1. Since I know, Archidamus, that many persons are eager to sing the praises of you, your father, and your family, I have chosen to leave to them that topic, since it would be a very easy one to treat. I myself, however, intend to exhort you to feats of generalship and military campaigns which are in no respect similar to those which are impending now, but, on the contrary, are such as will make you the author of great benefits, not only to your own state, but also to all the Greek world.
1. εἰδώς, ὦ Ἀρχίδαμε, πολλοὺς ὡρμημένους ἐγκωμιάζειν σὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸ γένος ὑμῶν, εἱλόμην τοῦτον μὲν τὸν λόγον, ἐπειδὴ λίαν ῥᾴδιος ἦν, ἐκείνοις παραλιπεῖν, αὐτὸς δέ σε διανοοῦμαι παρακαλεῖν ἐπὶ στρατηγίας καὶ στρατείας οὐδὲν ὁμοίας ταῖς νῦν ἐνεστηκυίαις, ἀλλ’ ἐξ ὧν μεγάλων ἀγαθῶν αἴτιος γενήσει καὶ τῇ πόλει τῇ σαυτοῦ καὶ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἅπασιν.
2. This is the choice of subject I have made, although I am not unaware which of the two discourses is the easier to deal with; nay, I know perfectly well that to discover actions which are noble, great, and advantageous is difficult and given to few men, whereas to praise your virtues I should have found an easy task. For there would have been no need of deriving from my own resources all that was to be said about them, but in your own past achievements I should have found topics for treatment so many and of such a kind that the eulogies pronounced upon other men would not have rivalled in the slightest degree the praise that I should have lavished upon you.
2. ταύτην δ’ ἐποιησάμην τὴν αἵρεσιν, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν τῶν λόγων τὸν εὐμεταχειριστότερον, ἀλλ’ ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι πράξεις μὲν εὑρεῖν καλὰς καὶ μεγάλας καὶ συμφερούσας χαλεπὸν καὶ σπάνιόν ἐστιν, ἐπαινέσαι δὲ τὰς ἀρετὰς τὰς ὑμετέρας ῥᾳδίως οἷός τ’ ἂν ἐγενόμην. οὐ γὰρ ἔδει με παρ’ ἐμαυτοῦ πορίζεσθαι τὰ λεχθησόμενα περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλ’ ἐκ τῶν ὑμῖν πεπραγμένων τοσαύτας ἂν καὶ τοιαύτας ἀφορμὰς ἔλαβον ὥστε τὰς περὶ τῶν ἄλλων εὐλογίας μηδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐναμίλλους γενέσθαι τῇ περὶ ὑμᾶς ῥηθείσῃ.
3. For how could anyone have surpassed in nobility of birth the descendants of Heracles and Zeus—and all men know that to your family alone confessedly belongs this honor—or in valor the founders of the Dorian cities in the Peloponnese who occupied that land, or in the multitude of the perilous deeds and the trophies erected as a result of your leadership and rule?
3. πῶς γὰρ ἄν τις ἢ τὴν εὐγένειαν ὑπερεβάλετο τῶν γεγονότων ἀφ’ Ἡρακλέους καὶ Διὸς ἣν πάντες ἴσασι μόνοις ὑμῖν ὁμολογουμένως ὑπάρχουσαν, ἢ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ τὰς Δωρικὰς πόλεις κτισάντων καὶ τὴν χώραν ταύτην κατασχόντων, ἢ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν κινδύνων καὶ τῶν τροπαίων τῶν διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ βασιλείαν σταθέντων;
4. Who would lack material if he wished to recount in full the tale of the courage of your entire state, and of its moderation, and its constitution established by your ancestors? How long a story would be needed to tell of your father’s wisdom, of his handling of affairs in adversity, and of that battle in Sparta in which you, leading a few against many, exposed yourself to danger, and, surpassing all, proved to be the author of your city’s salvation—a deed than which no man could point to one more glorious!
4. τίς δ’ ἂν ἠπόρησε, διεξιέναι βουληθεὶς τὴν ἀνδρίαν ὅλης τῆς πόλεως καὶ σωφροσύνην καὶ πολιτείαν τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων τῶν ὑμετέρων συνταχθεῖσαν; πόσοις δ’ ἂν λόγοις ἐξεγένετο χρήσασθαι περὶ τὴν φρόνησιν τοῦ σοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τὴν ἐν ταῖς συμφοραῖς διοίκησιν καὶ τὴν μάχην τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει γενομένην ἧς ἡγεμὼν σὺ καταστὰς καὶ μετ’ ὀλίγων πρὸς πολλοὺς κινδυνεύσας καὶ πάντων διενεγκὼν αἴτιος ἐγένου τῇ πόλει τῆς σωτηρίας, οὗ κάλλιον ἔργον οὐδεὶς ἂν ἐπιδείξειεν;
5. For neither capture of cities nor slaughter of a multitude of the enemy is so great and so sublime as the saving of one’s fatherland from perils so dire—and no ordinary fatherland, but one so greatly distinguished for its valor. Any man who should relate these achievements, not in polished style, but simply, and without stylistic embellishment, merely telling the tale of them and speaking in random fashion, could not fail to win renown.
5. οὔτε γὰρ πόλεις ἑλεῖν οὔτε πολλοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι τῶν πολεμίων οὕτω μέγα καὶ σεμνόν ἐστιν ὡς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων κινδύνων σῶσαι τὴν πατρίδα, μὴ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀλλὰ τὴν τοσοῦτον ἐπ’ ἀρετῇ διενεγκοῦσαν. περὶ ὧν μὴ κομψῶς, ἀλλ’ ἁπλῶς διελθών, μηδὲ τῇ λέξει κοσμήσας, ἀλλ’ ἐξαριθμήσας μόνον καὶ χύδην εἰπὼν οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἂν εὐδοκιμήσειεν.
6. Now I might have spoken passably about even these matters, since I knew, in the first place, that it is easier to treat copiously in cursory fashion occurrences of the past than intelligently to discuss the future and, in the second place, that all men are more grateful to those who praise them than to those who advise them —for the former they approve as being well—disposed, but the latter, if the advice comes unbidden, they look upon as officious—nevertheless, although I was already fully aware of all these considerations, I have refrained from topics which would surely be flattering and now I propose to speak of such matters as no one else would dare to discuss, because I believe that those who make pretensions to fairness and practical wisdom should choose, not the easiest subjects, but the most arduous, nor yet those which are the sweetest to the ears of the listeners, but such as will avail to benefit, not only their own states, but also all the other Greeks.
6. ἐγὼ τοίνυν δυνηθεὶς ἂν καὶ περὶ τούτων ἐξαρκούντως διαλεχθῆναι, κἀκεῖνο γιγνώσκων, πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ῥᾷόν ἐστι περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων εὐπόρως ἐπιδραμεῖν ἢ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων νουνεχόντως εἰπεῖν, ἔπειθ’ ὅτι πάντες ἄνθρωποι πλείω χάριν ἔχουσι τοῖς ἐπαινοῦσιν ἢ τοῖς συμβουλεύουσι, τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ὡς εὔνους ὄντας ἀποδέχονται, τοὺς δ’ ἂν μὴ κελευσθέντες παραινῶσιν, ἐνοχλεῖν νομίζουσιν, ἀλλ’ ὅμως ἅπαντα ταῦτα προειδὼς τῶν μὲν πρὸς χάριν ἂν ῥηθέντων ἀπεσχόμην, περὶ δὲ τοιούτων μέλλω λέγειν, περὶ ὧν οὐδεὶς ἂν ἄλλος τολμήσειεν, ἡγούμενος δεῖν τοὺς ἐπιεικείας καὶ φρονήσεως ἀμφισβητοῦντας μὴ τοὺς ῥᾴστους προαιρεῖσθαι τῶν λόγων, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐργωδεστάτους, μηδὲ τοὺς ἡδίστους τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἀλλ’ ἐξ ὧν ὠφελήσουσι καὶ τὰς πόλεις τὰς αὑτῶν τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας·
7. And such is the subject, in fact, to which I have fixed my attention at the present time.
7. ἐφ’ οἷσπερ ἐγὼ τυγχάνω νῦν ἐφεστηκώς.
8. I marvel also at those men who have ability in action or in speech that it has never occurred to them seriously to take to heart the conditions which affect all Greeks alike, or even to feel pity for the evil plight of Hellas, so shameful and dreadful, no part of which now remains that is not teeming full of war, uprisings, slaughter, and evils innumerable. The greatest share of these ills is the lot of the dwellers along the seaboard of Asia, whom by the treaty we have delivered one and all into the hands, not only of the barbarians, but also of those Greeks who, though they share our speech, yet adhere to the ways of the barbarians.
8. θαυμάζω δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν πράττειν ἢ λέγειν δυναμένων, εἰ μηδὲ πώποτ’ αὐτοῖς ἐπῆλθεν ἐνθυμηθῆναι περὶ τῶν κοινῶν πραγμάτων, μηδ’ ἐλεῆσαι τὰς τῆς Ἑλλάδος δυσπραξίας οὕτως αἰσχρῶς καὶ δεινῶς διατιθεμένης, ἧς οὐδεὶς παραλέλειπται τόπος, ὃς οὐ γέμει καὶ μεστός ἐστι πολέμου καὶ στάσεων καὶ σφαγῶν καὶ κακῶν ἀναριθμήτων· ὧν πλεῖστον μέρος μετειλήφασιν οἱ τῆς Ἀσίας τὴν παραλίαν οἰκοῦντες, οὓς ἐν τοῖς συνθήκαις ἅπαντας ἐκδεδώκαμεν οὐ μόνον τοῖς βαρβάροις ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τοῖς τῆς μὲν φωνῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας κοινωνοῦσι, τῷ δὲ τρόπῳ τῷ τῶν βαρβάρων χρωμένοις· οὕς, εἰ νοῦν εἴχομεν, οὐκ ἂν περιεωρῶμεν ἀθροιζομένους οὐδ’ ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων στρατηγουμένους, οὐδὲ μείζους καὶ κρείττους συντάξεις στρατοπέδων γιγνομένας ἐκ τῶν πλανωμένων ἢ τῶν πολιτευομένων·
9. These renegades, if we had any sense, we should not be permitting to come together into bands or, led by any chance leaders, to form armed contingents, composed of roving forces more numerous and powerful than are the troops of our own citizen forces. These armies do damage to only a small part of the domain of the king of Persia, but every Hellenic city they enter they utterly destroy, killing some, driving others into exile, and robbing still others of their possessions; furthermore, they treat with indignity children and women, and not only dishonor the most beautiful women, but from the others they strip off the clothing which they wear on their persons, so that those who even when fully clothed were not to be seen by strangers, are beheld naked by many men; and some women, clad in rags, are seen wandering in destitution from lack of the bare necessities of life.
9. οἳ τῆς μὲν βασιλέως χώρας μικρὸν μέρος λυμαίνονται, τὰς δὲ πόλεις τὰς Ἑλληνίδας, εἰς ἣν ἂν εἰσέλθωσιν, ἀναστάτους ποιοῦσι, τοὺς μὲν ἀποκτείνοντες, τοὺς δὲ φυγαδεύοντες, τῶν δὲ τὰς οὐσίας διαρπάζοντες, ἔτι δὲ παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας ὑβρίζοντες, καὶ τὰς μὲν εὐπρεπεστάτας καταισχύνοντες, τῶν δ’ ἄλλων ἃ περὶ τοῖς σώμασιν ἔχουσι περισπῶντες, ὥσθ’ ἃς πρότερον οὐδὲ κεκοσμημένας ἦν ἰδεῖν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, ταύτας ὑπὸ πολλῶν ὁρᾶσθαι γυμνάς, ἐνίας δ’ αὐτῶν ἐν ῥάκεσι περιφθειρομένας δι’ ἔνδειαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων.
11. With regard to this unhappy situation, which has now obtained for a long time, not one of the cities which lays claim to the leadership of the Hellenes has shown indignation, nor has any of its leading men been wroth, except your father. For Agesilaus alone of all whom we know unceasingly to the end longed to liberate the Greeks and to wage war against the barbarians. Nevertheless, even he erred in one respect.
11. ὑπὲρ ὧν πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον γιγνομένων οὔτε πόλις οὐδεμία τῶν προεστάναι τῶν Ἐλλήνων ἀξιουσῶν ἠγανάκτησεν, οὔτ’ ἀνὴρ τῶν πρωτευόντων οὐδεὶς βαρέως ἤνεγκε, πλὴν ὁ σὸς πατήρ· μόνος γὰρ Ἀγησίλαος ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν ἐπιθυμῶν ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον διετέλεσε τοὺς μὲν Ἕλληνας ἐλευθερῶσαι, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς βαρβάρους πόλεμον ἐξενεγκεῖν. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνος ἑνὸς πράγματος διήμαρτεν. καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ πρὸς σὲ διαλεγόμενος μνησθήσομαι τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γνωσθέντων·
12. And do not be surprised if I, in my communication to you, mention matters in which his judgement was at fault; for I am accustomed always to speak with the utmost frankness and I should prefer to be disliked for having justly censured than to win favor through having given unmerited praise.
12. εἴθισμαί τε γὰρ μετὰ παρρησίας ἀεὶ ποιεῖσθαι τοὺς λόγους, καὶ δεξαίμην ἂν δικαίως ἐπιτιμήσας ἀπεχθέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ παρὰ τὸ προσῆκον ἐπαινέσας χαρίσασθαι.
13. My view, then, is as follows: Agesilaus, who had won distinction in all other fields, and had shown himself to be in the highest degree self-controlled, just, and statesmanlike, conceived two strong desires, each of them taken by itself seeming admirable, but being incompatible and incapable of achievement at the same time. For he wished not only to wage war on the Persian king but also to restore to their respective cities his friends who were in exile and to establish them as masters of affairs.
13. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐμὸν οὕτως ἔχον ἐστίν, ἐκεῖνος δ’ ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις διενεγκὼν καὶ γενόμενος ἐγκρατέστατος καὶ δικαιότατος καὶ πολιτικώτατος διττὰς ἔσχεν ἐπιθυμίας, χωρὶς μὲν ἑκατέραν καλὴν εἶναι δοκοῦσαν, οὐ συμφωνούσας δ’ ἀλλήλαις οὐδ’ ἅμα πράττεσθαι δυναμένας· ἠβούλετο γὰρ βασιλεῖ τε πολεμεῖν καὶ τῶν φίλων τοὺς φεύγοντας εἰς τὰς πόλεις καταγαγεῖν καὶ κυρίους καταστῆσαι τῶν πραγμάτων.
14. The result, therefore, of his exertions on behalf of his friends was that the Greeks were involved in misfortunes and in fighting, and on account of the confusion which prevailed here had not the leisure nor yet the strength to wage war against the barbarians. So, in consequence of the conditions which were at that time not recognized, it is easy to perceive that men of good counsel should not wage war against the king of Persia until someone shall have first reconciled the Greeks with each other and have made us cease from our madness and contentiousness. On these topics I have spoken before and now I intend to discuss them.
14. συνέβαινεν οὖν ἐκ μὲν τῆς πραγματείας τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἑταίρων ἐν κακοῖς καὶ κινδύνοις εἶναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας, διὰ δὲ τὴν ταραχὴν τὴν ἐνθάδε γιγνομένην μὴ σχολὴν ἄγειν μηδὲ δύνασθαι πολεμεῖν τοῖς βαρβάροις. ὥστ’ ἐκ τῶν ἀγνοηθέντων κατ’ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον ῥᾴδιον καταμαθεῖν ὅτι δεῖ τοὺς ὀρθῶς βουλευομένους μὴ πρότερον ἐκφέρειν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον, πρὶν ἂν διαλλάξῃ τις τοὺς Ἕλληνας καὶ παύσῃ τῆς μανίας καὶ τῆς φιλονικίας ἡμᾶς. περὶ ὧν ἐγὼ καὶ πρότερον εἴρηκα καὶ νῦν ποιήσομαι τοὺς λόγους.
15. And yet certain persons who, although they have no share at all in learning, yet profess to be able to teach everybody else, and although they dare to find fault with my efforts, yet are eager to imitate them, will perhaps call it madness for me to concern myself with the misfortunes of Greece, as if Greece would be either better or worse off as a result of words of mine! Justly, however, would all men condemn these persons as guilty of great cowardice and meanness of spirit, for while they make pretence to serious intellectual interests, they pride themselves on petty things and consistently show malice and envy against those who have the ability to give counsel concerning matters of the greatest importance.
15. καίτοι τινὲς τῶν οὐδεμιᾶς μὲν παιδείας μετεσχηκότων, δύνασθαι δὲ παιδεύειν τοὺς ἄλλους ὑπισχνουμένων, καὶ ψέγειν μὲν τἀμὰ τολμώντων, μιμεῖσθαι δὲ γλιχομένων, τάχ’ ἂν μανίαν εἶναι φήσειαν τὸ μέλειν ἐμοὶ τῶν τῆς Ἑλλάδος συμφορῶν, ὥσπερ παρὰ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἢ βέλτιον ἢ χεῖρον αὐτὴν πράξουσαν. ὧν δικαίως ἂν ἅπαντες πολλὴν ἀνανδρίαν καὶ μικροψυχίαν καταγνοῖεν, ὅτι προσποιούμενοι φιλοσοφεῖν αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐπὶ μικροῖς φιλοτιμοῦνται, τοῖς δὲ δυναμένοις περὶ τῶν μεγίστων συμβουλεύειν φθονοῦντες διατελοῦσιν.
16. These men, then, in their endeavor to give aid and comfort to their own weaknesses and indolence, will perhaps speak in such fashion. I for my part, however, pride myself so greatly on my ability that, even though I am now eighty years of age and altogether worn out, I think it is especially fitting to speak my mind on these matters, and also that I have been well advised in directing my appeal to you, and that it may well be that from my counsel some of the necessary measures will be taken.
16. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν βοηθοῦντες ταῖς αὑτῶν ἀσθενείαις καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαις ἴσως τοιαῦτ’ ἐροῦσιν· ἐγὼ δ’ οὕτως ἐπ’ ἐμαυτῷ μέγα φρονῶ, καίπερ ἔτη γεγονὼς ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ παντάπασιν ἀπειρηκώς, ὥστ’ οἶμαι καὶ λέγειν ἐμοὶ προσήκειν μάλιστα περὶ τούτων καὶ καλῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι πρὸς σὲ ποιούμενον τοὺς λόγους, καὶ τυχὸν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν γενήσεσθαί τι τῶν δεόντων.
17. And I believe that if the rest of the Greek world also should be called upon to choose from all mankind both the man who by his eloquence would best be able to summon the Greeks to the expedition against the barbarians, and also the leader who would be likely most quickly to bring to fulfillment the measures recognized as expedient, they would choose no others but you and me. Yet surely we should be acting disgracefully, should we not, if we should neglect these duties in which our honor is involved, should all men regard us as worthy of them?
17. ἡγοῦμαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας, εἰ δεήσειεν αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐκλέξασθαι τόν τε τῷ λόγῳ κάλλιστ’ ἂν δυνηθέντα παρακαλέσαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων στρατείαν καὶ τὸν τάχιστα μέλλοντα τὰς πράξεις ἐπιτελεῖν τὰς συμφέρειν δοξάσας, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλους ἀνθ’ ἡμῶν προκριθῆναι. καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἂν αἰσχρὸν ποιήσαιμεν, εἰ τούτων ἀμελήσαιμεν οὕτως ἐντίμων ὄντων ὧν ἅπαντες ἂν ἡμᾶς ἀξιώσαιεν;
18. My part, it is true, is the smaller; for to declare what one thinks is usually not so very difficult. But for you it is fitting, giving attention to all that I have said, to deliberate upon the question whether you should shrink from the conduct of the affairs of Hellas—you, whose noble lineage I have a little while ago described, leader of the Lacedaemonians, addressed by the name King, and a man who enjoys the greatest renown of all the Hellenes—or, disdaining the matters you now have in hand, you should put your hand to greater undertakings.
18. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐμὸν ἔλαττόν ἐστιν· ἀποφήνασθαι γὰρ ἃ γιγνώσκει τις οὐ πάνυ τῶν χαλεπῶν πέφυκεν· σοὶ δὲ προσήκει προσέχοντι τὸν νοῦν τοῖς ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ λεγομένοις βουλεύσασθαι, πότερον ὀλιγωρητέον ἐστὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πραγμάτων γεγονότι μέν, ὥσπερ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐγὼ διῆλθον, ἡγεμόνι δὲ Λακεδαιμονίων ὄντι, βασιλεῖ δὲ προσαγορευομένῳ, μεγίστην δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔχοντι δόξαν, ἢ τῶν μὲν ἐνεστώτων πραγμάτων ὑπεροπτέον, μείζοσι δ’ ἐπιχειρητέον.
19. I for my part say that, disregarding everything else, you should give your attention to these two tasks—to rid the Hellenes from their wars and from all the other miseries with which they are now afflicted, and to put a stop to the insolence of the barbarians and to their possession of wealth beyond their due. That these things are practicable and expedient for you, for your city, and for all the Hellenes at large, it is now my task to explain....[The conclusion is missing]
19. ἐγὼ μὲν γάρ φημι χρῆναί σε πάντων ἀφέμενον τῶν ἄλλων δυοῖν τούτοιν προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν, ὅπως τοὺς μὲν Ἕλληνας ἀπαλλάξεις τῶν πολέμων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων κακῶν τῶν νῦν αὐτοῖς παρόντων, τοὺς δὲ βαρβάρους παύσεις ὑβρίζοντας καὶ πλείω κεκτημένους ἀγαθὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος. ὡς δ’ ἐστὶ ταῦτα δυνατὰ καὶ συμφέροντα καὶ σοὶ καὶ τῇ πόλει καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, ἐμὸν ἔργον ἤδη διδάξαι περὶ αὐτῶν ἐστιν …