by Demosthenes
[218] εἰ μὲν ἅπανθ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ὑπέσχονθ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐκ τῆς εἰρήνης γέγονε, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀνανδρίας καὶ κακίας ὑμεῖς ὁμολογεῖτ᾽ εἶναι μεστοί, ὥστε μήτ᾽ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν πολεμίων ὄντων μήτ᾽ ἐκ θαλάττης πολιορκούμενοι μήτ᾽ ἐν ἄλλῳ μηδενὶ δεινῷ τῆς πόλεως οὔσης, ἀλλὰ καὶ σῖτον εὔωνον ὠνούμενοι καὶ τἄλλ᾽ οὐδὲν χεῖρον πράττοντες ἢ νῦν,
[218] If all the promised results of the peace have come true, if you confess yourselves so effeminate and so cowardly that, with no enemy within your borders, no blockade of your ports, no imperilment of your capital, with corn-prices low and every other condition as favorable as it is today,
[219] προειδότες καὶ προακηκοότες παρὰ τούτων καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους ἀπολουμένους καὶ Θηβαίους ἰσχυροὺς γενησομένους καὶ τἀπὶ Θρᾴκης Φίλιππον ληψόμενον καὶ ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ κατασκευασθησόμεν᾽ ὁρμητήρι᾽ ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς καὶ πάνθ᾽ ἃ πέπρακται γενησόμενα, εἶτα τὴν εἰρήνην ἐποιήσασθ᾽ ἀγαπητῶς, ἀποψηφίσασθ᾽ Αἰσχίνου, καὶ μὴ πρὸς τοσούτοις αἰσχροῖς καὶ ἐπιορκίαν προσκτήσησθε: οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀδικεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ μαίνομαι καὶ τετύφωμαι νῦν κατηγορῶν αὐτοῦ.
[219] and with foreknowledge on the assurance of your ambassadors that your allies would be ruined, that the Thebans would gain strength, that Philip would occupy the northern positions, that a basis of attack would be established against you in Euboea, and that everything that has in fact resulted would befall you, you thereupon cheerfully made the peace, by all means acquit Aeschines, and do not crown your other dishonors with the sin of perjury. He has done you no wrong, and I am a madman and a fool to accuse him.
[220] εἰ δὲ πάντα τἀναντία τούτων καὶ πολλὰ καὶ φιλάνθρωπ᾽ εἰπόντες, Φίλιππον φιλεῖν τὴν πόλιν, Φωκέας σώσειν, Θηβαίους παύσειν τῆς ὕβρεως, ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις μείζον᾽ ἢ κατ᾽ Ἀμφίπολιν εὖ ποιήσειν ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν τύχῃ τῆς εἰρήνης, Εὔβοιαν, Ὠρωπὸν ἀποδώσειν: εἰ ταῦτ᾽ εἰπόντες καὶ ὑποσχόμενοι πάντ᾽ ἐξηπατήκασι καὶ πεφενακίκασι καὶ μόνον οὐ τὴν Ἀττικὴν ὑμῶν περιῄρηνται, καταψηφίσασθε, καὶ μὴ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις οἷς ὕβρισθε （οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγ᾽ οἶδ᾽ ὅ τι χρὴ λέγειν ἄλλο） καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν οὗτοι δεδωροδοκήκασιν ὑμεῖς τὴν ἀρὰν καὶ τὴν ἐπιορκίαν οἴκαδ᾽ εἰσενέγκησθε.
[220] But if the truth is otherwise, if they spoke handsomely of Philip and told you that he was the friend of Athens, that he would deliver the Phocians, that he would curb the arrogance of the Thebans, that he would bestow on you many boons of more value than Amphipolis, and would restore Euboea and Oropus, if only he got his peace, — if, I say, by such assertions and such promises they have deceived and deluded you, and wellnigh stripped you of all Attica, find him guilty, and do not reinforce the outrages, for I can find no better word, — that you have endured, by returning to your homes laden with the curse and the guilt of perjury, for the sake of the bribes that they have pocketed.
[221] ἔτι τοίνυν κἀκεῖνο σκοπεῖτ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τίνος εἵνεκ᾽ ἐγὼ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότων τούτων κατηγορεῖν ἂν προειλόμην. οὐ γὰρ εὑρήσετε. ἡδὺ πολλοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἔχειν; οὐδέ γ᾽ ἀσφαλές. ἀλλ᾽ ὑπῆρχέ μοι πρὸς τοῦτον ἀπέχθειά τις; οὐδεμία. τί οὖν; ‘ἐφοβοῦ περὶ σαυτοῦ, καὶ διὰ δειλίαν ταύτην ἡγήσω σωτηρίαν:’ καὶ γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ ἀκήκο᾽ αὐτὸν λέγειν. καίτοι μηδενός γ᾽ ὄντος, Αἰσχίνη, δεινοῦ μηδ᾽ ἀδικήματος, ὡς σὺ φῄς, εἰ γὰρ αὖ ταῦτ᾽ ἐρεῖ, σκοπεῖτ᾽, ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἰ ἐφ᾽ οἷς ὁ μηδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν ἀδικῶν ἐφοβούμην ἐγὼ μὴ διὰ τούτους ἀπόλωμαι, τί τούτους προσήκει παθεῖν τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἠδικηκότας; ἀλλ᾽ οὐ διὰ ταῦτα.
[221] You should further ask yourselves, gentlemen of the jury, why, if they were not guilty, I should have gone out of my way to accuse them. You will find no reason. Is it agreeable to have many enemies? It is hardly safe. Perhaps I had an old standing feud with Aeschines? That is not so. “Well, but you were frightened on your own account, and were coward enough to seek this as a way of escape;” for that, I hear, is one of his suggestions. But, by your own account, Aeschines, there is no crime, and therefore no jeopardy. If he repeats the insinuation, do you, gentlemen, consider this: in a case where I, who did no wrong whatever, was yet afraid lest these men’s conduct should ruin me, what punishment ought they to suffer who were themselves the guilty parties?
[222] ἀλλὰ διὰ τί σου κατηγορῶ; συκοφαντῶ νὴ Δία, ἵν᾽ ἀργύριον λάβω παρὰ σοῦ. καὶ πότερον κρεῖττον ἦν μοι παρὰ Φιλίππου λαβεῖν, τοῦ διδόντος πολὺ καὶ μηδενὸς τούτων ἔλαττον, καὶ φίλον κἀκεῖνον ἔχειν καὶ τούτους （ἦσαν γὰρ ἄν, ἦσαν φίλοι τῶν αὐτῶν κεκοινωνηκότι: οὐδὲ γὰρ νῦν ἔχθραν πατρικὴν ἔχουσι πρός με, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι τῶν πεπραγμένων οὐ μετέσχηκα）, ἢ παρὰ τούτων ἀφ᾽ ὧν εἰλήφασι μεταιτεῖν, κἀκείνῳ τ᾽ ἐχθρὸν εἶναι καὶ τούτοις; καὶ τοὺς μὲν αἰχμαλώτους ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων τοσούτων χρημάτων λύεσθαι, μικρὰ δ᾽ ἀξιοῦν παρὰ τούτων αἰσχρῶς μετ᾽ ἔχθρας λαμβάνειν;
[222] However, that was not my reason. Then why am I accusing you? Perhaps as a common informer, to get money out of you? Which course was more profitable for me, to take money from Philip, who offered me a great deal, — as much as he gave them, — and so to make friends both with him and with them, — for indeed I might have had their friendship if I had been their accomplice, and even now there is no vendetta between us, only that I had no part in their malpractices, or to levy blackmail on their takings, and so incur Philip’s enmity and theirs; to spend all my money on the ransom of captives, and then expect to get a trifle back dishonorably and at the cost of their hostility?
[223] οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπήγγειλα μὲν τἀληθῆ καὶ ἀπεσχόμην τοῦ λαβεῖν τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας εἵνεκα καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ βίου, νομίζων, ὥσπερ ἄλλοι τινὲς παρ᾽ ὑμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὢν ἐπιεικὴς τιμηθήσεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἀνταλλακτέον εἶναί μοι τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς φιλοτιμίαν οὐδενὸς κέρδους: μισῶ δὲ τούτους, ὅτι μοχθηροὺς καὶ θεοῖς ἐχθροὺς εἶδον ἐν τῇ πρεσβείᾳ, καὶ ἀπεστέρημαι καὶ τῶν ἰδίων φιλοτιμιῶν διὰ τὴν τούτων δωροδοκίαν πρὸς ὅλην δυσχερῶς ὑμῶν τὴν πρεσβείαν ἐσχηκότων: κατηγορῶ δὲ νυνὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς εὐθύνας ἥκω τὸ μέλλον προορώ
μενος, καὶ βουλόμενος ἀγῶνι καὶ δικαστηρίῳ μοι διωρίσθαι παρ᾽ ὑμῖν ὅτι τἀναντί᾽ ἐμοὶ καὶ τούτοις πέπρακται.
[223] The thing is impossible! No; I made honest reports; I kept my hands clean of corruption for the sake of truth and justice and of my future career, believing, as others have believed, that my honesty would be rewarded by your favor, and that my public spirit must never be bartered away for any emolument. I abhor these men because throughout the embassy I found them vicious and ungodly, and because by their corruption I have been robbed of the due reward of my patriotism, through your natural dissatisfaction with the whole business. I now denounce them, and I have attended this scrutiny, because I have a care for the future, and desire a decision recorded in this case and by this court that my conduct has been exactly opposed to theirs.
[224] καὶ δέδοικα, δέδοικα （εἰρήσεται γὰρ πάνθ᾽ ἃ φρονῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς） μὴ τότε μὲν συνεπισπάσησθ᾽ ἐμὲ τὸν μηδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν ἀδικοῦντα, νῦν δ᾽ ἀναπεπτωκότες ἦτε. παντάπασι γάρ, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐκλελύσθαι μοι δοκεῖτε καὶ παθεῖν ἀναμένειν τὰ δεινά, ἑτέρους δὲ πάσχοντας ὁρῶντες οὐ φυλάττεσθαι, οὐδὲ φροντίζειν τῆς πόλεως πάλαι κατὰ πολλοὺς καὶ δεινοὺς τρόπους διαφθειρομένης.
[224] And yet I am afraid, — for all my thoughts shall be laid open to you, — I am afraid that hereafter you may destroy me with them in despite of my innocence, while today you are supine. For indeed, men of Athens, you seem to me to have become altogether slack, idly waiting for the advent of disaster. You see the distresses of others, but take no precaution for yourselves; you have no thought for the steady and alarming deterioration of your commonwealth.
[225] οὐκ οἴεσθε δεινὸν εἶναι καὶ ὑπερφυές; （καὶ γὰρ εἴ τι σιωπᾶν ἐγνώκειν, λέγειν ἐξάγομαι.） ἴστε δήπου Πυθοκλέα τουτονὶ τὸν Πυθοδώρου. τούτῳ πάνυ φιλανθρώπως ἐκεχρήμην ἐγώ, καὶ ἀηδὲς ἐμοὶ καὶ τούτῳ γέγονεν εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην οὐδέν. οὗτος ἐκτρέπεταί με νῦν ἀπαντῶν, ἀφ᾽ οὗ πρὸς Φίλιππον ἀφῖκται, κἂν ἀναγκασθῇ που συντυχεῖν, ἀπεπήδησεν εὐθέως, μή τις αὐτὸν ἴδῃ λαλοῦντ᾽ ἐμοί: μετὰ δ᾽ Αἰσχίνου περιέρχεται τὴν ἀγορὰν κύκλῳ καὶ βουλεύεται.
[225] Do you not think this an extremely dangerous symptom? （For though I had decided to say nothing, I am tempted to speak out） Of course you know Pythocles, son of Pythodorus. I was on the most civil terms with him, and there has been no unpleasantness between us to this day. But now, since his visit to Philip, he turns aside whenever he meets me, and if he cannot avoid an encounter, he rushes off as soon as he can for fear he should be seen talking to me, while he will perambulate the whole market-place discussing plans with Aeschines.
[226] οὐκοῦν δεινόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ σχέτλιον τοῖς μὲν τὰ Φιλίππου πράγμαθ᾽ ᾑρημένοις θεραπεύειν οὕτως ἀκριβῆ τὴν παρ᾽ ἐκείνου πρὸς ἑκάτερ᾽ αἴσθησιν ὑπάρχειν, ὥσθ᾽ ἕκαστον, ὥσπερ ἂν παρεστηκότος αὐτοῦ, μηδ᾽ ὧν ἂν ἐνθαδὶ πράξῃ μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι λήσειν, ἀλλὰ φίλους τε νομίζειν οὓς ἂν ἐκείνῳ δοκῇ καὶ μὴ φίλους ὡσαύτως, τοῖς δὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ζῶσι καὶ τῆς παρ᾽ ὑμῶν τιμῆς γλιχομένοις καὶ μὴ προδεδωκόσι ταύτην τοσαύτην κωφότητα καὶ τοσοῦτο σκότος παρ᾽ ὑμῶν ἀπαντᾶν, ὥστε τοῖς ἀλειτηρίοις τούτοις ἐξ ἴσου νῦν ἔμ᾽ ἀγωνίζεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα παρ᾽ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἅπαντ᾽ εἰδόσιν.
[226] It is shocking and scandalous, men of Athens, that Philip has such an acute perception of the fidelity or treachery of the men who have made subservience to him their policy, that they all expect that nothing they do even in Athens will escape the master’s eye, as though he stood at their very elbow, and that they must needs choose their private friends and enemies in obedience to his wishes; while those whose lives are devoted to your service, and who covet and have never betrayed the honor that you can bestow, encounter in you such dullness of hearing, such darkness of vision, that here am I today contending on equal terms with these pernicious persons, even in a court well acquainted with the whole history.
[227] βούλεσθ᾽ οὖν εἰδέναι καὶ ἀκοῦσαι τὸ τούτων αἴτιον; ἐγὼ δὴ φράσω, ἀξιῶ δὲ μηδέν᾽ ἄχθεσθαί μοι λέγοντι τἀληθῆ. ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἕν, οἶμαι, σῶμ᾽ ἔχων καὶ ψυχὴν μίαν παντὶ θυμῷ καὶ φιλεῖ τοὺς ἑαυτὸν εὖ ποιοῦντας καὶ μισεῖ τοὺς τἀναντία, ὑμῶν δ᾽ ἕκαστος πρῶτον μὲν οὔτε τὸν εὖ ποιοῦντα τὴν πόλιν αὑτὸν εὖ ποιεῖν ἡγεῖται,
[227] Would you like to know the reason? I will tell you, and I trust that you will not take offence at my candor. Philip, I take it, having one body and one soul loves those who help him and hates those who harm him with his whole heart, whereas no one of you regards the benefactor of the commonwealth as his benefactor, or the enemy of the commonwealth as his enemy.
[228] οὔτε τὸν κακῶς κακῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἕτερ᾽ ἐστὶν ἑκάστῳ προυργιαίτερα, ὑφ᾽ ὧν παράγεσθε πολλάκις, ἔλεος, φθόνος, ὀργή, χαρίσασθαι τῷ δεηθέντι, ἄλλα μυρία: ἂν δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἅπαντά τις ἐκφύγῃ, ἀλλὰ τούς γ᾽ οὐδένα βουλομένους εἶναι τοιοῦτον οὐ διαφεύξεται. ἡ δ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστου τούτων ἁμαρτία κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπορρέουσα ἁθρόος τῇ πόλει βλάβη γίγνεται.
[228] Each man has other motives, of more importance to him, and thereby you are often led astray, — compassion, jealousy, resentment, good nature, and a thousand more. For even though a man escape every other danger, he can never wholly escape those who do not want such a person as he is to exist. But, little by little, by accumulation of these errors the foundation is sapped, and the integrity of public life collapses.
[229] ὧν μηδέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πάθητε τήμερον, μηδ᾽ ἀφῆτε τοῦτον ὃς ὑμᾶς τηλικαῦτ᾽ ἠδίκηκεν. καὶ γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς τίς ἔσται λόγος περὶ ὑμῶν, εἰ τοῦτον ἀφήσετε; Ἀθήνηθεν ἐπρέσβευσάν τινες ὡς Φίλιππον τουτονί, Φιλοκράτης, Αἰσχίνης, Φρύνων, Δημοσθένης. τί οὖν; ὁ μὲν πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς πρεσβείας λαβεῖν τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων ἐλύσατο: ὁ δ᾽ ὧν τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράγματα χρημάτων ἀπέδοτο, τούτων πόρνας ἠγόραζε καὶ ἰχθῦς περιιών.
[229] Do not, men of Athens, give way to these motives today. Do not acquit the man who has done you such grievous wrong. Think of the story that will be told, if you do acquit him. Once upon a time certain ambassadors went from Athens to see Philip, and their names were Philocrates, Aeschines, Phryno, and Demosthenes. One of them not only made no gain from his mission, but delivered captives at his own expense; but another went about buying harlots and fish with
the money for which he had sold his country.
[230] καὶ ὁ μὲν τὸν υἱὸν ἔπεμψε Φιλίππῳ, πρὶν εἰς ἄνδρας ἐγγράψαι, ὁ μιαρὸς Φρύνων: ὁ δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἀνάξιον οὔτε τῆς πόλεως οὔθ᾽ αὑτοῦ διεπράξατο. καὶ ὁ μὲν χορηγῶν καὶ τριηραρχῶν ἔτι καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ᾤετο δεῖν ἐθελοντὴς ἀναλίσκειν, λύεσθαι, μηδέν᾽ ἐν συμφορᾷ τῶν πολιτῶν δι᾽ ἔνδειαν περιορᾶν: ὁ δὲ τοσούτου δεῖ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων τιν᾽ αἰχμάλωτον σῶσαι, ὥσθ᾽ ὅλον τόπον καὶ πλεῖν ἢ μυρίους μὲν ὁπλίτας, ὁμοῦ δὲ χιλίους ἱππέας τῶν ὑπαρχόντων συμμάχων ὅπως αἰχμάλωτοι γένωνται Φιλίππῳ, συμπαρεσκεύασεν.
[230] One of them, named Phryno, a bold, bad man, sent his son to Philip before he had put him on the list of citizens; but another did not do anything that was unworthy of his country or himself. Though he was still paying for a chorus and a man-of-war, he thought it only right to spend more money of his own free will, to ransom captives, and to allow none of his countrymen to suffer distress through poverty. But another, instead of delivering any of the Athenians who were already in captivity, helped to bring a whole district, and ten thousand of the infantry and about a thousand of the cavalry of the allies into captivity to Philip.