by Demosthenes
[174] And now I ask you to look at the acts of Aeschines and those of Philocrates, in comparison with mine; for the contrast will help to expose them. First, in violation both of the decree and of assurances given to you, they excluded the Halians, the Phocians, and Cersobleptes, from the benefits of the treaty. Then they attempted to tamper with and repeal the decree from which our own authority was derived. Next they entered the Cardians as allies of Philip, and refused by a definite vote to send a dispatch written by me, but themselves composed and sent one that did not contain an honest word.
[175] εἶθ᾽ ὁ γενναῖος οὑτοσὶ ἐμὲ μὲν τὸν δῆμον ἔφη τὸν ὑμέτερον καταλύσειν ἐπηγγέλθαι Φιλίππῳ, ὅτι ταῦτ᾽ ἐπέπληττον, οὐ μόνον αἰσχρὰ νομίζων ἀλλὰ καὶ δεδιὼς μὴ συμπαραπόλωμαι διὰ τούτους, αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἰδίᾳ πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἐντυγχάνων οὐδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν ἐπαύσατο Φιλίππῳ. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σιωπῶ, Δερκύλος δ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐν Φεραῖς τὴν νύκτ᾽ ἐφύλαττεν, οὐκ ἐγώ, τὸν παῖδ᾽ ἔχων τὸν ἐμὸν τουτονί, καὶ λαβὼν ἐξιόντ᾽ ἐκ τῆς Φιλίππου σκηνῆς ἐμοὶ τὸν παῖδ᾽ ἐκέλευσεν ἀπαγγέλλειν καὶ αὐτὸν μεμνῆσθαι, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον ὁ βδελυρὸς καὶ ἀναιδὴς οὑτοσὶ νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν ἀπιόντων ἡμῶν ἀπελείφθη παρὰ Φιλίππῳ.
[175] Then, because I objected to their acts, not only thinking them dishonorable but fearing that I might share the ruin they were bringing on themselves, our chivalrous friend accused me of promising to Philip that I would overthrow the Athenian democracy, while all the time he was himself constantly holding private communications with Philip. I need only mention that not I but Dercylus, with the help of this servant of mine, watched him by night at Pherae, caught him emerging from Philip’s tent, and told the servant to let me know, and not to forget it himself; and that in the end this impudent blackguard stayed with Philip for a day and a night on our departure.
[176] καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ συγγραψάμενος καὶ καταστήσας ἐμαυτὸν ὑπεύθυνον μαρτυρήσω, εἶτα τῶν ἄλλων πρέσβεων ἕκαστον καλῶ, καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον, ἢ μαρτυρεῖν ἢ ἐξόμνυσθαι ἀναγκάσω. ἂν δ᾽ ἐξομνύωσιν, ἐπιορκοῦντας ἐξελέγξω παρ᾽ ὑμῖν φανερῶς.”Μαρτυρία”
[176] To prove the truth of these statements, in the first place I will give evidence myself, having duly written down my deposition and incurred legal responsibility; and I will then call the other ambassadors in turn, and compel them either to testify, or to take oath that they are unable to testify. If they take the oath, I shall easily convict them of perjury.” Deposition”
[177] οἵοις μὲν τοίνυν κακοῖς καὶ πράγμασι τὴν ἀποδημίαν πᾶσαν συνειχόμην ἑοράκατε. τί γὰρ αὐτοὺς οἴεσθ᾽ ἐκεῖ ποιεῖν ἐγγὺς ὄντας τοῦ διδόντος, ὅθ᾽ ὑμῶν ὁρώντων, τῶν καὶ τιμῆσαι κυρίων ὄντων καὶ τοὐναντίον κολάσαι, τοιαῦτα ποιοῦσιν;
συλλογίσασθαι δὴ βούλομαι τὰ κατηγορημέν᾽ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, ἵν᾽ ὅσ᾽ ὑμῖν ὑπεσχόμην ἀρχόμενος τοῦ λόγου δείξω πεποιηκώς. ἐπέδειξ᾽ οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς ἀπηγγελκότα, ἀλλὰ φενακίσανθ᾽ ὑμᾶς, μάρτυσι τοῖς γεγενημένοις αὐτοῖς, οὐ λόγοις χρώμενος.
[177] You have seen how I was harassed by troubles and annoyance throughout the expedition. You can imagine how they behaved there, with their paymaster next door, when their conduct here, under the eyes of the people, who hold the power to reward and to chastise, is what we know it to be.
Now I wish to recapitulate the charges I have brought home, and to show that I have fulfilled the undertaking I gave at the outset of my speech. I have proved, not by words but by the testimony of facts, that there was no word of truth in the report of Aeschines, but that he successfully deceived you.
[178] ἐπέδειξ᾽ αἴτιον γεγενημένον τοῦ μὴ ‘θέλειν ὑμᾶς ἀκούειν ἐμοῦ τἀληθῆ ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν καὶ τοῖς ἐπαγγέλμασι τοῖς τούτου καταληφθέντας τότε, πάντα τἀναντία συμβουλεύσαντ᾽ ἢ ἔδει, καὶ τῇ μὲν τῶν συμμάχων ἀντειπόντ᾽ εἰρήνῃ, τῇ δὲ Φιλοκράτους συνηγορήσαντα, τοὺς χρόνους κατατρίψαντα, ἵνα μηδ᾽ εἰ βούλοισθε δύναισθ᾽ ἐξελθεῖν εἰς Φωκέας, καὶ ἄλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀποδημίας πολλὰ καὶ δείν᾽ εἰργασμένον, προδεδωκότα πάντα, πεπρακότα, δῶρ᾽ ἔχοντα, οὐδὲν ἐλλελοιπότα μοχθηρίας. οὐκοῦν ταῦθ᾽ ὑπεσχόμην ἐν ἀρχῇ, ταῦτ᾽ ἐπέδειξα.
[178] I have proved that he is to blame for your refusal to hear the truth from me, captivated as you then were by his promises and assurances; that his counsels were exactly opposed to right policy; that he spoke against the terms of peace proposed by our allies, and in favor of the proposals of Philocrates; that he purposely wasted your time to debar you from going to the aid of the Phocians if you should so desire; that throughout his journey abroad his sins were many and grievous; that he has betrayed everything, sold everything, taken bribes, and stopped short of no iniquity. That, then, is what I undertook to prove; and that is what I have proved.
[179] ὁρᾶτε τοίνυν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα: ἁπλοῦς γάρ ἐσθ᾽ ὁ μέλλων λόγος οὑτοσὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἤδη. ὀμωμόκατε ψηφιεῖσθαι κατὰ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὰ ψηφίσματα τὰ τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῆς βουλῆς τῶν πεντακοσίων: φαίνεται δ᾽ οὗτος πάντα τἀναντία τοῖς νόμοις, τοῖς ψηφίσμασι, τοῖς δικαίοις πεπρεσβευκώς: οὐκοῦν ἑαλωκέναι προσήκει παρά γε νοῦν ἔχουσι δικασταῖς. εἰ γὰρ ἄλλο μηδὲν ἠδίκει, δύο τῶν πεπραγμένων ἔσθ᾽ ἱκάν᾽ αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι: οὐ γὰρ μόνον Φωκέας, ἀλλὰ καὶ Θρᾴκην προδέδωκε Φιλίππῳ.
[179] Now mark what follows; for the argument I now put before you is plain and straightforward. You have sworn to give a verdict according to the laws, and to the decrees of the people and of the Council of Five Hundred; the conduct of the defendant when holding the office of ambassador has manifestly violated those laws, those decrees, and the principles of justice; therefore he must be convicted by an intelligent jury. If he had committed no other crime, two only of his transgressions are sufficient to put him to death, for he has betrayed Thrace as well as the Phocians to Philip.
[180] καίτοι δύο χρησιμωτέρους τόπους τῆς οἰκουμένης οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἷς ἐπιδείξαι τῇ πόλει, κατὰ μὲν γῆν Πυλῶν, ἐκ θαλάττης δὲ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου: ἃ συναμφότερ᾽ οὗτοι πεπράκασιν αἰσχρῶς καὶ καθ᾽ ὑμῶν ἐγκεχειρίκασι Φιλίππῳ. τοῦτο τοίνυν αὐτὸ ἄνευ τῶν ἄλλων ἡλίκον ἔστ᾽ ἀδίκημα, τὸ Θρᾴκην καὶ τὰ τείχη προέσθαι, μυρί᾽ ἂν εἴη λέγειν, καὶ ὅσοι διὰ ταῦτ᾽ ἀπολώλασι παρ᾽ ὑμῖν, οἱ δὲ χρήματα πά�
�πολλ᾽ ὠφλήκασιν, οὐ χαλεπὸν δεῖξαι, Ἐργόφιλος, Κηφισόδοτος, Τιμόμαχος, τὸ παλαιόν ποτ᾽ Ἐργοκλῆς, Διονύσιος, ἄλλοι, οὓς ὀλίγου δέω σύμπαντας εἰπεῖν ἐλάττω τὴν πόλιν βεβλαφέναι τούτου.
[180] Yet no man could point out two places in the whole world of more importance to the commonwealth than Thermopylae by land and the Hellespont by sea; and both of them these men have infamously sold and delivered into the hands of Philip. What an enormous offence, apart from all the rest, is the surrender of Thrace and the Thracian outposts, I could show by a thousand reasons; and it would be easy to point to many men who for such betrayals have been sentenced to death or mulcted in large sums of money in this court, — Ergophilus, Cephisodotus, Timomachus, and, in old times, Ergocles, Dionysius, and others, of whom I may say that all of them together had inflicted fewer injuries upon the commonwealth than the defendant.
[181] ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι γὰρ τότ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐκ λογισμοῦ τὰ δείν᾽ ἐφυλάττεσθ᾽ ὑμεῖς καὶ προεωρᾶσθε: νῦν δ᾽ ὅ τι ἂν μὴ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὑμᾶς ἐνοχλῇ καὶ παρὸν λυπῇ, παρορᾶτε, εἶτα τὴν ἄλλως ἐνταῦθα ψηφίζεσθε, ‘ἀποδοῦναι δὲ καὶ Κερσοβλέπτῃ Φίλιππον τοὺς ὅρκους,’ ‘μὴ μετέχειν δὲ τῶν ἐν Ἀμφικτύοσιν,’ ‘ἐπανορθώσασθαι δὲ τὴν εἰρήνην.’ καίτοι τούτων οὐδενὸς ἂν τῶν ψηφισμάτων ἔδει, εἰ πλεῖν οὗτος ἤθελεν καὶ τὰ προσήκοντα ποιεῖν: νῦν δ᾽ ἃ μὲν ἦν πλεύσασι σῶσαι, βαδίζειν κελεύων ἀπολώλεκεν, ἃ δ᾽ εἰποῦσι τἀληθῆ, ψευδόμενος.
[181] But in those days, men of Athens, you were still careful to be on your guard against perils, and not sparing of precaution; now you overlook anything that at any given moment does not disturb you or cause immediate annoyance. And then you come here and pass random resolutions, — that Philip shall swear fidelity to Cersobleptes, — that he shall have no share in Amphictyonic business, — that he shall revise the terms of peace. Yet all your resolutions would have been unnecessary, if only the defendant had chosen to travel by sea and to do his duty. What might have been saved by sailing, he has lost by insisting on travel by land; and what might have been saved by telling the truth, he has lost by telling lies.
[182] ἀγανακτήσει τοίνυν αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, εἰ μόνος τῶν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ λεγόντων λόγων εὐθύνας ὑφέξει. ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὅτι μὲν πάντες ἂν εἰκότως ὧν λέγουσι δίκην ὑπέχοιεν, εἴπερ ἐπ᾽ ἀργυρίῳ τι λέγοιεν, παραλείψω, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο λέγω: εἰ μὲν Αἰσχίνης ἰδιώτης ὢν ἀπελήρησέ τι καὶ διήμαρτε, μὴ σφόδρ᾽ ἀκριβολογήσησθε, ἐάσατε, συγγνώμην ἔχετε: εἰ δὲ πρεσβευτὴς ὢν ἐπὶ χρήμασιν ἐπίτηδες ἐξηπάτηκεν ὑμᾶς, μὴ ἀφῆτε, μηδ᾽ ἀνάσχησθ᾽ ὡς οὐ δεῖ δίκην ὧν εἶπεν ὑποσχεῖν.
[182] He will presently, as I am informed, make it a grievance that he, and he alone of all our debaters, is to be called to account for his speeches. I will spare him the retort that any man who takes money for his speeches might reasonably be brought to justice; but there is one point on which I do insist. If Aeschines talked like an idiot and made blunders as an unofficial person, do not be hypercritical, leave him alone, make allowances. But if he has purposely deceived you for money while holding office as ambassador, do not let him off, do not listen to the suggestion that he is not to be put on his trial for mere words.
[183] τίνος γὰρ ἄλλου δεῖ δίκην παρὰ πρέσβεων ἢ λόγων λαμβάνειν; εἰσὶ γὰρ οἱ πρέσβεις οὐ τριήρων οὐδὲ τόπων οὐδ᾽ ὁπλιτῶν οὐδ᾽ ἀκροπόλεων κύριοι （οὐδεὶς γὰρ πρέσβεσι ταῦτ᾽ ἐγχειρίζει）, ἀλλὰ λόγων καὶ χρόνων. τοὺς μὲν τοίνυν χρόνους εἰ μὲν μὴ προανεῖλε τῆς πόλεως, οὐκ ἀδικεῖ, εἰ δ᾽ ἀνεῖλεν, ἠδίκηκε: τοὺς δὲ λόγους εἰ μὲν ἀληθεῖς ἀπήγγελκεν ἢ συμφέροντας, ἀποφευγέτω, εἰ δὲ καὶ ψευδεῖς καὶ μισθοῦ καὶ ἀσυμφόρους, ἁλισκέσθω.
[183] For what are we to bring any ambassador to justice, if not for his words? Ambassadors have control, not over war-ships, and military positions, and troops, and citadels, — these are never entrusted to them, — but over words and opportunities. If an ambassador has not wasted the opportunities of the state, he is no wrongdoer; if he has wasted them, he has done wrong. If the words of his reports are true and profitable words, let him be acquitted; if they are false, venal, and noxious, let him be convicted.
[184] οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅ τι μεῖζον ἂν ὑμᾶς ἀδικήσειέ τις ἢ ψευδῆ λέγων. οἷς γάρ ἐστ᾽ ἐν λόγοις ἡ πολιτεία, πῶς, ἂν οὗτοι μὴ ἀληθεῖς ὦσιν, ἀσφαλῶς ἔστι πολιτεύεσθαι; ἂν δὲ δὴ καὶ πρὸς ἃ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς συμφέρει δῶρά τις λαμβάνων λέγῃ, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ κινδυνεύσετε; οὐδέ γε τοὺς χρόνους ἴσον ἔστ᾽ ἀδίκημ᾽ ὀλιγαρχίας ἢ τυράννου παρελέσθαι καὶ ὑμῶν: οὐδ᾽ ὀλίγου δεῖ.
[184] A man can do no greater wrong than by telling lies to a popular assembly; for, where the political system is based upon speeches, how can it be safely administered if the speeches are false? If he actually takes bribes and speaks in the interest of our enemies, will not you be imperilled? Again, to filch your opportunities is not an offence equivalent to filching those of an oligarchy or a monarchy, but far greater.
[185] ἐν ἐκείναις μὲν γάρ, οἶμαι, ταῖς πολιτείαις πάντ᾽ ἐξ ἐπιτάγματος ὀξέως γίγνεται: ὑμῖν δὲ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν βουλὴν ἀκοῦσαι περὶ πάντων καὶ προβουλεῦσαι δεῖ, καὶ τοῦθ᾽ ὅταν ᾖ κήρυξι καὶ πρεσβείαις προγεγραμμένον, οὐκ ἀεί: εἶτ᾽ ἐκκλησίαν ποιῆσαι, καὶ ταύτην ὅταν ἐκ τῶν νόμων καθήκῃ. εἶτα κρατῆσαι καὶ περιγενέσθαι δεῖ τοὺς τὰ βέλτιστα λέγοντας τῶν ἢ δι᾽ ἄγνοιαν ἢ διὰ μοχθηρίαν ἀντιλεγόντων.
[185] For in those polities, I take it, everything is done promptly at the word of command; but with you, first the Council must be informed, and must adopt a provisional resolution, — and even that not at any time, but only after written notice given to marshals and embassies; then the Council must convene an Assembly, but only on a statutory date. Then the most honest debaters have to make good their advantage and argue down an ignorant or dishonest opposition;
[186] ἐφ᾽ ἅπασι δὲ τούτοις, ἐπειδὰν καὶ δεδογμένον ᾖ καὶ συμφέρον ἤδη φαίνηται, χρόνον δεῖ δοθῆναι τῇ τῶν πολλῶν ἀδυναμίᾳ, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ποριοῦνται ταῦθ᾽ ὧν ἂν δέωνται, ὅπως τὰ δόξαντα καὶ δυνηθῶσι ποιῆσαι. ὁ δὴ τοὺς χρόνους τούτους ἀναιρῶν τῆς οἵα παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐστι πολιτείας, οὐ χρόνους ἀνῄρηκεν οὗτος, οὔ, ἀλλὰ τὰ πράγμαθ᾽ ἁπλῶς ἀφῄρηται.
[186] and even then, after all these proceedings, when
a decision has been formed, and its propriety demonstrated, further time must be granted to the poverty of the populace for the provision of whatever is needed, to enable them to execute the decision. Surely the man who, under a constitution like ours, destroys the opportunities for this procedure, has not destroyed opportunities merely; he has absolutely robbed us of our control over affairs.
[187] ἔστι τοίνυν τις πρόχειρος λόγος πᾶσι τοῖς ἐξαπατᾶν ὑμᾶς βουλομένοις, ‘οἱ ταράττοντες τὴν πόλιν, οἱ διακωλύοντες Φίλιππον εὖ ποιῆσαι τὴν πόλιν.’ πρὸς οὓς ἐγὼ λόγον μὲν οὐδέν᾽ ἐρῶ, τὰς δ᾽ ἐπιστολὰς ὑμῖν ἀναγνώσομαι τὰς τοῦ Φιλίππου, καὶ τοὺς καιροὺς ἐφ᾽ ὧν ἕκαστ᾽ ἐξηπάτησθ᾽ ὑπομνήσω, ἵν᾽ εἰδῆθ᾽ ὅτι τὸ ψυχρὸν τοῦτ᾽ ὄνομα, τὸ ‘ἄχρι κόρου,’ παρελήλυθ᾽ ἐκεῖνος φενακίζων ὑμᾶς.”Ἐπιστολαί Φιλίππου”
[187] Now there is an easy phrase at the disposal of every one who wishes to delude you: “The disturbers of the commonwealth; the thwarters of Philip’s public benefactions.” I will not say a word in reply; I will only read to you Philip’s letters, and remind you of the several occasions of your deception, to show how “the Benefactor” has forfeited by his beguilements that frigid and nauseating title.” Letters of Philip”