---
title: "On the Peace · Περὶ εἰρήνης"
author: "Isocrates"
translator: "George Norlin"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/
cite: "Isocrates, tr. George Norlin, On the Peace · Περὶ εἰρήνης. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/"
---

# On the Peace · Περὶ εἰρήνης

*Isocrates, tr. George Norlin*

Athens should give up her empire at sea.

> Greek: ed. George Norlin, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0010.tlg017, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: George Norlin, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0010.tlg017.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## Contents

1. [Sections 1–47](https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/1.md)
2. [Sections 48–95](https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/2.md)
3. [Sections 96–145](https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/3.md)

## 1. Sections 1–47

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/1/#p-N

[¶0] 1. All those who come before you on this platform are accustomed to assert that the subjects upon which they are themselves about to advise you are most important and most worthy of serious consideration by the state. Nevertheless, if it was ever appropriate to preface the discussion of any other subject with such words, it seems to me fitting also to begin with them in speaking upon the subject now before us.

> Greek: 1. ἅπαντες μὲν εἰώθασιν οἱ παριόντες ἐνθάδε ταῦτα μέγιστα φάσκειν εἶναι καὶ μάλιστα σπουδῆς ἄξια τῇ πόλει, περὶ ὧν ἂν αὐτοὶ μέλλωσι συμβουλεύσειν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ περὶ ἄλλων τινῶν πραγμάτων ἥρμοσε τοιαῦτα προειπεῖν, δοκεῖ μοι πρέπειν καὶ περὶ τῶν νῦν παρόντων ἐντεῦθεν ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀρχήν.

[¶1] 2. For we are assembled here to deliberate about War and Peace, which exercise the greatest power over the life of man, and regarding which those who are correctly advised must of necessity fare better than the rest of the world. Such, then, is the magnitude of the question which we have come together to decide.

> Greek: 2. ἥκομεν γὰρ ἐκκλησιάσοντες περὶ πολέμου καὶ εἰρήνης, ἃ μεγίστην ἔχει δύναμιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ περὶ ὧν ἀνάγκη τοὺς ὀρθῶς βουλευομένους ἄμεινον τῶν ἄλλων πράττειν. τὸ μὲν οὖν μέγεθος, ὑπὲρ ὧν συνεληλύθαμεν, τηλικοῦτόν ἐστιν.

[¶2] 3. I observe, however, that you do not hear with equal favor the speakers who address you, but that, while you give your attention to some, in the case of others you do not even suffer their voice to be heard. And it is not surprising that you do this; for in the past you have formed the habit of driving all the orators from the platform except those who support your desires.

> Greek: 3. ὁρῶ δʼ ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἐξ ἴσου τῶν λεγόντων τὴν ἀκρόασιν ποιουμένους, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν προσέχοντας τὸν νοῦν, τῶν δʼ οὐδὲ τὴν φωνὴν ἀνεχομένους. καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν ποιεῖτε· καὶ γὰρ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον εἰώθατε πάντας τοὺς ἄλλους ἐκβάλλειν, πλὴν τοὺς συναγορεύοντας ταῖς ὑμετέραις ἐπιθυμίαις.

[¶3] 4. Wherefore one may justly take you to task because, while you know well that many great houses have been ruined by flatterers and while in your private affairs you abhor those who practice this art, in your public affairs you are not so minded towards them; on the contrary, while you denounce those who welcome and enjoy the society of such men, you yourselves make it manifest that you place greater confidence in them than in the rest of your fellow citizens.

> Greek: 4. ὃ καὶ δικαίως ἄν τις ὑμῖν ἐπιτιμήσειεν, ὅτι συνειδότες. πολλοὺς καὶ μεγάλους οἴκους ὑπὸ τῶν κολακευόντων ἀναστάτους γεγενημένους, καὶ μισοῦντες ἐπὶ τῶν ἰδίων τοὺς ταύτην ἔχοντας τὴν τέχνην, ἐπὶ τῶν κοινῶν οὐχ ὁμοίως διάκεισθε πρὸς αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ κατηγοροῦντες τῶν προσιεμένων καὶ χαιρόντων τοῖς τοιούτοις αὐτοὶ φαίνεσθε μᾶλλον τούτοις πιστεύοντες ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις πολίταις.

[¶4] 5. Indeed, you have caused the orators to practice and study, not what will be advantageous to the state, but how they may discourse in a manner pleasing to you. And it is to this kind of discourse that the majority of them have resorted also at the present time, since it has become plain to all that you will be better pleased with those who summon you to war than with those who counsel peace;

> Greek: 5. καὶ γάρ τοι πεποιήκατε τοὺς ῥήτορας μελετᾶν καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν οὐ τὰ μέλλοντα τῇ πόλει συνοίσειν, ἀλλʼ ὅπως ἀρέσκοντας ὑμῖν λόγους ἐροῦσιν. ἐφʼ οὓς καὶ νῦν τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν ἐρρύηκεν. πᾶσι γὰρ ἦν φανερὸν ὅτι μᾶλλον ἡσθήσεσθε τοῖς παρακαλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἢ τοῖς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης συμβουλεύουσιν.

[¶5] 6. for the former put into our minds the expectation both of regaining our possessions in the several states and of recovering the power which we formerly enjoyed, while the latter hold forth no such hope, insisting rather that we must have peace and not crave great possessions contrary to justice, but be content with those we have —and that for the great majority of mankind is of all things the most difficult.

> Greek: 6. οἱ μὲν γὰρ προσδοκίαν ἐμποιοῦσιν ὡς καὶ τὰς κτήσεις τὰς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι κομιούμεθα, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἀναληψόμεθα πάλιν, ἣν πρότερον ἐτυγχάνομεν ἔχοντες· οἱ δʼ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ὑποτείνουσιν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἡσυχίαν ἔχειν δεῖ καὶ μὴ μεγάλων ἐπιθυμεῖν παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον, ἀλλὰ στέργειν τοῖς παροῦσιν, ὃ χαλεπώτατον πάντων τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν.

[¶6] 7. For we are so dependent on our hopes and so insatiate in seizing what seems to be our advantage that not even those who possess the greatest fortunes are willing to rest satisfied with them but are always grasping after more and so risking the loss of what they have. Wherefore we may well be anxious lest on the present occasion also we may be subject to this madness.

> Greek: 7. οὕτω γὰρ ἐξηρτήμεθα τῶν ἐλπίδων καὶ πρὸς τὰς δοκούσας εἶναι πλεονεξίας ἀπλήστως ἔχομεν, ὥστʼ οὐδʼ οἱ κεκτημένοι τοὺς μεγίστους πλούτους μένειν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐθέλουσιν, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τοῦ πλέονος ὀρεγόμενοι περὶ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων κινδυνεύουσιν. ὅπερ ἄξιόν ἐστι δεδιέναι, μὴ καὶ νῦν ἡμεῖς ἔνοχοι γενώμεθα ταύταις ταῖς ἀνοίαις·

[¶7] 8. For some of us appear to me to be over zealously bent on war, as though having heard, not from haphazard counsellors, but from the gods, that we are destined to succeed in all our campaigns and to prevail easily over our foes. But people of intelligence, when dealing with matters about which they have knowledge, ought not to take counsel—for this is superfluous—but to act as men who are already resolved what to do, whereas, in dealing with matters about which they take counsel, they ought not to think that they have exact knowledge of what the result will be, but to be minded towards these contingencies as men who indeed exercise their best judgement, but are not sure what the future may hold in store.

> Greek: 8. λίαν γάρ τινές μοι δοκοῦσιν ὡρμῆσθαι πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον, ὥσπερ οὐ τῶν τυχόντων συμβεβουλευκότων, ἀλλὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀκηκοότες ὅτι κατορθώσομεν ἅπαντα καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἐπικρατήσομεν τῶν ἐχθρῶν. χρὴ δὲ τοὺς νοῦν ἔχοντας περὶ μὲν ὧν ἴσασι μὴ βουλεύεσθαι (περίεργον γάρ) ἀλλὰ πράττειν ὡς ἐγνώκασι, περὶ ὧν δʼ ἂν βουλεύωνται, μὴ νομίζειν εἰδέναι τὸ συμβησόμενον, ἀλλʼ ὡς δόξῃ μὲν χρωμένους, ὅ τι ἂν τύχῃ δὲ γενησόμενον ἀγνοοῦντας, οὕτω διανοεῖσθαι περὶ αὐτῶν.

[¶8] 9. You, however, do neither the one thing nor the other, but are in the utmost confusion of mind. For you have come together as if it were your business to select the best course from all that are proposed; nevertheless, as though you had clear knowledge of what must be done, you are not willing to listen to any except those who speak for your pleasure. And yet, if you really desired to find out what is advantageous to the state, you ought to give your attention more to those who oppose your views than to those who seek to gratify you, knowing well that of the orators who come before you here, those who say what you desire are able to delude you easily—since what is spoken to win favor clouds your vision of what is best—whereas those who advise you without regard to your pleasure can affect you in no such way, since they could not convert you to their way of thinking until they have first made clear what is for your advantage.

> Greek: 9. ὧν ὑμεῖς οὐδέτερον τυγχάνετε ποιοῦντες, ἀλλʼ ὡς οἷόν τε ταραχωδέστατα διάκεισθε. συνεληλύθατε μὲν γὰρ ὡς δέον ὑμᾶς ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν ῥηθέντων ἐκλέξασθαι τὸ βέλτιστον, ὥσπερ δʼ ἤδη σαφῶς εἰδότες ὃ πρακτέον ἐστίν, οὐκ ἐθέλετʼ ἀκούειν πλὴν τῶν πρὸς ἡδονὴν δημηγορούντων. καίτοι προσῆκεν ὑμᾶς, εἴπερ ἠβούλεσθε ζητεῖν τὸ τῇ πόλει συμφέρον, μᾶλλον τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις ταῖς ὑμετέραις γνώμαις προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν ἢ τοῖς καταχαριζομένοις, εἰδότας ὅτι τῶν ἐνθάδε παριόντων οἱ μὲν ἃ βούλεσθε λέγοντες ῥᾳδίως ἐξαπατᾶν δύνανται (τὸ γὰρ πρὸς χάριν ῥηθὲν ἐπισκοτεῖ τῷ καθορᾶν ὑμᾶς τὸ βέλτιστον), ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν μὴ πρὸς ἡδονὴν συμβουλευόντων οὐδὲν ἂν πάθοιτε τοιοῦτον· οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὅπως ἂν μεταπεῖσαι δυνηθεῖεν ὑμᾶς, μὴ φανερὸν τὸ συμφέρον ποιήσαντες.

[¶9] 11. But, apart from these considerations, how can men wisely pass judgement on the past or take counsel for the future unless they examine and compare the arguments of opposing speakers, themselves giving an unbiased hearing to both sides?

> Greek: 11. χωρὶς δὲ τούτων πῶς ἂν ἄνθρωποι καλῶς δυνηθεῖεν ἢ κρῖναι περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων ἢ βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, εἰ μὴ τοὺς μὲν λόγους τοὺς τῶν ἐναντιουμένων παρʼ ἀλλήλους ἐξετάζοιεν, αὐτοὶ δʼ αὑτοὺς κοινοὺς ἀμφοτέροις ἀκροατὰς παράσχοιεν;

[¶10] 12. But I marvel that the older men no longer recall and that the younger have not been told by anyone that the orators who exhort us to cling fast to peace have never caused us to suffer any misfortune whatsoever, whereas those who lightly espouse war have already plunged us into many great disasters. However, we have no memory for these facts but are always ready, without in the least advancing our own welfare, to man triremes, to levy war-taxes, and to lend aid to the campaigns of others or wage war against them, as chance may determine, as if imperilling the interests, not of our own, but of a foreign state.

> Greek: 12. θαυμάζω δὲ τῶν τε πρεσβυτέρων, εἰ μηκέτι μνημονεύουσι, καὶ τῶν νεωτέρων, εἰ μηδενὸς ἀκηκόασιν, ὅτι διὰ μὲν τοὺς παραινοῦντας ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς εἰρήνης οὐδὲν πώποτε κακὸν ἐπάθομεν, διὰ δὲ τοὺς ῥᾳδίως τὸν πόλεμον αἱρουμένους πολλαῖς ἤδη καὶ μεγάλαις συμφοραῖς περιεπέσομεν. ὧν ἡμεῖς οὐδεμίαν ποιούμεθα μνείαν, ἀλλʼ ἑτοίμως ἔχομεν, μηδὲν εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς πράττοντες, τριήρεις πληροῦν καὶ χρημάτων εἰσφορὰς ποιεῖσθαι καὶ βοηθεῖν καὶ πολεμεῖν οἷς ἂν τύχωμεν, ὥσπερ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ τῇ πόλει κινδυνεύοντες. τούτων δʼ αἴτιόν ἐστιν, ὅτι προσῆκον ὑμᾶς ὁμοίως ὑπὲρ τῶν κοινῶν ὥσπερ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων σπουδάζειν, οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔχετε περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ ὅταν μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων βουλεύησθε, ζητεῖτε συμβούλους τοὺς ἄμεινον φρονοῦντας ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, ὅταν δʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ἐκκλησιάζητε, τοῖς μὲν τοιούτοις ἀπιστεῖτε καὶ φθονεῖτε, τοὺς δὲ πονηροτάτους τῶν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα παριόντων ἀσκεῖτε, καὶ νομίζετε δημοτικωτέρους εἶναι τοὺς μεθύοντας τῶν νηφόντων καὶ τοὺς νοῦν οὐκ ἔχοντας τῶν εὖ φρονούντων καὶ τοὺς τὰ τῆς πόλεως διανεμομένους τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας ὑμῖν λειτουργούντων.

[¶11] 13. And the cause of this condition of affairs is that, although you ought to be as much concerned about the business of the commonwealth as about your own, you do not feel the same interest in the one as in the other; on the contrary, whenever you take counsel regarding your private business you seek out as counsellors men who are your superiors in intelligence, but whenever you deliberate on the business of the state you distrust and dislike men of that character and cultivate, instead, the most depraved of the orators who come before you on this platform; and you prefer as being better friends of the people those who are drunk to those who are sober, those who are witless to those who are wise, and those who dole out the public money to those who perform public services at their own expense. So that we may well marvel that anyone can expect a state which employs such counsellors to advance to better things. But I know that it is hazardous to oppose your views and that, although this is a free government, there exists no ‘freedom of speech’ except that which is enjoyed in this Assembly by the most reckless orators, who care nothing for your welfare, and in the theater by the comic poets. And, what is most outrageous of all, you show greater favor to those who publish the failings of Athens to the rest of the Hellenes than you show even to those who benefit the city, while you are as ill-disposed to those who rebuke and admonish you as you are to men who work injury to the state.

> Greek: 13. ὥστʼ ἄξιον θαυμάζειν, εἴ τις ἐλπίζει τὴν πόλιν τοιούτοις συμβούλοις χρωμένην ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἐπιδώσειν. ἐγὼ δʼ οἶδα μὲν ὅτι πρόσαντές ἐστιν ἐναντιοῦσθαι ταῖς ὑμετέραις διανοίαις, καὶ ὅτι δημοκρατίας οὔσης οὐκ ἔστι παρρησία, πλὴν ἐνθάδε μὲν τοῖς ἀφρονεστάτοις καὶ μηδὲν ὑμῶν φροντίζουσιν, ἐν δὲ τῷ θεάτρω τοῖς κωμῳδοδιδασκάλοις· ὃ καὶ πάντων ἐστὶ δεινότατον, ὅτι τοῖς μὲν ἐκφέρουσιν εἰς τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας τὰ τῆς πόλεως ἁμαρτήματα τοσαύτην ἔχετε χάριν ὅσην οὐδὲ τοῖς εὖ ποιοῦσι, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπιπλήττοντας καὶ νουθετοῦντας ὑμᾶς οὕτω διατίθεσθε δυσκόλως ὥσπερ πρὸς τοὺς κακόν τι τὴν πόλιν ἐργαζομένους.

[¶12] 15. Nevertheless, in spite of these conditions, I shall not desist from what I had in mind to say. For I have come before you, not to seek your favor nor to solicit your votes, but to make known the views I hold, first, regarding the proposals which have been put before you by the Prytaneis, and, second, regarding the other interests of the state; for no good will come of the resolutions which have now been made regarding the peace unless we are well advised also with regard to what remains to be done.

> Greek: 15. ὅμως δὲ καὶ τούτων ὑπαρχόντων οὐκ ἂν ἀποσταίην ὧν διενοήθην. παρελήλυθα γὰρ οὐ χαριούμενος ὑμῖν οὐδὲ χειροτονίαν μνηστεύσων, ἀλλʼ ἀποφανούμενος ἃ τυγχάνω γιγνώσκων πρῶτον μὲν περὶ ὧν οἱ πρυτάνεις προτιθέασιν, ἔπειτα περὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τῆς πόλεως πραγμάτων· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὄφελος ἔσται τῶν νῦν περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης γνωσθέντων, ἢν μὴ καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὀρθῶς βουλευσώμεθα.

[¶13] 16. I maintain, then, that we should make peace, not only with the Chians, the Rhodians, the Byzantines and the Coans, but with all mankind, and that we should adopt, not the covenants of peace which certain parties have recently drawn up, but those which we have entered into with the king of Persia and with the Lacedaemonians, which ordain that the Hellenes be independent, that the alien garrisons be removed from the several states, and that each people retain its own territory. For we shall not find terms of peace more just than these nor more expedient for our city.

> Greek: 16. φημὶ δʼ οὖν χρῆναι ποιεῖσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην μὴ μόνον πρὸς Χίους καὶ Ῥοδίους καὶ Βυζαντίους καὶ Κῴους ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους, καὶ χρῆσθαι ταῖς συνθήκαις μὴ ταύταις αἷς νῦν τινὲς γεγράφασιν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς γενομέναις μὲν πρὸς βασιλέα καὶ Λακεδαιμονίους, προσταττούσαις δὲ τοὺς Ἕλληνας αὐτονόμους εἶναι καὶ τὰς φρουρὰς ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων πόλεων ἐξιέναι καὶ τὴν αὑτῶν ἔχειν ἑκάστους. τούτων γὰρ οὔτε δικαιοτέρας εὑρήσομεν οὔτε μᾶλλον τῇ πόλει συμφερούσας.

[¶14] 17. But if I leave off speaking at this point, I know that I shall appear to put Athens at a disadvantage, if, that is to say, the Thebans are to retain possession of Thespiae and Plataea and the other cities which they have seized contrary to their oaths, while we are to retire, under no compulsion to do so, from the territory which we now hold. But if you will only listen to me and give me your attention to the end, I believe that you will all impute extreme folly and madness to those who think that injustice is advantageous and who would hold in subjection by force the cities of others, failing to reckon with the disasters which result from such a policy.

> Greek: 17. ἢν μὲν οὖν ἐνταῦθα καταλίπω τὸν λόγον, οἶδʼ ὅτι δόξω τὴν πόλιν ἐλαττοῦν, εἰ Θηβαῖοι μὲν ἕξουσι Θεσπιὰς καὶ Πλαταιὰς καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις ἃς παρὰ τοὺς ὅρκους κατειλήφασιν, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἔξιμεν μηδεμιᾶς ἀνάγκης οὔσης ἐξ ὧν τυγχάνομεν ἔχοντες· ἢν δὲ διὰ τέλους ἀκούσητέ μου προσέχοντες τὸν νοῦν, οἶμαι πάντας ὑμᾶς καταγνώσεσθαι πολλὴν ἄνοιαν καὶ μανίαν τῶν τὴν ἀδικίαν πλεονεξίαν εἶναι νομιζόντων, καὶ τῶν τὰς ἀλλοτρίας πόλεις βίᾳ κατεχόντων, καὶ μὴ λογιζομένων τὰς συμφορὰς τὰς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων γιγνομένας.

[¶15] 18. On this point indeed I shall attempt to instruct you throughout my entire speech. But first let us discuss the question of peace and consider what we should desire for ourselves at the present juncture. For if we define this clearly and intelligently, we shall take better counsel in the light of this principle regarding our other interests as well.

> Greek: 18. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ λόγου πειρασόμεθα διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς, περὶ δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης πρῶτον διαλεχθῶμεν, καὶ σκεψώμεθα τί ἂν ἐν τῷ παρόντι γενέσθαι βουληθεῖμεν ἡμῖν. ἢν γὰρ ταῦτα καλῶς ὁρισώμεθα καὶ νοῦν ἐχόντως, πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἀποβλέποντες ἄμεινον βουλευσόμεθα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων.

[¶16] 19. Let me ask, then, whether we should be satisfied if we could dwell in our city secure from danger, if we could be provided more abundantly with the necessities of life, if we could be of one mind amongst ourselves, and if we could enjoy the high esteem of the Hellenes. I, for my part, hold that, with these blessings assured us, Athens would be completely happy. Now it is the war which has robbed us of all the good things which I have mentioned; for it has made us poorer; it has compelled many of us to endure perils; it has given us a bad name among the Hellenes; and it has in every way overwhelmed us with misfortune.

> Greek: 19. ἆρʼ οὖν ἂν ἐξαρκέσειεν ἡμῖν, εἰ τήν τε πόλιν ἀσφαλῶς οἰκοῖμεν καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν βίον εὐπορώτεροι γιγνοίμεθα καὶ τά τε πρὸς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ὁμονοοῖμεν καὶ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν εὐδοκιμοῖμεν; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι τούτων ὑπαρξάντων τελέως τὴν πόλιν εὐδαιμονήσειν. ὁ μὲν τοίνυν πόλεμος ἁπάντων ἡμᾶς τῶν εἰρημένων ἀπεστέρηκεν· καὶ γὰρ πενεστέρους πεποίηκε, καὶ πολλοὺς κινδύνους ὑπομένειν ἠνάγκασε, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας διαβέβληκε, καὶ πάντας τρόπους τεταλαιπώρηκεν ἡμᾶς.

[¶17] 20. But if we make peace and demean ourselves as our common covenants command us to do, then we shall dwell in our city in great security, delivered from wars and perils and the turmoil in which we are now involved amongst ourselves, and we shall advance day by day in prosperity, relieved of paying war-taxes, of fitting out triremes, and of discharging the other burdens which are imposed by war, without fear cultivating our lands and sailing the seas and engaging in those other occupations which now, because of the war, have entirely come to an end.

> Greek: 20. ἢν δὲ τὴν εἰρήνην ποιησώμεθα, καὶ τοιούτους ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς παράσχωμεν οἵους αἱ κοιναὶ συνθῆκαι προστάττουσι, μετὰ πολλῆς μὲν ἀσφαλείας τὴν πόλιν οἰκήσομεν, ἀπαλλαγέντες πολέμων καὶ κινδύνων καὶ ταραχῆς, εἰς ἣν νῦν πρὸς ἀλλήλους καθέσταμεν, καθʼ ἑκάστην δὲ τὴν ἡμέραν πρὸς εὐπορίαν ἐπιδώσομεν, ἀναπεπαυμένοι μὲν τῶν εἰσφορῶν καὶ τῶν τριηραρχιῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν περὶ τὸν πόλεμον λειτουργιῶν, ἀδεῶς δὲ γεωργοῦντες καὶ τὴν θάλατταν πλέοντες καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐργασίαις ἐπιχειροῦντες, αἳ νῦν διὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἐκλελοίπασιν.

[¶18] 21. Nay, we shall see our city enjoying twice the revenues which she now receives, and thronged with merchants and foreigners and resident aliens, by whom she is now deserted. And, what is most important of all, we shall have all mankind as our allies—allies who will not have been forced, but rather persuaded, to join with us, who will not welcome our friendship because of our power when we are secure only to abandon us when we are in peril, but who will be disposed towards us as those should be who are in very truth allies and friends.

> Greek: 21. ὀψόμεθα δὲ τὴν πόλιν διπλασίας μὲν ἢ νῦν τὰς προσόδους λαμβάνουσαν, μεστὴν δὲ γιγνομένην ἐμπόρων καὶ ξένων καὶ μετοίκων, ὧν νῦν ἐρήμη καθέστηκεν. Τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, συμμάχους ἕξομεν ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους, οὐ βεβιασμένους ἀλλὰ πεπεισμένους, οὐδʼ ἐν ταῖς μὲν ἀσφαλείαις διὰ τὴν δύναμιν ἡμᾶς ὑποδεχομένους, ἐν δὲ τοῖς κινδύνοις ἀποστησομένους, ἀλλʼ οὕτω διακειμένους ὥσπερ χρὴ τοὺς ὡς ἀληθῶς συμμάχους καὶ φίλους ὄντας.

[¶19] 22. Furthermore, what we are now unable to obtain through war and great outlay of money we shall readily secure for ourselves through peaceful embassies. For do not think that Cersobleptes will wage war with us over the Chersonese, or Philip over Amphipolis, when they see that we do not covet any of the possessions of other peoples. It is true that as things are now they have good reason to be afraid to make Athens a near neighbor to their dominions;

> Greek: 22. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ἃ νῦν ἀπολαβεῖν οὐ δυνάμεθα διὰ πολέμου καὶ πολλῆς δαπάνης, ταῦτα διὰ πρεσβείας ῥᾳδίως κομιούμεθα. μὴ γὰρ οἴεσθε μήτε Κερσοβλέπτην ὑπὲρ Χερρονήσου μήτε Φίλιππον ὑπὲρ Ἀμφιπόλεως πολεμήσειν, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἡμᾶς μηδενὸς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐφιεμένους. νῦν μὲν γὰρ εἰκότως φοβοῦνται γείτονα ποιήσασθαι τὴν πόλιν ταῖς αὑτῶν δυναστείαις, ὁρῶσι γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐ στέργοντας ἐφʼ οἷς ἂν ἔχωμεν, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τοῦ πλέονος ὀρεγομένους, ἢν δὲ μεταβαλώμεθα τὸν τρόπον καὶ δόξαν βελτίω λάβωμεν, οὐ μόνον ἀποστήσονται τῆς ἡμετέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς αὑτῶν προσδώσουσι·

[¶20] 23. for they see that we are not content with what we have but are always reaching out for more. If, however, we change our ways and gain a better reputation, they will not only withdraw from our territory but will give us besides territory of their own. For it will be to their advantage to cherish and support the power of Athens and so be secure in the possession of their own kingdoms. And, mark you, it will be possible for us to cut off from the region of Thrace enough land so that we shall not only have abundance ourselves but shall also be able to furnish adequate means of subsistence to those of the Hellenes who are in need and, because of their poverty, are now wandering from place to place. For where Athenodorus and Callistratus, the one a private, the other an exile, have been able to found cities, surely we could gain possession of many such places if we so desired. And those who claim the right to stand at the head of the Hellenes ought to become leaders of such enterprises much rather than of war and of hireling armies, which at the present time are the objects of our ambition.

> Greek: 23. λυσιτελήσει γὰρ αὐτοῖς θεραπεύουσι τὴν δύναμιν τὴν τῆς πόλεως ἀσφαλῶς ἔχειν τὰς ἑαυτῶν βασιλείας. καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἡμῖν ἐξέσται τοσαύτην ἀποτεμέσθαι χώραν, ὥστε μὴ μόνον αὐτοὺς ἄφθονον ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς δεομένοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ διʼ ἀπορίαν πλανωμένοις ἱκανὸν δύνασθαι βίον παρασχεῖν. ὅπου γὰρ Ἀθηνόδωρος καὶ Καλλίστρατος, ὁ μὲν ἰδιώτης ὤν, ὁ δὲ φυγάς, οἰκίσαι πόλεις οἷοί τε γεγόνασιν, ἦ που βουληθέντες ἡμεῖς πολλοὺς ἂν τόπους τοιούτους κατασχεῖν δυνηθεῖμεν. χρὴ δὲ τοὺς πρωτεύειν ἐν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἀξιοῦντας τοιούτων ἔργων ἡγεμόνας γίγνεσθαι πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ πολέμου καὶ στρατοπέδων ξενικῶν, ὧν νῦν ἐπιθυμοῦντες ἡμεῖς τυγχάνομεν.

[¶21] 25. Now as to the promises held out by the ambassadors, what I have said is enough, although one might perhaps add many things to what I have said. But I think we should not go forth from this assembly, having merely adopted resolutions in favor of the peace, without also taking counsel how we shall keep it, and not do what we are in the habit of doing—namely, getting ourselves involved again in the same disorders after a short interval of time —and how we shall devise, not merely a postponement, but some means of permanent deliverance from our present ills.

> Greek: 25. περὶ μὲν οὖν ὧν οἱ πρέσβεις ἐπαγγέλλονται, καὶ ταῦθʼ ἱκανά, καὶ πολλὰ ἂν ἴσως τις προσθείη τούτοις· ἡγοῦμαι δὲ δεῖν ἡμᾶς οὐ μόνον ψηφισαμένους τὴν εἰρήνην ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀπελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βουλευσαμένους ὅπως ἄξομεν αὐτήν, καὶ μὴ ποιήσομεν ὅπερ εἰώθαμεν, ὀλίγον χρόνον διαλιπόντες πάλιν εἰς τὰς αὐτὰς καταστησόμεθα ταραχάς, μηδʼ ἀναβολὴν ἀλλʼ ἀπαλλαγὴν εὑρήσομέν τινα τῶν κακῶν τῶν παρόντων.

[¶22] 26. But no such thing can come to pass until you are persuaded that tranquillity is more advantageous and more profitable than meddlesomeness, justice than injustice, and attention to one’s own affairs than covetousness of the possessions of others. This is a theme on which none of the orators has ever made bold to address you. I, however, shall devote most of my discourse to this very subject. For I observe that happiness is to be found in these ways of life and not in those which we now follow.

> Greek: 26. οὐδὲν δὲ τούτων οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶ γενέσθαι πρότερον, πρὶν ἂν πεισθῆτε τὴν μὲν ἡσυχίαν ὠφελιμωτέραν καὶ κερδαλεωτέραν εἶναι τῆς πολυπραγμοσύνης, τὴν δὲ δικαιοσύνην τῆς ἀδικίας, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιμέλειαν τῆς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμίας. περὶ ὧν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τῶν ῥητόρων εἰπεῖν ἐν ὑμῖν ἐτόλμησεν· ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν τούτων τοὺς πλείστους τῶν λόγων μέλλω ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ὁρῶ γὰρ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ἐν τούτοις ἐνοῦσαν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν οἷς νῦν τυγχάνομεν πράττοντες.

[¶23] 27. But anyone who attempts to discourse on a subject out of the common and who desires to bring about a change in your opinions must needs touch upon many matters and speak somewhat at length, now reminding, now rebuking, now commending, and again counselling you. For hardly with all these aids can you be led to a better way of thinking.

> Greek: 27. ἀνάγκη δὲ τὸν ἔξω τῶν εἰθισμένων ἐπιχειροῦντα δημηγορεῖν καὶ τὰς ὑμετέρας γνώμας μεταστῆσαι βουλόμενον πολλῶν πραγμάτων ἅψασθαι καὶ διὰ μακροτέρων τοὺς λόγους ποιήσασθαι, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀναμνῆσαι, τῶν δὲ κατηγορῆσαι, τὰ δʼ ἐπαινέσαι, περὶ δὲ τῶν συμβουλεῦσαι· μόλις γὰρ ἄν τις ὑμᾶς ἐξ ἁπάντων τούτων ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον φρονῆσαι δυνηθείη προαγαγεῖν.

[¶24] 28. For the matter stands thus. It seems to me that, while all men crave their advantage and desire to be better off than the rest, they do not all know the kind of conduct which leads to this end but differ from each other in judgement, some possessing a judgement which is sound and capable of hitting the right course of action, others one which completely misses their true advantage.

> Greek: 28. ἔχει γὰρ οὕτως. ἐμοὶ δοκοῦσιν ἅπαντες μὲν ἐπιθυμεῖν τοῦ συμφέροντος καὶ τοῦ πλέον ἔχειν τῶν ἄλλων, οὑκ εἰδέναι δὲ τὰς πράξεις τὰς ἐπὶ ταῦτα φερούσας, ἀλλὰ ταῖς δόξαις διαφέρεν ἀλλήλων· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἔχειν ἐπιεικεῖς καὶ στοχάζεσθαι τοῦ δέοντος δυναμένας, οἱ δʼ ὡς οἷόν τε πλεῖστον τοῦ συμφέροντος διαμαρτανούσας.

[¶25] 29. And this is the very thing which has happened to our city; for we think that, if we sail the sea with many triremes and compel the various states to pay contributions and send representatives to Athens, we have accomplished something to the purpose. But in fact, we have been completely misled as to the truth; for of the hopes which we cherished not one has been fulfilled; on the contrary, we have reaped from them hatreds and wars and great expense. And this was to be expected;

> Greek: 29. ὅπερ καὶ τῇ πόλει συμβέβηκεν. ἡμεῖς γὰρ οἰόμεθα μέν, ἢν τὴν θάλατταν πλέωμεν πολλαῖς τριήρεσι καὶ βιαζώμεθα τὰς πόλεις συντάξεις διδόναι καὶ δεόντων· πλεῖστον διεψεύσμεθα τῆς ἀληθείας. ὦ μὲν γὰρ ἠλπίζομεν, οὐδὲν ἀποβέβηκεν, ἔχθραι δʼ ἡμῖν ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ πόλεμοι καὶ δαπάναι μεγάλαι γεγόνασιν, εἰκότως·

[¶26] 30. for in former times as the result of such meddlesomeness we were placed in the utmost peril, while as the result of keeping our city in the path of justice and of giving aid to the oppressed and of not coveting the possessions of others we were given the hegemony by the willing consent of the Hellenes —considerations which now and for a long time past, without reason and with utter recklessness, we have treated with contempt.

> Greek: 30. καὶ γὰρ τὸ πρότερον ἐκ μὲν τῆς τοιαύτης πολυπραγμοσύνης εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους κινδύνους κατέστημεν, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ δικαίαν τὴν πόλιν παρέχειν καὶ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις καὶ μὴ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμεῖν παρʼ ἑκόντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἐλάβομεν· ὧν νῦν ἀλογίστως καὶ λίαν εἰκῇ πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον καταφρονοῦμεν.

[¶27] 31. For some have gone to such an extreme of folly as to hold the view that, while injustice is reprehensible, it is, nevertheless, profitable and advantageous in our lives day by day, and that, while justice is estimable, it is for all that disadvantageous and more capable of benefiting others than of helping those who practise it.

> Greek: 31. εἰς τοῦτο γάρ τινες ἀνοίας ἐληλύθασιν, ὥσθʼ ὑπειλήφασι τὴν ἀδικίαν ἐπονείδιστον μὲν εἶναι, κερδαλέαν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον τὸν καθʼ ἡμέραν συμφέρουσαν, τὴν δὲ δικαιοσύνην εὐδόκιμον μέν, ἀλυσιτελῆ δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον δυναμένην τοὺς ἄλλους ὠφελεῖν ἢ τοὺς ἔχοντας αὐτήν, κακῶς εἰδότες ὡς οὔτε πρὸς χρηματισμὸν οὔτε πρὸς δόξαν οὔτε πρὸς ἃ δεῖ πράττειν οὔθʼ ὅλως πρὸς εὐδαιμονίαν οὐδὲν ἂν συμβάλοιτο τηλικαύτην δύναμιν ὅσην περ ἀρετὴ καὶ τὰ μέρη ταύτης.

[¶28] 32. They fail to see that nothing in the world can contribute so powerfully to material gain, to good repute, to right action, in a word, to happiness, as virtue and the qualities of virtue. For it is by the good qualities which we have in our souls that we acquire also the other advantages of which we stand in need. So that those who have no care for their own state of mind are unwittingly disparaging the means of attaining at the same time to greater wisdom and to greater well-being.

> Greek: 32. τοῖς γὰρ ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἔχομεν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, τούτοις κτώμεθα καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ὠφελείας, ὧν δεόμενοι τυγχάνομεν· ὥσθʼ οἱ τῆς αὑτῶν διανοίας ἀμελοῦντες λελήθασι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἅμα τοῦ τε φρονεῖν ἄμεινον καὶ τοῦ πράττειν βέλτιον τῶν ἄλλων ὀλιγωροῦντες.

[¶29] 33. But I marvel if anyone thinks that those who practise piety and justice remain constant and steadfast in these virtues because they expect to be worse off than the wicked and not because they consider that both among gods and among men they will have the advantage over others. I, for my part, am persuaded that they and they alone gain advantage in the true sense, while the others gain advantage only in the baser sense of that term.

> Greek: 33. θαυμάζω δʼ εἴ τις οἴεται τοὺς τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἀσκοῦντας καρτερεῖν καὶ μένειν ἐν τούτοις ἐλπίζοντας ἔλαττον ἕξειν τῶν πονηρῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἡγουμένους καὶ παρὰ θεοῖς καὶ παρʼ ἀνθρώποις πλέον οἴσεσθαι τῶν ἄλλων. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ πέπεισμαι τούτους μόνους ὧν δεῖ πλεονεκτεῖν, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους ὧν οὐ βέλτιόν ἐστιν.

[¶30] 34. For I observe that those who prefer the way of injustice, thinking it the greatest good fortune to seize something that belongs to others, are in like case with animals which are lured by a bait, at the first deriving pleasure from what they seize, but the moment after finding themselves in desperate straits, while those who live a life of piety and justice pass their days in security for the present and have sweeter hopes for all eternity.

> Greek: 34. ὁρῶ γὰρ τοὺς μὲν τὴν ἀδικίαν προτιμῶντας καὶ τὸ λαβεῖν τι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν νομίζοντας ὅμοια πάσχοντας τοῖς δελεαζομένοις τῶν ζώων, καὶ κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἀπολαύοντας ὧν ἂν λάβωσιν, ὀλίγῳ δʼ ὕστερον ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις κακοῖς ὄντας, τοὺς δὲ μετʼ εὐσεβείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης ζῶντας ἔν τε τοῖς παροῦσι χρόνοις ἀσφαλῶς διάγοντας καὶ περὶ τοῦ σύμπαντος αἰῶνος ἡδίους τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχοντας.

[¶31] 35. But if this is not wont to happen in all cases, nevertheless it does, for the most part, come out in this way. And it behoves intelligent men, since they cannot see clearly what will always be to their advantage, to show to the world that they prefer that which is generally beneficial. On the other hand, they are of all men most afflicted with unreason who concede that justice is a way of life more noble and more pleasing to the gods than injustice but at the same time believe that those who follow it will live in worse case than those who have chosen the way of evil.

> Greek: 35. καὶ ταῦτʼ εἰ μὴ κατὰ πάντων οὕτως εἴθισται συμβαίνειν, ἀλλὰ τό γʼ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τοῦτον γίγνεται τὸν τρόπον. χρὴ δὲ τοὺς εὖ φρονοῦντας, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μέλλον ἀεὶ συνοίσειν οὐ καθορῶμεν, τὸ πολλάκις ὠφελοῦς, τοῦτο φαίνεσθαι προαιρουμένους. πάντων δʼ ἀλογώτατον πεπόνθασιν ὅσοι κάλλιον μὲν ἐπιτήδευμα νομίζουσιν εἶναι καὶ θεοφιλέστερον τὴν δικαιοσύνην τῆς ἀδικίας, χεῖρον δʼ οἴονται βιώσεσθαι τοὺς ταύτῃ χρωμένους τῶν τὴν πονηρίαν προῃρημένων.

[¶32] 36. I could wish that, even as to praise virtue is a facile theme, so it were easy to persuade bearers to practice it. But as things are I am afraid that I may be expressing such sentiments to no purpose. For we have been depraved for a long time by men whose only ability is to cheat and delude—men who have held the people in such contempt that whenever they wish to bring about a state of war with any city, these very men who are paid for what they say have the audacity to tell us that we should follow the example of our ancestors and not allow ourselves to be made a laughing-stock nor permit those Hellenes to sail the sea who are unwilling to pay us their contributions.

> Greek: 36. ἠβουλόμην δʼ ἄν, ὥσπερ πρόχειρόν ἐστιν ἐπαινέσαι τὴν ἀρετήν, οὕτω ῥᾴδιον εἶναι πεῖσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἀσκεῖν αὐτήν· νῦν δὲ δέδοικα μὴ μάτην τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγω. διεφθάρμεθα γὰρ πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲν ἀλλʼ ἢ φενακίζειν δυναμένων, οἳ τοσοῦτον τοῦ πλήθους καταπεφρονήκασιν ὥσθʼ, ὁπόταν βουληθῶσι πόλεμον πρός τινας ἐξενεγκεῖν, αὐτοὶ χρήματα λαμβάνοντες λέγειν τολμῶσιν ὡς χρὴ τοὺς προγόνους μιμεῖσθαι, καὶ μὴ περιορᾶν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς καταγελωμένους μηδὲ τὴν θάλατταν πλέοντας τοὺς μὴ τὰς συντάξεις ἐθέλοντας ἡμῖν ὑποτελεῖν.

[¶33] 37. Now I should be glad if they would inform me what ancestors they would have us imitate. Do they mean those who lived at the time of the Persian Wars or those who governed the city before the Decelean War? If they mean the latter then they are simply advising us to run the risk once again of being enslaved;

> Greek: 37. ἡδέως ἂν οὖν αὐτῶν πυθοίμην, τίσιν ἡμᾶς τῶν προγεγενημένων κελεύουσιν ὁμοίους γίγνεσθαι, πότερον τοῖς περὶ τὰ Περσικὰ γενομένοις, ἢ τοῖς πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ Δεκελεικοῦ τὴν πόλιν διοικήσασιν; εἰ μὲν γὰρ τούτοις, οὐδὲν ἀλλʼ ἢ συμβουλεύουσιν ἡμῖν πάλιν περὶ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ κινδυνεύειν·

[¶34] 38. but if they mean those who at Marathon conquered the barbarians, then they are of all men the most brazen, if, that is to say, they praise those who governed Athens at that time and in the same breath would persuade us to act in a manner contrary to theirs and to commit blunders so gross that I am at a loss what I should do—whether I should speak the truth as on all other occasions or be silent out of fear of making myself odious to you. For while it seems to me the better course to discuss your blunders, I observe that you are more resentful towards those who take you to task than towards those who are the authors of your misfortunes.

> Greek: 38. εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἐν Μαραθῶνι τοὺς βαρβάρους νικήσασι καὶ τοῖς πρὸ τούτων γενομένοις, πῶς οὐ πάντων ἀναισχυντότατοι τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, εἰ τοὺς τότε πολιτευομένους ἐπαινοῦντες τἀναντία πράττειν ἐκείνοις πείθουσιν ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοιαῦτʼ ἐξαμαρτάνειν περὶ ὧν ἀπορῶ τί ποιήσω, πότερα χρήσωμαι ταῖς ἀληθείαις ὥσπερ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ἢ κατασιωπήσω, δείσας τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπέχθειαν; δοκεῖ μὲν γάρ μοι βέλτιον εἶναι διαλεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτῶν, ὁρῶ δʼ ὑμᾶς χαλεπώτερον διατιθεμένους πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιτιμῶντας ἢ πρὸς αἰτίους τῶν κακῶν γεγενημένους. οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ αἰσχυνθείην ἄν, εἰ φανείην μᾶλλον φροντίζων τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ δόξης ἢ τῆς κοινῆς σωτηρίας.

[¶35] 39. Nevertheless I should be ashamed if I showed that I am more concerned about my own reputation than about the public safety. It is, therefore, my duty and the duty of all who care about the welfare of the state to choose, not those discourses which are agreeable to you, but those which are profitable for you to hear. And you, for your part, ought to realize, in the first place, that while many treatments of all kinds have been discovered by physicians for the ills of our bodies, there exists no remedy for souls which are ignorant of the truth and filled with base desires other than the kind of discourse which boldly rebukes the sins which they commit, and, in the second place, that it is absurd to submit to the cauteries and cuttings of physicians in order that we may be relieved of greater pains and yet refuse to hear discourses before knowing clearly whether or not they have the power to benefit their hearers.

> Greek: 39. ἐμὸν μὲν οὖν ἔργον ἐστί, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν κηδομένων τῆς πόλεως, προαιρεῖσθαι τῶν λόγων μὴ τοὺς ἡδίστους ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὠφελιμωτάτους· ὑμᾶς δὲ χρὴ πρῶτον μὲν τοῦτο γιγνώσκειν, ὅτι τῶν μὲν περὶ τὸ σῶμα νοσημάτων πολλαὶ θεραπεῖαι καὶ παντοδαπαὶ τοῖς ἰατροῖς εὕρηνται, ταῖς δὲ ψυχαῖς ταῖς ἀγνοούσαις καὶ γεμούσαις πονηρῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν οὐδέν ἐστιν ἄλλο φάρμακον πλὴν λόγος ὁ τολμῶν τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις ἐπιπλήττειν, ἔπειθʼ ὅτι καταγέλαστόν ἐστι τὰς μὲν καύσεις καὶ τὰς τομὰς τῶν ἰατρῶν ὑπομένειν, ἵνα πλειόνων ἀλγηδόνων ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, τοὺς δὲ λόγους ἀποδοκιμάζειν πρὶν εἰδέναι σαφῶς εἰ τοιαύτην ἔχουσι τὴν δύναμιν ὥστʼ ὠφελῆσαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας.

[¶36] 41. I have said these things at the outset because in the rest of my discourse I am going to speak without reserve and with complete frankness. For suppose that a stranger from another part of the world were to come to Athens, having had no time to be tainted with our depravity, but brought suddenly face to face with what goes on here, would he not think that we are mad and bereft of our senses, seeing that we plume ourselves upon the deeds of our ancestors and think fit to eulogize our city by dwelling upon the achievements of their time and yet act in no respect like them but do the very opposite?

> Greek: 41. τούτου δʼ ἕνεκα ταῦτα προεῖπον, ὅτι περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν οὐδὲν ὑποστειλάμενος ἀλλὰ παντάπασιν ἀνειμένως μέλλω τοὺς λόγους ποιεῖσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. τίς γὰρ ἄλλοθεν ἐπελθὼν καὶ μήπω συνδιεφθαρμένος ἡμῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐξαίφνης ἐπιστὰς τοῖς γιγνομένοις, οὐκ ἂν μαίνεσθαι καὶ παραφρονεῖν ἡμᾶς νομίσειεν, οἳ φιλοτιμούμεθα μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς τῶν προγόνων ἔργοις καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐκ τῶν τότε πραχθέντων ἐγκωμιάζειν ἀξιοῦμεν, οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνοις πράττομεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶν τοὐναντίον;

[¶37] 42. For while they waged war without ceasing in behalf of the Hellenes against the barbarians, we removed from their homes those who derive their livelihood from Asia and led them against the Hellenes; and while they liberated the cities of Hellas and lent them their aid and so were adjudged worthy of the hegemony, we seek to enslave these cities and pursue a policy the very opposite of theirs and then feel aggrieved that we are not held in like honor with them— we who fall so far short of those who lived in those days both in our deeds and in our thoughts that, whereas they brought themselves to abandon their country for the sake of saving the other Hellenes and fought and conquered the barbarians both on the land and on the sea, we do not see fit to run any risk even for our own advantage;

> Greek: 42. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τοῖς βαρβάροις πολεμοῦντες διετέλεσαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας τὸν βίον ποριζομένους ἐκεῖθεν ἀναστήσαντες ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἠγάγομεν· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν ἐλευθεροῦντες τὰς πόλεις τὰς Ἑλληνίδας καὶ βοηθοῦντες αὐταῖς τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἠξιώθησαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ καταδουλούμενοι καὶ τἀναντία τοῖς τότε πράττοντες ἀγανακτοῦμεν, εἰ μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν τιμὴν ἐκείνοις ἕξομεν, οἳ τοσοῦτον ἀπολελείμμεθα καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον γενομένων, ὅσον οἱ μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων σωτηρίας τήν τε πατρίδα τὴν αὑτῶν ἐκλιπεῖν ἐτόλμησαν, καὶ μαχόμενοι καὶ ναυμαχοῦντες τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐνίκησαν, ἡμεῖς δʼ οὐδʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας αὐτῶν πλεονεξίας κινδυνεύειν ἀξιοῦμεν, ἀλλʼ ἄρχειν μὲν ἁπάντων ζητοῦμεν,

[¶38] 44. on the contrary, although we seek to rule over all men, we are not willing to take the field ourselves, and although we undertake to wage war upon, one might almost say, the whole world, we do not train ourselves for war but employ instead vagabonds, deserters, and fugitives who have thronged together here in consequence of other misdemeanors, who, whenever others offer them higher pay, will follow their leadership against us.

> Greek: 44. στρατεύεσθαι δʼ οὐκ ἐθέλομεν, καὶ πόλεμον μὲν μικροῦ δεῖν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους ἀναιρούμεθα, πρὸς δὲ τοῦτον οὐχ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀσκοῦμεν, ἀλλʼ ἀνθρώπους τοὺς μὲν ἀπόλιδας τοὺς δʼ αὐτομόλους τοὺς δʼ ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων κακουργιῶν συνερρυηκότας, οἷς ὁπόταν τις διδῷ πλείω μισθόν, μετʼ ἐκείνων ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἀκολουθήσουσιν.

[¶39] 45. But, for all that, we are so enamored of these mercenaries that while we would not willingly assume the responsibility for the acts of our own children if they offended against anyone, yet for the brigandage, the violence, and the lawlessness of these men, the blame for which is bound to be laid at our door, not only do we feel no regret, but we actually rejoice whenever we hear that they have perpetrated any such atrocity.

> Greek: 45. ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀγαπῶμεν ὥσθʼ ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν παίδων τῶν ἡμετέρων, εἰ περί τινας ἐξαμάρτοιεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐθελήσαιμεν δίκας ὑποσχεῖν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς ἐκείνων ἁρπαγῆς καὶ βίας καὶ παρανομίας μελλόντων τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἥξειν οὐχ ὅπως ἀγανακτοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρομεν ὅταν ἀκούσωμεν αὐτοὺς τοιοῦτόν τι διαπεπραγμένους.

[¶40] 46. And we have reached such a degree of imbecility that, although we are ourselves in need of the necessities of daily existence, we have undertaken to support mercenary troops and we do violence to our own allies and extort money from them in order to provide pay for the common enemies of all mankind.

> Greek: 46. εἰς τοῦτο δὲ μωρίας ἐληλύθαμεν, ὥστʼ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐνδεεῖς τῶν καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐσμέν, ξενοτροφεῖν δʼ ἐπικεχειρήκαμεν, καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους τοὺς ἡμετέρους αὐτῶν ἰδίους λυμαινόμεθα καὶ δασμολογοῦμεν, ἵνα τοῖς ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων κοινοῖς ἐχθροῖς τὸν μισθὸν ἐκπορίζωμεν.

[¶41] 47. And so far are we inferior to our ancestors, both those who enjoyed the esteem of the Hellenes and those who incurred their hatred, that whereas they, when they resolved to wage war against any state, deemed it their duty, notwithstanding that the Acropolis was stored with silver and gold, to face danger in their own persons in support of their resolutions, we, on the other hand, not withstanding that we are in such extreme poverty and are so many in number, employ, as does the great King, mercenary armies!

> Greek: 47. τοσούτῳ δὲ χείρους ἐσμὲν τῶν προγόνων, οὐ μόνον τῶν εὐδοκιμησάντων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μισηθέντων, ὅσον ἐκεῖνοι μὲν εἰ πολεμεῖν πρός τινας ψηφίσαιντο, μεστῆς οὔσης ἀργυρίου καὶ χρυσίου τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ὅμως ὑπὲρ τῶν δοξάντων τοῖς αὑτῶν σώμασιν ὤοντο δεῖν κινδυνεύειν, ἡμεῖς δʼ εἰς τοσαύτην ἀπορίαν ἐληλυθότες καὶ τοσοῦτοι τὸ πλῆθος ὄντες ὥσπερ βασιλεὺς ὁ μέγας μισθωτοῖς χρώμεθα τοῖς στρατοπέδοις.

## 2. Sections 48–95

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/2/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/2/#p-N

[¶0] 48. In those days, when they manned their triremes, they put on board crews of foreigners and slaves but sent out citizens to fight under heavy arms. Now, however, we use mercenaries as heavy-armed troops but compel citizens to row the ships, with the result that when they land in hostile territory these men, who claim the right to rule over the Hellenes, disembark with their cushions under their arms, while men who are of the character which I have just described take the field with shield and spear!

> Greek: 48. καὶ τότε μὲν εἰ τριήρεις πληροῖεν, τοὺς μὲν ξένους καὶ τοὺς δούλους ναύτας εἰσεβίβαζον, τοὺς δὲ πολίτας μεθʼ ὅπλων ἐξέπεμπον· νῦν δὲ τοῖς μὲν ξένοις ὁπλίταις χρώμεθα, τοὺς δὲ πολίτας ἐλαύνειν ἀναγκάζομεν, ὥσθʼ ὁπόταν ἀποβαίνωσιν εἰς τὴν τῶν πολεμίων, οἱ μὲν ἄρχειν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀξιοῦντες ὑπηρέσιον ἔχοντες ἐκβαίνουσιν, οἱ δὲ τοιοῦτοι τὰς φύσεις ὄντες οἵους ὀλίγῳ πρότερον διῆλθον, μεθʼ ὅπλων κινδυνεύουσιν.

[¶1] 49. However, if one could see that the domestic policy of Athens was well managed he might be of good cheer as to our other affairs. But is it not about this very thing that he would feel most aggrieved? For we assert that we are sprung from our very soil and that our city was founded before all others, but although we ought to be an example to all the world of good and orderly government, we manage our state in a worse manner and with more disorder than those who are just founding their cities.

> Greek: 49. ἀλλὰ γὰρ τὰ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἄν τις ἰδὼν καλῶς διοικούμενα περὶ τῶν ἄλλων θαρρήσειεν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς τούτοις μάλιστʼ ἀγανακτήσειεν; οἵτινες αὐτόχθονες μὲν εἶναί φαμεν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ταύτην προτέραν οἰκισθῆναι τῶν ἄλλων, προσῆκον δʼ ἡμᾶς ἅπασιν εἶναι παράδειγμα τοῦ καλῶς καὶ τεταγμένως πολιτεύεσθαι, χεῖρον καὶ ταραχωδέστερον τὴν ἡμετέραν αὐτῶν διοικοῦμεν τῶν ἄρτι τὰς πόλεις οἰκιζόντων, καὶ σεμνυνόμεθα μὲν καὶ μέγα φρονοῦμεν ἐπὶ τῷ βέλτιον γεγονέναι τῶν ἄλλων, ῥᾴδιον δὲ μεταδίδομεν τοῖς βουλομένοις ταύτης τῆς εὐγενείας ἢ Τριβαλλοὶ καὶ Λευκανοὶ τῆς δυσγενείας·

[¶2] 50. We glory and take great pride in being better born than the rest but we are readier to share this noble birth-right with any who desire it than are the Triballians or the Leucanians to share their ignoble origin. We pass a multitude of laws, but we care so little about them (for if I give you a single instance you will be able to judge of the others as well) that, although we have prescribed the penalty of death for anyone who is convicted of bribery, we elect men who are most flagrantly guilty of this crime as our generals and we pick out the man who has been able to deprave the greatest number of our citizens and place him in charge of the most important affairs.

> Greek: 50. πλείστους δὲ τιθέμενοι νόμους οὕτως ὀλίγον αὐτῶν φροντίζομεν, ἓν γὰρ ἀκούσαντες γνώσεσθε καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὥστε θανάτου τῆς ζημίας ἐπικειμένης, ἤν τις ἁλῷ δεκάζων, τοὺς τοῦτο φανερώτατα ποιοῦντας στρατηγοὺς χειροτονοῦμεν, καὶ τὸν πλείστους διαφθεῖραι τῶν πολιτῶν δυνηθέντα, τοῦτον ἐπὶ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν πραγμάτων καθίσταμεν·

[¶3] 51. We are concerned about our polity no less than about the safety of the whole state and we know that our democracy flourishes and endures in times of peace and security while in times of war it has twice already been overthrown, but we are hostile to those who desire peace as if suspecting them of favoring oligarchy, while we are friendly to those who advocate war as if assured of their devotion to democracy.

> Greek: 51. σπουδάζοντες δὲ περὶ τὴν πολιτείαν οὐκ ἧττον ἢ περὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν ὅλης τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τὴν δημοκρατίαν εἰδότες ἐν μὲν ταῖς ἡσυχίαις καὶ ταῖς ἀσφαλείαις αὐξανομένην καὶ διαμένουσαν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πολέμοις δὶς ἤδη καταλυθεῖσαν, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπιθυμοῦντας ὡς πρὸς ὀλιγαρχικοὺς ὄντας δυσκόλως ἔχομεν, τοὺς δὲ τὸν πόλεμον ποιοῦντας ὡς τῆς δημοκρατίας κηδομένους εὔνους εἶναι νομίζομεν·

[¶4] 52. We are versed beyond all others in discourse and in the conduct of affairs, but we are so devoid of reason that we do not hold the same views about the same question on the same day; on the contrary, the things which we condemn before we enter the assembly are the very things which we vote for when we are in session, and again a little later when we depart to our homes we disapprove of the things which we resolved upon here. We pretend that we are the wisest of the Hellenes, but we employ the kind of advisers whom no one could fail to despise, and we place these very same men in control of all our public interests to whom no one would entrust a single one of his private affairs.

> Greek: 52. ἐμπειρότατοι δὲ λόγων καὶ πραγμάτων ὄντες οὕτως ἀλογίστως ἔχομεν, ὥστε περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας οὐ ταὐτὰ γιγνώσκομεν, ἀλλʼ ὧν μὲν πρὶν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀναβῆναι κατηγοροῦμεν, ταῦτα συνελθόντες χειροτονοῦμεν, οὐ πολὺν δὲ χρόνον διαλιπόντες τοῖς ἐνθάδε ψηφισθεῖσιν, ἐπειδὰν ἀπίωμεν, πάλιν ἐπιτιμῶμεν· προσποιούμενοι δὲ σοφώτατοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἶναι τοιούτοις χρώμεθα συμβούλοις, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις οὐκ ἂν καταφρονήσειεν, καὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς τούτους κυρίους ἁπάντων τῶν κοινῶν καθίσταμεν, οἷς οὐδεὶς ἂν οὐδὲν τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιτρέψειεν.

[¶5] 53. But, what is most reprehensible of all, we regard those whom all would acknowledge to be the most depraved of our citizens as the most trustworthy guardians of our polity; and we judge the character of our alien residents by the kind of patrons they select to represent them, but do not expect that we shall be judged by the character of those who represent us at the head of the state.

> Greek: 53. ὃ δὲ πάντων σχετλιώτατον· οὓς γὰρ ὁμολογήσαιμεν ἂν πονηροτάτους εἶναι τῶν πολιτῶν, τούτους πιστοτάτους φύλακας ἡγούμεθα τῆς πολιτείας εἶναι· καὶ τοὺς μὲν μετοίκους τοιούτους εἶναι νομίζομεν, οἵους περ ἂν τοὺς προστάτας νέμωσιν, αὐτοὶ δʼ οὐκ οἰόμεθα τὴν αὐτὴν λήψεσθαι δόξαν τοῖς προεστῶσιν ἡμῶν.

[¶6] 54. So far are we different from our ancestors that whereas they chose the same men to preside over the city and to be generals in the field, since they believed that one who could give the best counsel on this platform would best take counsel with himself when alone, we ourselves do the very opposite;

> Greek: 54. τοσοῦτον δὲ διαφέρομεν τῶν προγόνων, ὅσον ἐκεῖνοι μὲν τοὺς αὐτοὺς προστάτας τε τῆς πόλεως ἐποιοῦντο καὶ στρατηγοὺς ᾑροῦντο, νομίζοντες τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τὰ βέλτιστα συμβουλεῦσαι δυνάμενον, τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον ἄριστʼ ἂν βουλεύσασθαι καὶ καθʼ αὑτὸν γενόμενον, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον τούτων ποιοῦμεν·

[¶7] 55. for the men whose counsels we follow in matters of the greatest importance—these we do not see fit to elect as our generals, as if distrusting their intelligence, but men whose counsel no one would seek either on his own business or on that of the state—these we send into the field with unlimited authority, as if expecting that they will be wiser abroad than at home and will find it easier to take counsel on questions pertaining to the Hellenes than on those which are proposed for consideration here.

> Greek: 55. οἷς μὲν γὰρ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων συμβούλοις χρώμεθα, τούτους μὲν οὐκ ἀξιοῦμεν στρατηγοὺς χειροτονεῖν ὡς νοῦν οὐκ ἔχοντας, οἷς δʼ οὐδεὶς ἂν οὔτε περὶ τῶν ἰδίων οὔτε περὶ τῶν κοινῶν συμβουλεύσαιτο, τούτους δʼ αὐτοκράτορας ἐκπέμπομεν ὡς ἐκεῖ σοφωτέρους ἐσομένους καὶ ῥᾷον βουλευσομένους περὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πραγμάτων ἢ περὶ τῶν ἐνθάδε προτιθεμένων.

[¶8] 56. I say these things, not with reference to all, but with reference to those only who are open to the charges which I have made. However, the remainder of the day would not suffice me if I should attempt to review all the errors which have crept into our conduct of affairs.

> Greek: 56. λέγω δὲ ταῦτʼ οὐ κατὰ πάντων, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν ἐνόχων τοῖς λεγομένοις ὄντων. ἐπιλίποι δʼ ἄν με τὸ λοιπὸν μέρος τῆς ἡμέρας, εἰ πάσας τὰς πλημμελείας τὰς ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐγγεγενημένας ἐξετάζειν ἐπιχειροίην.

[¶9] 57. But someone among those who are hard hit by my strictures might take offense and demand of me, “How is it, if indeed we are so badly advised, that we are safe and hold a power which is inferior to that of no other city?” I, for my part, would reply to this question that we have in our adversaries men who are no more prudent than ourselves.

> Greek: 57. τάχʼ οὖν ἄν τις τῶν σφόδρα τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐνόχων ὄντων ἀγανακτήσας ἐρωτήσειε “πῶς, εἴπερ οὕτω κακῶς βουλευόμεθα, σωζόμεθα καὶ δύναμιν οὐδεμιᾶς πόλεως ἐλάττω κεκτημένοι τυγχάνομεν;” ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτʼ ἀποκριναίμην ἂν ὅτι τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἔχομεν οὐδὲν βέλτιον ἡμῶν φρονοῦντας.

[¶10] 58. For example, if the Thebans, after the battle which they won over the Lacedaemonians, had contented themselves with liberating the Peloponnesus and making the other Hellenes independent and had thenceforth pursued peace, while we continued to make such blunders, then neither could this man have asked such a question nor could we ourselves have failed to realize how much better moderation is than meddlesomeness.

> Greek: 58. εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν μάχην, ἣν ἐνίκησαν Θηβαῖοι Λακεδαιμονίους, ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐλευθερώσαντες τὴν Πελοπόννησον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας αὐτονόμους ποιήσαντες ἡσυχίαν εἶχον, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιαῦτʼ ἐξημαρτάνομεν, οὔτʼ ἂν οὗτος ἔσχε ταύτην ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἐρώτησιν, ἡμεῖς τʼ ἂν ἔγνωμεν ὅσῳ κρεῖττόν ἐστι τὸ σωφρονεῖν τοῦ πολυπραγμονεῖν.

[¶11] 59. But now matters have taken such a turn that the Thebans are saving us and we them, and they are procuring allies for us and we for them. So that if we were sensible we should supply each other with money for our general assemblies; for the oftener we meet to deliberate the more do we promote the success of our rivals.

> Greek: 59. νῦν δʼ ἐνταῦθα τὰ πράγματα περιέστηκεν, ὥστε Θηβαῖοι μὲν ἡμᾶς σώζουσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ Θηβαίους, καὶ συμμάχους ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἡμῖν ποιοῦσιν, ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐκείνοις. ὥστʼ εἰ νοῦν ἔχοιμεν, ἀλλήλοις ἂν εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἀργύριον παρέχοιμεν· ὁπότεροι γὰρ ἂν πλεονάκις συλλεγῶσιν, οὗτοι τοὺς ἐναντίους ἄμεινον πράττειν ποιοῦσιν.

[¶12] 60. But those among us who are able to exercise even a modicum of reason ought not to rest our hopes of safety upon the blunders of our enemies but upon our own management of affairs and upon our own judgement. For the good fortune which results to us from their stupidity might perhaps cease or change to the opposite, whereas that which comes about because of our own efforts will be more certain and more enduring.

> Greek: 60. χρὴ δὲ τοὺς καὶ μικρὰ λογίζεσθαι δυναμένους οὐκ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἁμαρτήμασι τὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχειν τῆς σωτηρίας, ἀλλʼ ἐν τοῖς αὑτῶν πράγμασι καὶ ταῖς αὑτῶν διανοίαις· τὸ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀμαθίαν συμβαῖνον ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν τυχὸν ἂν παύσαιτο καὶ λάβοι μεταβολήν, τὸ δὲ διʼ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς γιγνόμενον βεβαιοτέρως ἂν ἔχοι καὶ μᾶλλον παραμείνειεν ἡμῖν.

[¶13] 61. Now it is not difficult to reply to those who take us to task without reason. But if anyone among those who are more fair-minded were to confront me and object, while conceding that I speak the truth and am correct in condemning the things which are taking place, that we have a right to expect of those who seek to admonish us with friendly purpose that they should not only denounce what has been done but should also counsel us what to abstain from and what to strive for in order to cease from this way of thinking and from making such blunders, his objection would place me at a loss, not for a true answer and one that would be profitable, but for one that would be acceptable to you.

> Greek: 61. πρὸς μὲν οὖν τοὺς εἰκῇ τὰς ἐπιλήψεις ποιουμένους οὐ χαλεπὸν ἀντειπεῖν· εἰ δὲ δή τίς μοι παραστὰς τῶν ἐπιεικέστερον διακειμένων ἀληθῆ μὲν λέγειν με προσομολογήσειε καὶ προσηκόντως ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς γιγνομένοις, δίκαιον δʼ εἶναι φαίη τοὺς ἐπʼ εὐνοίᾳ νουθετοῦντας μὴ μόνον κατηγορεῖν τῶν πεπραγμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμβουλεύειν τίνων ἀπεχόμενοι καὶ ποίων ὀρεγόμενοι παυσαίμεθʼ ἂν ταύτην ἔχοντες τὴν γνώμην καὶ τοιαῦτʼ ἐξαμαρτάνοντες, οὗτος ὁ λόγος ἀπορεῖν ἄν με ποιήσειεν ἀποκρίσεως, οὐκ ἀληθοῦς καὶ συμφερούσης, ἀλλʼ ἀρεσκούσης ὑμῖν.

[¶14] 62. But since I have set out to speak openly I must not shrink from disclosing what I think on these matters also.

> Greek: 62. οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐπειδή περ ἀποκεκαλυμμένως ὥρμημαι λέγειν, οὐκ ἀποκνητέον ἀποφήνασθαι καὶ περὶ τούτων.

[¶15] 63. Well then, the qualities which we must possess as a foundation if we are to be happy and prosperous, namely, piety and moderation and justice and virtue in all its phases, I mentioned a moment ago. But as to the means by which we may most speedily be taught to attain to such a character, what I am going to say will probably seem repellent to you when you have heard it as well as far removed from the opinions held by the rest of the world.

> Greek: 63. ἃ μὲν οὖν ὑπάρχειν δεῖ τοῖς μέλλουσιν εὐδαιμονήσειν, τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀρετὴν ὀλίγῳ πρότερον εἰρήκαμεν· ὡς δʼ ἂν τάχιστα πρὸς τὸ τοιοῦτοι γενέσθαι παιδευθεῖμεν, ἀληθὲς μέν ἐστι τὸ ῥηθησόμενον, ἴσως δʼ ἂν ἀκούσασιν ὑμῖν δεινὸν εἶναι δόξειε καὶ παρὰ πολὺ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ἐξηλλαγμένον διανοίας.

[¶16] 64. For I, for my part, consider that we shall manage our city to better advantage and be ourselves better men and go forward in all our undertakings if we stop setting our hearts on the empire of the sea. For it is this which plunged us into our present state of disorder, which overthrew that democratic government under which our ancestors lived and were the happiest of the Hellenes, and which is the cause, one might almost say, of all the ills which we both suffer ourselves and inflict upon the rest of the Hellenes.

> Greek: 64. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἡμᾶς ἄμεινον οἰκήσειν καὶ βελτίους αὐτοὺς ἔσεσθαι καὶ πρὸς ἁπάσας τὰς πράξεις ἐπιδώσειν, ἢν παυσώμεθα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ἐπιθυμοῦντες. αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ καὶ νῦν εἰς ταραχὴν ἡμᾶς καθιστᾶσα, καὶ τὴν δημοκρατίαν ἐκείνην καταλύσασα μεθʼ ἧς οἱ πρόγονοι ζῶντες εὐδαιμονέστατοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἦσαν, καὶ σχεδὸν ἁπάντων αἰτία τῶν κακῶν ὧν αὐτοί τʼ ἔχομεν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παρέχομεν.

[¶17] 65. I know, however, that it is difficult for one who attempts to denounce that imperial power which all the world lusts after and has waged many wars to obtain to impress his hearers as saying anything which is not intolerable. Nevertheless, since you have endured the other things which I have said, which, although true, are offensive, I beg you to be patient also with what I shall say upon this subject and not to impute to me the madness of having chosen to discourse to you on matters so contrary to the general opinion without having something true to say about them.

> Greek: 65. οἶδα μὲν οὖν ὅτι χαλεπόν ἐστι δυναστείας ὑπὸ πάντων ἐρωμένης καὶ περιμαχήτου γεγενημένης κατηγοροῦντα δοκεῖν ἀνεκτόν τι λέγειν· ὅμως δʼ ἐπειδή περ ὑπεμείνατε καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους λόγους, ἀληθεῖς μὲν ὄντας φιλαπεχθήμονας δέ, καὶ τοῦτον ὑμῶν ἀνασχέσθαι δέομαι, καὶ μὴ καταγνῶναί μου τοιαύτην μανίαν, ὡς ἄρʼ ἐγὼ προειλόμην ἂν διαλεχθῆναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς περὶ πραγμάτων οὕτω παραδόξων, εἰ μή τι λέγειν ἀληθὲς εἶχον περὶ αὐτῶν.

[¶18] 66. Nay, I believe that I shall make it evident to all that we covet an empire which is neither just nor capable of being attained nor advantageous to ourselves.

> Greek: 66. νῦν δʼ οἶμαι πᾶσι φανερὸν ποιήσειν ὡς οὔτε δικαίας ἀρχῆς ἐπιθυμοῦμεν οὔτε γενέσθαι δυνατῆς οὔτε συμφερούσης ἡμῖν.

[¶19] 67. Now that it is not just I can show you by lessons which I have learned from yourselves. For when the Lacedaemonians held this power, what eloquence did we not expend in denouncing their rule, contending that it was just for the Hellenes to enjoy independence?

> Greek: 67. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ δικαίας, παρʼ ὑμῶν μαθὼν ὑμᾶς ἔχω διδάσκειν. ὅτε γὰρ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ταύτην εἶχον τὴν δύναμιν, ποίους λόγους οὐκ ἀνηλώσαμεν κατηγοροῦντες μὲν τῆς ἐκείνων ἀρχῆς, διεξιόντες δʼ ὡς δίκαιόν ἐστιν αὐτονόμους εἶναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας;

[¶20] 68. What cities of repute did we not call upon to join the alliance which was formed in this cause? How many embassies did we not dispatch to the great King to convince him that it was neither just nor expedient for one state to dominate the Hellenes? Indeed we did not cease waging war and facing perils both by land and sea until the Lacedaemonians were willing to enter into the treaty which guaranteed our independence.

> Greek: 68. τίνας δὲ τῶν πόλεων τῶν ἐλλογίμων οὐ παρεκαλέσαμεν ἐπὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ τούτων συστᾶσαν; πόσας δὲ πρεσβείας ὡς βασιλέα τὸν μέγαν ἀπεστείλαμεν, διδαξούσας αὐτὸν ὡς οὔτε δίκαιόν ἐστιν οὔτε συμφέρον μίαν πόλιν κυρίαν εἶναι τῶν Ἑλλήνων; οὐ πρότερον δʼ ἐπαυσάμεθα πολεμοῦντες καὶ κινδυνεύοντες καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν, πρὶν ἠθέλησαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι ποιήσασθαι τὰς συνθήκας τὰς περὶ τῆς αὐτονομίας.

[¶21] 69. At that time, then, we recognized the principle that it is not just for the stronger to rule over the weaker, even as now we recognize it in the nature of the polity which has been established amongst ourselves. But that we could not, if we would, attain to this empire by conquest I think I shall quickly prove. For when, with the help of ten thousand talents, we were not able to retain it, how can we acquire it in our present state of poverty, especially since we are now addicted, not to the ways of life by which we gained it, but to those by which we lost it?

> Greek: 69. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστι τοὺς κρείττους τῶν ἡττόνων ἄρχειν, ἐν ἐκείνοις τε τοῖς χρόνοις τυγχάνομεν ἐγνωκότες, καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τῆς πολιτείας τῆς παρʼ ἡμῖν καθεστηκυίας· ὡς δʼ οὐδʼ ἂν δυνηθείημεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ταύτην καταστήσασθαι, ταχέως οἶμαι δηλώσειν. ἣν γὰρ μετὰ μυρίων ταλάντων οὐχ οἷοί τʼ ἦμεν διαφυλάξαι, πῶς ἂν ταύτην ἐκ τῆς παρούσης ἀπορίας κτήσασθαι δυνηθεῖμεν, ἄλλως τε καὶ χρώμενοι τοῖς ἤθεσιν οὐχ οἷς ἐλάβομεν ἀλλʼ οἷς ἀπωλέσαμεν αὐτήν;

[¶22] 70. Furthermore, that it is not even for the advantage of the state to accept this empire, if it were offered to us, I think you will learn very quickly from what further I have to say. But first I want to say a word by way of leading up to this point, fearing that, on account of my many strictures, I may give the impression to some of you of having chosen to denounce our city.

> Greek: 70. ὡς τοίνυν οὐδὲ δέξασθαι διδομένην τῇ πόλει συμφέρει, δοκεῖτέ μοι τάχιστʼ ἂν ἐκεῖθεν καταμαθεῖν. μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ περὶ τούτων βούλομαι μικρὰ προειπεῖν· δέδοικα γὰρ μὴ διὰ τὸ πολλοῖς ἐπιτιμᾶν δόξω τισὶ προῃρῆσθαι τῆς πόλεως κατηγορεῖν.

[¶23] 71. If I were attempting to discourse in this manner before any others, I should naturally lay myself open to this charge. But now I am addressing myself to you, not with the wish that I may prejudice you in the eyes of others, but with the desire that I may cause you to make an end of such a policy and that Athens and the rest of the Hellenes may form a lasting peace.

> Greek: 71. ἐγὼ δʼ εἰ μὲν πρὸς ἄλλους τινὰς ἐπεχείρουν οὕτω διεξιέναι περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, εἰκότως ἂν εἶχον τὴν αἰτίαν ταύτην· νῦν δὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ποιοῦμαι τοὺς λόγους, οὐ διαβάλλειν ἑτέροις ἐπιθυμῶν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοὺς βουλόμενος παῦσαι τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην, περὶ ἧς ἅπας ὁ λόγος ἐστί, βεβαίως καὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας ἀγαγεῖν.

[¶24] 72. But those who admonish and those who denounce cannot avoid using similar words, although their purposes are as opposite as they can be. You ought not, therefore, to have the same feeling towards all who use the same language but, while abhorring those who revile you to your harm as inimical to the state, you ought to commend those who admonish you for your good and to esteem them as the best of your fellow-citizens, and him most of all, even among them, who is able to point out most vividly the evils of your practices and the disasters which result from them.

> Greek: 72. ἀνάγκη δὲ τοὺς νουθετοῦντας καὶ τοὺς κατηγοροῦντας τοῖς μὲν λόγοις χρῆσθαι παραπλησίοις, τὰς δὲ διανοίας ἔχειν ἀλλήλοις ὡς οἷόν τʼ ἐναντιωτάτας. ὥστε περὶ τῶν ταὐτὰ λεγόντων οὐκ ἀεὶ προσήκει τὴν αὐτὴν ὑμᾶς γνώμην ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ βλάβῃ λοιδοροῦντας μισεῖν ὡς κακόνους ὄντας τῇ πόλει, τοὺς δʼ ἐπʼ ὠφελία νουθετοῦντας ἐπαινεῖν καὶ βελτίστους τῶν πολιτῶν νομίζειν, καὶ τούτων αὐτῶν μάλιστα τὸν ἐναργέστατα δυνάμενον δηλῶσαι τὰς πονηρὰς τῶν πράξεων καὶ τὰς συμφορὰς τὰς ἀπʼ αὐτῶν γιγνομένας·

[¶25] 73. For such a man can soonest bring you to abhor what you should abhor and to set your hearts on better things. These, then, are the things which I have to say in defense of my harshness both in the words which I have spoken and those which I am about to speak. I will now resume at the place where I left off.

> Greek: 73. οὗτος γὰρ ἂν τάχιστα ποιήσειεν ὑμᾶς, μισήσαντας ἃ δεῖ, βελτιόνων ἐπιθυμῆσαι πραγμάτων. ὑπὲρ μὲν οὖν τῆς τῶν λόγων τραχύτητος καὶ τῶν εἰρμένων καὶ τῶν ῥηθήσεσθαι μελλόντων ταῦτʼ ἔχω λέγειν πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ὅθεν δʼ ἀπέλιπον, πάλιν ποιήσομαι τὴν ἀρχήν.

[¶26] 74. For I was on the point of saying that you could best learn that it is not to your advantage to obtain the empire of the sea if you should consider what was the condition of Athens before she acquired this power and what after she obtained it. For if you will examine one condition in contrast with the other you will see how many evils this power has brought upon the city.

> Greek: 74. ἔφασκον γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν κάλλιστʼ ἂν ὑμᾶς καταμαθεῖν ὡς οὐ συμφέρει λαβεῖν τὴν κατὰ θάλατταν ἀρχήν, εἰ σκέψαισθε τίνα τρόπον ἡ πόλις διέκειτο πρὶν τὴν δύναμιν ταύτην κτήσασθαι, καὶ πῶς ἐπειδὴ κατέσχεν αὐτήν· ἢν γὰρ ταῦτα παρʼ ἄλληλα τῇ διανοία θεωρήσητε, γνώσεσθʼ ὅσων κακῶν αἰτία τῇ πόλει γέγονεν.

[¶27] 75. Now the polity as it was in the earlier time was as much better and stronger than that which obtained later as Aristides and Themistocles and Miltiades were better men than Hyperbolus and Cleophon and those who today harangue the people. And you will find that the people who then governed the state were not given over to slackness and poverty and empty hopes, but were able to conquer in battle all who invaded their territory; that they were awarded the meed of valor in the wars which they fought for the sake of Hellas; and that they were so trusted that most of the states of their own free will placed themselves under their leadership.

> Greek: 75. ἡ μὲν τοίνυν πολιτεία τοσούτω βελτίων ἦν καὶ κρείττων ἡ τότε τῆς ὕστερον καταστάσης, ὅσῳ περ Ἀριστείδης καὶ Θεμιστοκλῆς καὶ Μιλτιάδης ἄνδρες ἀμείνους ἦσαν Ὑπερβόλου καὶ Κλεοφῶντος καὶ τῶν νῦν δημηγορούντων· τὸν δὲ δῆμον εὑρήσετε τὸν τότε πολιτευόμενον οὐκ ἀργίας οὐδʼ ἀπορίας οὐδʼ ἐλπίδων κενῶν ὄντα μεστόν, ἀλλὰ νικᾶν μὲν δυνάμενον ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἅπαντας τοὺς εἰς τὴν χώραν εἰσβάλλοντας, ἀριστείων δʼ ἀξιούμενον ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἑλλάδος κινδύνοις, οὕτω δὲ πιστευόμενον ὥστε τὰς πλείστας αὐτῷ τῶν πόλεων ἑκούσας ἐγχειρίσαι σφᾶς αὐτάς.

[¶28] 77. But, notwithstanding these advantages, in place of a polity which was admired by all men this power has led us on to a state of license which no one in the world could commend; in place of our habit of conquering those who took the field against us it has instilled into our citizens such ways that they have not the courage even to go out in front of the walls to meet the enemy;

> Greek: 77. τούτων δʼ ὑπαρχόντων, ἀντὶ μὲν τῆς πολιτείας τῆς παρὰ πᾶσιν εὐδοκιμούσης ἐπὶ τοιαύτην ἀκολασίαν ἡ δύναμις ἡμᾶς αὕτη προήγαγεν, ἣν οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀνθρώπων ἐπαινέσειεν· ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ νικᾶν τοὺς ἐπιστρατεύοντας οὕτω τοὺς πολίτας ἐπαίδευσεν, ὥστε μηδὲ πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν τολμᾶν ἐπεξιέναι τοῖς πολεμίοις·

[¶29] 78. and in place of the good will which was accorded us by our allies and of the good repute in which we were held by the rest of the Hellenes it brought us into such a degree of odium that Athens barely escaped being enslaved and would have suffered this fate had we not found the Lacedaemonians, who were at war with us from the first, more friendly than those who were formerly our allies — not that we can have any just complaint against the latter for being obdurate towards us; for they were not aggressors but on the defensive, and came to have this feeling after suffering many grievous wrongs at our hands.

> Greek: 78. ἀντὶ δὲ τῆς εὐνοίας τῆς παρὰ τῶν συμμάχων αὐτοῖς ὑπαρχούσης καὶ τῆς δόξης τῆς παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων εἰς τοσοῦτον μῖσος κατέστησεν, ὥστε παρὰ μικρὸν ἐλθεῖν ἐξανδραποδισθῆναι τὴν πόλιν, εἰ μὴ Λακεδαιμονίων τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πολεμούντων εὐνουστέρων ἐτύχομεν ἢ τῶν πρότερον ἡμῖν συμμάχων ὄντων.

[¶30] 79. For who could have brooked the insolence of our fathers? Gathering together from all Hellas men who were the worst of idlers and men who had a part in every form of depravity and manning their triremes with them, they made themselves odious to the Hellenes, driving into exile the best of the citizens in the other states and distributing their property among the most depraved of the Hellenes!

> Greek: 79. οἷς οὐκ ἂν δικαίως ἐγκαλοῖμεν, ὅτι χαλεπῶς πρὸς ἡμᾶς διετέθησαν· οὐ γὰρ ὑπάρχοντες ἀλλʼ ἀμυνόμενοι καὶ πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ παθόντες τοιαύτην γνώμην ἔσχον περὶ ἡμᾶς· τίς γὰρ ἂν ὑπέμεινε τὴν ἀσέλγειαν τῶν πατέρων τῶν ἡμετέρων, οἳ συναγαγόντες ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος τοὺς ἀργοτάτους καὶ τοὺς ἁπασῶν τῶν πονηριῶν μετέχοντας, πληροῦντες τούτων τὰς τριήρεις, ἀπηχθάνοντο τοῖς Ἕλλησι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν βελτίστους τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν ἐξέβαλλον, τοῖς δὲ πονηροτάτοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων τἀκείνων διένεμον;

[¶31] 80. But if I were to make bold to go through in detail what took place in those times I might probably help you to be better advised regarding the present situation, but I should prejudice my own reputation; for you are wont to hate not so much those who are responsible for your mistakes as those who undertake to denounce them.

> Greek: 80. ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰ τολμήσαιμι περὶ τῶν ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς χρόνοις γενομένων ἀκριβῶς διελθεῖν, ὑμᾶς μὲν ἴσως ἂν ποιήσαιμι βέλτιον βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν παρόντων, αὐτὸς δʼ ἂν διαβληθείην· εἰώθατε γὰρ μισεῖν οὐχ οὕτω τοὺς αἰτίους τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὡς τοὺς κατηγοροῦντας αὐτῶν.

[¶32] 81. I fear, therefore, since you are of such a mind, that if I attempt to benefit you I may myself reap a poor reward. Nevertheless, I am not going to refrain entirely from saying the things which I had in mind but shall pass over the most severe and, mayhap, the most painful to you and recall to your minds only the facts by which you will recognize the folly of the men who at that time governed the city.

> Greek: 81. τοιαύτην οὖν ὑμῶν γνώμην ἐχόντων, δέδοικα μὴ πειρώμενος ὑμᾶς εὐεργετεῖν αὐτὸς ἀπολαύσω τι φλαῦρον. οὐ μὴν ἀποστήσομαι παντάπασιν ὧν διενοήθην, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πικρότατα καὶ μάλιστʼ ἂν ὑμᾶς λυπήσοντα παραλείψω, μνησθήσομαι δὲ τούτων μόνον ἐξ ὧν γνώσεσθε τὴν ἄνοιαν τῶν τότε πολιτευομένων.

[¶33] 82. For so exactly did they gauge the actions by which human beings incur the worst odium that they passed a decree to divide the surplus of the funds derived from the tributes of the allies into talents and to bring it on the stage, when the theatre was full, at the festival of Dionysus; and not only was this done but at the same time they led in upon the stage the sons of those who had lost their lives in the war, seeking thus to display to our allies, on the one hand, the value of their own property which was brought in by hirelings, and to the rest of the Hellenes, on the other, the multitude of the fatherless and the misfortunes which result from this policy of aggression.

> Greek: 82. οὕτω γὰρ ἀκριβῶς εὕρισκον ἐξ ὧν ἄνθρωποι μάλιστʼ ἂν μισηθεῖεν, ὥστʼ ἐψηφίσαντο τὸ περιγιγνόμενον ἐκ τῶν φόρων ἀργύριον, διελόντες κατὰ τάλαντον, εἰς τὴν ὀρχήστραν τοῖς Διονυσίοις εἰσφέρειν ἐπειδὰν πλῆρες ᾖ τὸ θέατρον· καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐποίουν, καὶ παρεισῆγον τοὺς παῖδας τῶν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τετελευτηκότων, ἀμφοτέροις ἐπιδεικνύοντες τοῖς μὲν συμμάχοις τὰς τιμὰς τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν ὑπὸ μισθωτῶν εἰσφερομένης, τοῖς δʼ ἄλλοις Ἕλλησι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ τὰς συμφορὰς τὰς διὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ταύτην γιγνομένας.

[¶34] 83. And in doing this they themselves counted the city happy, while many of the simple-minded deemed it blessed, taking no thought whatsoever for future consequences but admiring and envying the wealth which flowed into the city unjustly and which was soon to destroy also that which justly belonged to it.

> Greek: 83. καὶ ταῦτα δρῶντες αὐτοί τε τὴν πόλιν εὐδαιμόνιζον, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν νοῦν οὐκ ἐχόντων ἐμακάριζον αὐτήν, τῶν μὲν συμβήσεσθαι διὰ ταῦτα μελλόντων οὐδεμίαν ποιούμενοι πρόνοιαν, τὸν δὲ πλοῦτον θαυμάζοντες καὶ ζηλοῦντες, ὃς ἀδίκως εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσελθὼν καὶ τὸν δικαίως ὑπάρξαντα διὰ ταχέων ἤμελλε προσαπολεῖν.

[¶35] 84. For they reached such a degree of neglect of their own possessions and of covetousness of the possessions of other states that when the Lacedaemonians had invaded our territory and the fortifications at Decelea had already been built, they manned triremes to send to Sicily and were not ashamed to permit their own country to be cut off and plundered by the enemy while dispatching an expedition against a people who had never in any respect offended against us.

> Greek: 84. εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ κατὲστησαν τῶν μὲν οἰκείων ἀμελείας τῶν δʼ ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμίας, ὥστε Λακεδαιμονίων εἰσβεβληκότων εἰς τὴν χώραν καὶ τοῦ τείχους ἤδη τοῦ Δεκελειᾶσιν ἑστηκότος εἰς Σικελίαν τριήρεις ἐπλήρουν, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο τὴν μὲν πατρίδα τεμνομένην καὶ πορθουμένην περιορῶντες, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς οὐδὲν πώποτʼ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐξαμαρτόντας στρατιὰν ἐκπέμποντες, ἀλλʼ εἰς τοῦτʼ ἀφροσύνης ἦλθον, ὥστε τῶν προαστείων τῶν οἰκείων οὐ κρατοῦντες Ἰταλίας καὶ Σικελίας καὶ Καρχηδόνος ἄρξειν προσεδόκησαν.

[¶36] 85. Nay, they arrived at such a pitch of folly that at a time when they were not masters of their own suburbs they expected to extend their power over Italy and Sicily and Carthage. And so far did they outdo all mankind in recklessness that whereas misfortunes chasten others and render them more prudent our fathers learned no lessons even from this discipline.

> Greek: 85. τοσοῦτον δὲ διήνεγκαν ἀνοίᾳ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ὥστε τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους αἱ συμφοραὶ συστέλλουσι καὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐμφρονεστέρους, ἐκεῖνοι δʼ οὐδʼ ὑπὸ τούτων ἐπαιδεύθησαν.

[¶37] 86. And yet they were involved in more and greater disasters in the time of the empire than have ever befallen Athens in all the rest of her history. Two hundred ships which set sail for Egypt perished with their crews, and a hundred and fifty off the island of Cyprus; in the Decelean War they lost ten thousand heavy armed troops of their own and of their allies, and in Sicily forty thousand men and two hundred and forty ships, and, finally, in the Hellespont two hundred ships.

> Greek: 86. καίτοι πλείοσι καὶ μείζοσι περιέπεσον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης τῶν ἐν ἅπαντι τῷ χρόνῳ τῇ πόλει γεγενημένων. εἰς Αἴγυπτον μέν γε διακόσιαι πλεύσασαι τριήρεις αὐτοῖς τοῖς πληρώμασι διεφθάρησαν, περὶ δὲ Κύπρον πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν· ἐν δὲ τῷ Δεκελεικῷ πολέμῳ μυρίους ὁπλίτας αὑτῶν καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ἀπώλεσαν, ἐν Σικελίᾳ δὲ τέτταρας μυριάδας καὶ τριήρεις τετταράκοντα καὶ διακοσίας, τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ διακοσίας.

[¶38] 87. But of the ships which were lost in fleets of ten or five or more and of the men who were slain in armies of a thousand or two thousand who could tell the tale? In a word, it was at that time a matter of regular routine to hold public funerals every year, which many both of our neighbors and of the other Hellenes used to attend, not to grieve with us for the dead, but to rejoice together at our misfortunes.

> Greek: 87. τὰς δὲ κατὰ δέκα καὶ κατὰ πέντε καὶ πλείους τούτων ἀπολλυμένας καὶ τοὺς κατὰ χιλίους καὶ δισχιλίους ἀποθνήσκοντας τίς ἄν ἐξαριθμήσειεν; πλήν ἓν ἦν τοῦτο τῶν ἐγκυκλίων, ταφὰς ποιεῖν καθʼ ἕκαστον τὸν ἐνιαυτόν, εἰς ἃς πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ἀστυγειτόνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων ἐφοίτων, οὐ συμπενθήσοντες τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἀλλὰ συνησθησόμενοι ταῖς ἡμετέραις συμφοραῖς.

[¶39] 88. And at last, before they knew it, they had filled the public burial-grounds with the bodies of their fellow citizens and the registers of the phratries and of the state with the names of those who had no claim upon the city. And you may judge of the multitude of the slain from this fact: The families of the most illustrious Athenians and our greatest houses, which survived the civil conflicts under the tyrants and the Persian Wars as well, have been, you will find, entirely wiped out under this empire upon which we set our hearts.

> Greek: 88. τελευτῶντες δʼ ἔλαθον σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τοὺς μὲν τάφους τοὺς δημοσίους τῶν πολιτῶν ἐμπλήσαντες, τὰς δὲ φρατρίας καὶ τὰ γραμματεῖα τὰ ληξιαρχικὰ τῶν οὐδὲν τῇ πόλει προσηκόντων. γνοίη δʼ ἄν τις ἐκεῖθεν μάλιστα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀπολλυμένων· τὰ γὰρ γένη τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν ὀνομαστοτάτων καὶ τοὺς οἴκους τοὺς μεγίστους, οἳ καὶ τὰς τυραννικὰς στάσεις καὶ τὸν Περσικὸν πόλεμον διέφυγον, εὑρήσομεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἧς ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, ἀναστάτους γεγενημένους.

[¶40] 89. So that if one desired to go into the question of what befell the rest of our citizens, judging by this instance, it would be seen that we have been changed, one might almost say, into a new people. And yet we must not count that state happy which without discrimination recruits from all parts of the world a large number of citizens but rather that state which more than all others preserves the stock of those who in the beginning founded it. And we ought not to emulate those who hold despotic power nor those who have gained a dominion which is greater than is just but rather those who, while worthy of the highest honors, are yet content with the honors which are tendered them by a free people.

> Greek: 89. ὥστʼ εἴ τις σκοπεῖσθαι βούλοιτο περὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὥσπερ πρὸς δεῖγμα τοῦτʼ ἀναφέρων, φανεῖμεν ἂν μικροῦ δεῖν ἀντηλλαγμένοι. καίτοι χρὴ πόλιν μὲν εὐδαιμονίζειν μὴ τὴν ἐξ ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰκῇ πολλοὺς πολίτας ἀθροίζουσαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τὸ γένος τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν πόλιν οἰκισάντων μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων διασώζουσαν, ἄνδρας δὲ ζηλοῦν μὴ τοὺς τὰς τυραννίδας κατέχοντας μηδὲ τοὺς μείζω δυναστείαν τοῦ δικαίου κεκτημένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀξίους μὲν ὄντας τῆς μεγίστης τιμῆς, στέργοντας δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους διδομέναις.

[¶41] 90. For no man nor any state could obtain a position more excellent than this or more secure or of greater worth. And it was because they acquired just this position that our ancestors in the time of the Persian Wars did not live in the manner of freebooters, now having more than enough for their needs, again reduced to a state of famine and siege and extreme misfortune; on the contrary, while they lived neither in want nor in surfeit of the means of subsistence day by day, they prided themselves on the justice of their polity and on their own virtues, and passed their lives more pleasantly than the rest of the world.

> Greek: 90. ταύτης γὰρ ἕξιν οὔτʼ ἀνὴρ οὔτε πόλις λαβεῖν ἂν δύναιτο σπουδαιοτέραν οὐδʼ ἀσφαλεστέραν οὐδὲ πλείονος ἀξίαν· ἥνπερ οἱ περὶ τὰ Περσικὰ γενόμενοι σχόντες οὐχ ὁμοίως τοῖς λῃσταῖς ἐβίωσαν, τοτὲ μὲν πλείω τῶν ἱκανῶν ἔχοντες, τοτὲ δʼ ἐν σιτοδείαις καὶ πολιορκίαις καὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις κακοῖς καθεστῶτες, ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τὴν τροφὴν τὴν καθʼ ἡμέραν οὔτʼ ἐν ἐνδείαις οὔτʼ ἐν ὑπερβολαῖς, ὄντες, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ τῆς πολιτείας δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ταῖς αὑτῶν φιλοτιμούμενοι καὶ τὸν βίον ἥδιον τῶν ἄλλων διάγοντες.

[¶42] 91. But, heedless of these lessons, those who came after them desired, not to rule but to dominate —words which are thought to have the same meaning, although between them there is the utmost difference. For it is the duty of those who rule to make their welfare, whereas it is a habit of those who dominate to provide pleasures for themselves through the labors and hardships of others. But it is in the nature of things that those who attempt a despot’s course must encounter the disasters which befall despotic power and be afflicted by the very things which they inflict upon others. And it is just this which has happened in the case of Athens;

> Greek: 91. ὧν ἀμελήσαντες οἱ γενόμενοι μετʼ ἐκείνους οὐκ ἄρχειν ἀλλὰ τυραννεῖν ἐπεθύμησαν, ἃ δοκεῖ μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχειν δύναμιν, πλεῖστον δʼ ἀλλήλων κεχώρισται· τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἀρχόντων ἔργον ἐστὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους ταῖς αὑτῶν ἐπιμελείαις ποιεῖν εὐδαιμονεστέρους, τοῖς δὲ τυράννοις ἔθος καθέστηκε τοῖς τῶν ἄλλων πόνοις καὶ κακοῖς αὑτοῖς ἡδονὰς παρασκευάζειν. ἀνάγκη δὲ τοὺς τοιούτοις ἔργοις ἐπιχειροῦντας τυραννικαῖς καὶ ταῖς συμφοραῖς περιπίπτειν, καὶ τοιαῦτα πάσχειν οἷά περ ἂν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους δράσωσιν. ἃ καὶ τῇ πόλει συνέπεσεν·

[¶43] 92. for in place of holding the citadels of other states, her people saw the day when the enemy was in possession of the Acropolis; in place of dragging children from their mothers and fathers and taking them as hostages, many of her citizens, living in a state of siege, were compelled to educate and support their children with less than was their due; and in place of farming the lands of other states, for many years they were denied the opportunity of even setting eyes upon their own fields.

> Greek: 92. ἀντὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ φρουρεῖν τὰς τῶν ἄλλων ἀκροπόλεις τῆς αὑτῶν ἐπεῖδον τοὺς πολεμίους κυρίους γενομένους· ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ παῖδας ὁμήρους λαμβάνειν, ἀποσπῶντες ἀπὸ πατέρων καὶ μητέρων, πολλοὶ τῶν πολιτῶν ἠναγκάσθησαν τοὺς αὑτῶν ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ χεῖρον παιδεύειν καὶ τρέφειν ἢ προσῆκεν αὐτοῖς· ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ γεωργεῖν τὰς χώρας τὰς ἀλλοτρίας πολλῶν ἐτῶν οὐδʼ ἰδεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐξεγένετο τὴν αὑτῶν.

[¶44] 93. If, therefore, anyone were to ask us whether we should choose to see Athens in such distress as the price of having ruled so long a time, who could answer yes, except some utterly abandoned wretch who cared not for sacred matters nor for parents nor for children nor for any other thing save for the term of his own existence? We, however, ought not to emulate the judgement of such men but rather that of those who exercise great forethought and are no less jealous for the reputation of the state than for their own—men who prefer a moderate competence with justice to great wealth unjustly gained.

> Greek: 93. ὥστʼ εἴ τις ἡμᾶς ἐρωτήσειεν εἰ δεξαίμεθʼ ἂν τοσοῦτον χρόνον ἄξαντες τοιαῦτα παθοῦσαν τὴν πόλιν ἐπιδεῖν, τίς ἂν ὁμολογήσειε, πλὴν εἴ τις παντάπασιν ἀπονενοημένος ἐστὶ καὶ μήθʼ ἱερῶν μήτε γονέων μήτε παίδων μήτʼ ἄλλου μηδενὸς φροντίζει πλὴν τοῦ χρόνου μόνον τοῦ καθʼ ἑαυτόν; ὧν οὐκ ἄξιον τὴν διάνοιαν ζηλοῦν, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ποιουμένων, καὶ μηδὲν ἧττον ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς δόξης ἢ τῆς ἰδίας φιλοτιμουμένων, καὶ προαιρουμένων μέτριον βίον μετὰ δικαιοσύνης μᾶλλον ἢ μέγαν πλοῦτον μετʼ ἀδικίας.

[¶45] 94. For our ancestors, proving themselves to be men of this character, handed on the city to their descendants in a most prosperous condition and left behind them an imperishable memorial of their virtue. And from this we may easily learn a double lesson: that our soil is able to rear better men than the rest of the world and that what we call empire, though in reality it is misfortune, is of a nature to deprave all who have to do with it.

> Greek: 94. καὶ γὰρ οἱ πρόγονοι τοιούτους αὑτοὺς παρασχόντες τήν τε πόλιν εὐδαιμονεστάτην τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις παρέδοσαν καὶ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀρετῆς ἀθάνατον τὴν μνήμην κατέλιπον. ἐξ ὧν ἀμφότερα ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι καταμαθεῖν, καὶ τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν, ὅτι δύναται τρέφειν ἄνδρας ἀμείνους τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ τὴν καλουμένην μὲν ἀρχὴν οὖσαν δὲ συμφοράν, ὅτι πέφυκε χείρους ἅπαντας ποιεῖν τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ.

[¶46] 95. We have a most convincing proof of this. For imperialism worked the ruin not only of Athens but of the city of the Lacedaemonians also, so that those who are in the habit of praising the virtues of Sparta cannot argue that we managed our affairs badly because of our democratic government whereas if the Lacedaemonians had taken over the empire the results would have been happy both for the rest of the Hellenes and for themselves. For this power revealed its nature much more quickly in their case. Indeed it brought it to pass that a polity which over a period of seven hundred years had never, so far as we know, been disturbed by perils or calamities was shaken and all but destroyed in a short space of time.

> Greek: 95. μέγιστον δὲ τεκμήριον· οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἡμᾶς ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων πόλιν διέφθειρεν, ὥστε τοῖς εἰθισμένοις ἐπαινεῖν τὰς ἐκείνων ἀρετὰς οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶν εἰπεῖν τοῦτον τὸν λόγον, ὡς ἡμεῖς μὲν διὰ τὸ δημοκρατεῖσθαι κακῶς ἐχρησάμεθα τοῖς πράγμασιν, εἰ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ταύτην τὴν δύναμιν παρέλαβον, εὐδαίμονας ἂν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐποίησαν. πολὺ γὰρ θᾶττον ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐπεδείξατο τὴν φύσιν τὴν αὑτῆς· τὴν γὰρ πολιτείαν ἣν ἐν ἑπτακοσίοις ἔτεσιν οὐδεὶς οἶδεν οὔθʼ ὑπὸ κινδύνων οὔθʼ ὑπὸ συμφορῶν κινηθεῖσαν, ταύτην ἐν ὀλίγῳ σαλεῦσαι καὶ λυθῆναι παρὰ μικρὸν ἐποίησεν.

## 3. Sections 96–145

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/3/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-on-the-peace/3/#p-N

[¶0] 96. For in place of the ways of life established among them it filled the citizens with injustice, indolence, lawlessness and avarice and the commonwealth with contempt for its allies, covetousness of the possessions of other states, and indifference to its oaths and covenants. In fact they went so far beyond our ancestors in their crimes against the Hellenes that in addition to the evils which already afflicted the several states they stirred up in them slaughter and strife, in consequence of which their citizens will cherish for each other a hatred unquenchable.

> Greek: 96. ἀντὶ γὰρ τῶν καθεστώτων παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐπιτηδευμάτων τοὺς μὲν ἰδιώτας ἐνέπλησεν ἀδικίας, ῥᾳθυμίας, ἀνομίας, φιλαργυρίας, τὸ δὲ κοινὸν τῆς πόλεως ὑπεροψίας μὲν τῶν συμμάχων, ἐπιθυμίας δὲ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ὀλιγωρίας δὲ τῶν ὅρκων καὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν. τοσοῦτον γὰρ ὑπερεβάλοντο τοὺς ἡμετέρους τοῖς εἰς τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἁμαρτήμασιν, ὅσον πρὸς τοῖς πρότερον ὑπάρχουσι σφαγὰς καὶ στάσεις ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐποίησαν, ἐξ ὧν ἀειμνήστους τὰς ἔχθρας πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἕξουσιν.

[¶1] 97. And they became so addicted to war and the perils of war that, whereas in times past they had been more cautious in this regard than the rest of the world, they did not refrain from attacking even their own allies and their own benefactors; on the contrary, although the great King had furnished them with more than five thousand talents for the war against us, and although the Chians had supported them more zealously than any of their other allies by means of their fleet and the Thebans had contributed a great number of troops to their land forces, the Lacedaemonians no sooner gained the supremacy than they straightway plotted against the Thebans, dispatched Clearchus with an army against the King, and in the case of the Chians drove into exile the foremost of their citizens and launched their battle-ships from their docks and made off with their whole navy.

> Greek: 97. οὕτω δὲ φιλοπολέμως καὶ φιλοκινδύνως διετέθησαν, τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα πεφυλαγμένως μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ἔχοντες, ὥστε οὐδὲ τῶν συμμάχων οὐδὲ τῶν εὐεργετῶν ἀπέσχοντο τῶν σφετέρων αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ βασιλέως μὲν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς πόλεμον πλέον ἢ πεντακισχίλια τάλαντα παρασχόντος, Χίων δὲ προθυμότατα πάντων τῶν συμμάχων τῷ ναυτικῷ συγκινδυνευσάντων, Θηβαίων δὲ μεγίστην δύναμιν εἰς τὸ πεζὸν συμβαλομένων, οὐκ ἔφθασαν τὴν ἀρχὴν κατασχόντες, καὶ Θηβαίοις μὲν εὐθὺς ἐπεβούλευσαν, ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν βασιλέα Κλέαρχον καὶ στρατιὰν ἀνέπεμψαν, Χίων δὲ τοὺς μὲν πρώτους τῶν πολιτῶν ἐφυγάδευσαν, τὰς δὲ τριήρεις ἐκ τῶν νεωρίων ἐξελκύσαντες ἁπάσας ὤχοντο λαβόντες.

[¶2] 99. However, they were not satisfied with perpetrating these crimes, but about the same time were ravaging the Asiatic coast, committing outrages against the islands, subverting the free governments in Italy and Sicily, setting up despotisms in their stead, overrunning the Peloponnesus and filling it with seditions and wars. For, tell me, against which of the cities of Hellas did they fail to take the field? Which of them did they fail to wrong?

> Greek: 99. οὐκ ἐξήρκεσε δʼ αὐτοῖς ταῦτʼ ἐξαμαρτεῖν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους ἐπόρθουν μὲν τὴν ἤπειρον, ὕβριζον δὲ τὰς νήσους, ἀνῄρουν δὲ τὰς ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ καὶ Σικελίᾳ πολιτείας καὶ τυράννους καθίστασαν, ἐλυμαίνοντο δὲ τὴν Πελοπόννησον καὶ μεστὴν στάσεων καὶ πολέμων ἐποίησαν. ἐπὶ ποίαν γὰρ τῶν πόλεων οὐκ ἐστράτευσαν; ἢ περὶ τίνας αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐξήμαρτον;

[¶3] 100. Did they not rob the Eleans of part of their territory, did they not lay waste the land of the Corinthians, did they not disperse the Mantineans from their homes, did they not reduce the Phliasians by siege, and did they not invade the country of the Argives, never ceasing from their depredations upon the rest of the world and so bringing upon themselves the disaster at Leuctra? Some maintain that this disaster was the cause of the misfortunes which overtook Sparta, but they do not speak the truth. For it was not because of this that they incurred the hatred of their allies; it was because of their insolence in the time preceding that they were defeated in this battle and fell into peril of losing their own city.

> Greek: 100. οὐκ Ἠλείων μὲν μέρος τι τῆς χώρας ἀφείλοντο, τὴν δὲ γῆν τὴν Κορινθίων ἔτεμον, Μαντινέας δὲ διῴκισαν, Φλιασίους δʼ ἐξεπολιόρκησαν, εἰς δὲ τὴν Ἀργείων εἰσέβαλον, οὐδὲν δʼ ἐπαύσαντο τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους κακῶς ποιοῦντες, αὑτοῖς δὲ τὴν ἧτταν τὴν ἐν Λεύκτροις παρασκευάζοντες; ἥν φασί τινες αἰτίαν γεγενῆσθαι τῇ Ζπάρτῃ τῶν κακῶν, οὐκ ἀληθῆ λέγοντες· οὐ γὰρ διὰ ταύτην ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων ἐμισήθησαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς ὕβρεις τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις καὶ ταύτην ἡττήθησαν καὶ περὶ τῆς αὑτῶν ἐκινδύνευσαν.

[¶4] 101. We must not attribute the cause to any subsequent misfortunes but to their crimes in the beginning, as the result of which they were brought to such a disastrous end. So that anyone would be much more in accord with the truth if he should assert that they first became subject to the dominion of their present ills at the moment when they attempted to seize the dominion of the sea, since they were seeking to acquire a power which was in no wise like that which they had before possessed.

> Greek: 101. χρὴ δὲ τὰς αἰτίας ἐπιφέρειν οὐ τοῖς κακοῖς τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἐξ ὧν ἐπὶ τὴν τελευτὴν ταύτην κατηνέχθησαν. ὥστε πολὺ ἄν τις ἀληθέστερα τυγχάνοι λέγων, εἰ φαίη τότε τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῖς γεγενῆσθαι τῶν συμφορῶν, ὅτε τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς θαλάττης παρελάμβανον· ἐκτῶντο γὰρ δύναμιν οὐδὲν ὁμοίαν τῇ πρότερον ὑπαρχούσῃ.

[¶5] 102. For because of their supremacy on land and of their stern discipline and of the self control which was cultivated under it, they readily obtained command of the sea, whereas because of the arrogance which was bred in them by that power they speedily lost the supremacy both on land and sea. For they no longer kept the laws which they had inherited from their ancestors nor remained faithful to the ways which they had followed in times past, but conceived that they were licensed to do whatever they pleased and so were plunged into great confusion.

> Greek: 102. διὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν κατὰ γῆν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ τὴν εὐταξίαν καὶ τὴν καρτερίαν τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ μελετωμένην ῥᾳδίως τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν δυνάμεως ἐπεκράτησαν, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀκολασίαν τὴν ὑπὸ ταύτης τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῖς ἐγγενομένην ταχέως κἀκείνης τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἀπεστερήθησαν. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τοὺς νόμους ἐφύλαττον οὓς παρὰ τῶν προγόνων παρέλαβον, οὐδʼ ἐν τοῖς ἤθεσιν ἔμενον οἷς πρότερον εἶχον, ἀλλʼ ὑπολαβόντες ἐξεῖναι ποιεῖν αὑτοῖς ὅ τι ἂν βουληθῶσιν, εἰς πολλὴν ταραχὴν κατέστησαν.

[¶6] 103. For they did not know that this licence which all the world aspires to attain is a difficult thing to manage, that it turns the heads of those who are enamored by it, and that it is in its nature like courtesans, who lure their victims to love but destroy those who indulge this passion.

> Greek: 103. οὐ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἧς πάντες εὔχονται τυχεῖν, ὡς δύσχρηστός ἐστιν, οὐδʼ ὡς παραφρονεῖν ποιεῖ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτήν, οὐδʼ ὅτι τὴν φύσιν ὁμοίαν ἔχει ταῖς ἑταίραις ταῖς ἐρᾶν μὲν αὑτῶν ποιούσαις, τοὺς δὲ χρωμένους ἀπολλυούσαις.

[¶7] 104. And yet it has been shown clearly that it has this effect; for anyone can see that those who have been in the strongest position to do whatever they pleased have been involved in the greatest disasters, ourselves and the Lacedaemonians first of all. For when these states, which in time past had governed themselves with the utmost sobriety and enjoyed the highest esteem, attained to this license and seized the empire, they differed in no respect from each other, but, as is natural in the case of those who have been depraved by the same passions and the same malady, they attempted the same deeds and indulged in similar crimes and, finally, fell into like disasters.

> Greek: 104. καίτοι φανερῶς ἐπιδέδεικται ταύτην ἔχουσα τὴν δύναμιν· τοὺς γὰρ ἐν πλείσταις ἐξουσίαις γεγενημένους ἴδοι τις ἂν ταῖς μεγίσταις συμφοραῖς περιπεπτωκότας, ἀρξαμένους ἀφʼ ἡμῶν καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων. αὗται γὰρ αἱ πόλεις καὶ πολιτευόμεναι πρότερον σωφρονέστατα καὶ δόξαν ἔχουσαι καλλίστην, ἐπειδὴ ταύτης ἔτυχον καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβον, οὐδὲν ἀλλήλων διήνεγκαν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ προσήκει τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς νόσου διεφθαρμένους, καὶ ταῖς πράξεσι ταῖς αὐταῖς ἐπεχείρησαν καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι παραπλησίοις ἐχρήσαντο καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον ὁμοίαις ταῖς συμφοραῖς περιέπεσον.

[¶8] 105. For we, being hated by our allies and standing in peril of being enslaved, were saved by the Lacedaemonians; and just so they, when all the rest wanted to destroy them, came to us for refuge and were saved through us. And yet how can we praise a dominion which subjects us to so miserable an end? How can we fail to abhor and shun a power which has incited these two cities both to do and to suffer many abominable things?

> Greek: 105. ἡμεῖς τε γὰρ μισηθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων καὶ περὶ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ κινδυνεύσαντες ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων ἐσώθημεν, ἐκεῖνοί τε πάντων αὐτοὺς ἀπολέσαι βουληθέντων ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς καταφυγόντες διʼ ἡμῶν τῆς σωτηρίας ἔτυχον. καίτοι πῶς χρὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν ταύτην ἐπαινεῖν τὴν τὰς τελευτὰς οὕτω πονηρὰς ἔχουσαν; ἢ πῶς οὐ μισεῖν καὶ φεύγειν τὴν πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ ποιεῖν ἀμφοτέρας τὰς πόλεις ἐπάρασαν καὶ παθεῖν ἀναγκάσασαν;

[¶9] 106. But, after all, we should not be surprised that in the past all men have failed to see that this power is the cause of so many ills to those who hold it, nor should we wonder that it has been the bone of contention between us and the Lacedaemonians. For you will find that the great majority of mankind go astray in choosing a course of action and, being possessed of more desires for things evil than for things good, take counsel more in the interest of their foes than of themselves. You can observe this in matters of the greatest importance.

> Greek: 106. οὐκ ἄξιον δὲ θαυμάζειν, εἰ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον ἐλάνθανεν ἅπαντας τοσούτων οὖσα κακῶν αἰτία τοῖς ἔχουσιν αὐτήν, οὐδʼ εἰ περιμάχητος ἦν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων· εὑρήσετε γὰρ τοὺς πλείστους τῶν ἀνθρώπων περὶ τὰς αἱρέσεις τῶν πραγμάτων ἁμαρτάνοντας, καὶ πλείους μὲν ἐπιθυμίας ἔχοντας τῶν κακῶν ἢ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἄμεινον δὲ βουλευομένους ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἢ σφῶν αὐτῶν.

[¶10] 107. For when has it ever happened otherwise? Did we not choose to pursue a policy in consequence of which the Lacedaemonians became masters of the Hellenes? Did not they, in their turn, manage their supremacy so badly that not many years later we again got the upper hand and became the arbiters of their safety?

> Greek: 107. καὶ ταῦτʼ ἴδοι τις ἂν ἐπὶ τῶν μεγίστων· τί γὰρ οὐχ οὕτω γέγονεν; οὐχ ἡμεῖς μὲν τοιαῦτα προῃρούμεθα πράττειν, ἐξ ὧν Λακεδαιμόνιοι δεσπόται τῶν Ἑλλήνων κατέστησαν, ἐκεῖνοι δʼ οὕτω κακῶς προὔστησαν τῶν πραγμάτων, ὥσθʼ ἡμᾶς οὐ πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ὕστερον πάλιν ἐπιπολάσαι καὶ κυρίους γενέσθαι τῆς ἐκείνων σωτηρίας;

[¶11] 108. Did not the meddlesomeness of the partizans of Athens cause the various states to become partisans of Sparta, and did not the insolence of the partisans of Sparta force these same states to become partisans of Athens? Did not the people themselves, because of the depravity of the popular orators, desire the oligarchy which was established under the Four Hundred? And have not we, all of us, because of the madness of the Thirty, become greater enthusiasts for democracy than those who occupied Phyle?

> Greek: 108. οὐχ ἡ μὲν τῶν ἀττικιζόντων πολυπραγμοσύνη λακωνίζειν τὰς πόλεις ἐποίησεν, ἡ δὲ τῶν λακωνιζόντων ὕβρις ἀττικίζειν τὰς αὐτὰς ταύτας ἠνάγκασεν; οὐ διὰ μὲν τὴν τῶν δημηγορούντων πονηρίαν αὐτὸς ὁ δῆμος ἐπεθύμησε τῆς ὀλιγαρχίας τῆς ἐπὶ τῶν τετρακοσίων καταστάσης, διὰ δὲ τὴν τῶν τριάκοντα μανίαν ἅπαντες δημοτικώτεροι γεγόναμεν τῶν Θυλὴν καταλαβόντων;

[¶12] 109. Indeed in matters of lesser importance and in our everyday life, one could show that the majority take pleasure in the foods and habits which injure both the body and the soul but consider laborious and irksome those from which both sides of our nature would benefit, and that those men are looked upon as austere who remain steadfast in habits which are beneficial.

> Greek: 109. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλαττόνων καὶ τοῦ βίου τοῦ καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐπιδείξειεν ἄν τις τοὺς πολλοὺς χαίροντας μὲν καὶ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τοῖς καὶ τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν βλάπτουσιν, ἐπίπονα δὲ καὶ χαλεπὰ νομίζοντας ἀφʼ ὧν ἀμφότερα ταῦτʼ ἂν ὠφελοῖτο, καὶ καρτερικοὺς εἶναι δοκοῦντας τοὺς ἐν τούτοις ἐμμένοντας.

[¶13] 110. Since, therefore, in the circumstances in which they live every day and about which they are more directly concerned, men show that they prefer the worse to the better course, how can we be surprised if they lack insight regarding the empire of the sea and make war upon each other to possess a power regarding which they have never reflected in their lives?

> Greek: 110. οἵ τινες οὖν, ἐν οἷς ἀεὶ ζῶσι καὶ περὶ ὧν αὐτοῖς μᾶλλον μέλει, τὰ χείρω φαίνονται προαιρούμενοι, τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς κατὰ θάλατταν ἀγνοοῦσι καὶ μάχονται πρὸς ἀλλήλους, περὶ ἧς μηδεὶς πώποτε αὐτοῖς λογισμὸς εἰσῆλθεν;

[¶14] 111. Look at the one-man-rule which is established in various states and observe how many there are who aspire to it and are ready to undergo anything whatsoever to obtain it. And yet what that is dire and difficult is not its portion? Is it not true that when men obtain unlimited power they find themselves at once in the coil of so many troubles that they are compelled to make war upon all their citizens, to hate those from whom they have suffered no wrong whatsoever, to suspect their own friends and daily companions, to entrust the safety of their persons to hirelings whom they have never even seen, to fear no less those who guard their lives than those who plot against them, and to be so suspicious towards all men as not to feel secure even in the company of their nearest kin?

> Greek: 111. ὁρᾶτε δὲ καὶ τὰς μοναρχίας τὰς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι καθισταμένας, ὅσους ἔχουσι τοὺς ἐπιθυμητὰς καὶ τοὺς ἑτοίμους ὄντας ὁτιοῦν πάσχειν ὥστε κατασχεῖν αὐτάς· αἷς τί τῶν δεινῶν ἢ τῶν χαλεπῶν οὐ πρόσεστιν; οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐπειδὰν λάβωσι τὰς δυναστείας, ἐν τοσούτοις ἐμπεπλεγμένοι κακοῖς εἰσιν, ὥστʼ ἀναγκάζεσθαι πολεμεῖν μὲν ἅπασι τοῖς πολίταις, μισεῖν δʼ ὑφʼ ὧν οὐδὲν κακὸν πεπόνθασιν, ἀπιστεῖν δὲ τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς ἑταίροις τοῖς αὑτῶν, παρακατατίθεσθαι δὲ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων σωτηρίαν μισθοφόροις ἀνθρώποις, οὓς οὐδὲ πώποτʼ εἶδον, μηδὲν δʼ ἧττον φοβεῖσθαι τοὺς φυλάττοντας ἢ τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας, οὕτω δʼ ὑπόπτως πρὸς ἅπαντας ἔχειν ὥστε μηδὲ τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις θαρρεῖν πλησιάζοντας;

[¶15] 113. And naturally so; for they know well that those who held despotic power before them have been put out of the way, some by their parents, some by their sons, some by their brothers, and some by their wives and, furthermore, that the lineage of these rulers has been blotted out from the sight of men. Nevertheless they willingly submit themselves to such a multitude of calamities. And when men who are of the foremost rank and of the greatest reputation are enamored of so many evils, is it any wonder that the rest of the world covets other evils of the same kind?

> Greek: 113. εἰκότως· συνίσασι γὰρ τοὺς πρὸ αὑτῶν τετυραννευκότας τοὺς μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν γονέων ἀνῃρημένους, τοὺς δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων, τοὺς δʼ ὑπʼ ἀδελφῶν, τοὺς δʼ ὑπὸ γυναικῶν, ἔτι δὲ τὸ γένος αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἠφανισμένον. ἀλλʼ ὅμως ὑπὸ τοσαύτας τὸ πλῆθος συμφορὰς ἑκόντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὑποβάλλουσιν. ὅπου δʼ οἱ πρωτεύοντες καὶ δόξας μεγίστας ἔχοντες τοσούτων κακῶν ἐρῶσι, τί δεῖ θαυμάζειν τοὺς ἄλλους, εἰ τοιούτων ἑτέρων ἐπιθυμοῦσιν;

[¶16] 114. But I do not fail to realize that while you accept readily what I say about the rule of despots, yet you hear with intolerance what I say about the empire of the sea. For you have fallen into a most shameful and careless way of thinking, since what you see clearly in the case of others, this you are blind to in your own case. And yet it is not the least important sign of whether men are possessed of intelligence if they are seen to recognize the same course of conduct in all cases that are comparable.

> Greek: 114. οὐκ ἀγνοῶ δʼ ὅτι τὸν μὲν περὶ τῶν τυράννων λόγον ἀποδέχεσθε, τὸν δὲ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς δυσκόλως ἀκούετε· πεπόνθατε γὰρ πάντων αἴσχιστον καὶ ῥᾳθυμότατον· ἃ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁρᾶτε, ταῦτʼ ἐφʼ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀγνοεῖτε. καίτοι τῶν φρονίμως διακειμένων οὐκ ἐλάχιστον τοῦτο σημεῖόν ἐστιν, ἢν τὰς αὐτὰς πράξεις ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν ὁμοίων φαίνωνται γνωρίζοντες.

[¶17] 115. But you have never given this a thought; on the contrary, while you consider the power of a despot to be harsh and harmful not only to others but to those who hold it, you look upon the empire of the sea as the greatest good in the world, when in fact it differs neither in what it does nor in what it suffers from one-man-rule. And you think that the affairs of the Thebans are in a bad way because they oppress their neighbors, but, although you yourselves are treating your allies no better than the Thebans treat the Boeotians, you believe that your own actions leave nothing to be desired.

> Greek: 115. ὧν ὑμῖν οὐδὲν πώποτʼ ἐμέλησεν, ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν τυραννίδας ἡγεῖσθε χαλεπὰς εἶναι καὶ βλαβερὰς οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἔχουσιν αὐτάς, τὴν δʼ ἀρχὴν τὴν κατὰ θάλατταν μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν οὐδὲν οὔτε τοῖς πάθεσιν οὔτε ταῖς πράξεσι τῶν μοναρχιῶν διαφέρουσαν. καὶ τὰ μὲν Θηβαίων πράγματα πονηρῶς ἔχειν νομίζετε, ὅτι τοὺς περιοίκους ἀδικοῦσιν, αὐτοὶ δʼ οὐδὲν βέλτιον τοὺς συμμάχους διοικοῦντες ἢ lt*gtκεῖνοι τὴν Βοιωτίαν, ἡγεῖσθε πάντα τὰ δέοντα πράττειν.

[¶18] 116. If, then, you heed my advice you will stop taking counsel in your utterly haphazard fashion and give your attention to your own and the state’s welfare; pondering and searching into these questions: What is it which caused these two states—Athens and Sparta I mean—to rise, each one of them, from obscure beginnings to be the first power in Hellas and then to fall, after they had attained a power second to none, into peril of being enslaved?

> Greek: 116. ἢν οὖν ἐμοὶ πεισθῆτε, παυσάμενοι τοῦ παντάπασιν εἰκῇ βουλεύεσθαι προσέξετε τὸν νοῦν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τῇ πόλει, καὶ φιλοσοφήσετε καὶ σκέψεσθε τί τὸ ποιῆσάν ἐστι τὼ πόλη τούτω, λέγω δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν καὶ τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων, ἐκ ταπεινῶν μὲν πραγμάτων ἑκατέραν ὁρμηθεῖσαν ἄρξαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἐπεὶ δʼ ἀνυπέρβλητον τὴν δύναμιν ἔλαβον, περὶ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ κινδυνεῦσαι·

[¶19] 117. What are the reasons that the Thessalians, who inherited very great wealth and possess a very rich and abundant territory, have been reduced to poverty, while the Megarians, who had small and insignificant resources to begin with and who possess neither land nor harbors nor mines but are compelled to farm mere rocks, own estates which are the greatest among the Hellenes?

> Greek: 117. καὶ διὰ τίνας αἰτίας Θετταλοὶ μέν, μεγίστους πλούτους παραλαβόντες καὶ χώραν ἀρίστην καὶ πλείστην ἔχοντες, εἰς ἀπορίαν καθεστήκασι, Μεγαρεῖς δέ, μικρῶν αὐτοῖς καὶ φαύλων τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπαρξάντων, καὶ γῆν μὲν οὐκ ἔχοντες οὐδὲ λιμένας οὐδʼ ἀργυρεῖα, πέτρας δὲ γεωργοῦντες, μεγίστους οἴκους τῶν Ἑλλήνων κέκτηνται·

[¶20] 118. Why is it that the Thessalians, with a cavalry of more than three thousand horse and light-armed troops beyond number, have their fortresses occupied from time to time by certain other states while the Megarians, with only a small force, govern their city as they see fit? And, again, why is it that the Thessalians are always at war with each other while the Megarians, who dwell between the Peloponnesians on the one hand and the Thebans and the Athenians on the other, are continually in a state of peace?

> Greek: 118. κἀκείνων μὲν τὰς ἀκροπόλεις ἄλλοι τινὲς ἀεὶ κατέχουσιν, ὄντων αὐτοῖς πλέον τρισχιλίων ἱππέων καὶ πελταστῶν ἀναριθμήτων, οὗτοι δὲ μικρὰν δύναμιν ἔχοντες τὴν αὑτῶν ὅπως βούλονται διοικοῦσιν· καὶ πρὸς τούτοις οἱ μὲν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς πολεμοῦσιν, οὗτοι δὲ μεταξὺ Πελοποννησίων καὶ Θηβαίων καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως οἰκοῦντες εἰρήνην ἄγοντες διατελοῦσιν.

[¶21] 119. If you will go over these and similar questions in your minds, you will discover that arrogance and insolence have been the cause of our misfortunes while sobriety and self control have been the source of our blessings. But, while you commend sobriety in individual men and believe that those who practice it enjoy the most secure existence and are the best among your fellow citizens, you do not think it fit to make the state practice it.

> Greek: 119. ἢν γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα διεξίητε πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτούς, εὑρήσετε τὴν μὲν ἀκολασίαν καὶ τὴν ὕβριν τῶν κακῶν αἰτίαν γιγνομένην, τὴν δὲ σωφροσύνην τῶν ἀγαθῶν. ἥν ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἐπαινεῖτε, καὶ νομίζετε τοὺς ταύτῃ χρωμένους ἀσφαλέστατα ζῆν καὶ βελτίστους εἶναι τῶν πολιτῶν, τὸ δὲ κοινὸν ἡμῶν οὐκ οἴεσθε δεῖν τοιοῦτο παρασκευάζειν.

[¶22] 120. And yet it behoves states much more than individuals to cultivate the virtues and to shun vices; for a man who is godless and depraved may die before paying the penalty for his sins, but states, since they are deathless, soon or late must submit to punishment at the hands both of men and of the gods.

> Greek: 120. καίτοι προσήκει τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀσκεῖν καὶ τὰς κακίας φεύγειν πολὺ μᾶλλον ταῖς πόλεσιν ἢ τοῖς ἰδιώταις. ἀνὴρ μὲν γὰρ ἀσεβὴς καὶ πονηρὸς τυχὸν ἂν φθάσειε τελευτήσας πρὶν δοῦναι δίκην τῶν ἡμαρτημένων· αἱ δὲ πόλεις διὰ τὴν ἀθανασίαν ὑπομένουσι καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν θεῶν τιμωρίας.

[¶23] 121. These considerations you should bear in mind and not pay heed to those who gratify you for the moment, while caring nothing for the future, nor to those who profess to love the people, but are in fact the bane of the whole state; since in times past also when men of this character took over the supremacy of the rostrum, they led the city on to such a degree of folly that she suffered the fate which I described a moment ago.

> Greek: 121. ὧν ἐνθυμουμένους χρὴ μὴ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν τοῖς ἐν τῷ παρόντι μὲν χαριζομένοις, τοῦ δὲ μέλλοντος χρόνου μηδεμίαν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιουμένοις, μηδὲ τοῖς φιλεῖν μὲν τὸν δῆμον φάσκουσιν, ὅλην δὲ τὴν πόλιν λυμαινομένοις· ὡς καὶ πρότερον, ἐπειδὴ παρέλαβον οἱ τοιοῦτοι τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος δυναστείαν, εἰς τοσαύτην ἄνοιαν προήγαγον τὴν πόλιν, ὥστε παθεῖν αὐτὴν οἷά περ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ὑμῖν διηγησάμην.

[¶24] 122. And indeed what is most astonishing of all in your conduct is that you prefer as leaders of the people, not those who are of the same mind as the men who made Athens great, but those who say and do the same kind of things as the men who destroyed her power; and you do this albeit knowing full well that it is not alone in making the city prosperous that good leaders are superior to the base, but that our democracy itself under the leadership of the former remained unshaken and unchanged for many years, whereas under the guidance of these men it has already, within a short period of time, been twice overthrown, and that, furthermore, our people who were driven into exile under the despots and in the time of the Thirty were restored to the state, not through the efforts of the sycophants, but through those leaders who despised men of that character and were held in the highest respect for their integrity.

> Greek: 122. ἃ καὶ πάντων μάλιστʼ ἄν τις θαυμάσειεν, ὅτι προχειρίζεσθε δημαγωγοὺς οὐ τοὺς τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔχοντας τοῖς μεγάλην τὴν πόλιν ποιήσασιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὅμοια καὶ λέγοντας καὶ πράττοντας τοῖς ἀπολέσασιν αὐτήν, καὶ ταῦτʼ εἰδότες οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαι τὴν πόλιν εὐδαίμονα τοὺς χρηστοὺς τῶν πονηρῶν διαφέροντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δημοκρατίαν ἐπὶ μὲν ἐκείνων ἐν πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν οὔτε κινηθεῖσαν οὔτε μεταστᾶσαν, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ δὶς ἤδη καταλυθεῖσαν, καὶ τὰς φυγὰς τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν τυράννων καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν τριάκοντα γενομένας οὐ διὰ τοὺς συκοφάντας κατελθούσας, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς μισοῦντας τοὺς τοιούτους καὶ μεγίστην ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ δόξαν ἔχοντας.

[¶25] 124. Nevertheless, in spite of the many things which remind us how the city fared under both kinds of leadership, we are so pleased with the depravity of our orators that, although we see that many of our other citizens have been stripped of their patrimony because of the war and of the disorders which these sycophants have caused, while the latter, from being penniless, have become rich, yet we are not aggrieved nor do we resent their prosperity but remain patient with a condition of affairs wherein our city is reproached with doing violence to the Hellenes and extorting money from them, while these men reap the harvest, and wherein our people, who are told by the sycophants that they ought to rule over the rest of the world, are worse off than those who are slaves to oligarchy, while these men, who had no advantage to start with, have risen because of our folly from a mean to an enviable position.

> Greek: 124. ἀλλʼ ὅμως τηλικούτων ἡμῖν ὑπομνημάτων καταλελειμμένων ὡς ἐφʼ ἑκατέρων αὐτῶν ἡ πόλις ἔπραττεν, οὕτω χαίρομεν ταῖς τῶν ῥητόρων πονηρίαις, ὥσθʼ ὁρῶντες διὰ τὸν πόλεμον καὶ τὰς ταραχάς, ἃς οὗτοι πεποιήκασι, τῶν μὲν ἄλλων πολιτῶν πολλοὺς ἐκ τῶν πατρῴων ἐκπεπτωκότας, τούτους δʼ ἐκ πενήτων πλουσίους γεγενημένους, οὐκ ἀγανακτοῦμεν οὐδὲ φθονοῦμεν ταῖς εὐπραγίαις αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ ὑπομένομεν τὴν μὲν πόλιν διαβολὰς ἔχουσαν ὡς λυμαίνεται καὶ δασμολογεῖ τοὺς Ἕλληνας, τούτους δὲ τὰς ἐπικαρπίας λαμβάνοντας, καὶ τὸν μὲν δῆμον, ὅν φασιν οὗτοι δεῖν τῶν ἄλλων ἄρχειν, χεῖρον πράττοντα τῶν ταῖς ὀλιγαρχίαις δουλευόντων, οἷς δʼ οὐδὲν ὑπῆρχεν ἀγαθόν, τούτους δὲ διὰ τὴν ἄνοιαν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐκ ταπεινῶν εὐδαίμονας γεγενημένους.

[¶26] 126. And yet Pericles, who was the leader of the people before men of this stamp came into favor, taking over the state when it was less prudent than it had been before it obtained the supremacy, although it was still tolerably well governed, was not bent upon his own enrichment, but left an estate which was smaller than that which he received from his father, while he brought up into the Acropolis eight thousand talents, apart from the sacred treasures.

> Greek: 126. καίτοι Περικλῆς ὁ πρὸ τῶν τοιούτων δημαγωγὸς καταστάς, παραλαβὼν τὴν πόλιν χεῖρον μὲν φρονοῦσαν ἢ πρὶν κατασχεῖν τὴν ἀρχήν, ἔτι δʼ ἀνεκτῶς πολιτευομένην, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν ἴδιον χρηματισμὸν ὥρμησεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν οἶκον ἐλάττω τὸν αὑτοῦ κατέλιπεν ἢ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς παρέλαβεν, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἀνήγαγεν ὀκτακισχίλια τάλαντα χωρὶς τῶν ἱερῶν.

[¶27] 127. But these demagogues have shown themselves so different from him that they have the effrontery to say that because of the care they give to the commonwealth they are not able to give attention to their private interests, although in fact these “neglected” interests have advanced to a degree of affluence which they would never have even dreamed of praying to the gods that they might attain, whereas our people, for whom they pretend to care, are in such straits that not one of our citizens is able to live with pleasure or at ease; on the contrary, Athens is rife with lamentations.

> Greek: 127. οὗτοι δὲ τοσοῦτον ἐκείνου διενηνόχασιν, ὥστε λέγειν μὲν τολμῶσιν ὡς διὰ τὴν τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιμέλειαν οὐ δύνανται τοῖς αὑτῶν ἰδίοις προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν, φαίνεται δὲ μὲν ἀμελούμενα τοσαύτην εἰληφότα τὴν ἐπίδοσιν, ὅσην οὐδʼ ἂν εὔξασθαι τοῖς θεοῖς πρότερον ἠξίωσαν, τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ἡμῶν, οὗ κήδεσθαί φασιν, οὕτω διακείμενον ὥστε μηδένα τῶν πολιτῶν ἡδέως ζῆν μηδὲ ῥᾳθύμως, ἀλλʼ ὀδυρμῶν μεστὴν εἶναι τὴν πόλιν.

[¶28] 128. For some are driven to rehearse and bewail amongst themselves their poverty and privation while others deplore the multitude of duties enjoined upon them by the state—the liturgies and all the nuisances connected with the symmories and with exchanges of property; for these are so annoying that those who have means find life more burdensome than those who are continually in want.

> Greek: 128. οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὰς πενίας καὶ τὰς ἐνδείας ἀναγκάζονται διεξιέναι καὶ θρηνεῖν πρὸς σφᾶς αὐτούς, οἱ δὲ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν προσταγμάτων καὶ τῶν λειτουργιῶν καὶ τὰ κακὰ τὰ περὶ τὰς συμμορίας καὶ τὰς ἀντιδόσεις· ἃ τοιαύτας ἐμποιεῖ λύπας, ὥστʼ ἄλγιον ζῆν τοὺς τὰς οὐσίας κεκτημένους ἢ τοὺς συνεχῶς πενομένους.

[¶29] 129. I marvel that you cannot see at once that no class is so inimical to the people as our depraved orators and demagogues. For, as if your other misfortunes were not enough, their chief desire is that you should be in want of your daily necessities, observing that those who are able to manage their affairs from their private incomes are on the side of the commonwealth and of our best counsellors, whereas those who live off the law-courts and the assemblies and the doles derived from them are constrained by their need to be subservient to the sycophants and are deeply grateful for the impeachments and the indictments and the other sharp practices which are due to the sycophants.

> Greek: 129. θαυμάζω δʼ εἰ μὴ δύνασθε συνιδεῖν ὅτι γένος οὐδέν ἐστι κακονούστερον τῷ πλήθει πονηρῶν ῥητόρων καὶ δημαγωγῶν· πρὸς γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις κακοῖς καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ἀναγκαίων οὗτοι μάλιστα βούλονται σπανίζειν ὑμᾶς, ὁρῶντες τοὺς μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων δυναμένους τὰ σφέτερʼ αὐτῶν διοικεῖν τῆς πόλεως ὄντας καὶ τῶν τὰ βέλτιστα λεγόντων, τοὺς δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν δικαστηρίων ζῶντας καὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν λημμάτων ὑφʼ αὑτοῖς διὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν ἠναγκασμένους εἶναι, καὶ πολλὴν χάριν ἔχοντας ταῖς εἰσαγγελίαις καὶ ταῖς γραφαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις συκοφαντίαις ταῖς διʼ αὑτῶν γιγνομέναις.

[¶30] 131. Wherefore these men would be most happy to see all of our citizens reduced to the condition of helplessness in which they themselves are powerful. And the greatest proof of this is that they do not consider by what means they may provide a livelihood for those who are in need, but rather how they may reduce those who are thought to possess some wealth to the level of those who are in poverty.

> Greek: 131. ἐν οὖν ταῖς ἀπορίαις, ἐν αἷς αὐτοὶ δυναστεύουσιν, ἐν ταύταις ἥδιστʼ ἂν ἴδοιεν ἅπαντας ὄντας τοὺς πολίτας. τεκμήριον δὲ μέγιστον· οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο σκοποῦσιν, ἐξ οὗ τρόπου τοῖς δεομένοις βίον ἐκποριοῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ὅπως τοὺς ἔχειν τι δοκοῦντας τοῖς ἀπόροις ἐξισώσουσιν.

[¶31] 132. What, then, is the way of escape from our present ills? I have already discussed most of the points which bear upon this question, not in sequence, but as each fell into its opportune place. But perhaps it will help you to hold them in memory if I attempt to bring together and review those which more than others press upon our attention.

> Greek: 132. τίς οὖν ἀπαλλαγὴ γένοιτʼ ἂν τῶν κακῶν τῶν παρόντων; διείλεγμαι μὲν τὰ πλεῖστα περὶ αὐτῶν τούτων, οὐκ ἐφεξῆς, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἕκαστον τῷ καιρῷ συνέπιπτεν· μᾶλλον δʼ ἂν ὑμῖν ἐγγένοιτο μνημονεύειν, εἰ συναγαγὼν τὰ μάλιστα κατεπείγοντα πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν αὐτὰ πειραθείην.

[¶32] 133. The first way by which we can set right and improve the condition of our city is to select as our advisers on affairs of state the kind of men whose advice we should desire on our private affairs, and to stop thinking of the sycophants as friends of democracy and of the good men and true among us as friends of oligarchy, realizing that no man is by nature either the one or the other but that all men desire, in each case, to establish that form of government in which they are held in honor.

> Greek: 133. ἔστι δʼ ἐξ ὧν ἂν ἐπανορθώσαιμεν τὰ τῆς πόλεως καὶ βελτίω ποιήσαιμεν, πρῶτον μὲν ἢν συμβούλους ποιώμεθα τοιούτους περὶ τῶν κοινῶν, οἵους περ ἂν περὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἡμῖν εἶναι βουληθεῖμεν, καὶ παυσώμεθα δημοτικοὺς μὲν εἶναι νομίζοντες τοὺς συκοφάντας, ὀλιγαρχικοὺς δὲ τοὺς καλοὺς κἀγαθοὺς τῶν ἀνδρῶν, γνόντες ὅτι φύσει μὲν οὐδεὶς οὐδέτερον τούτων ἐστίν, ἐν ᾗ δʼ ἂν ἕκαστοι τιμῶνται, ταύτην βούλονται καθεστάναι τὴν πολιτείαν·

[¶33] 134. The second way is to be willing to treat our allies just as we would our friends and not to grant them independence in words, while in fact giving them over to our generals to do with as they please, and not to exercise our leadership as masters but as helpers, since we have learned the lesson that while we are stronger than any single state we are weaker than all Hellas.

> Greek: 134. δεύτερον δʼ ἢν ἐθελήσωμεν χρῆσθαι τοῖς συμμάχοις ὁμοίως ὥσπερ τοῖς φίλοις, καὶ μὴ λόγῳ μὲν αὐτονόμους ἀφιῶμεν, ἔργῳ δὲ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς αὐτοὺς ὅ τι ἂν βούλωνται ποιεῖν ἐκδιδῶμεν, μηδὲ δεσποτικῶς ἀλλὰ συμμαχικῶς αὐτῶν ἐπιστατῶμεν, ἐκεῖνο καταμαθόντες, ὅτι μιᾶς μὲν ἑκάστης τῶν πόλεων κρείττους ἐσμέν, ἁπασῶν δʼ ἥττους·

[¶34] 135. And the third way is to consider that nothing is more important, save only to show reverence to the gods, than to have a good name among the Hellenes. For upon those who are so regarded they willingly confer both sovereign power and leadership.

> Greek: 135. τρίτον ἢν μηδὲν περὶ πλείονος ἡγῆσθε, μετά γε τὴν περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς εὐσέβειαν, τοῦ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν εὐδοκιμεῖν· τοῖς γὰρ οὕτω διακειμένοις ἑκόντες καὶ τὰς δυναστείας καὶ τὰς ἡγεμονίας διδόασιν.

[¶35] 136. If, then, you will abide by the advice which I have given you, and if, besides, you will prove yourselves warlike by training and preparing for war but peaceful by doing nothing contrary to justice, you will render not only this city but all the Hellenes happy and prosperous.

> Greek: 136. ἢν οὖν ἐμμείνητε τοῖς εἰρημένοις, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς παράσχητε πολεμικοὺς μὲν ὄντας ταῖς μελέταις καὶ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς, εἰρηνικοὺς δὲ τῷ μηδὲν παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον πράττειν, οὐ μόνον εὐδαίμονα ποιήσετε ταύτην τὴν πόλιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἅπαντας.

[¶36] 137. For no other of the states will dare to oppress them; on the contrary, they will hold back and studiously avoid aggression when they see the power of Athens on the alert and ready to go to the aid of the oppressed. But no matter what course the rest may take, our own position will be honorable and advantageous;

> Greek: 137. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλη τῶν πόλεων οὐδεμία τολμήσει περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνειν, ἀλλʼ ὀκνήσουσι καὶ πολλὴν ἡσυχίαν ἄξουσιν, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἐφεδρεύουσαν τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν καὶ παρεσκευασμένην τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις βοηθεῖν. οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ὁπότερον ἂν ποιήσωσι, τό γʼ ἡμέτερον καλῶς ἕξει καὶ συμφερόντως.

[¶37] 138. for if the foremost states resolve to abstain from acts of oppression, we shall have the credit for this blessing; but if, on the other hand, they attempt to oppress others, then all who fear them and suffer evil at their hands will come to us for refuge, with many prayers and supplications, offering us not only the hegemony but their own support.

> Greek: 138. ἤν τε γὰρ δόξῃ τῶν πόλεων ταῖς προεχούσαις ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀδικημάτων, ἡμεῖς τούτων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν αἰτίαν ἕξομεν· ἤν τʼ ἐπιχειρῶσιν ἀδικεῖν, ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἅπαντες οἱ δεδιότες καὶ κακῶς πάσχοντες καταφεύξονται, πολλὰς ἱκετείας καὶ δεήσεις ποιούμενοι, καὶ διδόντες οὐ μόνον τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἀλλὰ καὶ σφᾶς αὐτούς.

[¶38] 139. So that we shall not lack for allies to help us to check the oppressors but shall find many ready and willing to join their forces to our own. For what city or what men will not be eager to share our friendship and our alliance when they see that the Athenians are at once the most just and the most powerful of peoples and are at the same time both willing and able to save the other states, while needing no help for themselves?

> Greek: 139. ὥστʼ οὐκ ἀπορήσομεν μεθʼ ὧν κωλύσομεν τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας, ἀλλὰ πολλοὺς ἕξομεν τοὺς ἑτοίμως καὶ προθύμως συναγωνιζομένους ἡμῖν. ποία γὰρ πόλις ἢ τίς ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσει μετασχεῖν τῆς φιλίας καὶ τῆς συμμαχίας τῆς ἡμετέρας, ὅταν ὁρῶσι τοὺς αὐτούς, ἀμφότερα, καὶ δικαιοτάτους ὄντας καὶ μεγίστην δύναμιν κεκτημένους, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους σώζειν καὶ βουλομένους καὶ δυναμένους, αὐτοὺς δὲ μηδεμιᾶς βοηθείας δεομένους;

[¶39] 140. What a turn for the better should you expect the affairs of our city to take when we enjoy such good will from the rest of the Hellenes? What wealth will flow into Athens when through her all Hellas is made secure? And who among men will fail to praise those who will have been the authors of blessings so many and so great?

> Greek: 140. πόσην δὲ χρὴ προσδοκᾶν ἐπίδοσιν τὰ τῆς πόλεως λήψεσθαι, τοιαύτης εὐνοίας ἡμῖν παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὑπαρξάσης; πόσον δὲ πλοῦτον εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσρυήσεσθαι, διʼ ἡμῶν ἁπάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος σωζομένης; τίνας δʼ οὐκ ἐπαινέσεσθαι τοὺς τοσούτων καὶ τηλικούτων ἀγαθῶν αἰτίους γεγενημένους;

[¶40] 141. But I am not able because of my age to include in my speech all the things which I grasp in my thought, save that it is a noble enterprise for us, in the midst of the injustice and madness of the rest of the world, to be the first to adopt a sane policy and stand forth as the champions of the freedom of the Hellenes, to be acclaimed as their saviors, not their destroyers, and to become illustrious for our virtues and regain the good repute which our ancestors possessed.

> Greek: 141. ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ δύναμαι διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἅπαντα τῷ λόγῳ περιλαβεῖν, ἃ τυγχάνω τῇ διανοίᾳ καθορῶν, πλὴν ὅτι καλόν ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἄλλων ἀδικίαις καὶ μανίαις πρώτους εὖ φρονήσαντας προστῆναι τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐλευθερίας, καὶ σωτῆρας ἀλλὰ μὴ λυμεῶνας αὐτῶν κληθῆναι, καὶ περιβλέπτους ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ γενομένους τὴν δόξαν τὴν τῶν προγόνων ἀναλαβεῖν.

[¶41] 142. But I have yet to touch upon the chief consideration of all—that upon which centers everything that I have said and in the light of which we should appraise the actions of the state. For if we really wish to clear away the prejudice in which we are held at the present time, we must cease from the wars which are waged to no purpose and so gain for our city the hegemony for all time; we must abhor all despotic rule and imperial power, reflecting upon the disasters which have sprung from them; and we must emulate and imitate the position held by the kings of Lacedaemon:

> Greek: 142. κεφάλαιον δὲ τούτων ἐκεῖνʼ ἔχω λέγειν, εἰς ὃ πάντα τὰ προειρημένα συντείνει καὶ πρὸς ὃ χρὴ βλέποντας τὰς πράξεις τὰς τῆς πόλεως δοκιμάζειν. δεῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς, εἴπερ βουλόμεθα διαλύσασθαι μὲν τὰς διαβολὰς ἃς ἔχομεν ἐν τῷ παρόντι, παύσασθαι δὲ τῶν πολέμων τῶν μάτην γιγνομένων, κτήσασθαι δὲ τῇ πόλει τὴν ἡγεμονίαν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, μισῆσαι μὲν ἁπάσας τὰς τυραννικὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς δυναστείας, ἀναλογισαμένους τὰς συμφορὰς τὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν γεγενημένας, ζηλῶσαι δὲ καὶ μιμήσασθαι τὰς ἐν Λακεδαίμονι βασιλείας.

[¶42] 143. they, it is true, have less freedom than their private citizens to do wrong, yet are much more enviable than those who hold despotic power by force; for those who take the lives of despots are given the highest rewards by their fellow citizens, whereas those Spartans who are not ready to lay down their lives for their kings in battle are held in greater dishonor than men who desert their post and throw away their shields.

> Greek: 143. ἐκείνοις γὰρ ἀδικεῖν μὲν ἧττον ἔξεστιν ἢ τοῖς ἰδιώταις, τοσούτῳ δὲ μακαριστότεροι τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες τῶν βία τὰς τυραννίδας κατεχόντων, ὅσον οἱ μὲν τοὺς τοιούτους ἀποκτείναντες τὰς μεγίστας δωρεὰς παρὰ τῶν συμπολιτευομένων λαμβάνουσιν, ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων δʼ οἱ μὴ τολμῶντες ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἀποθνήσκειν ἀτιμότεροι γίγνονται τῶν τὰς τάξεις λειπόντων καὶ τὰς ἀσπίδας ἀποβαλλόντων.

[¶43] 144. This, then, is the kind of leadership which is worth striving for. And this very position of honor which the kings of Lacedaemon have from their citizens we Athenians have it in our power to win from the Hellenes, if only they become convinced that our supremacy will be the instrument, not of their enslavement, but of their salvation.

> Greek: 144. ἄξιον οὖν ὀρέγεσθαι τῆς τοιαύτης ἡγεμονίας. ἔνεστι δὲ τοῖς πράγμασιν ἡμῶν τυχεῖν παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τῆς τιμῆς ταύτης, ἥνπερ ἐκεῖνοι παρὰ τῶν πολιτῶν ἔχουσιν, ἢν ὑπολάβωσι τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν μὴ δουλείας ἀλλὰ σωτηρίας αἰτίαν αὑτοῖς ἔσεσθαι.

[¶44] 145. My subject is not exhausted; there are many excellent things to be said upon it, but I am prompted by two considerations to stop speaking: the length of my discourse and the number of my years. But I urge and exhort those who are younger and more vigorous than I to speak and write the kind of discourses by which they will turn the greatest states—those which have been wont to oppress the rest—into the paths of virtue and justice, since when the affairs of Hellas are in a happy and prosperous condition, it follows that the state of learning and letters also is greatly improved.

> Greek: 145. πολλῶν δὲ καὶ καλῶν λόγων ἐνόντων περὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ταύτην, ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀμφότερα συμβουλεύει παύσασθαι λέγοντι, καὶ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ λόγου καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐτῶν τῶν ἐμῶν· τοῖς δὲ νεωτέροις καὶ μᾶλλον ἀκμάζουσιν ἢ ἐγὼ παραινῶ καὶ παρακελεύομαι τοιαῦτα καὶ λέγειν καὶ γράφειν, ἐξ ὧν τὰς μεγίστας τῶν πόλεων καὶ τὰς εἰθισμένας ταῖς ἄλλαις κακὰ παρέχειν προτρέψουσιν ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν καὶ δικαιοσύνην, ὡς ἐν ταῖς τῆς Ἑλλάδος εὐπραγίαις συμβαίνει καὶ τὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων πράγματα πολλῷ βελτίω γίγνεσθαι.