by Demosthenes
[26] But if once they saw that what alarms them now as a mere rumor was actually taking place, none of them is so foolish that he would not be the first to pay his contribution; for who will choose to sacrifice life and property sooner than contribute a fraction to ensure his person and the remainder of his wealth? The money, I say, we have when it is really needed, but not before. Therefore I advise you not to seek it out, for the whole sum that you could raise, if you insisted on raising it, would be more ridiculous than nothing at all.
[27] φέρε γάρ, ἑκατοστήν τις εἰσφέρειν ἐρεῖ νῦν; οὐκοῦν ἑξήκοντα τάλαντα. ἀλλὰ πεντηκοστήν τις ἐρεῖ, τὸ διπλοῦν; οὐκοῦν ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι. καὶ τί τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι πρὸς διακοσίας καὶ χιλίας καμήλους, ἃς βασιλεῖ τὰ χρήματ᾽ ἄγειν φασὶν οὗτοι; ἀλλὰ θῶ βούλεσθε δωδεκάτην ἡμᾶς εἰσοίσειν, πεντακόσια τάλαντα; ἀλλ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἀνάσχοισθε οὔτ᾽, εἰ καταθεῖτε, ἄξια τοῦ πολέμου τὰ χρήματα.
[27] For consider; will anyone propose a tax of one per cent now? Then we get sixty talents. Or double it and make it two per cent? Still only a hundred and twenty talents. And what is that to the twelve hundred camels laden, as our friends here tell us, with the King’s treasure? Then would you have me assume that we shall contribute a twelfth of your wealth, or five hundred talents? But you would not submit to such a tax, nor if you paid up, would the money be sufficient for the war.
[28] δεῖ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα παρασκευάσασθαι, τὰ δὲ χρήματα νῦν μὲν ἐᾶν τοὺς κεκτημένους ἔχειν （οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἂν ἐν καλλίονι σῴζοιτο τῇ πόλει）, ἐὰν δέ ποθ᾽ οὗτος ὁ καιρὸς ἔλθῃ, τόθ᾽ ἑκόντων εἰσφερόντων αὐτῶν λαμβάνειν. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ δυνάτ᾽ ἐστίν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ πράττειν καλὰ καὶ συμφέροντα καὶ βασιλεῖ περὶ ὑμῶν ἐπιτήδει᾽ ἀπαγγελθῆναι, καὶ φόβος οὐκ ὀλίγος γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἐκείνῳ διὰ τούτων.
[28] You must therefore make all your other preparations, but let the money remain for the present in the hands of its owners, for it could not be in better keeping, for the benefit of the State; but if ever the threatened crisis comes, then accept it as a voluntary contribution.
These proposals, men of Athens, are both practicable and honorable and advantageous, fit to be reported of you to the King and calculated to inspire him with no little alarm.
[29] οἶδε μέν γε διακοσίαις τριήρεσιν, ὧν ἑκατὸν παρεσχόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς, τοὺς προγόνους αὐτοῦ χιλίας ἀπολέσαντας ναῦς, ἀκούσεται δὲ τριακοσίας αὐτοὺς ὑμᾶς νῦν παρεσκευασμένους τριήρεις: ὥστε μὴ κομιδῇ, μηδ᾽ εἰ πάνυ μαίνοιτο, νομίσαι ῥᾴδιόν τι τὸ τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν ἐχθρὰν ποιήσασθαι. ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γ᾽ ἐπὶ χρήμασιν αὐτῷ μέγ᾽ ἐπέρχεται φρονεῖν, καὶ ταύτην ἀσθενεστέραν ἀφορμὴν τῆς ὑμετέρας εὑρήσει.
[29] He knows that with two hundred galleys, of which we provided one hundred, our ancestors destroyed a thousand of his ships, and he will hear that we have three hundred of our own ready for sea, so that even if he were raving mad, he would scarcely think it a light thing to incur the hostility of our city. But indeed, if he bases his confidence on his wealth, he will find this too a less sure foundation than yours.
[30] ὁ μέν γε χρυσίον, ὥς φασιν, ἄγει πολύ. τοῦτο δ᾽ ἂν διαδῷ ζητήσει: καὶ γὰρ τὰς κρήνας καὶ τὰ φρέατ᾽ ἐπιλείπειν πέφυκεν, ἄν τις ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἁθρόα πολλὰ λαμβάνῃ. ἡμῖν δὲ τὸ τῆς χώρας τίμημ᾽ ὑπάρχον ἀφορμὴν ἑξακισχίλια τάλαντα ἀκούσεται, ὑπὲρ ἧς ὡς μὲν τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἐκείνων ἀμυνόμεθα, οἱ Μαραθῶνι τῶν προγόνων αὐτοῦ μάλιστ᾽ ἂν εἰδεῖεν, ἕως δ᾽ ἂν κρατῶμεν, οὐκ ἔνι δήπου χρήμαθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἐπιλείπειν.
[30] He is bringing, they say, gold in plenty. But if he disburses it, he will look in vain for more; for even springs and wells have a way of failing, if one draws from them constantly and lavishly. But he will hear that our resources consist of the ratable value of our country, and how we can fight in defence of it against invaders from his land, those ancestors of his who fought at Marathon best know; but as long as we are victorious, there is surely no prospect of money failing us.
[31] καὶ μὴν οὐδ᾽ ὅ τινες δεδίασι, μὴ ξενικὸν πολὺ συστήσηται χρήματ᾽ ἔχων, ἀληθὲς εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι ἐπὶ μὲν Αἴγυπτον καὶ Ὀρόνταν καί τινας τῶν ἄλλων βαρβάρων πολλοὺς ἂν ἐθελῆσαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων μισθοφορεῖν παρ᾽ ἐκείνῳ, οὐχ ἵν᾽ ἐκεῖνος ἕλῃ τινὰ τούτων, ἀλλ᾽ ἵν᾽ εὐπορίαν τιν᾽ ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ κτησάμενος ἀπαλλαγῇ τῆς ὑπαρχούσης πενίας: ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν Ἑλλάδα Ἕλλην᾽ οὐδέν᾽ ἂν ἐλθεῖν ἡγοῦμαι. ποῖ γὰρ αὐτὸς τρέψεται μετὰ ταῦτα;
[31] Again, what frightens some of you — that his wealth will attract a large mercenary army — does not strike me as true. For although I believe that many Greeks would consent to serve in his pay against the Egyptians and Orontes and other barbarians, not so much to enable him to subdue any of those enemies as to win for themselves wealth and relief from their present poverty, yet I do not think that any Greek would attack Greece. For where would he retire afterwards? Will he go to Phrygia and be a slave?
[32] εἰς Φρυγίαν ἐλθὼν δουλεύσει; οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἄλλου τινός ἐστιν ὁ πρὸς τὸν βάρβαρον πόλεμος ἢ περὶ χώρας καὶ βίου καὶ ἐθῶν καὶ ἐλευθερίας καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων. τίς οὖν οὕτως δυστυχής ἐστιν ὅστις ἑαυτόν, γονέας, τάφους, πατρίδα εἵνεκα κέρδους βραχέος προέσθαι βουλήσεται; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδέν᾽ ἡγοῦμαι. οὐ μὴν οὐδ᾽ ἐκείνῳ συμφέρει ξένοις κρατῆσαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων: οἱ γὰρ ἡμῶν κρατήσαντες ἐκείνου γε πάλαι κρείττους ὑπάρχουσιν: βούλεται δ᾽ ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀνελὼν ἡμᾶς ἐπ᾽ ἄλλοις εἶναι, ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν πάντων, εἰ δὲ μή, τῶν γ᾽ ὑπαρχόντων δούλων ἑαυτῷ νῦν ἄρχειν.
[32] For the objects at stake in a war against the barbarian are nothing less than our country, our life, our habits, our freedom, and all such blessings. Who, then, is so desperate that he will sacrifice himself, his ancestors, his sepulchres, and his native land, all for the sake of a paltry profit? I cannot think that there is such a man. Moreover, it is not even to the King’s advantage that mercenaries should beat the Greeks, for the men who shall beat us have been his masters long ago. No; his object is not, after destroying us, to find himself in the power of others, but to rule all the world, if he can, or if not, at least those who are now his slaves.
[33] εἰ τοίνυν τις οἴεται Θηβαίους ἔσεσθαι μετ᾽ ἐκείνου, ἔστι μὲν χαλεπὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ πε�
�ὶ τούτων λόγος: διὰ γὰρ τὸ μισεῖν αὐτοὺς οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἀληθὲς οὐδὲν ἡδέως ἀγαθὸν περὶ αὐτῶν ἀκούσαιτε: οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ δεῖ τοὺς περὶ πραγμάτων μεγάλων σκοποῦντας μηδένα συμφέροντα λογισμὸν παραλιπεῖν διὰ μηδεμίαν πρόφασιν. ἐγὼ τοίνυν οἶμαι τοσοῦτ᾽ ἀπέχειν Θηβαίους τοῦ μετ᾽ ἐκείνου ποτ᾽ ἂν ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὥστε πολλῶν ἂν χρημάτων, εἰ ἔχοιεν δοῦναι,
[33] Now, if anyone expects the Thebans to take our side, it is difficult to speak to you about them, because you have such a hearty dislike of them that you would not care to hear any good of them, even if it were true; but yet, when dealing with grave matters, one must not on any pretext pass over an important consideration. For my part, I believe that the Thebans are so little likely to join the King in an attack on Greece that they would pay a large sum,
[34] πρίασθαι γενέσθαι τιν᾽ αὐτοῖς καιρὸν δι᾽ οὗ τὰς προτέρας ἀναλύσονται πρὸς τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἁμαρτίας. εἰ δ᾽ ἄρα παντάπασί τις οὕτως οἴεται φύσει δυστυχεῖς Θηβαίους εἶναι, ἐκεῖνό γε δήπουθεν ἅπαντες ἐπίστασθε, ὅτι Θηβαίων τἀκείνου φρονούντων, ἀνάγκη τοὺς τούτων ἐχθροὺς τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων φρονεῖν.
[34] if they had it, to get a chance of expiating their former sins against the Greeks. If, however, some think that the Thebans are fated always to be on the wrong side, at any rate you all know this, that if the Thebans stand by the King, their enemies are bound to stand by the Greeks.
[35] ἡγοῦμαι τοίνυν ἐγὼ ταύτην τὴν τάξιν τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τοὺς μετ᾽ αὐτῆς ὄντας κρείττους τῶν προδοτῶν καὶ τοῦ βαρβάρου ἔσεσθαι πρὸς ἅπαντα. ὥστ᾽ οὔτε φοβεῖσθαί φημι δεῖν πέρα τοῦ μετρίου, οὔθ᾽ ὑπαχθῆναι προτέρους ἐκφέρειν τὸν πόλεμον. καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδέν᾽ ἂν εἰκότως Ἑλλήνων φοβηθέντα τὸν πόλεμον τοῦτον ὁρῶ.
[35] I believe, then, that the cause of justice and those who defend it will prove stronger than the traitors and the barbarian against all opposition. Therefore I say that we must not be unduly alarmed, nor must we be tempted to commence hostilities. And indeed I cannot see that any of the other Greeks have reason to dread this war.
[36] τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν αὐτῶν ὅτι, τέως μὲν κοινὸν ἐχθρὸν ἐκεῖνον ὑπειληφότες ὡμονόουν ἀλλήλοις, πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν ἦσαν κύριοι, ἐπειδὴ δὲ φίλον αὐτὸν νομίσαντες αὑτοῖς ὑπάρχειν περὶ τῶν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς διηνέχθησαν διαφόρων, ὅσ᾽ ἂν οὐδὲ καταρώμενος εὗρέ τις αὐτοῖς, τοσαῦτα πεπόνθασι κακά; εἶθ᾽ ὃν ἡ τύχη καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον φίλον μὲν ἀλυσιτελῆ, συμφέροντα δ᾽ ἐχθρὸν ἐμφανίζει, τοῦτον ἡμεῖς φοβώμεθα; μηδαμῶς: ἀλλὰ μηδ᾽ ἀδικῶμεν, αὐτῶν ἡμῶν εἵνεκα καὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων ταραχῆς καὶ ἀπιστίας:
[36] For who of them does not know that as long as they were of one mind and regarded the Persian as their common enemy, they could count on many advantages, but ever since they thought of him as a friend to fall back on and were torn asunder by their own private quarrels, they have suffered such disasters as no one would have devised for them even in an imprecation. If that is so, are we to fear this man, whom fortune and the voice of Heaven proclaim to be an unprofitable friend and an auspicious foe? Never! Yet let us do him no wrong either, both in our own interests and in view of the unrest and disloyalty of the other Greeks.
[37] ἐπεὶ εἴ γ᾽ ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦν μετὰ πάντων ἐπιθέσθαι μόνῳ, οὐδ᾽ ἀδικεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖνον ἀδίκημ᾽ ἂν ἔθηκα. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτ᾽ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει, φυλάττεσθαί φημι δεῖν μὴ πρόφασιν δῶμεν βασιλεῖ τοῦ τὰ δίκαι᾽ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων ζητεῖν: ἡσυχίαν μὲν γὰρ ἐχόντων ὑμῶν ὕποπτος ἂν εἴη τοιοῦτόν τι πράττων, πόλεμον δὲ ποιησαμένων προτέρων εἰκότως ἂν δοκοίη διὰ τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔχθραν τοῖς ἄλλοις φίλος εἶναι βούλεσθαι.
[37] If indeed we could attack him with unanimity, all banded against one, I should not count it wrong in us to do him wrong. But since this is impossible, I suggest that we ought to be careful not to give the King an opportunity to pose as the champion of the other Greeks; for as long as you remain quiet, any such action on his part would excite suspicion, but if you are the aggressors, he will seem naturally anxious to befriend the rest, because they are hostile to you.
[38] μὴ οὖν ἐξελέγξηθ᾽ ὡς κακῶς ἔχει τὰ Ἑλληνικά, συγκαλοῦντες ὅτ᾽ οὐ πείσονται, καὶ πολεμοῦντες ὅτ᾽ οὐ δυνήσεσθε: ἀλλ᾽ ἔχεθ᾽ ἡσυχίαν θαρροῦντες καὶ παρασκευαζόμενοι, καὶ βούλεσθ᾽ ἀπαγγέλλεσθαι μὲν περὶ ὑμῶν πρὸς βασιλέα, μὴ μὰ Δί᾽ ὡς ἀποροῦσιν ἢ φοβοῦνται ἢ θορυβοῦνται πάντες οἱ Ἕλληνες καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι, πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ:
[38] Do not, then, expose the weakness of the Greeks by issuing a summons which they will not obey and declaring a war which you cannot wage; but in quietness and confidence go on with your preparations, and be content that this report of you be brought to the King’s ears, not （Heaven forbid!） that all the Greeks, including the Athenians, are helpless,
[39] ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι, εἰ μὲν μὴ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὁμοίως αἰσχρὸν ἦν τὸ ψεύδεσθαι καὶ ἐπιορκεῖν ὥσπερ ἐκείνῳ καλόν, πάλαι ἂν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς ἐπορεύεσθε, νῦν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἂν ποιήσαιτε ὑμῶν ἕνεκ᾽ αὐτῶν, εὔχεσθε δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς θεοῖς τὴν αὐτὴν λαβεῖν παράνοιαν ἐκεῖνον ἥνπερ ποτὲ τοὺς προγόνους αὐτοῦ. καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἂν ἐπίῃ σκοπεῖν αὐτῷ, οὐκ ὀλιγώρως ὑμᾶς βουλευομένους εὑρήσει.
[39] terrified and distracted — that is far from being the case — but that if falsehood and perjury were not as disgraceful in the eyes of the Greeks as they are respectable in his, you would long ago have marched against him; that as it is, you will not for your own sakes do this, but you pray to all the gods that he may be smitten with the same infatuation as were his ancestors of old. And if it comes into his mind to reflect on this; he will find that your resolutions are not carelessly taken.
[40] ἐκ μέν γε τῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ προγόνους πολέμων σύνοιδε τὴν πόλιν εὐδαίμονα καὶ μεγάλην γεγενημένην, ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἡσυχίας ἧς ἦγέ ποτε, οὐδεμιᾶς τῶν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων τοσοῦτον ὅσον νῦν ὑπεραίρουσαν. καὶ μὴν καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ὁρᾷ δεομένους ἤτοι τινὸς ἑκουσίου ἢ ἀκουσίου διαλλακτοῦ, τοῦτον δ᾽ αὑτὸν ἂν οἶδε φανέντ᾽ αὐτοῖς, εἰ πόλεμον κινοίη. ὥστε καὶ γ�
�ώριμα καὶ πίστ᾽ αὐτῷ τῶν ἀπαγγελλόντων ἀκούειν ἔσται.
[40] He knows that the wars we fought against his ancestors have made our city prosperous and powerful, but that the policy of inaction that she once pursued gave her no such supremacy over any of the other Greek states as she enjoys today. And indeed he sees that the Greeks stand in need of a peacemaker, whether voluntary or involuntary, and he knows that in that character he would himself appear to them, if he tried to stir up war. Therefore he will find the reports that reach him easy to understand and easy to believe.
[41] ἵνα δ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ μακρὰ λίαν λέγων ἐνοχλῶ, τὰ κεφάλαι᾽ ὧν συμβουλεύω φράσας ἄπειμι. παρασκευάζεσθαι μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ὑπάρχοντας ἐχθροὺς κελεύω, ἀμύνεσθαι δὲ καὶ βασιλέα καὶ πάντας, ἂν ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειρῶσι, ταύτῃ τῇ αὐτῇ δυνάμει φημὶ δεῖν, ἄρχειν δὲ μηδενὸς μήτε λόγου μήτ᾽ ἔργου ἀδίκου, τὰ δ᾽ ἔργ᾽ ἡμῶν ὅπως ἄξια τῶν προγόνων ἔσται σκοπεῖν, μὴ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος λόγους. κἂν ταῦτα ποιῆτε, καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς τἀναντία πείθουσι συμφέροντα πράξετε: οὐ γὰρ ὀργιεῖσθ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὕστερον, νῦν ἁμαρτόντες.