by Demosthenes
[31] you considered it both fair and generous that the peace should not be confined to Athens and her allies on the one side and Philip and his allies on the other, while those who are allies of neither are exposed to ruin at the hands of their stronger neighbors, but rather that your peace should extend its protection to them also, and that we should disarm and observe a real peace.
[32] τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἐπανόρθωμα ὁμολογῶν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ, ὡς ἀκούετε, δίκαιόν τ᾽ εἶναι καὶ δέχεσθαι, Φεραίων μὲν ἀφῄρηται τὴν πόλιν καὶ φρουρὰν ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει κατέστησεν, ἵνα δὴ αὐτόνομοι ὦσιν, ἐπὶ δ᾽ Ἀμβρακίαν στρατεύεται, τὰς δ᾽ ἐν Κασσωπίᾳ τρεῖς πόλεις, Πανδοσίαν καὶ Βούχετα καὶ Ἐλάτειαν, Ἠλείων ἀποικίας, κατακαύσας τὴν χώραν καὶ εἰς τὰς πόλεις βιασάμενος παρέδωκεν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷ κηδεστῇ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ δουλεύειν. σφόδρα γε βούλεται τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐλευθέρους εἶναι καὶ αὐτονόμους, ὡς δηλοῖ τὰ ἔργα.
[32] But Philip, although, as you have heard from his letter, he admits the justice of this amendment and consents to accept it, has robbed the Pheraeans of their city, placing a garrison in their citadel, in order, I suppose, to ensure their independence; he is even now engaged in an expedition against Ambracia, and as for the three Elean colonies in Cassopia — Pandosia, Bucheta, and Elatea — he has wasted their land with fire, stormed their cities, and handed them over to be the slaves of his own kinsman, Alexander. How zealous he is for the freedom and independence of the Greeks, you may judge from his acts.
[33] περὶ δὲ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων ὧν ὑμῖν διατελεῖ ὑπισχνούμενος ὡς μεγάλα ὑμᾶς εὐεργετήσων, καταψεύδεσθαί μέ φησιν αὐτοῦ διαβάλλοντα πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας: οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑμῖν πώποτέ φησιν ὑπεσχῆσθαι. οὕτως ἀναιδής ἐστιν ὁ ἐν ἐπιστολῇ γεγραφώς, ἥ ἐστι νῦν ἐν τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ, ὅσ᾽ ἐπιστομιεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἔφη, τοὺς αὐτῷ ἀντιλέγοντας, ἐὰν ἡ εἰρήνη γένηται, τοσαῦτα ὑμᾶς ἀγαθὰ ποιήσειν: ἃ γράφειν ἂν ἤδη, εἰ ᾔδει τὴν εἰρήνην ἐσομένην, δῆλον ὡς προκεχειρισμένων καὶ ἑτοίμων ὄντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἃ ἐμέλλομεν πείσεσθαι τῆς εἰρήνης γενομένης.
[33] With regard to his repeated promises to you of substantial benefits, he complains that I am slandering and defaming him in the ears of the Greeks, for he says that he has never made you any promises at all. Such is the shamelessness of the man who stated in his letter, which is still to be seen in the Council House, that if peace was made he would confer such benefits on you as would stop the mouths of us, his opponents, benefits which he said he would put down in writing, if he were sure that the peace would be made. The inference was that all the good things that we were to enjoy on the conclusion of peace were ready for immediate delivery.
[34] γενομένης δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης, ἃ μὲν ἡμεῖς ἐμέλλομεν ἀγαθὰ πείσεσθαι, ἐκποδών ἐστι, φθορὰ δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τοσαύτη γέγονεν ὅσην ὑμεῖς ἴστε. ὑμῖν δ᾽ ἐν τῇ νῦν ἐπιστολῇ ὑπισχνεῖται, ἐὰν τοῖς μὲν αὑτοῦ φίλοις καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ λέγουσι πιστεύητε, ἡμᾶς δὲ τοὺς διαβάλλοντας αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς τιμωρήσησθε, ὡς μεγάλα εὐεργετήσει.
[34] Peace has been concluded, but all the good things that we were to enjoy are still to seek, and upon the Greeks has come such ruin as you well know. Yet he promises in the present letter that if you will only trust his friends and advocates and will punish the wicked men who traduce him to you, he will confer substantial benefits. His benefits, however, will amount to this:
[35] τὰ μέντοι εὐεργετήματα τοιαῦτα ἔσται: οὔτε τὰ ὑμέτερα ὑμῖν ἀποδώσει （αὑτοῦ γάρ φησιν εἶναι）, οὔτ᾽ ἐν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ αἱ δωρειαὶ ἔσονται, ἵνα μὴ διαβληθῇ πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἀλλ᾽ ἄλλη τις χώρα καὶ ἄλλος, ὡς ἔοικε, τόπος φανήσεται, οὗ ὑμῖν αἱ δωρειαὶ δοθήσονται.
[35] he will not restore your possessions, for he claims them as his own, and his rewards will not be delivered in this part of the world, for fear his motive should be misrepresented to the Greeks; some other country, it seems, some new quarter will be assigned for the bestowal of your rewards.
[36] περὶ δ᾽ ὧν ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ εἴληφε χωρίων, ὑμῶν ἐχόντων, παρασπονδῶν καὶ λύων τὴν εἰρήνην, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔχει ὅ τι εἴπῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀδικῶν φανερῶς ἐξελέγχεται, ἐπιτρέπειν φησὶ περὶ τούτων ἕτοιμος εἶναι ἴσῳ καὶ κοινῷ δικαστηρίῳ: περὶ ὧν μόνων οὐδὲν δεῖ ἐπιτροπῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀριθμὸς ἡμερῶν ἐστιν ὁ κρίνων. ἅπαντες γὰρ ἴσμεν τίνι μηνὶ καὶ τίνι ἡμέρᾳ ἡ εἰρήνη ἐγένετο.
[36] As for the places held by you which he took in time of peace, violating the terms and breaking his engagements, since he has not a word to say but is clearly convicted of injustice, he expresses his willingness to refer the question to a fair and impartial court. But this is the only question that needs no such reference; the calendar is sufficient to decide it.
[37] ὥσπερ δὲ ταῦτα ἴσμεν, κἀκεῖνα ἴσμεν, τίνι μηνὶ καὶ τίνι ἡμέρᾳ Σέρρειον τεῖχος καὶ Ἐργίσκη καὶ Ἱερὸν ὄρος ἑάλω. οὐ δὴ ἀφανῆ ἐστι τὰ οὕτω πραχθέντα, οὐδὲ κρίσεως δεόμενα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσι γνώριμα πότερος πρότερος ὁ μήν ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ ἡ εἰρήνη ἐγένετο ἢ ἐν ᾧ τὰ χωρία ἑάλω.
[37] For we all know in what month and on what day the peace was made, and as surely also do we know in what month and on what day Fort Serreum and Ergisce and the Sacred Mount were captured. Surely these things were not done in a corner; they need no judicial inquiry; everyone can find out which came first, the month in which the peace was made or that in which the places were taken.
[38] φησὶ δὲ καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἡμῶν, ὅσοι ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ἑάλωσαν, ἀποδεδωκέναι: ὃς τὸν μὲν Καρύστιον, τὸν πρόξενον τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως, ὑπὲρ οὗ ὑμεῖς τρεῖς πρέσβεις ἐπέμψατε ἀπαιτοῦντες, τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνος οὕτω σφόδρα ὑμῖν ἐβούλετο χαρίσασθαι, ὥστ᾽ ἀπέκτεινε καὶ οὐδ᾽ ἀναίρεσιν ἔδωκεν, ἵνα ταφῇ.
[38] Again, he says that he has restored all the prisoners that were taken in the war. Yet the man of Carystus, the agent of our city, for whose recovery you sent three embassies — Philip was so anxious to oblige you that he killed him and did not even allow you to recover his corpse for burial.
[39] περὶ δὲ Χερρονήσου, ἅ τ᾽ ἐπιστέλλει πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄξιόν ἐστιν ἐξετάσαι, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἃ πράττει, καὶ ταῦτ᾽ εἰδέναι. τὸν μὲν γὰρ τόπον ἅπαντα τὸν ἔξω Ἀγορᾶς ὡς ἑαυτοῦ ὄντα καὶ ὑμῖν οὐδὲν προσήκοντα δέδωκε
καρποῦσθαι Ἀπολλωνίδῃ τῷ Καρδιανῷ. καίτοι Χερρονήσου οἱ ὅροι εἰσίν, οὐκ Ἀγορά, ἀλλὰ βωμὸς τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ ὁρίου, ὅς ἐστι μεταξὺ Πτελεοῦ καὶ Λευκῆς ἀκτῆς,
[39] With regard to the Chersonese, it is important to examine the terms of his dispatch to you and also to know what he is actually doing in the matter. For the whole of the land north of Agora, as being his own property and no concern of yours, he has handed over as a private estate to Apollonides of Cardia. Yet the boundary of the Chersonese is not Agora, but the altar of Zeus of the Marches, half way between Pteleum and the White Strand,
[40] ᾗ ἡ διορυχὴ ἔμελλε Χερρονήσου ἔσεσθαι, ὥς γε τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ ὁρίου δηλοῖ. ἔστι δὲ τουτί:”τόνδε καθιδρύσαντο θεῷ περικαλλέα βωμὸν
λευκῆς καὶ Πτελεοῦ μέσσον ὅρον θέμενοι
ἐνναέται, †χώρης σημήϊον: ἀμμορίης δὲ†
αὐτὸς ἄναξ μακάρων ἐστὶ μέσος Κρονίδης.
“unknown
[40] where there was going to be a canal across the peninsula. This is proved by the inscription on the altar of Zeus, which runs thus:
“ The dwellers here have set this boundary-stone
Midway `twixt Pteleum and the Silver Strand,
And raised this altar fair, that men may own
That Zeus is Warden of our No Mans Land.
“
Unknown
[41] ταύτην μέντοι τὴν χώραν, τοσαύτην οὖσαν ὅσην οἱ πολλοὶ ὑμῶν ἴσασιν, ὡς ἑαυτοῦ οὖσαν τὴν μὲν αὐτὸς καρποῦται, τὴν δ᾽ ἄλλοις δωρειὰν δέδωκε, καὶ ἅπαντα τὰ κτήματα τὰ ὑμέτερα ὑφ᾽ αὑτῷ ποιεῖται. καὶ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἔξω Ἀγορᾶς χώραν σφετερίζεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς Καρδιανούς, οἳ οἰκοῦσιν εἴσω Ἀγορᾶς, ἐπιστέλλει ἐν τῇ νῦν ἐπιστολῇ ὡς δεῖ ὑμᾶς διαδικάζεσθαι — πρὸς Καρδιανοὺς τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ — εἴ τι πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαφέρεσθε.
[41] This district, however, of whose extent most of you are aware, he treats as his own, enjoying part himself and bestowing part on others, and so he brings all your property under his own control. Not only does he appropriate the land north of Agora, but he also orders you in his present letter to settle by arbitration any disputes you have with the Cardians to the south of Agora — the Cardians, who are settlers in your own territory!
[42] διαφέρονται δὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, σκέψασθε εἰ περὶ μικροῦ. ἑαυτῶν φασι τὴν χώραν οὖσαν οἰκεῖν καὶ οὐχ ὑμετέραν, καὶ τὰ μὲν ὑμέτερα εἶναι ἐγκτήματα ὡς ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ, τὰ δὲ ἑαυτῶν κτήμαθ᾽ ὡς ἐν οἰκείᾳ, καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ὑμέτερον πολίτην γράψαι ἐν ψηφίσματι, Κάλλιππον Παιανιέα.
[42] They have a dispute with you; see whether it is about a trifle. They say that the land they live in is not yours, but their own, and that while your possessions there are held by grace in a foreign country, theirs are their own property on their own soil, and that this is admitted in a decree of your countryman, Callippus of the Paeanian deme.
[43] καὶ τοῦτό γ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγουσιν: ἔγραψε γάρ, καὶ ἐμοῦ γ᾽ αὐτὸν γραψαμένου παρανόμων γραφὴν ὑμεῖς ἀπεψηφίσασθε: τοιγάρτοι ἀμφισβητήσιμον ὑμῖν τὴν χώραν κατεσκεύακεν. ὁπότε δὲ περὶ τούτου τολμήσετε πρὸς Καρδιανοὺς διαδικάζεσθαι, εἴθ᾽ ὑμετέρα ἐστὶν εἴτ᾽ ἐκείνων ἡ χώρα, διὰ τί οὐ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους Χερρονησίτας τὸ αὐτὸ δίκαιον ἔσται;
[43] And there they speak truth, for he did propose such a decree, and when I indicted him for a breach of the constitution, you acquitted him; that is how he has brought your claim into dispute. But if and when you submit your dispute with the Cardians to arbitration, to decide whether the land is yours or theirs, why not extend the principle to the other states of the Chersonese also?
[44] καὶ οὕτως ὑβριστικῶς ὑμῖν κέχρηται ὥστε φήσιν, ἂν μὴ θέλωσι διαδικάζεσθαι οἱ Καρδιανοί, αὐτὸς ἀναγκάσειν, ὡς ὑμῶν γ᾽ οὐκ ἂν δυναμένων οὐδὲν ἀναγκάσαι Καρδιανοὺς ὑμῖν ποιῆσαι: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε, αὐτός φησι τοῦτ᾽ ἀναγκάσειν αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι. ἆρ᾽ οὐ μεγάλα φαίνεται ὑμᾶς εὐεργετῶν;
[44] Philip’s insolence is carried so far that he says that if the Cardians decline arbitration, he will be responsible for coercing them; as if you could not compel Cardians to do anything you wanted! He will make them do it, he says, since you cannot. Are not his favors to you great and manifest?
[45] καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐπιστολήν τινες εὖ ἔφασαν γεγράφθαι, οἳ πολὺ ἂν δικαιότερον ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν ἢ Φίλιππος μισοῖντο. ἐκεῖνος μέν γ᾽ ἑαυτῷ κτώμενος δόξαν καὶ μεγάλ᾽ ἀγαθὰ ἅπαντα καθ᾽ ὑμῶν πράττει: ὅσοι δ᾽ Ἀθηναῖοι ὄντες μὴ τῇ πατρίδι, ἀλλὰ Φιλίππῳ εὔνοιαν ἐνδείκνυνται, προσήκει αὐτοὺς ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολωλέναι, εἴπερ ὑμεῖς τὸν ἐγκέφαλον ἐν τοῖς κροτάφοις καὶ μὴ ἐν ταῖς πτέρναις καταπεπατημένον φορεῖτε.
[45] And this letter was actually commended by some Athenians, who merit your hatred much more than Philip. For whatever Philip does to thwart you, he is only aiming at advantage and glory for himself, but Athenians who make a parade of their goodwill to Philip, rather than to their own country, are wretches who deserve to perish at your hands unpitied, if you carry your brains in your heads and not trodden down in your heels.
[46] ὑπόλοιπόν μοί ἐστιν ἔτι πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν εὖ ἔχουσαν καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν πρέσβεων γράψαι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, ἣν ἡγοῦμαι δικαίαν τ᾽ εἶναι καὶ συμφέρουσαν ὑμῖν.
[46] It now remains for me, in answer to this precious letter and to the speeches of the ambassadors, to propose the resolution which I conceive to be in accordance with justice and your interests.
περὶ τῶν ἐν Χερρονήσῳ — ON THE CHERSONESE
[1] περὶ τῶν ἐν Χερρονήσῳ
ἔδει μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοὺς λέγοντας ἅπαντας μήτε πρὸς ἔχθραν ποιεῖσθαι λόγον μηδένα μήτε πρὸς χάριν, ἀλλ᾽ ὃ βέλτιστον ἕκαστος ἡγεῖτο, τοῦτ᾽ ἀποφαίνεσθαι, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ κοινῶν πραγμάτων καὶ μεγάλων ὑμῶν βουλευομένων: ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ἔνιοι τὰ μὲν φιλονικίᾳ, τὰ δ᾽ ᾑτινιδήποτ᾽ αἰτίᾳ προάγονται λέγειν, ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοὺς πολλοὺς δεῖ πάντα τἄλλ᾽ ἀφελόντας, ἃ τῇ πόλει νομίζετε συμφέρειν, ταῦτα καὶ ψηφίζεσθαι καὶ πράττειν.
[1] It should be the duty of all
speakers, men of Athens, to give no expression to their hatred or their partiality, but to put forward just what each thinks the best counsel, especially when you are debating a question of urgent public importance. But since there are speakers who are impelled to address you, either as partisans or from some other motive, whatever it may be, you citizens who form the majority ought to dismiss all else from your minds, and vote and act in such a way as you think will best serve our city.
[2] ἡ μὲν οὖν σπουδὴ περὶ τῶν ἐν Χερρονήσῳ πραγμάτων ἐστὶ καὶ τῆς στρατείας, ἣν ἑνδέκατον μῆνα τουτονὶ Φίλιππος ἐν Θρᾴκῃ ποιεῖται: τῶν δὲ λόγων οἱ πλεῖστοι περὶ ὧν Διοπείθης πράττει καὶ μέλλει ποιεῖν εἴρηνται. ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὅσα μέν τις αἰτιᾶταί τινα τούτων, οὓς κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ἐφ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐστιν, ὅταν βούλησθε, κολάζειν, κἂν ἤδη δοκῇ κἂν ἐπισχοῦσιν περὶ αὐτῶν σκοπεῖν ἐγχωρεῖν ἡγοῦμαι, καὶ οὐ πάνυ δεῖ περὶ τούτων οὔτ᾽ ἔμ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἄλλον οὐδέν᾽ ἰσχυρίζεσθαι:
[2] The really serious problem is the state of the Chersonese and Philip’s Thracian campaign, now in its eleventh month; yet most of the speeches have been confined to what Diopithes is doing or what he is going to do. For my part, when charges are brought against any of those whom you can legally punish whenever you like, I hold that it is open to you either to deal with their case at once or to postpone it; and it is quite unnecessary for me or anyone else to take a strong line on the subject of such charges.