Delphi Complete Works of Demosthenes

by Demosthenes

  [31] The one thing that remains and that ought to have been done long ago, though even now the chance is not lost, I will tell you. There is nothing that the State needs so much for the coming struggle as money. Some strokes of good fortune we have enjoyed without our design, and if we make the right use of them, the desired results may perhaps follow. For first, the men whom the king of Persia trusts and has accepted as his “benefactors,” hate Philip and are at war with him.

  [32] ἔπειθ᾽ ὁ πράττων καὶ συνειδὼς ἅπανθ᾽ ἃ Φιλλιππος κατὰ βασιλέως παρασκευάζεται, οὗτος ἀνάσπαστος γέγονε, καὶ πάσας τὰς πράξεις βασιλεὺς οὐχ ἡμῶν κατηγορούντων ἀκούσεται, οὓς ὑπὲρ τοῦ συμφέροντος ἂν ἡγήσαιτο τοῦ ἰδίου λέγειν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πράξαντος αὐτοῦ καὶ διοικοῦντος, ὥστ᾽ εἶναι πιστάς, καὶ λοιπὸν λόγον εἶναι τοῖς παρ᾽ ὑμῶν πρέσβεσιν,

  [32] Secondly, the agent who was privy to all Philip’s schemes against the king of Persia has been kidnapped, and the king will hear of all these plots, not as the complaint of Athenians, whom he might suspect of speaking for our own private advantage, but from the lips of the very man who planned and carried them out, so that their credit is established, and the only suggestion for our ambassadors to make is one which the king would be delighted to hear,

  [33] ὃν βασιλεὺς ἥδιστ᾽ ἂν ἀκούσαι, ὡς τὸν ἀμφοτέρους ἀδικοῦντα κοινῇ τιμωρήσασθαι δεῖ, καὶ ὅτι πολὺ τῷ βασιλεῖ φοβερώτερός ἐσθ᾽ ὁ Φίλιππος, ἂν προτέροις ἡμῖν ἐπιθῆται: εἰ γὰρ ἐγκαταλειπόμενοί τι πεισόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς, ἀδεῶς ἐπ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ἤδη πορεύσεται. ὑπὲρ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων οἶμαι δεῖν ὑμᾶς πρεσβείαν ἐκπέμπειν, ἥτις τῷ βασιλεῖ διαλέξεται, καὶ τὴν ἀβελτερίαν ἀποθέσθαι, δι᾽ ἣν πολλάκις ἠλαττώθητε, ‘ὁ δὴ βάρβαρος, καὶ ὁ κοινὸς ἅπασιν ἐχθρός,’ καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα.

  [33] that the man who is wronging both parties should be punished by both in common, and that Philip is much more dangerous to the king if he has attacked us first, for if we are left to our own resources and anything happens to us, he will soon be marching confidently against the king. I think you ought to send an embassy to put all these matters before the king, and you ought to drop the foolish prejudice that has so often brought about your discomfiture— “the barbarian,” “the common foe of us all,” and all such phrases.

  [34] ἐγὼ γὰρ ὅταν τιν᾽ ἴδω τὸν μὲν ἐν Σούσοις καὶ Ἐγβατάνοις δεδοικότα καὶ κακόνουν εἶναι τῇ πόλει φάσκοντα, ὃς καὶ πρότερον συνεπηνώρθωσε τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράγματα καὶ νῦν ἐπηγγέλλετο （εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐδέχεσθ᾽ ὑμεῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπεψηφίζεσθε, οὐ τἀκείνου αἴτια）, ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις ἐγγὺς οὑτωσὶ ἐν μέσῃ τῇ Ἑλλάδι αὐξανομένου λῃστοῦ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἄλλο τι λέγοντα, θαυμάζω, καὶ δέδοικα τοῦτον, ὅστις ἂν ᾖ ποτ᾽, ἔγωγε, ἐπειδὴ οὐχ οὗτος Φίλιππον.

  [34] For my part, whenever I see a man afraid of one who dwells at Susa and Ecbatana and insisting that he is ill-disposed to Athens, though he helped to restore our fortunes in the past and was even now making overtures to us（and if you did not accept them but voted their rejection, the fault is not his）; and when I find the same man using very different language about this plunderer of the Greeks, who is extending his power, as you see, at our very doors and in the heart of Greece, I am astonished, and, whoever he may be, it is I that fear him, just because he does not fear Philip.

  [35] ἔστι τοίνυν τι πρᾶγμα καὶ ἄλλο, ὃ λυμαίνεται τὴν πόλιν ὑπὸ βλασφημίας ἀδίκου καὶ λόγων οὐ προσηκόντων διαβεβλημένον, εἶτα τοῖς μηδὲν τῶν ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ δικαίων βουλομένοις ποιεῖν πρόφασιν παρέχει: καὶ πάντων, ὅσ᾽ ἐκλείπει, δέον παρά του γίγνεσθαι, ἐπὶ τοῦθ᾽ εὑρήσετε τὴν αἰτίαν ἀναφερομένην. περὶ οὗ πάνυ μὲν φοβοῦμαι, οὐ μὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐρῶ:

  [35] Now there is also another matter, the misrepresentation of which by unfair obloquy and in intemperate language is injuring the State, and furthermore is affording a pretext for those who are unwilling to perform any of their duties as citizens; indeed, you will find that in every case where a man has failed to do his duty, this has been given as the excuse. I am really afraid to speak on this subject, but I will do so nevertheless;

  [36] οἶμαι γὰρ ἕξειν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀπόρων τὰ δίκαι᾽ ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι τῆς πόλεως εἰπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς εὐπόρους, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν κεκτημένων τὰς οὐσίας πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιδεεῖς. εἰ ἀνέλοιμεν ἐκ μέσου καὶ τὰς βλασφημίας ἃς ἐπὶ τῷ θεωρικῷ ποιοῦνταί τινες οὐχὶ δικαίως, καὶ τὸν φόβον, ὡς οὐ στήσεται τοῦτ᾽ ἄνευ μεγάλου τινὸς κακοῦ, οὐδὲν ἂν εἰς τὰ πράγματα μεῖζον εἰσενεγκαίμεθα, οὐδ᾽ ὅ τι κοινῇ μᾶλλον ἂν ὅλην ἐπιρρώσειε τὴν πόλιν.

  [36] for I think I shall be able, with advantage to the State, to plead the cause both of the poor against the rich and of the property-owners against the necessitous. If we could banish from our midst both the obloquy which some heap on the Theoric Fund, and also the fear that the Fund will not be maintained without doing a great deal of harm, we could not perform a greater service nor one more likely to strengthen the whole body politic.

  [37] οὑτωσὶ δὲ σκοπεῖτε: ἐρῶ δ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν χρείᾳ δοκούντων εἶναι πρότερον. ἦν ποτ᾽ οὐ πάλαι παρ᾽ ὑμῖν, ὅτ᾽ οὐ προσῄει τῇ πόλει τάλανθ᾽ ὑπὲρ τριάκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν: καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐστι τῶν τριηραρχεῖν δυναμένων οὐδὲ τῶν εἰσφέρειν ὅστις οὐκ ἠξίου τὰ καθήκοντ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖν, ὅτι χρήματ᾽ οὐ περιῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τριήρεις ἔπλεον καὶ χρήματ᾽ ἐγίγνετο καὶ πάντ᾽ ἐποιοῦμεν τὰ δέοντα.

  [37] Follow my argument while I state first the case of those who are regarded as the poorer classes. There was a time not long ago when the revenue of your state did not exceed a hundred and thirty talents, and yet of those competent to undertake the trierarchy or pay the property-tax there is not one that declined the duty that devolved on him in the absence of a surplus; but the war-galleys sailed out, and the money came in, and we did all that was required.

  [38] μετὰ ταῦθ᾽ ἡ τύχη, καλῶς ποιοῦσα, πολλὰ πεποίηκε τὰ κοινά, καὶ τετρακόσι᾽ ἀντὶ τῶν ἑκατὸν ταλάντων προσέρχεται, οὐδενὸς οὐδὲν ζημιουμένου τῶν τὰς οὐσίας ἐχόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσλαμβάνοντος: οἱ γὰρ εὔποροι πάντες ἔρχονται μεθέξοντες τούτου, καὶ καλῶς ποιοῦσιν.

  [38] Since then fortune has smiled on us and increased our revenues, and the exchequer now receives four hundred instead of one hundred talents, though no
property-owner suffers any loss but is rather the gainer, for all the rich citizens come up to receive their share of this increase, as indeed they have a perfect right to do.

  [39] τί οὖν μαθόντες τοῦτ᾽ ὀνειδίζομεν ἀλλήλοις καὶ προφάσει χρώμεθα τοῦ μηδὲν ποιεῖν, πλὴν εἰ τῇ παρὰ τῆς τύχης βοηθείᾳ γεγονυίᾳ τοῖς ἀπόροις φθονοῦμεν;

  [39] What then do we mean by reproaching one another for this and making it an excuse for doing nothing, unless it is that we grudge the relief which the poor have received at the hands of fortune? I for one shall not blame them, nor do I think it fair to do so.

  [40] οὓς οὔτ᾽ ἂν αἰτιασαίμην ἔγωγε, οὔτ᾽ ἀξιῶ. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἰδίαις οἰκίαις ὁρῶ τὸν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους οὕτω διακείμενον οὐδ᾽ οὕτως ἀγνώμον᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἄτοπον τῶν ὄντων οὐδένα, ὥστε, εἰ μὴ ποιήσουσιν ἅπαντες ὅσ᾽ ἂν αὐτός, οὐ φάσκοντα ποιήσειν οὐδὲν οὐδ᾽ αὐτόν: καὶ γὰρ ἂν τοῖς τῆς κακώσεως εἴη νόμοις οὕτω γ᾽ ἔνοχος: δεῖ γάρ, οἶμαι, τοῖς γονεῦσι τὸν ὡρισμένον ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἔρανον, καὶ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως καὶ παρὰ τοῦ νόμου, δικαίως φέρειν καὶ ἑκόνθ᾽ ὑποτελεῖν.

  [40] For in private life I do not observe that the young man adopts that attitude towards his seniors, or that any human being is so insensible or unreasonable that he refuses to do anything himself unless everybody does the same; and indeed such a case would be covered by the laws for ill-usage, for I suppose the contribution assessed by both authorities, by nature and by law, ought to be brought honestly and paid cheerfully to the parents.

  [41] ὥσπερ τοίνυν ἑνὸς ἡμῶν ἑκάστου τίς ἐστι γονεύς, οὕτω συμπάσης τῆς πόλεως κοινοὺς δεῖ τοὺς γονέας σύμπαντας ἡγεῖσθαι, καὶ προσήκειν τούτους οὐχ ὅπως ὧν ἡ πόλις δίδωσ᾽ ἀφελέσθαι τι, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἦν τούτων, ἄλλοθεν σκοπεῖν ὅπως μηδενὸς ὄντες ἐνδεεῖς περιοφθήσονται.

  [41] Therefore, just as each one of us has a parent, so ought we to regard the collective citizens as the common parents of the whole State, and so far from depriving them of anything that the State bestows, we ought, if there were no such grant, to look elsewhere for means to save any of their wants from being overlooked.

  [42] τοὺς μὲν τοίνυν εὐπόρους ταύτῃ χρωμένους τῇ γνώμῃ οὐ μόνον ἡγοῦμαι τὰ δίκαι᾽ ἂν ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λυσιτελῆ: τὸ γὰρ τῶν ἀναγκαίων τιν᾽ ἀποστερεῖν κοινῇ κακόνους ἐστὶ ποιεῖν πολλοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοῖς πράγμασι: τοῖς δ᾽ ἐν ἐνδείᾳ, δι᾽ ὃ δυσχεραίνουσι τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ οἱ τὰς οὐσίας ἔχοντες καὶ κατηγοροῦσι δικαίως, τοῦτ᾽ ἀφελεῖν ἂν συμβουλεύσαιμι.

  [42] So then, if the wealthy would accept this principle, I think they would be doing not only what is fair, but also what is expedient; for to deprive one citizen of necessaries is to make many of them unite in disaffection towards the government. I would also counsel the poorer classes to abolish the grievance which makes the propertied class discontented with the system, and gives them just cause for assailing it.

  [43] δίειμι δέ, ὥσπερ ἄρτι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐπόρων, οὐ κατοκνήσας εἰπεῖν τἀληθῆ. ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἄθλιος οὐδ᾽ ὠμὸς εἶναι δοκεῖ τὴν γνώμην, οὔκουν Ἀθηναίων γε, ὥστε λυπεῖσθαι ταῦτα λαμβάνοντας ὁρῶν τοὺς ἀπόρους καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδεεῖς ὄντας.

  [43] I proceed, in the same way as before, to state the case for the rich, and I shall not shrink from speaking the truth. For I cannot imagine anyone, or at least any Athenian, so obdurate and cruel-hearted as to feel annoyed when he sees the poor and those who lack necessaries receiving these boons.

  [44] ἀλλὰ ποῦ συντρίβεται τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ ποῦ δυσχεραίνεται; ὅταν τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῶν ἔθος ἐπὶ τὰ ἴδια μεταβιβάζοντας ὁρῶσί τινας, καὶ μέγαν μὲν ὄντα παρ᾽ ὑμῖν εὐθέως τὸν λέγοντα, ἀθάνατον δ᾽ ἕνεκ᾽ ἀσφαλείας, ἑτέραν δὲ τὴν κρύβδην ψῆφον τοῦ φανερῶς θορύβου.

  [44] But where does our practice break down, and where lies the grievance? It is when the rich see certain persons transferring this usage from public moneys to private property; when the speaker is raised to instant greatness among you and even to immortality, as far as his privilege can secure it; and when your shouts of open approval are contradicted by your secret vote.

  [45] ταῦτ᾽ ἀπιστίαν, ταῦτ᾽ ὀργὴν ἔχει. δεῖ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δικαίως ἀλλήλοις τῆς πολιτείας κοινωνεῖν, τοὺς μὲν εὐπόρους εἰς μὲν τὸν βίον τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀσφαλῶς ἔχειν νομίζοντας καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων μὴ δεδοικότας, εἰς δὲ τοὺς κινδύνους κοινὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τὰ ὄντα τῇ πατρίδι παρέχοντας, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς τὰ μὲν κοινὰ κοινὰ νομίζοντας καὶ μετέχοντας τὸ μέρος, τὰ δ᾽ ἑκάστου ἴδια τοῦ κεκτημένου. οὕτω καὶ μικρὰ μεγάλη πόλις γίγνεται καὶ μεγάλη σῴζεται. ὡς μὲν οὖν εἴποι τις ἄν, ἃ παρ᾽ ἑκατέρων εἶναι δεῖ, ταῦτ᾽ ἴσως ἐστίν: ὡς δὲ καὶ γένοιτ᾽ ἄν, ἐν νόμῳ διορθώσασθαι δεῖ.

  [45] All this breeds distrust and resentment. For we are bound, Athenians, to share equitably with one another the privileges of citizenship, the wealthy feeling secure to lead their own lives and haunted by no fears on that account, but in the face of dangers making over their property to the commonwealth for its defence; while the rest must realize that State-property is common property, duly receiving their share of it, but recognizing that private wealth belongs to the possessor. In this way a small state grows great, and a great one is kept great. This may pass for a verbal statement of the duties of each class; for the legal performance of those duties some organization is necessary.

  [46] τῶν δὲ παρόντων πραγμάτων καὶ τῆς ταραχῆς πολλὰ πόρρωθέν ἐστι τὰ αἴτια: ἃ εἰ βουλομένοις ὑμῖν ἀκούειν ἐστίν, ἐθέλω λέγειν. ἐξέστητ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐφ᾽ ἧς ὑμᾶς οἱ πρόγονοι κατέλιπον, καὶ τὸ μὲν προΐστασθαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ δύναμιν συνεστηκυῖαν ἔχοντας πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις βοηθεῖν περίεργον ἐπείσθητ᾽ εἶναι καὶ μάταιον ἀνάλωμ᾽ ὑπὸ τῶν ταῦτα πολιτευομένων, τὸ δ᾽ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ διάγειν καὶ μηδὲν τῶν δεόντων πράττειν, ἀλλὰ προϊεμένους καθ᾽ ἓν ἕκαστον πάνθ᾽ ἑτέρους ἐᾶσαι λαβεῖν, θαυμαστὴν εὐδαιμονίαν καὶ πολλὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἔχειν ᾤεσθε.

  [46] Of our present difficulties and of the existing confusion the
causes are many and of long standing, but if you are willing to hear them, I am ready to speak. Men of Athens, you have deserted the post in which your ancestors left you; you have been persuaded by politicians of this sort that to be paramount in Greece, to possess a standing force, and to help all the oppressed, is a superfluous task and an idle expense; while you fondly imagined that to live in peace, to neglect all your duties, to abandon all your possessions and let others seize them one by one, ensured wonderful prosperity and complete security.

  [47] ἐκ δὲ τούτων παρελθὼν ἐπὶ τὴν τάξιν ἐφ᾽ ἧς ὑμῖν τετάχθαι προσῆκεν ἕτερος, οὗτος εὐδαίμων καὶ μέγας καὶ πολλῶν κύριος γέγονεν, εἰκότως: πρᾶγμα γὰρ ἔντιμον καὶ μέγα καὶ λαμπρόν, καὶ περὶ οὗ πάντα τὸν χρόνον αἱ μέγισται τῶν πόλεων πρὸς αὑτὰς διεφέροντο, Λακεδαιμονίων μὲν ἠτυχηκότων, Θηβαίων δ᾽ ἀσχόλων διὰ τὸν Φωκικὸν πόλεμον γενομένων, ἡμῶν δ᾽ ἀμελούντων, ἔρημον ἀνείλετο.