1. The accusations that have been made, men of Athens, against Epicrates and his fellow-envoys are sufficient: but you should bear in mind the assertion that you have often heard from the mouths of these men, whenever they sought to ruin somebody unjustly,—that, unless you make the convictions that they demand, your stipends will not be forthcoming.
1. κατηγόρηται μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Ἐπικράτους ἱκανὰ καὶ τῶν συμπρεσβευτῶν· ἐνθυμεῖσθαι δὲ χρὴ ὅτι πολλάκις ἠκούσατε τούτων λεγόντων, ὁπότε βούλοιντό τινα ἀδίκως ἀπολέσαι, ὅτι, εἰ μὴ καταψηφιεῖσθε ὧν αὐτοὶ κελεύουσιν, ἐπιλείψει ὑμᾶς ἡ μισθοφορά.
2. They are none the less deficient today; so that through their act the suffering and the disgrace fall to you, and the profit to them. For they have found by experiment that, whenever they and their speeches seem likely to induce you to give your votes against justice, they easily obtain money from the guilty parties.
2. καὶ νῦν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐνδεῖ· ὥστε τὸ μὲν πάθος καὶ ἡ αἰσχύνη διὰ τούτων ὑμῖν γίγνεται, ἡ δʼ ὠφέλεια τούτοις· πεπείρανται γὰρ ὅτι, ὁπόταν οὗτοι καὶ οἱ τούτων λόγοι δοκῶσιν αἴτιοι εἶναι ψηφιεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον, ῥᾳδίως παρὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων χρήματα λαμβάνουσι. καίτοι τίνα χρὴ ἐλπίδα ἔχειν σωτηρίας, ὁπόταν ἐν χρήμασιν ᾖ καὶ σωθῆναι τῇ πόλει καὶ μή, ταῦτα δὲ οὗτοι, φύλακες ὑφʼ ὑμῶν καταστάντες, οἱ τῶν ἀδικούντων κολασταί, κλέπτωσί τε καὶ καταδωροδοκῶσι;
3. Yet what hope of safety can be ours, when the preservation or the ruin of the city depends on money, and when these men, —the guardians that you have set up, your chastisers of the guilty,—both rob you and do anything for bribes? And this is not the first time that they have been caught in criminal acts: they have been tried before now for taking bribes. And here I have to reproach you for having convicted Onomasas and acquitted this man of the same crime, although it was the same person who accused them all, and they were opposed by the same witnesses; who had not been told by others, but were the very persons who arranged with these men about the money and the gifts.
3. καὶ οὐ νῦν πρῶτον ὤφθησαν ἀδικοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρότερον ἤδη δώρων ἐκρίθησαν. ⟨ὃ⟩ καὶ ὑμῖν ἔχω ἐπικαλέσαι ὅτι τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀδικήματος Ὀνομάσαντος μὲν κατεψηφίσασθε, τούτου δὲ ἀπεψηφίσασθε, τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἁπάντων κατηγοροῦντος καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν καταμαρτυρούντων, οἳ οὐχ ἑτέρων ἤκουσαν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν οἱ περὶ τῶν χρημάτων καὶ τῶν δώρων πρὸς τούτους πράττοντες.
5. Yet you are all aware that it is not by chastising men who are not able to speak that you will make an example to deter men from wronging you, but that by doing justice upon those who are able you will cause everyone to cease attempting to commit offences against you.
5. καίτοι τοῦτο ἅπαντες ἐπίστασθε, ὅτι οὐχ ὅταν τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους λέγειν κολάζητε, τότε ἔσται παράδειγμα τοῦ μὴ ὑμᾶς ἀδικεῖν, ἀλλʼ ὁπόταν παρὰ τῶν δυναμένων δίκην λαμβάνητε, τότε πάντες παύσονται ἐπιχειροῦντες εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐξαμαρτάνειν.
6. But at present they find it quite safe to rob you. For if they are not detected, they will be able to enjoy their booty without fear; while if they are caught, they either buy off the prosecution with part of their ill-gotten gains, or save themselves, on being brought to trial, by their own ability. So this is the moment, gentlemen of the jury, for you to make an example that will ensure the honesty of the rest, by doing justice upon these men.
6. νῦν δʼ ἀσφαλῶς αὐτοῖς ἔχει τὰ ὑμέτερα κλέπτειν. ἐὰν μὲν γὰρ λάθωσιν, ἀδεῶς αὐτοῖς ἕξουσι χρῆσθαι· ἐὰν δὲ ὀφθῶσιν, ἢ μέρει τῶν ἀδικημάτων τὸν κίνδυνον ἐξεπρίαντο, ἢ εἰς ἀγῶνα καταστάντες τῇ αὑτῶν δυνάμει ἐσώθησαν. νῦν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, παράδειγμα ποιήσατε τοῖς ἄλλοις δικαίοις εἶναι, παρὰ τούτων δίκην λαβόντες.
7. All who are in the administration of the State have come here, not to listen to us, but to know what view you will take of the guilty. Hence if you acquit these men, they will think that there is nothing to fear from deceiving you and making a profit at your expense; but if you condemn them, and sentence them to death, by that same vote you will make the rest more orderly than they are now, and you will have done justice upon these men.
7. ἥκουσι δὲ πάντες οἱ τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράττοντες οὐχ ἡμῶν ἀκροασόμενοι, ἀλλʼ ὑμᾶς εἰσόμενοι ἥντινα γνώμην περὶ τῶν ἀδικούντων ἕξετε. ὥστʼ εἰ μὲν ἀποψηφιεῖσθε τούτων, οὐδὲν δεινὸν δόξει αὐτοῖς εἶναι ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατήσαντας ἐκ τῶν ὑμετέρων ὠφελεῖσθαι· ἐὰν δὲ καταψηφισάμενοι θανάτου τιμήσητε, τῇ αὐτῇ ψήφῳ τούς τε ἄλλους κοσμιωτέρους ποιήσετε ἢ νῦν εἰσι, καὶ παρὰ τούτων δίκην εἰληφότες ἔσεσθε.
8. And I conceive, men of Athens, that even if you decided, without putting them on trial or consenting to hear their defence, to condemn them to the extreme penalty, they would not have perished unjudged, but would have paid the suitable penalty. For those men are not unjudged on whom you have given your verdict with a knowledge of the acts that have been committed, but only those who, traduced by their enemies in matters of which you have no knowledge, fail to get a hearing. These men are accused by the facts: we are merely the witnesses against them.
8. ἡγοῦμαι δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, οὐδʼ εἰ μὴ προθέντες αὐτοῖς κρίσιν, ἢ ἀπολογουμένων μὴ ἐθελήσαντες ἀκοῦσαι, καταψηφισάμενοι τῶν ἐσχάτων τιμήσαιτε, οὐκ ἂν ἀκρίτους αὐτοὺς ἀπολωλέναι, ἀλλὰ τὴν προσήκουσαν δίκην δεδωκέναι. οὐ γὰρ οὗτοι ἄκριτοί εἰσι, περὶ ὧν ἂν ὑμεῖς εἰδότες τὰ πραχθέντα ψηφίσησθε, ἀλλʼ οἵτινες ἂν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν διαβληθέντες περὶ ὧν ὑμεῖς μὴ ἴστε, ἀκροάσεως μὴ τύχωσι. τούτων δὲ τὰ μὲν πράγματα κατηγορεῖ, ἡμεῖς δὲ καταμαρτυροῦμεν· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο δέδοικα, ὡς ἐὰν ἀκροᾶσθε αὐτῶν ἀποψηφιεῖσθε·
9. I have no fear that, if you hear them, you will acquit them; but I consider that they would not have paid the penalty they deserved if you condemned them only after having heard them. Could it be so, gentlemen, when they have not even the same interests as you? During the war these men have advanced themselves from poverty to wealth at your expense, while you are in poverty because of them.
9. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν ἡγοῦμαι αὐτοὺς δίκην ἀξίαν δεδωκέναι, εἰ ἀκροασάμενοι αὐτῶν καταψηφίσαισθε. πῶς γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οἷς οὐδὲ ταὐτὰ καὶ ὑμῖν συμφέρει; οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἐκ πενήτων πλούσιοι γεγόνασιν ἐκ τῶν ὑμετέρων, ὑμεῖς δὲ διὰ τούτους πένητες.
10. Yet surely it is the duty of true leaders of the people not to take your property in the stress of your misfortunes, but to give their own property to you. And here we have come to such a pass that those who formerly, in the period of peace, were unable even to support themselves, are now contributing to your special levies, producing dramas and dwelling in great houses.
10. καίτοι οὐ ταῦτα ἀγαθῶν δημαγωγῶν ἐστι, τὰ ὑμέτερα ἐν ταῖς ὑμετέραις συμφοραῖς λαμβάνειν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ὑμῖν διδόναι. καὶ γάρ τοι εἰς τοσοῦτον ἥκομεν, ὥσθʼ οἳ πρότερον ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ οὐδὲ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐδύναντο τρέφειν, νῦν ὑμῖν εἰσφορὰς εἰσφέρουσι καὶ χορηγοῦσι καὶ οἰκίας μεγάλας οἰκοῦσι.
11. Yet there was a time when you begrudged others the doing of these things with the means inherited from their fathers; whereas now the city is in such a plight that you are no longer incensed by the thefts of these people, but are thankful for what you can obtain for yourselves, as though it were you who were in their pay, and not they who were robbing you!
11. καίτοι ἑτέροις ὑμεῖς ἔστιν ὅτε τὰ πατρῷα κεκτημένοις ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν ἐφθονεῖτε· νῦν δʼ οὕτως ἡ πόλις διάκειται, ὥστε οὐκέτι ὧν οὗτοι κλέπτουσιν ὀργίζεσθε, ἀλλʼ ὧν αὐτοὶ λαμβάνετε χάριν ἴστε, ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς τὰ τούτων μισθοφοροῦντες, ἀλλʼ οὐ τούτων τὰ ὑμέτερα κλεπτόντων.
12. Most preposterous of all, while in private suits it is the wronged who weep and arouse pity, in public suits it is the wrongdoers who arouse pity, and you, the wronged, who pity them. So now, perhaps, fellow-townsmen and friends, in their old habitual way, will cry out and implore you to spare them. But, in my view, the proper course is this:
12. τὸ δὲ πάντων ὑπερφυέστατον, ὅτι ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἰδίοις ⟨οἱ⟩ ἀδικούμενοι δακρύουσι καὶ ἐλεινοί εἰσιν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς δημοσίοις οἱ μὲν ἀδικοῦντες ἐλεινοί, ὑμεῖς δʼ οἱ ἀδικούμενοι ἐλεεῖτε. καὶ νῦν ἴσως ποιήσουσιν ἅπερ καὶ πρότερον ἦσαν εἰθισμένοι καὶ δημόται καὶ φίλοι, κλαίοντες ἐξαιτεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς παρʼ ὑμῶν.
13. if they believe these men to be free from guilt, let them prove that the accusations are false, and so persuade you to acquit them; but if they are going to beg them off in the belief that they are guilty, it is plain that they have more consideration for the wrongdoers than for you, the wronged; so that they do not deserve to get indulgence, but punishment, as soon as you can inflict it.
13. ἐγὼ δʼ οὕτως ἀξιῶ γενέσθαι· εἰ μὲν ἀδικεῖν τούτους μηδὲν νομίζουσιν, ἀποδείξαντας ὡς ψευδῆ τὰ κατηγορημένα, οὕτως πείθειν ὑμᾶς ἀποψηφίσασθαι· εἰ δὲ νομίσαντες ἀδικεῖν αἰτήσονται, δῆλον ὅτι τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν εὐνούστεροί εἰσιν ἢ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις, ὥστʼ οὐ χάριτος ἄξιοι τυχεῖν ἀλλὰ τιμωρίας, ὁπόταν ὑμεῖς δύνησθε.
14. Besides, you may take it that these same persons have plied the prosecution with urgent requests, supposing that they would obtain this indulgence more quickly from our small number than from you, and also that other hands would be readier than your own to make a present of your property.
14. ἔτι δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἡγεῖσθαι χρὴ καὶ τῶν κατηγόρων σφόδρα δεδεῆσθαι, νομίζοντας πολὺ ἂν θᾶττον παρʼ ἡμῶν ὀλίγων ὄντων ταύτην τὴν χάριν λαμβάνειν ἢ παρʼ ὑμῶν, ἔτι δὲ ῥᾷον ἄλλους τινὰς ⟨τὰ⟩ ὑμέτερα καταχαρίζεσθαι ἢ ὑμᾶς αὐτούς γε.
15. Now, we have refused to be traitors, and we expect no less of you: reflect that you would be highly incensed with us, and would punish us at any opportunity, as criminals deserve, had we come to terms with these men, either by taking payment or by any other means. Yet if you are incensed with those who do not go through with their suit as justice requires, surely you are bound to punish the actual offenders.
15. ἡμεῖς μὲν τοίνυν οὐκ ἠθελήσαμεν προδοῦναι, ἀξιοῦμεν δὲ μηδʼ ὑμᾶς, ἐνθυμουμένους ὅτι σφόδρʼ ἂν ἡμῖν ὠργίζεσθε καὶ ἐτιμωρεῖσθε, ὅπου παρεπίπτομεν, ὡς εἰκὸς τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας, εἰ ἡμεῖς παρὰ τούτων ἢ χρήματα λαβόντες ἢ ἄλλῳ τινὶ τρόπῳ διηλλάγημεν. καίτοι εἰ τοῖς μὴ δικαίως ἐπεξιοῦσιν ὀργίζεσθε, ἦ που σφόδρα χρὴ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας τιμωρεῖσθαι.
16. So now, gentlemen of the jury, after condemning Epicrates you must sentence him to the extreme penalty. Do not take the course, to which you have hitherto been accustomed, of convicting the guilty by an adverse verdict, and then letting them go unscathed when you come to the sentence: this procures you the enmity, not the punishment, of the guilty, as though it were the disgrace, and not the penalty, that gave them concern. For you are well aware that by your verdict you merely disgrace the guilty, but that by your sentence you exact vengeance for the crimes that they commit.
16. νῦν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καταψηφισάμενοι Ἐπικράτους τῶν ἐσχάτων τιμήσατε, καὶ μή, ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ τέως χρόνῳ εἰθισμένοι ἐστέ, ἐπειδὰν καταψηφισάμενοι ἐξελέγξητε τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας, ἐν τῷ τιμήματι ἀζημίους ἀφίετε, ἔχθραν, οὐ δίκην παρὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων λαμβάνοντες, ὥσπερ τοῦ ὀνείδους ἀλλʼ οὐ τῆς ζημίας αὐτοῖς μέλον, εὖ εἰδότες ὅτι ἐν μὲν τῇ ψήφῳ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ποιεῖτε ἢ ὀνειδίζετε τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν, ἐν δὲ τῷ τιμήματι τιμωρεῖσθε τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας.