόνον συνεβούλευον ὡς χρὴ διαλλάξαντά σε τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἡμετέραν καὶ τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τὴν Θηβαίων καὶ τὴν Ἀργείων εἰς ὁμόνοιαν καταστῆσαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἡγούμενος, ἂν τὰς προεστώσας πόλεις πείσῃς οὕτω φρονεῖν, ταχέως καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἐπακολουθήσειν. τότε μὲν οὖν ἄλλος ἦν καιρός, νῦν δὲ συμβέβηκε μηκέτι δεῖν πείθειν· διὰ γὰρ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν γεγενημένον ἠναγκασμένοι πάντες εἰσὶν εὖ φρονεῖν καὶ τούτων ἐπιθυμεῖν ὧν ὑπονοοῦσί σε βούλεσθαι πράττειν καὶ λέγειν, ὡς δεῖ παυσαμένους τῆς μανίας καὶ τῆς πλεονεξίας, ἣν ἐποιοῦντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους, εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν τὸν πόλεμον ἐξενεγκεῖν.
3. Many inquire of me whether I advised you to make the expedition against the barbarians or whether it was your idea and I concurred. I reply that I do not know for certain, since before then I had not been acquainted with you, but that I supposed that you had reached a decision in this matter and that I in my speech had fallen, with your desires. On hearing this, all entreated me to encourage you and to exhort you to hold fast to this same resolution, since they believe that no achievement could be more glorious, more useful to the Greeks, or more timely than this will be.
3. καὶ πολλοὶ πυνθάνονται παρ’ ἐμοῦ πότερον ἐγώ σοι παρῄνεσα ποιεῖσθαι τὴν στρατείαν τὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἢ σοῦ διανοηθέντος συνεῖπον· ἐγὼ δ’ οὐκ εἰδέναι μέν φημι τὸ σαφές, οὐ γὰρ συγγεγενῆσθαί σοι πρότερον, οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’ οἴεσθαι σὲ μὲν ἐγνωκέναι περὶ τούτων, ἐμὲ δὲ συνειρηκέναι ταῖς σαῖς ἐπιθυμίαις. ταῦτα δ’ ἀκούοντες ἐδέοντό μου πάντες παρακελεύεσθαί σοι καὶ προτρέπειν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων μένειν, ὡς οὐδέποτ’ ἂν γενομένων οὔτε καλλιόνων ἔργων οὔτ’ ὠφελιμωτέρων τοῖς Ἕλλησιν οὔτ’ ἐν καιρῷ μᾶλλον πραχθησομένων.
4. If I possessed the same vigor which I formerly had and were not utterly spent with years, I should not be speaking with you by letter, but in your presence should myself be spurring and summoning you to undertake these tasks. But even as it is, I do exhort you, as best I can, not to put these matters aside until you bring them to a successful conclusion. To have an insatiate desire for anything else in the world is ignoble—for moderation is generally esteemed—but to set the heart upon a glory that is great and honorable, and never to be satiated with it, befits those men who have far excelled all others. And that is true of you.
4. εἰ μὲν οὖν εἶχον τὴν αὐτὴν δύναμιν ἥνπερ πρότερον, καὶ μὴ παντάπασιν ἦν ἀπειρηκώς, οὐκ ἂν δι’ ἐπιστολῆς διελεγόμην, ἀλλὰ παρὼν αὐτὸς παρώξυνον ἄν σε καὶ παρεκάλουν ἐπὶ τὰς πράξεις ταύτας. νῦν δ’ ὡς δύναμαι παρακελεύομαί σοι μὴ καταμελῆσαι τούτων, πρὶν ἂν τέλος ἐπιθῇς αὐτοῖς. ἔστι δὲ πρὸς μὲν ἄλλο τι τῶν ὄντων ἀπλήστως ἔχειν οὐ καλόν, αἱ γὰρ μετριότητες παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς εὐδοκιμοῦσι, δόξης δὲ μεγάλης καὶ καλῆς ἐπιθυμεῖν καὶ μηδέποτ’ ἐμπίπλασθαι προσήκει τοῖς πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων διενεγκοῦσιν· ὅπερ σοὶ συμβέβηκεν.
5. Be assured that a glory unsurpassable and worthy of the deeds you have done in the past will be yours when you shall compel the barbarians—all but those who have fought on your side—to be serfs of the Greeks, and when you shall force the king who is now called Great to do whatever you command. For then will naught be left for you except to become a god. And to accomplish all this from your present status is much easier for you than it was for you to advance to the power and renown you now possess from the kingship which you had in the beginning.
5. ἡγοῦ δὲ τόθ’ ἕξειν ἀνυπέρβλητον αὐτὴν καὶ τῶν σοὶ πεπραγμένων ἀξίαν, ὅταν τοὺς μὲν βαρβάρους ἀναγκάσῃς εἱλωτεύειν τοῖς Ἕλλησι πλὴν τῶν σοὶ συναγωνισαμένων, τὸν δὲ βασιλέα τὸν νῦν μέγαν προσαγορευόμενον ποιήσῃς τοῦτο πράττειν ὅ τι ἂν σὺ προστάττῃς. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔσται λοιπὸν ἔτι πλὴν θεὸν γενέσθαι. ταῦτα δὲ κατεργάσασθαι πολὺ ῥᾷόν ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν παρόντων ἢ προελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἣν νῦν ἔχεις, ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑμῖν ὑπαρξάσης.
6. I am grateful to my old age for this reason alone, because it has prolonged my life to this moment, so that the dreams of my youth, which I attempted to commit to writing both in my Panegyricus and in the discourse which was sent to you, I am now seeing in part already coming to fulfillment through your achievements and in part I have hopes of their future realization.
6. χάριν δ’ ἔχω τῷ γήρᾳ ταύτην μόνην, ὅτι προήγαγεν εἰς τοῦτό μου τὸν βίον, ὥσθ’ ἃ νέος ὢν διενοούμην καὶ γράφειν ἐπεχείρουν ἔν τε τῷ πανηγυρικῷ λόγῳ καὶ τῷ πρὸς σὲ πεμφθέντι, ταῦτα νῦν τὰ μὲν ἤδη γιγνόμενα διὰ τῶν σῶν ἐφορῶ πράξεων, τὰ δ’ ἐλπίζω γενήσεσθαι.