---
title: "Panathenaicus · Παναθηναικός"
author: "Isocrates"
translator: "George Norlin"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 4 of 5
url: https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-panathenaicus/4/
cite: "Isocrates, tr. George Norlin, Panathenaicus · Παναθηναικός, section 4. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-panathenaicus/4/"
---

# Panathenaicus · Παναθηναικός

*Isocrates, tr. George Norlin*

His last work, finished at ninety-seven: in praise of Athens.

> Greek: ed. George Norlin, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0010.tlg021, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: George Norlin, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0010.tlg021.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.

## 4. Sections 164–219

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-panathenaicus/4/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/isocrates-panathenaicus/4/#p-N

[¶0] 164. The principle is not of my invention but is deduced from the conduct of our ancestors. For when they saw that the other states were beset by many misfortunes and wars and seditions, while their own city alone was well governed, they did not take the view that those who were wiser and more fortunate than the rest of the world were justified in caring nothing about the others or in permitting those states which shared the same stock with them to be destroyed, but rather that they were bound to take thought and adopt measures to deliver them all from their present misfortunes.

> Greek: 164. τοῦτον δʼ εἴρηκα τὸν λόγον οὐκ αὐτὸς εὑρών, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνοις πεπραγμένων συλλογισάμενος. ὁρῶντες γὰρ τὰς μὲν ἄλλας πόλεις ἐν πολλοῖς κακοῖς καὶ πολέμοις καὶ ταραχαῖς οὔσας, τὴν δʼ αὑτῶν μόνην καλῶς διοικουμένην, οὐχ ἡγήσαντο δεῖν τοὺς ἄμεινον τῶν ἄλλων φρονοῦντας καὶ πράττοντας ἀμελεῖν οὐδὲ περιορᾶν τὰς τῆς αὐτῆς συγγενείας μετεχούσας ἀπολλυμένας, ἀλλὰ σκεπτέον εἶναι καὶ πρακτέον ὅπως ἁπάσας ἀπαλλάξουσι τῶν κακῶν τῶν παρόντων.

[¶1] 165. Having determined upon this, they endeavored in the case of the less afflicted states to compose their quarrels by means of embassies and persuasion, but to the states which were more severely rent by factions they dispatched the most highly reputed of their citizens, who advised them regarding their present difficulties, and, associating themselves with the people who were unable to gain a livelihood in their own states or who had fallen below the requirements of the laws—a class which is generally destructive to ordered states —, they urged these to take the field with them and to seek to improve the conditions of their present life;

> Greek: 165. ταῦτα δὲ διανοηθέντες τῶν μὲν ἧττον νοσουσῶν πρεσβείαις καὶ λόγοις ἐξαιρεῖν ἐπειρῶντο τὰς διαφοράς, εἰς δὲ τὰς μᾶλλον στασιαζούσας ἐξέπεμπον τῶν πολιτῶν τοὺς μεγίστην παρʼ αὐτοῖς δόξαν ἔχοντας, οἳ περί τε τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων αὐταῖς συνεβούλευον καὶ συγγιγνόμενοι τοῖς τε μὴ δυναμένοις ἐν ταῖς αὑτῶν ζῆν καὶ τοῖς χεῖρον γεγονόσιν ὧν οἱ νόμοι προστάττουσιν, οἵπερ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ λυμαίνονται τὰς πόλεις, ἔπειθον μεθʼ αὑτῶν στρατεύεσθαι καὶ βίον ζητεῖν βελτίω τοῦ παρόντος.

[¶2] 166. and when there proved to be many who were inclined and persuaded to take this course, they organized them into an army, conquered the peoples who occupied the islands of the barbarians and who dwelt along the coast of either continent, expelled them all, and settled in their stead those of the Hellenes who stood in greatest need of the necessities of life. And they continued doing this and setting this example to others until they learned that the Spartans, as I have related, had subjected to their power all the cities which are situated in the Peloponnesus. After this they were compelled to center their thoughts upon their own interests.

> Greek: 166. πολλῶν δὲ γιγνομένων τῶν ταῦτα βουλομένων καὶ πειθομένων, στρατόπεδα συνιστάντες ἐξ αὐτῶν, τούς τε τὰς νήσους κατέχοντας τῶν βαρβάρων καὶ τοὺς ἐφʼ ἑκατέρας τῆς ἠπείρου τὴν παραλίαν κατοικοῦντας καταστρεφόμενοι, καὶ πάντας ἐκβαλόντες, τοὺς μάλιστα βίου δεομένους τῶν Ἑλλήνων κατῴκιζον. καὶ ταῦτα πράττοντες καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑποδεικνύοντες διετέλουν, ἕως ἤκουσαν Σπαρτιάτας τὰς πόλεις τὰς ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ κατοικούσας, ὥσπερ εἶπον, ὑφʼ αὑτοῖς πεποιημένους· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς ἰδίοις ἠναγκάζοντο προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν.

[¶3] 167. What, then, is the good which has resulted from the war which we waged and the trouble which we took in the colonization of the Hellenes? For this is, I think, a question which the majority would very much like to have answered. Well, the result was that the Hellenes found it easier to obtain subsistence and enjoyed a greater degree of concord after they had been relieved of so great a number of the class of people which I have described; that the barbarians were driven forth from their own territory and humbled in their pride; and that those who had brought these conditions to pass gained the fame and the name of having made Hellas twice as strong as she was of old.

> Greek: 167. τί οὖν ἐστὶ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς ἀγαθὸν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ περὶ τὰς ἀποικίας καὶ πραγματείας; τοῦτο γὰρ οἶμαι μάλιστα ποθεῖν ἀκοῦσαι τοὺς πολλούς. τοῖς μὲν Ἕλλησιν εὐπορωτέροις γενέσθαι τὰ περὶ τὸν βίον καὶ μᾶλλον ὁμονοεῖν τοσούτων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τοιούτων ἀνθρώπων ἀπαλλαγεῖσι, τοῖς δὲ βαρβάροις ἐκπίπτειν ἐκ τῆς αὑτῶν καὶ φρονεῖν ἔλαττον ἢ πρότερον, τοῖς δʼ αἰτίοις τούτων γεγενημένοις εὐδοκιμεῖν καὶ δοκεῖν διπλασίαν πεποιηκέναι τὴν Ἑλλάδα τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς συστάσης.

[¶4] 168. I could not, then, point out a greater service than this, rendered by our ancestors, nor one more generally beneficial to the Hellenes. But I shall, perhaps, be able to show one more particularly related to their conduct of war, and, at the same time, no less admirable and more manifest to all. For who does not himself know or has not heard from the tragic poets at the Dionysia of the misfortunes which befell Adrastus at Thebes, how in his desire to restore to power the son of Oedipus, his own son-in-law, he lost a great number of his Argive soldiers in the battle and saw all of his captains slain, though saving his own life in dishonor, and, when he failed to obtain a truce and was unable to recover the bodies of his dead for burial, he came as a suppliant to Athens, while Theseus still ruled the city, and implored the Athenians not to suffer such men to be deprived of sepulture nor to allow ancient custom and immemorial law to be set at naught—that ordinance which all men respect without fail, not as having been instituted by our human nature, but as having been enjoined by the divine power?

> Greek: 168. μεῖζον μὲν οὖν εὐεργέτημα τούτου καὶ κοινότερον τοῖς Ἕλλησι γεγενημένον παρὰ τῶν προγόνων τῶν ἡμετέρων οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην ἐξευρεῖν· οἰκειότερον δὲ τῇ περὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιμελείᾳ καὶ δόξης οὐκ ἐλάττονος ἄξιον καὶ πᾶσι φανερώτερον ἴσως ἕξομεν εἰπεῖν. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν, ἢ τίς οὐκ ἀκήκοε τῶν τραγῳδοδιδασκάλων Διονυσίοις, τὰς Ἀδράστῳ γενομένας ἐν Θήβαις συμφοράς, ὅτι κατάγειν βουληθεὶς τὸν Οἰδίπου μὲν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ δὲ κηδεστὴν παμπληθεῖς μὲν Ἀργείων ἀπώλεσεν, ἅπαντας δὲ τοὺς λοχαγοὺς ἐπεῖδε διαφθαρέντας, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐπονειδίστως σωθείς, ἐπειδὴ σπονδῶν οὐχ οἷός τʼ ἦν τυχεῖν οὐδʼ ἀνελέσθαι τοὺς τετελευτηκότας, ἱκέτης γενόμενος τῆς πόλεως, ἔτι Θησέως αὐτὴν διοικοῦντος, ἐδεῖτο μὴ περιιδεῖν τοιούτους ἄνδρας ἀτάφους γενομένους μηδὲ παλαιὸν ἔθος καὶ πάτριον νόμον καταλυόμενον, ᾧ πάντες ἄνθρωποι χρώμενοι διατελοῦσιν οὐχ ὡς ὑπʼ ἀνθρωπίνης κειμένῳ φύσεως, ἀλλʼ ὡς ὑπὸ δαιμονίας προστεταγμένῳ δυνάμεως;

[¶5] 170. When our people heard this plea, they let no time go by but at once dispatched ambassadors to Thebes to advise her people that they be more reverent in their deliberations regarding the recovery of the dead and that they render a decision which would be more lawful than that which they had previously made, and to hint to them also that the Athenians would not countenance their transgression of the common law of all Hellas.

> Greek: 170. ὧν ἀκούσας οὐδένα χρόνον ἐπισχὼν ὁ δῆμος ἔπεμψε πρεσβείαν εἰς Θήβας, περί τε τῆς ἀναιρέσεως συμβουλεύσοντας αὐτοῖς ὁσιώτερον βουλεύσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἀπόκρισιν νομιμωτέραν ποιήσασθαι τῆς πρότερον γενομένης, κἀκεῖνο ὑποδείξοντας, ὡς ἡ πόλις αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐπιτρέψει παραβαίνουσι τὸν νόμον τὸν κοινὸν ἁπάντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων.

[¶6] 171. Having heard this message, those who were then in authority at Thebes came to a decision which was in harmony neither with the opinion which some people have of them nor with their previous resolution; on the contrary, after both stating the case for themselves in reasonable terms and denouncing those who had invaded their country, they conceded to our city the recovery of the dead.

> Greek: 171. ὧν ἀκούσαντες οἱ κύριοι τότε Θηβῶν ὄντες οὐχ ὁμοίως ἔγνωσαν οὔτε ταῖς δόξαις αἷς ἔχουσί τινες περὶ αὐτῶν, οὔθʼ οἷς ἐβουλεύσαντο πρότερον, ἀλλὰ μετρίως περὶ αὑτῶν τε διαλεχθέντες καὶ τῶν ἐπιστρατευσάντων κατηγορήσαντες ἔδοσαν τῇ πόλει τὴν ἀναίρεσιν.

[¶7] 172. And let no one suppose that I fail to realize that I am giving a different version of these same events from that which I shall be found to have written in the Panegyricus. But I do not think that anyone of those who can grasp the meaning of these events is so obsessed by stupidity and envy as not to commend me and consider me discreet for the manner in which I have treated them then and now.

> Greek: 172. καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω με ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι τἀναντία τυγχάνω λέγων οἷς ἐν τῷ Πανηγυρικῷ λόγῳ φανείην ἂν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων γεγραφώς· ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδένα νομίζω τῶν ταῦτα συνιδεῖν ἂν δυνηθέντων τοσαύτης ἀμαθίας εἶναι καὶ φθόνου μεστόν, ὅστις οὐκ ἂν ἐπαινέσειέ με καὶ σωφρονεῖν ἡγήσαιτο τότε μὲν ἐκείνως νῦν δʼ οὕτω διαλεχθέντα περὶ αὐτῶν.

[¶8] 173. On this topic, then, I know that I have written wisely and expediently. But how pre-eminent our city stood in war at that time—for it was with the desire to show this that I discussed what happened at Thebes—is, I consider, clearly revealed to all by the circumstances which compelled the king of the Argives to become a suppliant of Athens and which so disposed the authorities at Thebes towards us that they chose of their own accord to accommodate themselves to the words dispatched to them by Athens more than to the laws ordained by the divine power.

> Greek: 173. περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων οἶδʼ ὅτι καλῶς γέγραφα καὶ συμφερόντως· ὅσον δʼ ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν διέφερε τὰ περὶ τὸν πόλεμον κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, τοῦτο γὰρ ἀποδεῖξαι βουλόμενος διῆλθον τὰ γενόμενα Θήβῃσιν, ἡγοῦμαι τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐκείνην ἅπασι σαφῶς δηλοῦν, τὴν τὸν μὲν βασιλέα τὸν Ἀργείων ἀναγκάσασαν ἱκέτην γενέσθαι τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἡμετέρας, τοὺς δὲ κυρίους ὄντας Θηβῶν οὕτω διαθεῖσαν, ὥστε ἑλέσθαι μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἐμμεῖναι τοῖς λόγοις τοῖς ὑπὸ τῆς πόλεως πεμφθεῖσιν ἢ τοῖς νόμοις τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ δαιμονίου κατασταθεῖσιν·

[¶9] 174. For our city would not have been in a position to settle properly any of those questions had she not stood far above the others both in reputation and in power.

> Greek: 174. ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν οἵα τʼ ἐγένετο διοικῆσαι κατὰ τρόπον ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν, εἰ μὴ καὶ τῇ δόξῃ καὶ τῇ δυνάμει πολὺ διήνεγκε τῶν ἄλλων.

[¶10] 175. Although I have many noble things to tell of in the conduct of our ancestors, I am debating in my mind in what manner to present them. Indeed I am more concerned about this than about any other thing. For I come now to that part of my subject which I reserved for the last—that part in which I promised to show that our ancestors excelled the Spartans much more in their wars and battles than in all other respects.

> Greek: 175. ἔχων δὲ πολλὰς καὶ καλὰς πράξεις περὶ τῶν προγόνων εἰπεῖν, σκοποῦμαι τίνα τρόπον διαλεχθῶ περὶ αὐτῶν. μέλει γάρ μοι τούτων μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν ἄλλων· τυγχάνω γὰρ ὢν περὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἣν ἐποιησάμην τελευταίαν, ἐν ᾗ προεῖπον ὡς ἐπιδείξω τοὺς προγόνους ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις καὶ ταῖς μάχαις πλέον διενεγκόντας Σπαρτιατῶν ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν.

[¶11] 176. What I say on this topic will be counter to the opinions of the majority, but in equal degree it will appeal to the rest as the truth. A moment ago I was undecided whether I should first review the wars and battles of the Spartans or our own. Now, however, I elect to speak first of the perils and the battles of the Spartans, in order that I may close the discussion of this subject with struggles more honorable and more righteous.

> Greek: 176. ἔσται δʼ ὁ λόγος παράδοξος μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὁμοίως δʼ ἀληθὴς τοῖς ἄλλοις. ἄρτι μὲν οὖν ἠπόρουν ποτέρων διεξίω πρότερον τοὺς κινδύνους καὶ τὰς μάχας, τὰς Σπαρτιατῶν ἢ τὰς τῶν ἡμετέρων· νῦν δὲ προαιροῦμαι λέγειν τὰς ἐκείνων, ἵνʼ ἐν ταῖς καλλίοσι καὶ δικαιοτέραις καταλύω τὸν λόγον τὸν περὶ τούτων.

[¶12] 177. When, then, the Dorians who invaded the Peloponnesus divided into three parts both the cities and the lands which they had taken from their rightful owners, those of them who received Argos and Messene as their portions ordered their affairs very much as did the Hellenes in general. But the third division of them, whom we now call Lacedaemonians, were, according to close students of their history, more embroiled in factional strife than any other people of Hellas. Moreover, the party which looked down upon the multitude, having got the upper hand, did in no wise adopt the same measures regarding the issues of that conflict as the other Hellenes who had gone through a similar experience.

> Greek: 177. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Δωριέων οἱ στρατεύσαντες εἰς Πελοπόννησον τρίχα διείλοντο τάς τε πόλεις καὶ τὰς χώρας ἃς ἀφείλοντο τοὺς δικαίως κεκτημένους, οἱ μὲν Ἄργος λαχόντες καὶ Μεσσήνην παραπλησίως διῴκουν τὰ σφέτερʼ αὐτῶν τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησι, τὸ δὲ τρίτον μέρος αὐτῶν, οὓς καλοῦμεν νῦν Λακεδαιμονίους, στασιάσαι μέν φασιν αὐτοὺς οἱ τἀκείνων ἀκριβοῦντες ὡς οὐδένας ἄλλους τῶν Ἑλλήνων, περιγενομένους δὲ τοὺς μεῖζον τοῦ πλήθους φρονοῦντας οὐδὲν τῶν αὐτῶν βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν συμβεβηκότων τοῖς τοιαῦτα διαπεπραγμένοις·

[¶13] 178. For the latter suffered the opposing party to live with them and share in all the privileges of the state, excepting the offices and the honors, whereas the intelligent class among the Spartans held that such men were foolish in thinking that they could live in the same city with those against whom they had committed the greatest wrongs and yet govern the state in security; they themselves did nothing of the sort, but instead set up amongst their own class the only kind of equality and democracy which is possible if men are to be at all times in complete accord, while reducing the mass of the people to the condition of Perioeci, subjecting their spirits to a bondage no less abject than that endured by slaves.

> Greek: 178. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλους συνοίκους ἔχειν ἐν τῇ πόλει τοὺς στασιάσαντας καὶ κοινωνοὺς ἁπάντων πλὴν τῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ τῶν τιμῶν· οὓς οὐκ εὖ φρονεῖν ἡγεῖσθαι Σπαρτιατῶν τοὺς νοῦν ἔχοντας, εἰ νομίζουσιν ἀσφαλῶς πολιτεύεσθαι μετὰ τούτων οἰκοῦντες, περὶ οὓς τὰ μέγιστα τυγχάνουσιν ἐξημαρτηκότες· αὐτοὺς δʼ οὐδὲν τούτων ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ σφίσι μὲν αὐτοῖς ἰσονομίαν καταστῆσαι καὶ δημοκρατίαν τοιαύτην, οἵαν περ χρὴ τοὺς μέλλοντας ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον ὁμονοήσειν, τὸν δὲ δῆμον περιοίκους ποιήσασθαι, καταδουλωσαμένους αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχὰς οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ τὰς τῶν οἰκετῶν·

[¶14] 179. And having done this, they disposed of the land, of which by right every man should have had an equal share, seizing for themselves—the few—not only the richest but more than any of the Hellenes possess, while to the mass of the people they apportioned only enough of the poorest land so that by working laboriously they could hardly gain their daily bread. Then they divided the multitude into the smallest groups possible and settled them upon many small tracts—groups who in name were spoken of as dwelling in cities, but in reality had less power than the townships with us.

> Greek: 179. ταῦτα δὲ πράξαντας τῆς χώρας, ἧς προσῆκεν ἴσον ἔχειν ἕκαστον, αὐτοὺς μὲν λαβεῖν ὀλίγους ὄντας οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀρίστην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοσαύτην ὅσην οὐδένες τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔχουσι, τῷ δὲ πλήθει τηλικοῦτον ἀπονεῖμαι μέρος τῆς χειρίστης ὥστʼ ἐπιπόνως ἐργαζομένους μόλις ἔχειν τὸ καθʼ ἡμέραν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διελόντας τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν ὡς οἷόν τʼ ἦν εἰς ἐλαχίστους εἰς τόπους κατοικίσαι μικροὺς καὶ πολλούς, ὀνόμασι μὲν προσαγορευομένους ὡς πόλεις οἰκοῦντας, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν ἔχοντας ἐλάττω τῶν δήμων τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν·

[¶15] 180. And, having despoiled them of all the rights which free men ought to share, they imposed upon them the greatest part in all dangers. For in the campaigns which were conducted by their kings they not only ranged them man for man side by side with themselves, but some they stationed in the first line, and whenever need arose to dispatch a relief-force anywhere and they themselves were afraid of the hardships or the dangers or the length of time involved, they sent them forth to take the brunt of the danger from all the rest.

> Greek: 180. ἁπάντων δʼ ἀποστερήσαντας αὐτοὺς ὧν προσήκει μετέχειν τοὺς ἐλευθέρους, τοὺς πλείστους ἐπιθεῖναι τῶν κινδύνων αὐτοῖς· ἔν τε γὰρ ταῖς στρατείαις, αἷς ἡγεῖται βασιλεύς, κατʼ ἄνδρα συμπαρατάττεσθαι σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, ἐνίους δὲ καὶ τῆς πρώτης τάττειν, ἐάν τέ που δεῆσαν αὐτοὺς ἐκπέμψαι βοήθειαν φοβηθῶσιν ἢ τοὺς πόνους ἢ τοὺς κινδύνους ἢ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ χρόνου, τούτους ἀποστέλλειν προκινδυνεύσοντας τῶν ἄλλων.

[¶16] 181. But why make a long story by detailing all the outrages which were visited upon the common people? Why not, rather, mention the greatest of their misfortunes and refuse to be burdened with the rest? For over these people, who have from the beginning suffered evils so dreadful, but in present emergencies are found so useful, the Ephors have the power to put to death without trial as many as they please, whereas in the other states of Hellas it is a crime against the gods to stain one’s hands with the blood of even the basest of slaves.

> Greek: 181. καὶ τί δεῖ μακρολογεῖν ἁπάσας διεξιόντα τὰς ὕβρεις τὰς περὶ τὸ πλῆθος γιγνομένας, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸ μέγιστον εἰπόντα τῶν κακῶν ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῶν ἄλλων; τῶν γὰρ οὕτω μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς δεινὰ πεπονθότων, ἐν δὲ τοῖς παροῦσι καιροῖς χρησίμων ὄντων, ἔξεστι τοῖς ἐφόροις ἀκρίτους ἀποκτεῖναι τοσούτους ὁπόσους ἂν βουληθῶσιν· ἃ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησιν οὐδὲ τοὺς πονηροτάτους τῶν οἰκετῶν ὅσιόν ἐστι μιαιφονεῖν.

[¶17] 182. But the reason I have at some length gone into their domestic policy and the wrongs which they have committed against the common people is, that I may ask those who applaud all the actions of the Spartans whether they applaud these also and whether they look upon those struggles as righteous and honorable which have been carried on against these men.

> Greek: 182. τούτου δʼ ἕνεκα περὶ τῆς οἰκειότητος καὶ τῶν ἡμαρτημένων εἰς αὐτοὺς διὰ πλειόνων διῆλθον, ἵνʼ ἔρωμαι τοὺς ἀποδεχομένους ἁπάσας τὰς Σπαρτιατῶν πράξεις, εἰ καὶ ταύτας ἀποδέχονται, καὶ τὰς μάχας εὐσεβεῖς εἶναι νομίζουσι καὶ καλὰς τὰς πρὸς τούτους γεγενημένας.

[¶18] 183. For I, for my part, regard them as having been great and terrible and the source of many injuries to the defeated and of many gains to the victors—gains for whose sake they are at all times continually waging war—but not, no, not as righteous or even as honorable or becoming to men who lay claim to excellence. I speak, not of excellence as that word is used in the arts or in many other activities, but of the excellence which in the hearts of good men and true is engendered in company with righteousness and justice. And it is this kind of excellence which is the subject of my whole discourse.

> Greek: 183. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι μεγάλας μὲν αὐτὰς γεγενῆσθαι καὶ δεινὰς καὶ πολλῶν αἰτίας τοῖς μὲν ἡττηθεῖσι κακῶν τοῖς δὲ κατορθώσασι λημμάτων, ὧνπερ ἕνεκα πολεμοῦντες ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον διατελοῦσιν, οὐ μὴν ὁσίας οὐδὲ καλὰς οὐδὲ πρεπούσας τοῖς ἀρετῆς ἀντιποιουμένοις, μὴ τῆς ἐπὶ τῶν τεχνῶν ὀνομαζομένης καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῖς καλοῖς κἀγαθοῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς μετʼ εὐσεβείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἐγγιγνομένης, περὶ ἧς ἅπας ὁ λόγος ἐστίν.

[¶19] 184. But depreciating this, some men heap praise upon those who have committed more crimes than all others and are not aware that they are betraying their own thoughts and showing that they would praise also men who, already possessing more wealth than they need, would not scruple to slay their own brothers and friends and associates so as to obtain their possessions also. For such crimes are parallel to the things which the Spartans have done. And those who applaud the latter cannot escape taking the same view also of the crimes which I have just mentioned.

> Greek: 184. ἧς ὀλιγωροῦντές τινες ἐγκωμιάζουσι τοὺς πλείω τῶν ἄλλων ἡμαρτηκότας, καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνονται τὰς διανοίας ἐπιδεικνύντες τὰς σφετέρας αὐτῶν, ὅτι κἀκείνους ἂν ἐπαινέσειαν, τοὺς πλείω μὲν κεκτημένους τῶν ἱκανῶν, ἀποκτεῖναι δʼ ἂν τολμήσαντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους καὶ τοὺς κοινωνοὺς ὥστε καὶ τἀκείνων λαβεῖν· ὅμοια γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν ἔργων ἐστὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ Σπαρτιατῶν πεπραγμένοις, ἃ τοὺς ἀποδεχομένους ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἄρτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχειν γνώμην.

[¶20] 185. I marvel that there are none who regard battles and victories won contrary to justice as more disgraceful and fraught with greater reproaches than defeats which are met without dishonor—and that too, knowing that great, but evil, powers prove often stronger than good men who choose to risk their lives for their country.

> Greek: 185. θαυμάζω δʼ εἴ τινες τὰς μάχας καὶ τὰς νίκας τὰς παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον γιγνομένας μὴ νομίζουσιν αἰσχίους εἶναι καὶ πλειόνων ὀνειδῶν μεστὰς ἢ τὰς ἥττας τὰς ἄνευ κακίας συμβαινούσας, καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰδότες ὅτι μεγάλαι δυνάμεις πονηραὶ δὲ πολλάκις γίγνονται κρείττους ἀνδρῶν σπουδαίων καὶ κινδυνεύειν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος αἱρουμένων.

[¶21] 186. For such men are much more deserving of our praise than those who, while ready and willing to face death to gain the possessions of others, are yet in no wise different from hireling soldiers. For these are the acts of men depraved, and if men of honest purpose sometimes come off worse in the struggle than men who desire to do injustice, we may attribute this to negligence of the gods.

> Greek: 186. οὓς πολὺ ἂν δικαιότερον ἐπαινοῖμεν ἢ τοὺς περὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἑτοίμως ἀποθνήσκειν ἐθέλοντας καὶ τοῖς ξενικοῖς στρατεύμασιν ὁμοίους ὄντας· ταῦτα μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἔργα πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὸ δὲ τοὺς χρηστοὺς ἐνίοτε χεῖρον ἀγωνίζεσθαι τῶν ἀδικεῖν βουλομένων θεῶν ἄν τις ἀμέλειαν εἶναι φήσειεν.

[¶22] 187. But I might apply this point also to the misfortune which befell the Spartans at Thermopylae, which all who have heard of it praise and admire more than the battles and victories which have been won over adversaries against whom wars ought never to have been waged, albeit some are without scruple in extolling such successes, not realizing that nothing is either righteous or honorable which is not said or done with justice.

> Greek: 187. ἔχοιμι δʼ ἂν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ χρήσασθαι καὶ περὶ τῆς συμφορᾶς τῆς Σπαρτιάταις ἐν Θερμοπύλαις γενομένης, ἣν ἅπαντες ὅσοι περ ἀκηκόασιν ἐπαινοῦσι καὶ θαυμάζουσι μᾶλλον ἢ τὰς μάχας καὶ τὰς νίκας τὰς κρατησάσας μὲν τῶν ἐναντίων, πρὸς οὓς δʼ οὐκ ἐχρῆν γεγενημένας· ἃς εὐλογεῖν τινες τολμῶσι, κακῶς εἰδότες ὡς οὐδὲν οὔθʼ ὅσιον οὔτε καλόν ἐστι τῶν μὴ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης καὶ λεγομένων καὶ πραττομένων.

[¶23] 188. But the Spartans have never given a thought to this truth; for they look to no other object than that of securing for themselves as many of the possessions of other peoples as they can. Our ancestors, on the other hand, have shown concern for nothing in the world so much as for a good name among the Hellenes; for they considered that there could be no truer or fairer judgement than that which is rendered by a whole race of people.

> Greek: 188. ὧν Σπαρτιάταις μὲν οὐδὲν πώποτʼ ἐμέλησεν· βλέπουσι γὰρ εἰς οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν ὅπως ὡς πλεῖστα τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κατασχήσουσιν· οἱ δʼ ἡμέτεροι περὶ οὐδὲν οὕτω τῶν ὄντων ἐσπούδαζον ὡς τὸ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν εὐδοκιμεῖν· ἡγοῦντο γὰρ οὐδεμίαν ἂν γενέσθαι κρίσιν οὔτʼ ἀληθεστέραν οὔτε δικαιοτέραν τῆς ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ γένους γνωσθείσης.

[¶24] 189. And they have been manifestly of this mind both in their government of the state in other respects and in the conduct of the greatest affairs. For in the three wars, apart from the Trojan war, which were fought by the Hellenes against the barbarians—in all these they placed our city in the forefront of the fighting. Of these wars, one was the struggle against Xerxes, in which they were as much superior to the Lacedaemonians in every crisis as were the latter to the rest of the Hellenes. Another was the war connected with the founding of the colonies, in which none of the Dorians came to help them, but in which Athens, having been made the leader of those who were lacking in the means of subsistence and of all others who desired to join with her, so completely reversed the state of affairs that, whereas the barbarians had been wont in times past to seize and hold the greatest cities of Hellas, she placed the Hellenes in a position where they were able to do what they had formerly suffered.

> Greek: 189. δῆλοι δʼ ἦσαν οὕτως ἔχοντες ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις οἷς διῴκουν τὴν πόλιν, καὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις τῶν πραγμάτων. τριῶν γὰρ πολέμων γενομένων ἄνευ τοῦ Τρωικοῦ τοῖς Ἕλλησι πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους, ἐν ἅπασι τούτοις πρωτεύουσαν αὐτὴν παρέσχον. ὧν εἷς μὲν ἦν ὁ πρὸς Ξέρξην, ἐν ᾧ πλέον διήνεγκαν Λακεδαιμονίων ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς κινδύνοις ἢ ʼκεῖνοι τῶν ἄλλων, δεύτερος δʼ ὁ περὶ τὴν κτίσιν τῶν ἀποικιῶν, εἰς ὃν Δωριέων μὲν οὐδεὶς ἦλθε συμπολεμήσων, ἡ δὲ πόλις ἡμῶν ἡγεμὼν καταστᾶσα τῶν οὐκ εὐπορούντων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν βουλομένων τοσοῦτον τὰ πράγματα μετέστησεν, ὥστʼ εἰθισμένων τῶν βαρβάρων τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον τὰς μεγίστας πόλεις τῶν Ἑλληνίδων καταλαμβάνειν ἐποίησε τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἃ πρότερον ἔπασχον, ταῦτα δύνασθαι ποιεῖν.

[¶25] 191. Now as to the two wars, I have said enough earlier in this discourse. I shall now take up the third, which took place when the other Hellenic cities had just been founded and while our own city was still ruled by kings. In those days there occurred at the same time very many wars and very great perils. I could neither ascertain nor set forth the history of all of them, and I shall pass over the great bulk of the things which were then done, but do not now press upon us to be told, and shall endeavor to inform you as briefly as I can of the enemies who attacked our city, of the battles which deserve to be recalled and recounted, of their leaders, and, furthermore, of the pretexts which they alleged, and of the strength of the peoples who joined in their campaigns.

> Greek: 191. περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῖν δυοῖν πολέμοιν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἱκανῶς εἰρήκαμεν, περὶ δὲ τοῦ τρίτου ποιήσομαι τοὺς λόγους, ὃς ἐγένετο τῶν μὲν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων ἄρτι κατῳκισμένων, τῆς δʼ ἡμετέρας ἔτι βασιλευομένης. ἐφʼ ὧν καὶ πόλεμοι πλεῖστοι καὶ κίνδυνοι μέγιστοι συνέπεσον, οὓς ἅπαντας μὲν οὔθʼ εὑρεῖν οὔτʼ εἰπεῖν ἂν δυνηθείην, παραλιπὼν δὲ τὸν πλεῖστον ὄχλον τῶν ἐν ἐκείνῳ μὲν τῷ χρόνῳ πραχθέντων ῥηθῆναι δὲ νῦν οὐ κατεπειγόντων, ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι συντομώτατα πειράσομαι δηλῶσαι τούς τʼ ἐπιστρατεύσαντας τῇ πόλει καὶ τὰς μάχας τὰς ἀξίας μνημονευθῆναι καὶ ῥηθῆναι καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας αὐτῶν, ἔτι δὲ τὰς προφάσεις ἃς ἔλεγον, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῶν γενῶν τῶν συνακολουθησάντων αὐτοῖς·

[¶26] 192. For these details will be enough to discuss in addition to what we have said about our adversaries.

> Greek: 192. ἱκανὰ γὰρ ἔσται ταῦτʼ εἰπεῖν πρὸς οἷς περὶ τῶν ἐναντίων εἰρήκαμεν.

[¶27] 193. For our country was invaded by the Thracians, led by Eumolpus, son of Poseidon, who disputed the possession of Athens with Erechtheus, alleging, that Poseidon had appropriated the city before Athena; also by the Scythians, led by the Amazons, the offspring of Ares, who made the expedition to recover Hippolyte, since she had not only broken the laws which were established among them, but had become enamored of Theseus and followed him from her home to Athens and there lived with him as his consort;

> Greek: 193. Θρᾷκες μὲν γὰρ μετʼ Εὐμόλπου τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος εἰσέβαλον εἰς τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν, ὃς ἠμφισβήτησεν Ἐρεχθεῖ τῆς πόλεως, φάσκων Ποσειδῶ πρότερον Ἀθηνᾶς καταλαβεῖν αὐτήν· Σκύθαι δὲ μετʼ Ἀμαζόνων τῶν ἐξ Ἄρεως γενομένων, αἳ τὴν στρατείαν ἐφʼ Ἱππολύτην ἐποιήσαντο, τὴν τούς τε νόμους παραβᾶσαν τοὺς παρʼ αὐταῖς κειμένους, ἐρασθεῖσάν τε Θησέως καὶ συνακολουθήσασαν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ συνοικήσασαν αὐτῷ·

[¶28] 194. again, by the Peloponnesians, led by Eurystheus, who not only refused to make amends to Heracles for his ill-treatment of him but brought an army against our ancestors with the object of seizing by force the sons of Heracles, who had taken refuge with us. However, he met with the fate which was his due. For so far did he fail of getting our suppliants into his power that, having been defeated in battle and taken captive by our people, he became the suppliant of those whom he had come to demand of us, and lost his own life.

> Greek: 194. Πελοποννήσιοι δὲ μετʼ Εὐρυσθέως, ὃς Ἡρακλεῖ μὲν οὐκ ἔδωκε δίκην ὧν ἡμάρτανεν εἰς αὐτόν, στρατεύσας δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους προγόνους ὡς ἐκληψόμενος βίᾳ τοὺς ἐκείνου παῖδας, παρʼ ἡμῖν γὰρ ἦσαν καταπεφευγότες, ἔπαθεν ἃ προσῆκεν αὐτόν. τοσούτου γὰρ ἐδέησε κύριος γενέσθαι τῶν ἱκετῶν, ὥστε ἡττηθεὶς μάχῃ καὶ ζωγρηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων, αὐτὸς ἱκέτης γενόμενος τούτων οὓς ἐξαιτῶν ἦλθε, τὸν βίον ἐτελεύτησεν.

[¶29] 195. Later than Eurystheus, the troops dispatched by Dareius to ravage Hellas landed at Marathon, fell upon more misfortunes and greater disasters than they had hoped to inflict upon our city, and fled in rout from all Hellas.

> Greek: 195. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον οἱ πεμφθέντες ὑπὸ Δαρείου τὴν Ἑλλάδα πορθήσοντες, ἀποβάντες εἰς Μαραθῶνα, πλείοσι κακοῖς καὶ μείζοσι συμφοραῖς περιπεσόντες ὧν ἤλπισαν τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν ποιήσειν, ᾤχοντο φεύγοντες ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος.

[¶30] 196. All these whom I have instanced, having invaded our country—not together nor at the same time, but as opportunity and self-interest and desire concurred in each case—our ancestors conquered in battle and put an end to their insolence. And yet they did not forsake their true selves after they had achieved successes of such magnitude nor did they experience the same misadventure as those who, owing to the exercise of good and wise judgement, have attained great wealth and good reputation, but who, owing to excess of good fortune, have grown overweening, lost their senses, and have been brought down to lower and meaner circumstances than those which they enjoyed before. On the contrary, they escaped all such aberrations and remained steadfast in the character which they had because of the excellence of their government, taking more pride in their state of soul and in the quality of their minds than in the battles which had been fought, and being more admired by the rest of the world because of this self-control and moderation than because of the bravery displayed in their perils.

> Greek: 196. τούτους δʼ ἅπαντας οὓς διῆλθον, οὐ μετʼ ἀλλήλων εἰσβαλόντας οὐδὲ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους, ἀλλʼ ὡς οἵ τε καιροὶ καὶ τὸ συμφέρον ἑκάστοις καὶ τὸ βούλεσθαι συνέπιπτε, μάχῃ νικήσαντες καὶ τῆς ὕβρεως παύσαντες, οὐκ ἐξέστησαν αὑτῶν τηλικαῦτα διαπραξάμενοι τὸ μέγεθος, οὐδʼ ἔπαθον ταὐτὸ τοῖς διὰ μὲν τὸ καλῶς καὶ φρονίμως βουλεύσασθαι καὶ πλούτους μεγάλους καὶ δόξας καλὰς κτησαμένοις, διὰ δὲ τὰς ὑπερβολὰς τὰς τούτων ὑπερηφάνοις γενομένοις καὶ τὴν φρόνησιν διαφθαρεῖσι καὶ κατενεχθεῖσιν εἰς χείρω πράγματα καὶ ταπεινότερα τῶν πρότερον αὐτοῖς ὑπαρχόντων, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα διαφυγόντες ἐνέμειναν τοῖς ἤθεσιν οἷς εἶχον διὰ τὸ πολιτεύεσθαι καλῶς, μεῖζον φρονοῦντες ἐπὶ τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ἕξει καὶ ταῖς διανοίαις ταῖς αὑτῶν ἢ ταῖς μάχαις ταῖς γεγενημέναις, καὶ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων θαυμαζόμενοι διὰ τὴν καρτερίαν ταύτην καὶ σωφροσύνην ἢ διὰ τὴν ἀνδρίαν τὴν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις αὐτοῖς παραγενομένην·

[¶31] 198. For all men saw that the fighting spirit is possessed by many even of those who outdo others in villainy, while that spirit which is beneficent in all things and is helpful to all men is not shared by the depraved, but is engendered only in men who are of good birth and breeding and education—even such as were those who then governed our city and brought to pass all the good things which I have described.

> Greek: 198. ἑώρων γὰρ πάντες τὴν μὲν εὐψυχίαν τὴν πολεμικὴν πολλοὺς ἔχοντας καὶ τῶν ταῖς κακουργίαις ὑπερβαλλόντων, τῆς δὲ χρησίμης ἐπὶ πᾶσι καὶ πάντας δυναμένης ὠφελεῖν οὐ κοινωνοῦντας τοὺς πονηρούς, ἀλλὰ μόνοις ἐγγιγνομένην τοῖς καλῶς γεγονόσι καὶ τεθραμμένοις καὶ πεπαιδευμένοις, ἅπερ προσῆν τοῖς τότε τὴν πόλιν διοικοῦσι καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων αἰτίοις καταστᾶσιν.

[¶32] 199. Now I observe that the other orators close their discourses with the greatest and most memorable deeds, but, while I commend the wisdom of those who hold and practise this principle, yet I am not in a position to do this same thing, but am compelled to go on with my discourse. The reason why, I shall explain presently, after first saying just a word.

> Greek: 199. τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἄλλους ὁρῶ περὶ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν ἔργων καὶ μάλιστα μνημονευθησόμενα τοὺς λόγους καταλύοντας, ἐγὼ δὲ σωφρονεῖν μὲν νομίζω τοὺς ταῦτα γιγνώσκοντας καὶ πράττοντας, οὐ μὴν συμβαίνει μοι ταὐτὸ ποιεῖν ἐκείνοις, ἀλλʼ ἔτι λέγειν ἀναγκάζομαι. τὴν δʼ αἰτίαν διʼ ἥν, ὀλίγον ὕστερον ἐρῶ, μικρὰ πάνυ προδιαλεχθείς.

[¶33] 200. After I had written out my discourse as far as what has been read, I was revising it with three or four youths who are wont to spend their time in my society. And when, on going over what I had written, it seemed to us to be good and to require only an ending, it occurred to me to send for one of those who had studied with me but had lived under an oligarchy and had elected to extol the Lacedaemonians. I did this in order that, if any false statement had escaped me, he might detect it and point it out to me.

> Greek: 200. ἐπηνώρθουν μὲν γὰρ τὸν λόγον τὸν μέχρι τῶν ἀναγνωσθέντων γεγραμμένον μετὰ μειρακίων τριῶν ἢ τεττάρων τῶν εἰθισμένων μοι συνδιατρίβειν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ διεξιοῦσιν ἡμῖν ἐδόκει καλῶς ἔχειν καὶ προσδεῖσθαι τελευτῆς μόνον, ἔδοξέ μοι μεταπέμψασθαί τινα τῶν ἐμοὶ μὲν πεπλησιακότων, ἐν ὀλιγαρχίᾳ δὲ πεπολιτευμένον, προῃρημένον δὲ Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπαινεῖν, ἵνʼ εἴ τι παρέλαθεν ἡμᾶς ψεῦδος εἰρημένον, ἐκεῖνος κατιδὼν δηλώσειεν ἡμῖν.

[¶34] 201. He came, upon being summoned, and, having read through my discourse (for why take up time in relating what happened in the interval?) he took no offence at anything which I had written but, on the contrary, praised the speech in the highest possible terms and expressed views on each part of it which were very similar to those which I held. And yet it was manifest that he was not pleased with what I had said about the Lacedaemonians.

> Greek: 201. ἐλθὼν δʼ ὁ κληθεὶς καὶ διαναγνοὺς τὸν λόγον ʽτὰ γὰρ μεταξὺ τί δεῖ λέγοντα διατρίβειν;ʼ, ἐδυσχέρανε μὲν ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ τῶν γεγραμμένων, ἐπῄνεσε δʼ ὡς δυνατὸν μάλιστα, καὶ διελέχθη περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν μερῶν παραπλησίως οἷς ἡμεῖς ἐγιγνώσκομεν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ φανερὸς ἦν οὐχ ἡδέως ἔχων ἐπὶ τοῖς περὶ Λακεδαιμονίων εἰρημένοις.

[¶35] 202. And he showed it forthwith; for he made bold to say that if the Spartans had done no other service to the Hellenes, at any rate, they deserved the gratitude of all men because they had discovered the best ways of life and not only followed these ways themselves but had taught them to the rest of the world.

> Greek: 202. ἐδήλωσε δὲ διὰ ταχέων· ἐτόλμησε γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὡς εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο πεποιήκασι τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀγαθόν, ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐκεῖνό γε δικαίως ἂν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντες χάριν ἔχοιεν, ὅτι τὰ κάλλιστα τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων εὑρόντες αὐτοί τε χρῶνται καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις κατέδειξαν.

[¶36] 203. This assertion, so brief and so brusque, furnished the reason why I did not close my speech at the point where I was inclined to end it. I thought that it would be shameful and reprehensible on my part to permit one who had been my pupil to make in my presence a statement which was unsound. With this in mind, I asked him whether he had no regard for his present auditors and was not ashamed of having said things which were impious and false and full of many contradictions.

> Greek: 203. τοῦτο δὲ ῥηθὲν οὕτω βραχὺ καὶ μικρὸν αἴτιον ἐγένετο τοῦ μήτε καταλῦσαί με τὸν λόγον ἐφʼ ὧν ἐβουλήθην, ὑπολαβεῖν θʼ ὡς αἰσχρὸν ποιήσω καὶ δεινόν, εἰ παρὼν περιόψομαί τινα τῶν ἐμοὶ πεπλησιακότων πονηροῖς λόγοις χρώμενον. ταῦτα δὲ διανοηθεὶς ἠρόμην αὐτὸν εἰ μηδὲν φροντίζει τῶν παρόντων, μηδʼ αἰσχύνεται λόγον εἰρηκὼς ἀσεβῆ καὶ ψευδῆ καὶ πολλῶν ἐναντιώσεων μεστόν.

[¶37] 204. “You will realize,” I said, “that your assertion is such as I have declared it to be if you will ask any intelligent men, first what they think are the best ways of life, and next how long a time has passed since the Lacedaemonians settled in the Peloponnesus. For there is no one who, among the ways of life, will not give preference to the practice of reverence in relation to the gods and of justice in relation to mankind and of wisdom in relation to all activities in general, and they will tell you that the Spartans have lived in the Peloponnesus not more than seven hundred years.

> Greek: 204. “γνώσει δʼ ὡς ἔστι τοιοῦτος, ἢν ἐρωτήσῃς τινὰς τῶν εὖ φρονούντων ποῖα τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων κάλλιστα νομίζουσιν εἶναι, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πόσος χρόνος ἐστὶν ἐξ οὗ Σπαρτιᾶται τυγχάνουσιν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ κατοικοῦντες. οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὅστις οὐ τῶν μὲν ἐπιτηδευμάτων προκρινεῖ τὴν εὐσέβειαν τὴν περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν περὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ τὴν φρόνησιν τὴν περὶ τὰς ἄλλας πράξεις, Σπαρτιάτας δʼ ἐνταῦθα κατοικεῖν οὐ πλείω φήσουσιν ἐτῶν ἑκτακοσίων.

[¶38] 205. These things being so, if you speak the truth when you assert that they were the discoverers of the best ways of life, then it must follow that those who lived many generations before the Spartans settled there had no part in them—neither those who made the expedition against Troy nor those who were of the generation of Heracles and Theseus or of Minos, son of Zeus, or Rhadamanthus or Aeacus or any of the others who are celebrated in song for the virtues which I have mentioned, but that all of them have in this respect a reputation which is false.

> Greek: 205. τούτων δʼ οὕτως ἐχόντων, εἰ μὲν τυγχάνεις ἀληθῆ λέγων τούτους φάσκων εὑρετὰς γεγενῆσθαι τῶν καλλίστων ἐπιτηδευμάτων, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τοὺς πολλαῖς γενεαῖς πρότερον γεγονότας, πρὶν Σπαρτιάτας ἐνταῦθα κατοικῆσαι, μὴ μετέχειν αὐτῶν, μήτε τοὺς ἐπὶ Τροίαν στρατευσαμένους μήτε τοὺς περὶ Ἡρακλέα καὶ Θησέα γεγονότας μήτε Μίνω τὸν Διὸς μήτε Ῥαδάμανθυν μήτʼ Αἰακὸν μήτε τῶν ἄλλων μηδένα τῶν ὑμνουμένων ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ταύταις, ἀλλὰ ψευδῆ τὴν δόξαν ταύτην ἅπαντας ἔχειν· εἰ δὲ σὺ μὲν φλυαρῶν τυγχάνεις, προσήκει δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ θεῶν γεγονότας καὶ χρῆσθαι ταύταις μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων καὶ καταδεῖξαι τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως οὐ μαίνεσθαι δόξεις ἅπασι τοῖς ἀκούσασιν, οὕτως εἰκῇ καὶ παρανόμως οὓς ἂν τύχῃς ἐπαινῶν.

[¶39] 206. But if, on the other hand, you are speaking nonsense, and if it is fitting that men who were descended from gods should have cultivated these virtues more than all others and transmitted them to their successors as well, then you cannot escape being thought mad by all who hear you for being so reckless and unjust and undiscriminating in your praise. Furthermore, if you were praising them without having heard any of my speech, you would no less be speaking drivel, but you would not be manifestly contradicting yourself. But now, since you have commended my discourse, which proves that the Lacedaemonians have committed many outrages both against their own kinsmen and the rest of the Hellenes, how could you then say that those who are open to these charges have been the leaders in the best ways of life “Moreover, this consideration also has escaped you, that the things which have been overlooked, whether in ways of living or in the arts or in all other activities, are not discovered by any and every one, but by men who have superior endowments and are both able to learn the most of what has been discovered before their time and willing more than all others to give their minds to the search for what is new.

> Greek: 206. ἔπειτʼ εἰ μὲν εὐλόγεις αὐτοὺς οὐδὲν ἀκηκοὼς τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐλήρεις μὲν ἄν, οὐ μὴν ἐναντία γε λέγων ἐφαίνου σαυτῷ· νῦν δʼ ἐπῃνεκότι σοι τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον, τὸν ἐπιδεικνύντα πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ Δακεδαιμονίους περὶ τε τοὺς συγγενεῖς τοὺς αὑτῶν καὶ περὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Ἕλληνας διαπεπραγμένους, πῶς οἷόν τʼ ἦν ἔτι σοὶ λέγειν τοὺς ἐνόχους ὄντας τούτοις, ὡς τῶν καλλίστων ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἡγεμόνες γεγόνασιν; πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κἀκεῖνό σε λέληθεν, ὅτι τὰ παραλελειμμένα τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων καὶ τῶν τεχνῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων οὐχ οἱ τυχόντες εὑρίσκουσιν, ἀλλʼ οἱ τάς τε φύσεις διαφέροντες καὶ μαθεῖν πλεῖστα τῶν πρότερον εὑρημένων δυνηθέντες καὶ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν τῷ ζητεῖν μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ἐθελήσαντες.

[¶40] 209. But in these respects the Lacedaemonians are more backward than the barbarians. For you will find that the latter have been both pupils and teachers of many discoveries, while the Lacedaemonians have fallen so far behind our common culture and learning that they do not even try to instruct themselves in letters —a science which has so much power that those who understand and use it become apprized not only of the things which have been accomplished in their own time but also of the things which have come to pass in any age whatsoever.

> Greek: 209. ὧν Λακεδαιμόνιοι πλέον ἀπέχουσι τῶν βαρβάρων· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἂν φανεῖεν πολλῶν εὑρημάτων καὶ μαθηταὶ καὶ διδάσκαλοι γεγονότες, οὗτοι δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπολελειμμένοι τῆς κοινῆς παιδείας καὶ φιλοσοφίας εἰσὶν ὥστʼ οὐδὲ γράμματα μανθάνουσιν, ἃ τηλικαύτην ἔχει δύναμιν ὥστε τοὺς ἐπισταμένους καὶ χρωμένους αὐτοῖς μὴ μόνον ἐμπείρους γίγνεσθαι τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡλικίας τῆς αὑτῶν πραχθέντων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πώποτε γενομένων.

[¶41] 210. Nevertheless, you have made bold to assert even of those who are ignorant of such matters that they have been the discoverers of the best ways of life, and that too when you know that they train their own boys in habits and practices by which they hope that, so far from becoming the benefactors of others, they will become most adept in doing injury to the Hellenes.

> Greek: 210. ἀλλʼ ὅμως σὺ καὶ τοὺς τῶν τοιούτων ἀμαθεῖς ὄντας ἐτόλμησας εἰπεῖν ὡς εὑρεταὶ τῶν καλλίστων ἐπιτηδευμάτων γεγόνασι, καὶ ταῦτʼ εἰδὼς ὅτι τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἐθίζουσι περὶ τοιαύτας πραγματείας διατρίβειν, ἐξ ὧν ἐλπίζουσιν αὐτοὺς οὐκ εὐεργέτας γενήσεσθαι τῶν ἄλλων, ἀλλὰ κακῶς ποιεῖν μάλιστα δυνήσεσθαι τοὺς Ἕλληνας.

[¶42] 211. “Were I to go through all of these practices, I should greatly fatigue both myself and my hearers, but if I mention only a single one—one which they cherish most and by which they set most store—I think that I can put before you their whole manner of life. For every day they send out their boys, from the very cradle, as it were, with such companions as each may prefer, ostensibly to hunt, but in reality to steal the property of the people who live in the country.

> Greek: 211. ἃς πάσας μὲν διεξιὼν πολὺν ὄχλον ἐμαυτῷ τʼ ἂν παράσχοιμι καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, μίαν δὲ μόνον εἰπών, ἣν ἀγαπῶσι καὶ περὶ ἣν μάλιστα σπουδάζουσιν, οἶμαι δηλώσειν ἅπαντα τὸν τρόπον αὐτῶν. ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ καθʼ ἑκάστην τὴν ἡμέραν εὐθὺς ἐξ εὐνῆς ἐκπέμπουσι τοὺς παῖδας, μεθʼ ὧν ἂν ἕκαστοι βουληθῶσι, λόγῳ μὲν ἐπὶ θήραν, ἔργῳ δʼ ἐπὶ κλωπείαν τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς κατοικούντων·

[¶43] 212. In this practice, those who are caught are punished with fines and blows, while those who have accomplished the greatest number of thefts and have been able to escape detection enjoy a higher esteem among their fellow-youths than the others, and when they attain to manhood, provided they remain true to the ways which they practised in youth, they are in line for the most important offices.

> Greek: 212. ἐν ᾗ συμβαίνει τοὺς μὲν ληφθέντας ἀργύριον ἀποτίνειν καὶ πληγὰς λαμβάνειν, τοὺς δὲ πλεῖστα κακουργήσαντας καὶ λαθεῖν δυνηθέντας ἔν τε τοῖς παισὶν εὐδοκιμεῖν μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων, ἐπειδὰν δʼ εἰς ἄνδρας συντελῶσιν, ἢν ἐμμείνωσι τοῖς ἤθεσιν οἷς παῖδες ὄντες ἐμελέτησαν, ἐγγὺς εἶναι τῶν μεγίστων ἀρχῶν.

[¶44] 213. “If anyone can point out an education which is more cherished by them or by which they set greater store than this, I am willing to grant that there is not a word of truth in what I have said about anything whatsoever. And yet what is there in such conduct that is good or admirable and not, on the contrary, shameful? How can we fail to condemn the folly of those who extol men who have so far departed from our common laws and are in no respect of the same way of thinking as either the Hellenes or the barbarians?

> Greek: 213. καὶ ταύτης ἤν τις ἐπιδείξῃ παιδείαν μᾶλλον ἀγαπωμένην ἢ σπουδαιοτέραν παρʼ αὐτοῖς εἶναι νομιζομένην, ὁμολογῶ μηδὲν ἀληθὲς εἰρηκέναι μηδὲ περὶ ἑνὸς πώποτε πράγματος. καίτοι τί τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων καλόν ἐστιν ἢ σεμνόν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ αἰσχύνης ἄξιον; πῶς δʼ οὐκ ἀνοήτους χρὴ νομίζειν τοὺς ἐπαινοῦντας τοὺς τοσοῦτον τῶν νόμων τῶν κοινῶν ἐξεστηκότας καὶ μηδὲν τῶν αὐτῶν μήτε τοῖς Ἕλλησι μήτε τοῖς βαρβάροις γιγνώσκοντας;

[¶45] 214. For the rest of the world looks upon malefactors and thieves as more depraved than slaves, whereas the Lacedaemonians regard those who stand first in such crimes as the best among their youths and honor them the most. And yet who that is in his right mind would not prefer to die many times rather than be known as seeking through such practices to school himself in virtue?”

> Greek: 214. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι τοὺς κακουργοῦντας καὶ κλέπτοντας πονηροτέρους τῶν οἰκετῶν νομίζουσιν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις τῶν ἔργων πρωτεύοντας βελτίστους εἶναι τῶν παίδων ὑπολαμβάνουσι καὶ μάλιστα τιμῶσιν. καίτοι τίς ἂν τῶν εὖ φρονούντων οὐκ ἂν τρὶς ἀποθανεῖν ἕλοιτο μᾶλλον, ἢ διὰ τοιούτων ἐπιτηδευμάτων γνωσθῆναι τὴν ἄσκησιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ποιούμενος;”

[¶46] 215. When he heard this, he did not answer arrogantly any of the things which I had said, neither, on the other hand, was he altogether silent, but remarked as follows: “You”—meaning myself—“have spoken as if I applauded all of the ways of Sparta and considered them good. But in fact I think that you are right in condemning the Spartans for the licence practised by their youth and for many other things as well, but wrong in attacking me.

> Greek: 215. ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας θρασέως μὲν οὐδὲ πρὸς ἓν ἀντεῖπε τῶν εἰρημένων, οὐδʼ αὖ παντάπασιν ἀπεσιώπησεν, ἀλλʼ ἔλεγεν ὅτι “οὐ μὲν πεποίησαι τοὺς λόγουσ” ἐμὲ λέγων “ὡς ἅπαντʼ ἀποδεχομένου μου τἀκεῖ καὶ καλῶς ἔχειν νομίζοντος· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖς περὶ μὲν τῆς τῶν παίδων αὐτονομίας καὶ περὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν εἰκότως ἐπιτιμᾶν ἐκείνοις, ἐμοῦ δʼ οὐ δικαίως κατηγορεῖν.

[¶47] 216. For I was troubled on reading your speech by what you had said about the Lacedaemonians, but much more by my own inability to utter a single word in their defence against what you had written, accustomed as I had been at all other times to commend you. And when I found myself in this perplexity, I said the only thing I could, namely, that for this reason at least, if for no other, they deserved the gratitude of all of us, because they followed the best ways of life.

> Greek: 216. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐλυπήθην μὲν τὸν λόγον ἀναγιγνώσκων ἐπὶ τοῖς περὶ Λακεδαιμονίων εἰρημένοις, οὐ μὴν οὕτως ὡς ἐπὶ τῷ μηδὲν ἀντειπεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δύνασθαι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, εἰθισμένος τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον ἐπαινεῖν. εἰς τοιαύτην δʼ ἀπορίαν καταστὰς εἶπον ὅπερ ἦν λοιπόν, ὡς εἰ καὶ μηδὲν διʼ ἄλλο, διά γʼ ἐκεῖνο δικαίως ἂν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντες χάριν ἔχοιμεν, ὅτι τοῖς καλλίστοις τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων χρώμενοι τυγχάνουσιν.

[¶48] 217. However, I said this, not with any thought of reverence or justice or wisdom—the virtues which you mentioned —but having in mind the athletic practices which have been instituted among them, their training in courage, their spirit of concord, and, in a word, their discipline for war. These all men will commend, and will concede that the Spartans practise them most of all.”

> Greek: 217. ταῦτα δʼ εἶπον οὐ πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν δικαιοσύνην οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν φρόνησιν ἀποβλέψας, ἃ σὺ διῆθες, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ γυμνάσια τἀκεῖ καθεστηκότα καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἄσκησιν τῆς ἀνδρίας καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν καὶ συνόλως τὴν περὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐπιμέλειαν, ἅπερ ἅπαντες ἂν ἐπαινοῖεν, καὶ μάλιστʼ ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐκείνους χρῆσθαι φήσειαν.”

[¶49] 218. When he had said this, I accepted his explanation, feeling that it did not break down any of the criticisms which I had made but that it covered up, not without tact, nay, with good taste, the crudeness of his previous utterance, and that his defence on the other points showed greater moderation than his former brusque assertion. Nevertheless, though I dismissed that matter, I stated that with reference to these very claims which he made for the Spartans I had an attack which was much more damaging than what I had said on the subject of stealing among their youths.

> Greek: 218. ταῦτα δʼ αὐτοῦ διαλεχθέντος ἀπεδεξάμην μέν, οὐχ ὡς διαλυόμενόν τι τῶν κατηγορημένων, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἀποκρυπτόμενον τὸ πικρότατον τῶν τότε ῥηθέντων οὐκ ἀπαιδεύτως ἀλλὰ νοῦν ἐχόντως, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπολελογημένον σωφρονέστερον ἢ τότε παρρησιασάμενον· οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἐάσας περὶ αὐτῶν τούτων ἔφασκον κατηγορίαν ἔχειν πολὺ δεινοτέραν ἢ περὶ τῆς τῶν παίδων κλωπείας.

[¶50] 219. “For by that practice,” I said, “they ruined their own youths, and by these which you have just mentioned, they seek to destroy the Hellenes. And it is easy to see at a glance that this is so for I think that all men will agree that those men are the basest and deserve the severest punishment who take the discoveries which have been made for our benefit and use them for the injury, not of the barbarians nor of those who wrong them nor of those who invade their territory, but of those who are their nearest kin and share the same blood with them.

> Greek: 219. “ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐλυμαίνοντο τοὺς αὑτῶν παῖδας, οἷς δʼ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον σὺ διῆλθες, τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀπώλλυσαν. ῥᾴδιον δʼ, ὡς οὕτως εἶχε ταῦτα, συνιδεῖν. οἶμαι γὰρ ἅπαντας ἂν ὁμολογῆσαι κακίστους ἄνδρας εἶναι καὶ μεγίστης ζημίας ἀξίους, ὅσοι τοῖς πράγμασι τοῖς εὑρημένοις ἐπʼ ὠφελίᾳ, τούτοις ἐπὶ βλάβῃ χρώμενοι τυγχάνουσι, μὴ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους μηδὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας μηδὲ πρὸς τοὺς εἰς τὴν αὑτῶν χώραν εἰσβάλλοντας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς συγγενείας μετέχοντας·