by Demosthenes
[56] τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἐμὸν ἦν ἔργον, εἰπεῖν ἅ σοι συμφέρειν ἡγοῦμαι πεπρᾶχθαι, σὸν δὲ βουλεύσασθαι περὶ αὐτῶν. προσήκει δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς ζητοῦντας οἰκείως πρὸς σὲ διακεῖσθαι μὴ τὰς ἐπιπολαίους ἡδονὰς καὶ διατριβὰς ἀγαπᾶν, μηδ᾽ ἐπὶ ταύτας προκαλεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ φιλοπονεῖν καὶ σκοπεῖν ὅπως τὸν σὸν βίον ὡς λαμπρότατον καταστήσουσιν: αὐτοί τε γὰρ οὕτως ἂν μάλιστ᾽ ἐπαινοῖντο καὶ σοὶ πλείστων ἀγαθῶν αἴτιοι γένοιντο. [57] μέμφομαι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲ νῦν οὐδένα τῶν σοὶ πλησιαζόντων: καὶ γάρ μοι δοκεῖ τῆς ἄλλης εὐτυχίας τῆς σῆς καὶ τοῦθ᾽ ἓν εἶναι, τὸ μηδενὸς φαύλου τυχεῖν ἐραστοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ οὓς ἄν τις ἕλοιτο βουλόμενος φίλους ἐκ τῶν ἡλικιωτῶν ἐκλέγεσθαι: παραινῶ μέντοι σοι φιλοφρονεῖσθαι μὲν πρὸς ἅπαντας τούτους καὶ ἔχειν ἡδέως, πείθεσθαι δὲ τοῖς πλεῖστον νοῦν ἔχουσιν αὐτῶν, ἵνα καὶ τούτοις αὐτοῖς ἔτι σπουδαιότερος δοκῇς εἶναι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πολίταις. εὐτύχει.
The Dual Texts
The Lion of Chaeronea, Boeotia — the Battle of Chaeronea was fought in 338 BC, near the city of Chaeronea, and was the culmination of Philip’s campaign in Greece (339–338 BC), resulting in a decisive victory for the Macedonians.
DUAL GREEK AND ENGLISH TEXTS
Translated by J. H. Vince, C. A. Vince, A. T. Murray and Norman W. DeWitt
In this section, readers can view a section by section text of Demosthenes’ works, alternating between the original Greek and the English translations.
CONTENTS
Ὀλυνθιακὸς Α — FIRST OLYNTHIAC
Ὀλυνθιακὸς Β — SECOND OLYNTHIAC
Ὀλυνθιακὸς Γ — THIRD OLYNTHIAC
κατὰ Φιλίππου Α — FIRST PHILIPPIC
περὶ τῆς Εἰρήνης — ON THE PEACE
κατὰ Φιλίππου Β — SECOND PHILIPPIC
περὶ Ἁλοννήσου — ON HALONNESUS
περὶ τῶν ἐν Χερρονήσῳ — ON THE CHERSONESE
κατὰ Φιλίππου Γ — THIRD PHILIPPIC
κατὰ Φιλίππου Δ — FOURTH PHILIPPIC
πρὸς τὴν Ἐπιστολὴν τὴν Φιλίππου — ANSWER TO PHILIP’S LETTER
ἐπιστολὴ Φιλίππου — PHILIP’S LETTER
περὶ Συντάξεως — ON ORGANIZATION
περὶ τῶν Συμμοριῶν — ON THE NAVY-BOARDS
ὑπὲρ τῆς Ῥοδίων Ἐλευθερίας — FOR THE LIBERTY OF THE RHODIANS
ὑπὲρ Μεγαλοπολιτῶν — FOR THE PEOPLE OF MEGALOPOLIS
περὶ τῶν πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον Συνθηκῶν — ON THE TREATY WITH ALEXANDER
περὶ τοῦ Στεφάνου — ON THE CROWN
περὶ τῆς Παραπρεσβείας — ON THE EMBASSY
περὶ τῆς Ἀτελείας πρὸς Λεπτίνην — AGAINST LEPTINES
κατὰ Μειδίου περὶ τοῦ Κονδύλου — AGAINST MEIDIAS
κατὰ Ἀνδροτίωνος Παρανόμων — AGAINST ANDROTION
κατὰ Ἀριστοκράτους — AGAINST ARISTOCRATES
κατὰ Τιμοκράτους — AGAINST TIMOCRATES
κατὰ Ἀριστογείτονος Α — AGAINST ARISTOGEITON 1
κατὰ Ἀριστογείτονος Β — AGAINST ARISTOGEITON 2
κατὰ Ἀφόβου Ἐπιτροπῆς Α — AGAINST APHOBUS 1
κατὰ Ἀφόβου Β — AGAINST APHOBUS 2
πρὸς Ἄφοβον ὑπὲρ Φάνου Ψευδομαρτυριῶν — AGAINST APHOBUS 3
πρὸς Ὀνήτορα Ἐξούλης Α — AGAINST ONETOR 1
πρὸς Ὀνήτορα Ἐξούλης Β — AGAINST ONETOR 2
πρὸς Ζηνόμίωνα Παραγραφή — AGAINST ZENOTHEMIS
πρὸς Ἀπατούριον Παραγραφή — AGAINST APATURIUS
πρὸς Φορμίωνα ὑπὲρ Δανείου — AGAINST PHORMIO
πρὸς τὴν Λάκριτον Παραγραφὴν — AGAINST LACRITUS
Παραγραφὴ ὑπὲρ Φορμίωνος — FOR PHORMIO
Παραγραφὴ πρὸς Πανταίνετον — AGAINST PANTAENETUS
Παραγραφὴ πρὸς Ναυσίμακον καὶ Ξενοπείθην — AGAINST NAUSIMACHUS AND XENOPEITHES
πρὸς Βοιωτὸν περὶ τοῦ Ὀνόματος. — AGAINST BOEOTUS 1
πρὸς Βοιωτὸν περὶ Προικὸς Μητρῴας. — AGAINST BOEOTUS 2
πρὸς Σπουδίαν ὑπὲρ Προικός — AGAINST SPUDIAS
πρὸς Φαίνιππον περὶ Ἀντιδόσεως — AGAINST PHAENIPPUS
πρὸς Μακάρτατον περὶ Ἁγνίου Κλήρου — AGAINST MACARTATUS
πρὸς Λεωκάρη περὶ τοῦ Ἀρχιάδου Κλήρου — AGAINST LEOCHARES
κατὰ Στεφάνου Ψευδομαρτυριῶν Α — APOLLODORUS AGAINST STEPHANUS 1
κατὰ Στεφάνου Ψευδομαρτυριῶν Β — APOLLODORUS AGAINST STEPHANUS 2
κατὰ Εὐέργου καὶ Μνησιβούλου Ψευδομαρτυριῶν — AGAINST EVERGUS AND MNESIBULUS
κατὰ Ὀλυμπιοδώρου Βλάβης — AGAINST OLYMPIODORUS
πρὸς Τιμόθεον ὑπὲρ Χρέως — APOLLODORUS AGAINST TIMOTHEUS
πρὸς Πολυκλέα περὶ τοῦ Ἐπιτριηραρχήματος — APOLLODORUS AGAINST POLYCLES
περὶ τοῦ Στεφάνου τῆς Τριηραρκίας — ON THE TRIERARCHIC CROWN
πρὸς Κάλλιππον — APOLLODORUS AGAINST CALLIPUS
πρὸς Νικόστρατον Περὶ Α᾿νδραπόδων Α᾿πογραφῆς Α᾿ρεθουσίου — APOLLODORUS AGAINST NICOSTRATUS
κατὰ Κόνωνος Αἰκείας — AGAINST CONON
πρὸς Καλλικλέα Περὶ Χωρίου Βλάβης — AGAINST CALLICLES
κατὰ Διονυσοδώρου Βλάβης — AGAINST DIONYSODORUS
ἔφεσις πρὸς Εὐβουλίδην — AGAINST EUBULIDES
ἔνδειξις κατὰ Θεοκρίνου — AGAINST THEOCRINES
κατὰ Νεαίρας — APOLLODORUS AGAINST NEAERA
Ἐπιτάφιος. — THE FUNERAL SPEECH
ἐρωτικός — THE EROTIC ESSAY
Ὀλυνθιακὸς Α — FIRST OLYNTHIAC
[1] ἀντὶ πολλῶν ἄν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, χρημάτων ὑμᾶς ἑλέσθαι νομίζω, εἰ φανερὸν γένοιτο τὸ μέλλον συνοίσειν τῇ πόλει περὶ ὧν νυνὶ σκοπεῖτε. ὅτε τοίνυν τοῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, προσήκει προθύμως ἐθέλειν ἀκούειν τῶν βουλομένων συμβουλεύειν: οὐ γὰρ μόνον εἴ τι χρήσιμον ἐσκεμμένος ἥκει τις, τοῦτ᾽ ἂν ἀκούσαντες λάβοιτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας τύχης ὑπολαμβάνω πολλὰ τῶν δεόντων ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμ᾽ ἐνίοις ἂν ἐπελθεῖν εἰπεῖν, ὥστ᾽ ἐξ ἁπάντων ῥᾳδίαν τὴν τοῦ συμφέροντος ὑμῖν αἵρεσιν γενέσθαι.
[1] You would, I e
xpect, men of Athens, accept it as the equivalent of a large amount of money, if it could be made clear to you what will prove our best policy in the matters now under discussion. This then being so, you are bound to give an eager hearing to all who offer advice. For not only if someone comes forward with a well-considered plan, could you hear and accept it, but also I count it part of your good fortune that more than one speaker may be inspired with suitable suggestions on the spur of the moment, so that out of the multitude of proposals the choice of the best should not be difficult.
[2] ὁ μὲν οὖν παρὼν καιρός, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μόνον οὐχὶ λέγει φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς ὅτι τῶν πραγμάτων ὑμῖν ἐκείνων αὐτοῖς ἀντιληπτέον ἐστίν, εἴπερ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας αὐτῶν φροντίζετε: ἡμεῖς δ᾽ οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅντινά μοι δοκοῦμεν ἔχειν τρόπον πρὸς αὐτά. ἔστι δὴ τά γ᾽ ἐμοὶ δοκοῦντα, ψηφίσασθαι μὲν ἤδη τὴν βοήθειαν, καὶ παρασκευάσασθαι τὴν ταχίστην ὅπως ἐνθένδε βοηθήσετε （καὶ μὴ πάθητε ταὐτὸν ὅπερ καὶ πρότερον）, πρεσβείαν δὲ πέμπειν, ἥτις ταῦτ᾽ ἐρεῖ καὶ παρέσται τοῖς πράγμασιν:
[2] The present crisis, Athenians, calls on you, almost with an audible voice, to take into your own hands the control of your interests in the North, if you are really anxious to safeguard them. But, I confess, our attitude puzzles me. My own idea would be to vote an expedition at once, to make instant preparation for its dispatch, thus avoiding our previous blunder, and to send ambassadors to state our intentions and watch events.
[3] ὡς ἔστι μάλιστα τοῦτο δέος, μὴ πανοῦργος ὢν καὶ δεινὸς ἅνθρωπος πράγμασι χρῆσθαι, τὰ μὲν εἴκων, ἡνίκ᾽ ἂν τύχῃ, τὰ δ᾽ ἀπειλῶν （ἀξιόπιστος δ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως φαίνοιτο）, τὰ δ᾽ ἡμᾶς διαβάλλων καὶ τὴν ἀπουσίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν, τρέψηται καὶ παρασπάσηταί τι τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων.
[3] Our chief ground for alarm is that this man, so unscrupulous, so quick to seize his opportunity, now yielding a point when it suits his purpose, now threatening — and his threats may well carry conviction — now misrepresenting us and our failure to intervene, may divert to his own purpose and wrest from us something of vital importance.
[4] οὐ μὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιεικῶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῦθ᾽ ὃ δυσμαχώτατόν ἐστι τῶν Φιλίππου πραγμάτων, καὶ βέλτιστον ὑμῖν: τὸ γὰρ εἶναι πάντων ἐκεῖνον ἕν᾽ ὄντα κύριον καὶ ῥητῶν καὶ ἀπορρήτων καὶ ἅμα στρατηγὸν καὶ δεσπότην καὶ ταμίαν, καὶ πανταχοῦ αὐτὸν παρεῖναι τῷ στρατεύματι, πρὸς μὲν τὸ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου ταχὺ καὶ κατὰ καιρὸν πράττεσθαι πολλῷ προέχει, πρὸς δὲ τὰς καταλλαγάς, ἃς ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιήσαιτ᾽ ἄσμενος πρὸς Ὀλυνθίους, ἐναντίως ἔχει.
[4] And yet, men of Athens, it is reasonable to suggest that the very thing which makes Philip’s position most redoubtable is also most encouraging for you. For the swift and opportune movements of war he has an immense advantage over us in the fact that he is the sole director of his own policy, open or secret, that he unites the functions of a general, a ruler and a treasurer, and that he is always at the head of his army; but when it comes to a composition such as he would gladly make with Olynthus, the tables are turned.
[5] δῆλον γάρ ἐστι τοῖς Ὀλυνθίοις ὅτι νῦν οὐ περὶ δόξης οὐδ᾽ ὑπὲρ μέρους χώρας πολεμοῦσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναστάσεως καὶ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ τῆς πατρίδος, καὶ ἴσασιν ἅ τ᾽ Ἀμφιπολιτῶν ἐποίησε τοὺς παραδόντας αὐτῷ τὴν πόλιν καὶ Πυδναίων τοὺς ὑποδεξαμένους: καὶ ὅλως ἄπιστον, οἶμαι, ταῖς πολιτείαις ἡ τυραννίς, ἄλλως τε κἂν ὅμορον χώραν ἔχωσι.
[5] The eyes of the Olynthians are opened to the fact that they are now fighting not for glory, not for a strip of territory, but to avert the overthrow and enslavement of their fatherland. They know how he treated those Amphipolitans who betrayed their city and those Pydnaeans who opened their gates to him. And a despotism, I take it, is as a rule mistrusted by free constitutions, especially when they are near neighbors.
[6] ταῦτ᾽ οὖν ἐγνωκότας ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ τἄλλ᾽ ἃ προσήκει πάντ᾽ ἐνθυμουμένους φημὶ δεῖν ἐθελῆσαι καὶ παροξυνθῆναι καὶ τῷ πολέμῳ προσέχειν εἴπερ ποτὲ καὶ νῦν, χρήματ᾽ εἰσφέροντας προθύμως καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξιόντας καὶ μηδὲν ἐλλείποντας. οὐδὲ γὰρ λόγος οὐδὲ σκῆψις ἔθ᾽ ὑμῖν τοῦ μὴ τὰ δέοντα ποιεῖν ἐθέλειν ὑπολείπεται.
[6] I bid you grasp these facts, men of Athens, and weigh well all the important considerations. Make up your minds; rouse your spirits; put your heart into the war, now or never. Pay your contributions cheerfully; serve in person; leave nothing to chance. You have no longer the shadow of an excuse for shirking your duty.
[7] νυνὶ γάρ, ὃ πάντες ἐθρύλουν τέως, Ὀλυνθίους ἐκπολεμῶσαι δεῖν Φιλίππῳ, γέγονεν αὐτόματον, καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ὡς ἂν ὑμῖν μάλιστα συμφέροι. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν πεισθέντες ἀνείλοντο τὸν πόλεμον, σφαλεροὶ σύμμαχοι καὶ μέχρι του ταῦτ᾽ ἂν ἐγνωκότες ἦσαν ἴσως: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἐκ τῶν πρὸς αὑτοὺς ἐγκλημάτων μισοῦσι, βεβαίαν εἰκὸς τὴν ἔχθραν αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ ὧν φοβοῦνται καὶ πεπόνθασιν ἔχειν.
[7] It was long the common talk that the Olynthians must be made to fight Philip; and now it has come about in the natural course, and that too in a way that suits you admirably. For if they had plunged into war in reliance on your advice, they would perhaps have proved uncertain allies and only half-hearted in their resolve; but now that their hatred of Philip is the outcome of their own grievances, it is natural that their hostility should have a firm base in their apprehensions and their experiences.
[8] οὐ δεῖ δὴ τοιοῦτον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, παραπεπτωκότα καιρὸν ἀφεῖναι, οὐδὲ παθεῖν ταὐτὸν ὅπερ ἤδη πολλάκις πρότερον πεπόνθατε. εἰ γάρ, ὅθ᾽ ἥκομεν Εὐβοεῦσιν βεβοηθηκότες καὶ παρῆσαν Ἀμφιπολιτῶν Ἱέραξ καὶ Στρατοκλῆς ἐπὶ τουτὶ τὸ βῆμα, κελεύοντες ἡμᾶς πλεῖν καὶ παραλαμβάνειν τὴν πόλιν, τὴν αὐτὴν παρειχόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν προθυμίαν ἥνπερ ὑπὲρ τῆς Εὐβοέων σωτηρίας, εἴχετ᾽ ἂν Ἀμφίπολιν τότε καὶ πάντων τῶν μετὰ ταῦτ᾽ ἂν ἦτ᾽ ἀπηλλαγμένοι πραγμάτων.