by Demosthenes
[11] but when all preparation for war is on the same lines and the main objects of an armed force are the same — to be strong enough to repel the enemy, to assist one’s allies, and to preserve one’s own possessions-why, having open enemies enough, must we be looking out for another? Let us rather make our preparations against them, and then we shall defend ourselves against him too, if he ventures to molest us.
[12] καὶ νῦν μὲν καλεῖτε πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς τοὺς Ἕλληνας: ἂν δ᾽ ἃ κελεύουσιν οὗτοι μὴ ποιῆτε, οὐχ ἡδέως ἐνίων ὑμῖν ἐχόντων, πῶς χρὴ προσδοκᾶν τιν᾽ ὑπακούσεσθαι; ὅτι νὴ Δί᾽ ἀκούσονται παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ὡς ἐπιβουλεύει βασιλεὺς αὐτοῖς. αὐτοὺς δ᾽ οὐ προορᾶν, ὦ πρὸς τοῦ Διός, οἴεσθε τοῦτο; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οἶμαι. ἀλλ᾽ οὔπω μείζων ἔσθ᾽ ὁ φόβος τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐνίοις διαφορῶν. οὐδὲν οὖν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ῥαψῳδήσουσιν οἱ πρέσβεις περιιόντες.
[12] Moreover you are now calling on the Greeks to join you; but if you refuse to do their bidding — and your relations with some of them are not cordial — how can you expect any of them to answer your call? “Because,” you say, “we shall warn them that the King has designs on them.” But seriously, do you imagine that they cannot detect that for themselves? I am sure they can. But as yet their fear of Persia is subordinate to their feuds with you and, in some cases, with one another. Therefore your ambassadors will only go round repeating their heroics.
[13] τότε δ᾽, ἂν ἄρ᾽ ἃ νῦν οἰόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς πράττηται, οὐδεὶς δήπου τῶν πάντων Ἑλλήνων τηλικοῦτον ἐφ᾽ αὑτῷ φρονεῖ, ὅστις ὁρῶν ὑμῖν χιλίους μὲν ἱππέας, ὁπλίτας δ᾽ ὅσους ἂν ἐθέλῃ τις, ναῦς δὲ τριακοσίας, οὐχ ἥξει καὶ δεήσεται, μετὰ τούτων ἀσφαλέστατ᾽ ἂν ἡγούμενος σωθῆναι. οὐκοῦν ἐκ μὲν τοῦ καλεῖν ἤδη τὸ δεῖσθαι κἂν μὴ τύχητ᾽ ἀφαμαρτεῖν, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ μετὰ τοῦ παρεσκευάσθαι τὰ ὑμέτερ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐπισχεῖν δεομένους σῴζειν καὶ εὖ εἰδέναι πάντας ἥξοντάς ἐστιν.
[13] But later on, if what we now deem probable comes to pass, surely no Greek community has such a good conceit of itself that when they see that you have a thousand cavalry and as many infantry as one could desire and three hundred ships, they will not come as our suitors, feeling that with such support their safety is assured. Therefore to invite them at once means that you are the suppliants and, if unsuccessful, have failed utterly, but to wait and at the same time complete your own preparations means saving them at their request, and being well assured that they will all join you.
[14] ἐγὼ τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ταῦτά τε καὶ παραπλήσια τούτοις λογιζόμενος λόγον μὲν οὐδέν᾽ ἐβουλόμην θρασὺν οὐδ᾽ ἔχοντα μάταιον μῆκος εὑρεῖν: τὴν μέντοι παρασκευήν, ὅπως ὡς ἄριστα καὶ τάχιστα γενήσεται, πάνυ πολλὰ πράγματ᾽ ἔσχον σκοπῶν. οἴομαι δὴ δεῖν ἀκούσαντας ὑμᾶς αὐτήν, ἂν ὑμῖν ἀρέσκῃ, ψηφίσασθαι. ἔστι τοίνυν πρῶτον μὲν τῆς παρασκευῆς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ μέγιστον, οὕτω διακεῖσθαι τὰς γνώμας ὑμᾶς ὡς ἕκαστον ἑκόντα προθύμως ὅ τι ἂν δέῃ ποιήσοντα.
[14] Therefore, men of Athens, moved by this and similar considerations, I was unwilling to compose a confident oration or one of futile length, but I have been at very great pains to consider the best and speediest method of completing our equipment. I venture to think that you ought to hear my plan and vote for it, if it satisfies you. Now the first and most important step in our equipment, men of Athens, is that you should be filled with such resolution that everyone shall be willing and eager to do his part.
[15] ὁρᾶτε γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅτι, ὅσα μὲν πώποθ᾽ ἅπαντες ἐβουλήθητε καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὸ πράττειν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ προσήκειν ἡγήσατο, οὐδὲν πώποθ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐξέφυγεν, ὅσα δ᾽ ἐβουλήθητε μέν, μετὰ ταῦτα δ᾽ ἀπεβλέψατ᾽ εἰς ἀλλήλους ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν ἕκαστος οὐ ποιήσων, τὸν δὲ πλησίον πράξοντα, οὐδὲν πώποθ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐγένετο.
[15] For you will notice, men of Athens, that whenever you have collectively formed some project, and thereafter each individual has realized that it was his personal duty to carry it out, nothing has ever escaped your grasp; but whenever you have formed your project and thereafter have looked to one another to carry it out, each expecting to do nothing while his neighbor worked, then nothing has succeeded with you.
[16] ἐχόντων δ᾽ ὑμῶν οὕτω καὶ παρωξυμμένων, τοὺς διακοσίους καὶ χιλίους ἀναπληρῶσαί φημι χρῆναι καὶ ποιῆσαι δισχιλίους, ὀκτακοσίους αὐτοῖς προσνείμαντας: ἐὰν γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἀποδείξητε τὸ πλῆθος, ἡγοῦμαι, τῶν ἐπικλήρων καὶ τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ τῶν κληρουχικῶν καὶ τῶν κοινωνικῶν καὶ εἴ τις ἀδύνατος ἀφαιρεθέντων, ἔσεσθαι χίλια καὶ διακόσια ταῦθ᾽ ὑμῖν σώματα.
[16] But seeing you thus resolved and enthusiastic, I propose that the register of the twelve hundred should be filled up and enlarged to two thousand by the addition of eight hundred names; for if you fix on that number, I believe that you will get your twelve hundred persons, after striking out wards, orphans, settlers in colonies, joint holders of estates, and anyone otherwise ineligible.
[17] ἐκ τοίνυν τούτων οἶμαι δεῖν ποιῆσαι συμμορίας εἴκοσιν, ὥσπερ νῦν εἰσιν, ἑξήκοντα σώματ᾽ ἔχουσαν ἑκάστην. τούτων δὲ τῶν συμμοριῶν ἑκάστην διελεῖν κελεύω πέντε μέρη κατὰ δώδεκ᾽ ἄνδρας, ἀνταναπληροῦντας πρὸς τὸν εὐπορώτατον ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀπορωτάτους. καὶ τὰ μὲν σώμαθ᾽ οὕτω συντετάχθαι φημὶ δεῖν: δι᾽ ὃ δ᾽, εἴσεσθε, ἐπειδὰν ὅλον τὸν τρόπον τῆς συντάξεως ἀκούσητε.
[17] Then I propose to divide these into twenty boards, as at present, each containing sixty persons. Each of these boards I would subdivide into five groups of twelve men, always attaching to the wealthiest man those who are poorest, to keep the balance. That is how I propose to arrange these persons; you will understand why, when you have heard the whole of the arrangement.
[18] τὰς δὲ τριήρεις πῶς; τὸν ἅπαντ᾽ ἀριθμὸν κελεύω τριακοσίας ἀποδείξαντας, κατὰ πεντεκαιδεκαναΐαν εἴκοσι ποιῆσαι μέρη, τῶν πρώτων ἑκατὸν πέντε, καὶ τῶν δευτέρων ἑκατὸν πέντε, καὶ τῶν τρίτων ἑκατὸν πένθ᾽ ἑκάστῳ μέρει διδόντας, εἶτα συγκληρῶσαι συμμορίᾳ σωμάτων ἑκάστῃ τὴν πεντεκαιδεκαναΐαν, τὴν δὲ συμμορίαν ἑκάστῳ τῷ μέρει σφῶν αὐτῶν τρεῖς ἀποδοῦναι τριήρεις.
[18] Now what about the war-galleys? I propose to fix the total number at three hun
dred, divided into twenty squadrons of fifteen ships each, assigning to each squadron five of the first hundred, five of the second, and five of the third; and next to allot a squadron of fifteen to each board, and the board must assign three vessels to each of its own groups.
[19] ἐπειδὰν δὲ ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχονθ᾽ ὑπάρχῃ, κελεύω, ἐπειδὴ τὸ τίμημ᾽ ἐστὶ τῆς χώρας ἑξακισχιλίων ταλάντων, ἵν᾽ ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ χρήματ᾽ ᾖ συντεταγμένα, διελεῖν τοῦτο καὶ ποιῆσαι καθ᾽ ἑξήκοντα τάλανθ᾽ ἑκατὸν μέρη, εἶτα πένθ᾽ ἑξηκονταταλαντίας εἰς ἑκάστην τῶν μεγάλων τῶν εἴκοσι συμμοριῶν ἐπικληρῶσαι, τὴν δὲ συμμορίαν ἑκάστῳ τῶν μερῶν μίαν ἑξηκονταταλαντίαν ἀποδοῦναι,
[19] When these preliminaries are settled, I propose that your wealth also should be organized, and that as the ratable value of the country is six thousand talents, this sum should be divided into a hundred parts of sixty talents each, and that then five of these parts should be allotted to each of the twenty full boards, and that the board itself should assign one part, consisting of sixty talents, to each of its own five groups.
[20] ὅπως, ἂν μὲν ὑμῖν ἑκατὸν δέῃ τριήρων, τὴν μὲν δαπάνην ἑξήκοντα τάλαντα συντελῇ, τριήραρχοι δ᾽ ὦσι δώδεκα, ἂν δὲ διακοσίων, τριάκοντα μὲν ᾖ τάλαντα τὴν δαπάνην συντελοῦντα, ἓξ δὲ σώματα τριηραρχοῦντα, ἐὰν δὲ τριακοσίων, εἴκοσιν μὲν ᾖ τάλαντα τὴν δαπάνην διαλύοντα, τέτταρα δὲ σώματα τριηραρχοῦντα.
[20] Thus, if you want a hundred war-galleys the cost of each will be covered by the sixty talents and there will be twelve trierarchs for each; if you want two hundred, there will be thirty talents to cover the cost and six persons to serve as trierarchs; if you want three hundred, there will be twenty talents for the cost and four persons to serve.
[21] τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ τὰ νῦν ὀφειλόμεν᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν σκευῶν ἐπὶ τὰς τριήρεις τιμήσαντας ἅπαντ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ διαγράμματος νεῖμαι κελεύω μέρη εἴκοσιν, ἔπειτα ταῖς μεγάλαις ἐπικληρῶσαι συμμορίαις μέρος ἓν χρήστων ἑκάστῃ, τὴν δὲ συμμορίαν ἑκάστην διανεῖμαι τῶν αὑτῆς μερῶν ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἴσον, τοὺς δὲ δώδεκα τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῷ μέρει ταῦτ᾽ εἰσπράξαντας τὰς τριήρεις, ἃς ἂν ἕκαστοι λάχωσι, παρεσκευασμένας παρέχειν.
[21] In the same way I propose, men of Athens, that all ships’ gear now on loan should be valued and divided according to the inventory into twenty parts, and then that one part of the debtors liable for it should be allotted to each of the full boards, and that each board should assign an equal share to each of its own groups; and that the twelve members of the group should exact the same from the debtors, and so provide, fully equipped, as many galleys as they are severally responsible for.
[22] τὴν μὲν δαπάνην καὶ τὰ σκάφη καὶ τοὺς τριηράρχους καὶ τὴν τῶν σκευῶν εἴσπραξιν οὕτως ἂν ἄρισθ᾽ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ πορισθῆναι καὶ παρασκευασθῆναι: πλήρωσιν δ᾽, ἣ καὶ σαφὴς ἔσται καὶ ῥᾳδία, μετὰ ταῦτα λέγω. φημὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς δεῖν διανεῖμαι τόπους δέκα τῶν νεωρίων, σκεψαμένους ὅπως ὡς ἐγγύτατ᾽ ἀλλήλων κατὰ τριάκοντ᾽ ὦσι νεώσοικοι, ἐπειδὰν δὲ τοῦτο ποιήσωσι, δύο συμμορίας καὶ τριάκοντα τριήρεις τούτων ἑκάστῳ προσνεῖμαι τῶν τόπων, εἶτ᾽ ἐπικληρῶσαι τὰς φυλάς:
[22] That, I think, would be the best way of providing and organizing the money, the hulls, the trierarchs, and the calling in of the ships’ gear.
I now proceed to describe a clear and easy way of manning the ships. I suggest that the generals should divide the dockyards into ten areas, so arranging it that there may be dock-room in each for thirty ships, as close together as possible, and that when they have done this, they should apportion two boards and thirty galleys to each area, and then assign the tribes by lot to the areas.
[23] τὸν δὲ ταξίαρχον ἕκαστον, ὃν ἂν ἡ φυλὴ τόπον λάχῃ, διελεῖν τρίχα καὶ τὰς ναῦς ὡσαύτως, εἶτ᾽ ἐπικληρῶσαι τὰς τριττῦς, ὅπως ἂν τῶν μὲν ὅλων νεωρίων ἓν ἑκάστῃ μέρος ᾖ τῶν φυλῶν, τοῦ δὲ μέρους ἑκάστου τὸ τρίτον μέρος ἡ τριττὺς ἔχῃ, εἰδῆτε δ᾽, ἄν τι δέῃ, πρῶτον μὲν τὴν φυλήν, ὅπου τέτακται, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ τὴν τριττύν, εἶτα τριήραρχοι τίνες καὶ τριήρεις ποῖαι, καὶ τριάκοντα μὲν ἡ φυλή, δέκα δ᾽ ἡ τριττὺς ἑκάστη τριήρεις ἔχῃ. ἐὰν γὰρ ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως εἰς ὁδὸν καταστῇ, εἴ τι καὶ παραλείπομεν νῦν （πάντα γὰρ ἴσως εὑρεῖν οὐ ῥᾴδιον）, αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ ἑαυτῷ εὑρήσει, καὶ μία σύνταξις καὶ πασῶν τῶν νεῶν καὶ μέρους ἔσται.
[23] And each brigade-commander must divide into three parts whatever area his tribe has taken over, and the ships in the same way, and then he must allot the thirds of his tribe in such a way that of the whole space of the dockyards each tribe may have one area and each third of a tribe a third of an area; so that you can know at once, if necessary, where each tribe and each third of a tribe is stationed, who are the trierarchs and what ships they have, and that so each tribe may have thirty ships and each third of a tribe ten. For if we can only get this started, any detail at present omitted （for it is perhaps difficult to provide for everything） will be discovered by the actual working of the plan, and we shall have a uniform system both for the whole navy and for every part of it.
[24] ὑπὲρ δὲ χρημάτων καὶ πόρου φανεροῦ τινὸς ἤδη παράδοξον μὲν οἶδα λόγον ὃν μέλλω λέγειν, ὅμως δ᾽ εἰρήσεται: πιστεύω γάρ, ἐάν τις ὀρθῶς σκοπῇ, μόνος τἀληθῆ καὶ τὰ γενησόμεν᾽ εἰρηκὼς φανεῖσθαι. ἐγώ φημι χρῆναι μὴ λέγειν νυνὶ περὶ χρημάτων: εἶναι γὰρ πόρον, ἂν δέῃ, μέγαν καὶ καλὸν καὶ δίκαιον, ὃν ἂν μὲν ἤδη ζητῶμεν, οὐδ᾽ εἰς τόθ᾽ ὑπάρχειν ἡγησόμεθ᾽ ἡμῖν: οὕτω πολὺ τοῦ πορίσαι νῦν ἀποσχήσομεν: ἐὰν δ᾽ ἐῶμεν, ἔσται. τίς οὖν ἔσθ᾽ οὗτος ὁ νῦν μὲν οὐκ ὤν, ὑπάρξων δ᾽ εἰς τότε; αἰνίγματι γὰρ ὅμοιον τοῦτό γε.
[24] But as regards money and a ready supply of it at once, I am aware that I am going to make a startling proposal. The proposal shall, however, be made, because I am confident that if you take the right point of view, it will be clear that I alone have told you the truth, as it is and as it will be. My view is that we ought not to talk about money now; for if we need it, we have a source of supply, abundant, honorable and fair; if we look for it at once, we shall fail so utterly to supply it now that we shall conclude that it is not even in reserve for our future use, but if we leave it alone, it will be there. What, then, is this supply, which is not now, but will
be hereafter?
[25] ἐγὼ φράσω. ὁρᾶτε τὴν πόλιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πᾶσαν ταύτην. ἐν ταύτῃ χρήματ᾽ ἔνεστιν ὀλίγου δέω πρὸς ἁπάσας τὰς ἄλλας εἰπεῖν πόλεις. ταῦτα δ᾽ οἱ κεκτημένοι τοιοῦτον ἔχουσι νοῦν ὥστ᾽, εἰ πάντες οἱ λέγοντες φοβοῖεν ὡς ἥξει βασιλεύς, ὡς πάρεστιν, ὡς οὐδ᾽ οἷόν τε ταῦτ᾽ ἄλλως ἔχειν, καὶ μετὰ τῶν λεγόντων ἴσοι τὸ πλῆθος τούτοις χρησμῳδοῖεν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἂν εἰσενέγκαιεν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἂν δόξειαν οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὁμολογήσαιεν κεκτῆσθαι.
[25] That sounds like a riddle, but I will explain. Look at the great city that lies around you, men of Athens. In that city there is wealth, I might almost say, equal to that of all the other Greek cities together. But that wealth is in the hands of men whose temper is such that if all our orators started a scare that the King is coming, that he is close at hand, that the report must be true, and if the orators were backed by an equal number of oracle-mongers, not only would they fail to contribute, but they would refuse to declare or acknowledge their wealth.
[26] εἰ μέντοι τὰ νῦν διὰ τῶν λόγων φοβερὰ ἔργῳ πραττόμεν᾽ αἴσθοιντο, οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἠλίθιός ἐστιν ὅστις οὐχὶ κἂν δοίη καὶ πρῶτος εἰσενέγκαι: τίς γὰρ αἱρήσεται μᾶλλον αὐτὸς καὶ τὰ ὄντ᾽ ἀπολωλέναι ἢ μέρος τῶν ὄντων ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν; χρήματα μὲν δή φημ᾽ εἶναι τότε, ἂν ὡς ἀληθῶς δέῃ, πρότερον δ᾽ οὔ. διὸ μηδὲ ζητεῖν παραινῶ: ὅσα γὰρ νῦν πορίσαιτ᾽ ἄν, εἰ προέλοισθε πορίζειν, πλείων ἐστὶ γέλως τοῦ μηδενός.