by Demosthenes
[100] If he succeeds, he will be honored, and so far will gain an advantage over ordinary people; but if he fails, shall he put forward excuses and apologies? That would be unfair. For it would be very poor consolation indeed to our ruined allies, or to their wives and children and the rest, to be told that their sufferings were due to stupidity on my part, not to say on his.
[101] ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ὑμεῖς ἄφετ᾽ Αἰσχίνῃ τὰ δεινὰ ταῦτα καὶ ὑπερβάλλοντα, ἂν δι᾽ εὐήθειαν ἢ δι᾽ ἄλλην ἄγνοιαν ἡντινοῦν λελυμασμένος φανῇ. ἂν μέντοι διὰ πονηρίαν ἀργύριον λαβὼν καὶ δῶρα, καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἐξελεγχθῇ σαφῶς ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν τῶν πεπραγμένων, μάλιστα μέν, εἰ οἷόν τ᾽, ἀποκτείνατε, εἰ δὲ μή, ζῶντα τοῖς λοιποῖς παράδειγμα ποιήσατε. σκοπεῖτε δὴ τὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἔλεγχον, ὡς δίκαιος ἔσται, μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν.
[101] Nevertheless, I ask you to overlook even the scandalous and outrageous misconduct of Aeschines, if it is shown that he did all this mischief because he was simple-minded or otherwise ignorant. But if he maliciously accepted money and rewards, and if that is clearly proved from the facts of the case, put him to death if possible, or, failing that, make him a living example to other malefactors. Now consider the proof of these matters and its justice, among yourselves.
[102] ἀνάγκη δή που τοὺς λόγους τούτους Αἰσχίνην πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν τουτονί, τοὺς περὶ τῶν Φωκέων καὶ τῶν Θεσπιῶν καὶ τῆς Εὐβοίας, εἴπερ μὴ πεπρακὼς αὑτὸν ἑκὼν ἐξηπάτα, δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ διαρρήδην ἀκούσανθ᾽ ὑποσχομένου Φιλίππου ὅτι πράξει ταῦτα καὶ ποιήσει, ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, γοητευθέντα καὶ φενακισθέντα τῇ περὶ τἄλλα φιλανθρωπίᾳ καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἐλπίσαντα παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ. οὐκ ἔνεστι τούτων οὐδὲ ἓν χωρίς.
[102] Assuming that, when Aeschines made those speeches about the Phocians and Thespiae and Euboea, he had not sold himself, and was not wilfully deceiving you, we are reduced to one of two suppositions. Either he had taken an explicit promise from Philip that he would do and perform certain acts, or else, being spellbound and deluded by Philip’s habitual courtesy, he honestly expected him to do them. There is no third alternative.
[103] ἐκ τοίνυν τούτων ἀμφοτέρων μάλιστα πάντων ἀνθρώπων μισεῖν αὐτῷ προσήκει Φίλιππον. διὰ τί; ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἐκείνου μέρος πάντ᾽ αὐτῷ γέγονεν τὰ δεινότατα καὶ τὰ αἴσχιστα. ὑμᾶς ἐξηπάτηκεν, ἀδοξεῖ, δικαίως ἀπόλωλε, κρίνεται: καὶ εἴ γέ τι τῶν προσηκόντων ἐγίγνετο, ἐν εἰσαγγελίᾳ πάλαι ἂν ἦν: νῦν δὲ διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐήθειαν καὶ πραότητ᾽ εὐθύνας δίδωσι, καὶ ταύτας ὁπηνίκα βούλεται. ἔστιν οὖν ὅστις ὑμῶν φωνὴν ἀκήκοεν Αἰσχίνου κατηγοροῦντος Φιλίππου; τί δ᾽; ἐξελέγχοντ᾽ ἢ λέγοντά τι τοῦτον ἑόρακεν;1
[103] Now, on either of those suppositions, he ought, of all men in the world, to detest Philip. Why? Because, thanks to Philip, he has fallen into the utmost danger and ignominy. He has deceived you; his reputation is shattered; he is on his trial. If he had been treated as he deserves, he would have been impeached long ago; but, in fact, by your simplicity and placability, he is only submitting to the usual scrutiny, and has chosen his own time. Is there then any man in that box who has ever heard the voice of Aeschines denouncing Philip, or has known him to press home, or even mention, his grievance against Philip?
[109] οὐδὲ εἷς: ἀλλὰ πάντες Ἀθηναῖοι πρότερον κατηγοροῦσι Φιλίππου, καὶ ὁ τυχὼν ἀεί, ὧν οὐδὲν οὐδεὶς ἠδίκηται, ἰδίᾳ δήπου. ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἐκείνους τοὺς λόγους ἐζήτουν παρὰ τούτου, εἴπερ μὴ πεπρακὼς αὑτὸν ἦν, ‘ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐμοὶ μὲν χρήσασθ᾽ ὅ τι βούλεσθε: ἐπίστευσ᾽, ἐξηπατήθην, ἥμαρτον, ὁμολογῶ. τὸν δ᾽ ἄνθρωπον, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, φυλάττεσθε: ἄπιστος, γόης, πονηρός. οὐχ ὁρᾶθ᾽ οἷα πεποίηκεν ἐμέ; οἷ᾽ ἐξηπάτηκεν;’ τούτων οὐδέν᾽ ἀκούω τῶν λόγων, οὐδ᾽ ὑμεῖς.
[109] Not a man! Every man in Athens is more ready than he is to denounce Philip, even casual people, who have suffered no personal wrong. I was expecting him, if he had not sold himself, to make this speech: “Men of Athens, deal with me as you choose. I was credulous; I was deceived; I made a blunder; I admit it. Beware of that man, men of Athens; he is double-faced, a trickster, a scoundrel. See how he has behaved to me; see how he has made me his dupe.” But no; I have never heard him talk like that, nor have you.
[110] διὰ τί; ὅτι οὐ παρακρουσθεὶς οὐδ᾽ ἐξαπατηθείς, ἀλλὰ μισθώσας αὑτὸν καὶ λαβὼν ἀργύριον ταῦτ᾽ εἶπε καὶ προὔδωκεν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ γέγονεν καλὸς κἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος μισθωτὸς ἐκείνῳ, πρεσβευτὴς μέντοι καὶ πολίτης ὑμῖν προδότης καὶ τρίς, οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀπολωλέναι δίκαιος.
[110] Why? Because he was not cajoled and hoodwinked; he had sold himself, and pocketed the money, before he made his speech and betrayed us to Philip. To Philip he has been a trusty and well-beloved hireling; to you a treacherous ambassador and a treacherous citizen, worthy of threefold destruction.
[111] οὐ τοίνυν ἐκ τούτων μόνον δῆλός ἐσθ᾽ ὅτι χρημάτων ἅπαντ᾽ εἶπεν ἐκεῖνα: ἀλλ᾽ ἧκον ὡς ὑμᾶς ἔναγχος Θετταλοὶ καὶ Φιλίππου πρέσβεις μετ᾽ αὐτῶν, ἀξιοῦντες ὑμᾶς Φίλιππον Ἀμφικτύον᾽ εἶναι ψηφίσασθαι. τῷ προσῆκεν οὖν ἀντειπεῖν τούτοις μάλιστα πάντων ἀνθρώπων; Αἰσχίνῃ τουτῳί. διὰ τί; ὅτι οἷς οὗτος ἀπήγγειλε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, τούτοις τἀναντί᾽ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖνος.
[111] That is not the only proof that he was paid for all that he said. The other day there came to you some Thessalians, and envoys of Philip with them, to ask you to vote for Philip’s admission to the Amphictyonic Council. Who ought to have been the very first to oppose them? Aeschines. Why ? Because Philip’s acts had falsified his report.
[112] οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ἔφη Θεσπιὰς καὶ Πλαταιὰς αὐτὸν τειχιεῖν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν Φωκέας οὐκ ἀπολεῖν, τὴν δὲ Θηβαίων ὕβριν καταλύσειν: ὁ δὲ τοὺς μὲν Θηβαίους μείζους ἢ προσῆκε πεποίηκε, τοὺς δὲ Φωκέας ἄρδην ἀπολώλεκε, καὶ τὰς μὲν Θεσπιὰς καὶ Πλαταιὰς οὐ τετείχικε, τὸν δ᾽ Ὀρχομενὸν καὶ τὴν Κορώνειαν προσεξηνδραπόδισται. πῶς ἂν ἐναντιώτερα πράγμαθ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς τούτων γένοιτο; οὐ τοίνυν ἀντεῖπεν, οὐδὲ διῆρε τὸ στόμα, οὐδ᾽ ἐφθέγξατ᾽ ἐναντίον οὐδέν.
[112] For he had told you that Philip would fortify Thespiae and Plataea, would not destroy the Phocians, and would put a stop to the aggressions of the Thebans; but Philip has made the Thebans dangerously str
ong, he has exterminated the Phocians, and, instead of fortifying Thespiae and Plataea, he has enslaved Orchomenus and Coronea as well. Could contradiction go further? Yet Aeschines offered no opposition; he never opened his lips or made a single objection. That was bad — but not bad enough for him. He did what no other man in all Athens did — he spoke in support of the envoys. Even that miscreant Philocrates durst not go so far as that — only this man Aeschines. When you raised a clamor, and refused to hear him,
[113] καὶ οὐχὶ τοῦτό πω δεινόν, τηλικοῦτον ὄν. ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεῖπε μόνος τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει πάντων ἀνθρώπων. καίτοι τοῦτό γ᾽ οὐδὲ Φιλοκράτης ἐτόλμησε ποιῆσαι ὁ μιαρός, ἀλλ᾽ Αἰσχίνης οὑτοσί. καὶ θορυβούντων ὑμῶν καὶ οὐκ ἐθελόντων ἀκούειν αὐτοῦ, καταβαίνων ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος, ἐνδεικνύμενος τοῖς πρέσβεσι τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Φιλίππου παροῦσι, πολλοὺς ἔφη τοὺς θορυβοῦντας εἶναι, ὀλίγους δὲ τοὺς στρατευομένους ὅταν δέῃ, （μέμνησθε γὰρ δήπου,） αὐτὸς ὤν, οἶμαι, θαυμάσιος στρατιώτης, ὦ Ζεῦ.
[113] he came down from the tribune, exclaiming, in order to cut a figure before Philip’s ambassadors — you cannot have forgotten it:— “Plenty of shouters, but very few fighters, when it comes to fighting!” — being himself, I suppose, such a marvellous fighter. O heavens!
[114] ἔτι τοίνυν, εἰ μὲν μηδένα μηδὲν ἔχοντ᾽ εἴχομεν δεῖξαι τῶν πρέσβεων, μηδ᾽ ἦν ὥστ᾽ ἰδεῖν ἅπαντας, βασάνους καὶ τὰ τοιαῦθ᾽ ὑπόλοιπον ἂν ἦν σκοπεῖν. εἰ δὲ Φιλοκράτης μὴ μόνον ὡμολόγει παρ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ πολλάκις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐδείκνυεν ὑμῖν, πυροπωλῶν, οἰκοδομῶν, βαδιεῖσθαι φάσκων κἂν μὴ χειροτονῆθ᾽ ὑμεῖς, ξυληγῶν, τὸ χρυσίον καταλλαττόμενος φανερῶς ἐπὶ ταῖς τραπέζαις, οὐκ ἔνι δήπου τοῦτον εἰπεῖν ὡς οὐκ εἴληφε, τὸν αὐτὸν ὁμολογοῦντα καὶ δεικνύντα.
[114] Here is another point: if we were unable to prove that any one man among the ambassadors received anything, or if that were not as clear as daylight, we might have had recourse to torture or the like. But when Philocrates not only confessed his gains repeatedly in the Assembly, but paraded them before your eyes, dealing in wheat, building houses, boasting that he would go abroad even if you did not appoint him, importing timber, changing his gold openly at the bankers, — he assuredly cannot deny that he has taken money, after that admission and that display.
[115] ἔστιν οὖν οὕτω τις ἀνθρώπων ἀνόητος ἢ κακοδαίμων, ὥσθ᾽ ἵνα λαμβάνῃ μὲν Φιλοκράτης, ἀδοξῇ δ᾽ αὐτὸς καὶ κινδυνεύῃ, ἐξὸν αὐτῷ μετὰ τῶν μηδὲν ἠδικηκότων ἐξετάζεσθαι, τούτοις μὲν πολεμεῖν, πρὸς δ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ἐλθὼν κρίνεσθαι βούλεται; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδέν᾽ οἶμαι. ἀλλὰ πάντα ταῦτ᾽, ἐὰν ὀρθῶς σκοπῆτε, εὑρήσετε μεγάλ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ ἐναργῆ σημεῖα τοῦ χρήματα τοῦτον ἔχειν.
[115] Think then of a man, who had it in his power to be counted among the innocent, choosing to fall out with them and to be accused as an adherent of Philocrates, merely to let Philocrates make money, while he accepts only the discredit and the peril! Could any human being be so senseless, or so unlucky? No, indeed. You will find here, men of Athens, if you will only look at it in the right way, a strong and sufficient proof that Aeschines did take bribes.
[116] ὃ τοίνυν ὕστατον μὲν γέγονεν, οὐδενὸς δ᾽ ἐστὶν ἔλαττον σημεῖον τοῦ πεπρακέναι τοῦτον ἑαυτὸν Φιλίππῳ, θεάσασθε. ἴστε δήπου πρώην, ὅτ᾽ εἰσήγγελλεν Ὑπερείδης Φιλοκράτην, ὅτι παρελθὼν ἐγὼ δυσχεραίνειν ἔφην ἕν τι τῆς εἰσαγγελίας, εἰ μόνος Φιλοκράτης τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων ἀδικημάτων αἴτιος γέγονεν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐννέα τῶν πρέσβεων μηδενός. καὶ οὐκ ἔφην τοῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχειν: οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἂν φανῆναι καθ᾽ αὑτὸν ἐκεῖνον, εἰ μὴ τοὺς συναγωνιζομένους τούτων τινὰς εἶχεν.
[116] Now look at a recent, but most convincing, proof that he sold himself to Philip. You know, I am sure, that, not long ago, when Hypereides impeached Philocrates, I rose and said that I was dissatisfied with the impeachment in one respect: it implied that all these grave misdemeanors had been committed by Philocrates alone, and not by any of the other nine ambassadors. That, I remarked, was impossible; for by himself Philocrates would have counted for nothing, if he had none of his colleagues to act with him.
[117] ἵν᾽ οὖν μήτ᾽ ἀφῶ μήτ᾽ αἰτιάσωμαι μηδέν᾽, ἔφην, ἐγώ, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽ αὐτὸ τοὺς μὲν αἰτίους εὕρῃ, τοὺς δὲ μὴ μετεσχηκότας ἀφῇ, ἀναστὰς ὁ βουλόμενος καὶ παρελθὼν εἰς ὑμᾶς ἀποφηνάσθω μὴ μετέχειν μηδ᾽ ἀρέσκειν αὐτῷ τὰ ὑπὸ Φιλοκράτους πεπραγμένα. καὶ τὸν τοῦτο ποιήσαντ᾽ ἀφίημ᾽ ἔγωγ᾽, ἔφην. ταῦτα μνημονεύεθ᾽, ὡς ἐγᾦμαι. οὐ τοίνυν παρῆλθεν οὐδεὶς οὐδ᾽ ἔδειξεν ἑαυτόν.
[117] “I do not wish,” I said, “either to acquit or to accuse any man; I want the guilt to be detected and the innocent cleared by plain fact. Therefore let any man who chooses stand up and come forward, and declare that he had no part in Philocrates’ doings, and does not approve them. Every man who does this,” I added, “I acquit.” No doubt you remember the incident. Well, no one came forward or presented himself. The rest had various excuses:
[118] καὶ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἔσθ᾽ ἑκάστῳ τις πρόφασις: ὁ μὲν οὐχ ὑπεύθυνος ἦν, ὁ δ᾽ οὐχὶ παρῆν ἴσως, τῷ δὲ κηδεστής ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος: τούτῳ δ᾽ οὐδὲν τούτων. ἀλλ᾽ οὕτω καθάπαξ πέπρακεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς παρεληλυθόσιν μεμισθάρνηκεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα δῆλός ἐστιν, ἄν περ ἐκφύγῃ νῦν, καθ᾽ ὑμῶν ὑπάρξων ἐκείνῳ, ὥσθ᾽ ἵνα μηδὲν ἐναντίον μηδὲ ῥῆμα πρόηται Φιλίππῳ οὐδ᾽ ἀφιέντων ἀφίεται, ἀλλ᾽ ἀδοξεῖν, κρίνεσθαι, πάσχειν ὁτιοῦν αἱρεῖται παρ᾽ ὑμῖν μᾶλλον ἢ Φιλίππῳ τι ποιῆσαι μὴ πρὸς ἡδονήν.
[118] one was not legally accountable; another was not present; a third had a brother-in-law in Macedonia. Aeschines had no such excuse. The truth is, he has sold himself once for all. Not only has he taken hire for past actions, but it is evident that, if he escapes now, he will henceforward, as against you, be Philip’s man; and so, for fear of uttering a single word injurious to Philip, even when you acquit him he does not accept acquittal. He prefers disrepute, prosecution, any punishment this court may inflict rather than to do anything disagreeable to Philip.
[119] καίτοι τίς ἡ κοινωνία, τίς ἡ πολλὴ πρόνοι᾽ ὑπὲρ Φιλοκράτους αὕτη; ὃς εἰ τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ πάντα τὰ συμφέροντ᾽ ἐπεπρεσβεύκει,
χρήματα δ᾽ ὡμολόγει λαβεῖν ἐκ τῆς πρεσβείας, ὥσπερ ὡμολόγει, τοῦτό γ᾽ αὐτὸ φυγεῖν καὶ διευλαβηθῆναι τῷ προῖκα πρεσβεύοντι προσῆκε, καὶ διαμαρτύρεσθαι τὸ καθ᾽ αὑτόν. οὐ τοίνυν πεποίηκε τοῦτ᾽ Αἰσχίνης. ταῦτ᾽ οὐ φανέρ᾽, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι; ταῦτ᾽ οὐχὶ βοᾷ καὶ λέγει ὅτι χρήματ᾽ εἴληφεν Αἰσχίνης καὶ πονηρός ἐστιν ἀργυρίου συνεχῶς, οὐ δι᾽ ἀβελτερίαν οὐδὲ δι᾽ ἄγνοιαν, οὐδ᾽ ἀποτυγχάνων;
[119] But why this fellow-feeling? Why this concern for Philocrates? Though all his acts on embassy had been consistent with honor and sound policy, if Philocrates admitted, as he did admit, that he had taken bribes, an incorruptible ambassador would have taken infinite pains to avoid and disavow all association with him. Aeschines has not done so. Is not that a plain argument, men of Athens? Does it not proclaim aloud that he has taken bribes, and that from first to last he went wrong for money’s sake, — not through stupidity, or ignorance, or blundering?