by Demosthenes
[174] εἶθ᾽ ὃν ὁρᾶτ᾽ ἐκ προσαγωγῆς ὑμῖν φίλον, καὶ ὅπως ἂν ὑμᾶς δύνασθαι νομίσῃ, οὕτω πρὸς ὑμᾶς εὐνοίας ἔχοντα, τοῦτον οἴεσθε δεῖν ἰσχυρόν ποτ᾽ ἐᾶσαι γενέσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα δι᾽ ὑμῶν; οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ὀρθῶς ἐγνώκατε. ἵνα τοίνυν εἰδῆθ᾽ ὅτι τἀληθῆ λέγω, λαβέ μοι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἣ μετὰ τὰς πρώτας συνθήκας ἦλθεν, εἶτα τὴν παρὰ Βηρισάδου: μάλιστα γὰρ οὕτω γνώσεσθε διδασκόμενοι.”Ἐπιστολή”
λέγε καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν τοῦ Βηρισάδου.”Ἐπιστολή”
[174] When you see that he is your friend only on inducement, and that his estimate of your strength is the measure of his goodwill, do you really think it your duty to allow him to be powerful, — and powerful through you? If that is your opinion, it is wrong.
To satisfy you that I am telling the truth, please take the letter that came after the first convention, and then the letter from Berisades. — You will be helped by these documents to a right conclusion.” Letter”
Read also the letter of Berisades.” Letter”
[175] ἡ μὲν τοίνυν συμμαχία τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τοῖν δυοῖν τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον μετὰ τὴν παράκρουσιν τὴν διὰ τῶν πρὸς Κηφισόδοτον συνθηκῶν συνεστάθη, ἤδη Μιλτοκύθου μὲν ἀνῃρημένου, Χαριδήμου δ᾽ ἔργῳ φανεροῦ γεγενημένου ὅτι τῆς πόλεως ἐχθρός ἐστιν. ὃς γὰρ ὃν ᾔδει διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου πάντων τῶν Θρᾳκῶν εὐνούστατον ὄνθ᾽ ὑμῖν, τοῦτον ἠξίωσ᾽ ὑποχείριον λαβὼν τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἐχθροῖς Καρδιανοῖς ἐγχειρίσαι, πῶς οὐ μεγάλης ἔχθρας δεῖγμα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐξέφερεν; ἃς δὴ τὸν πόλεμον δεδιὼς τὸν πρὸς τοὺς Θρᾷκας καὶ πρὸς Ἀθηνόδωρον ἐποιήσατο συνθήκας μετὰ ταῦθ᾽ ὁ Κερσοβλέπτης, λέγε.”Συνθῆκαι”
[175] The alliance with the two kings was concluded in this manner after the fraud effected by the convention with Cephisodotus. At that time Miltocythes had been got rid of, and Charidemus was known by his conduct to be an enemy of Athens; for surely a man who, having got into his power one known to him as the most loyal friend you had in all Thrace, put him into the hands of your enemies the Cardians, was ostentatiously displaying his great hostility towards you. — Read the convention which Cersobleptes made later, when he was afraid of war with the Thracians and with Athenodorus.” Convention”
[176] ταῦτα τοίνυν γράψας καὶ συνθέμενος, καὶ τὸν ὅρκον ὃν ἠκούσαθ᾽ ὑμεῖς ὀμόσας, ἐπειδὴ τὴν μὲν Ἀθηνοδώρου δύναμιν διαφειμένην εἶδεν, μιᾷ δὲ μόνον τριήρει Χαβρίαν ἥκοντα, οὔτε τὸν Ἰφιάδου παρέδωκεν υἱὸν ὑμῖν οὔτ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ὧν ὤμοσ᾽ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐν ταῖς συνθήκαις ἔξαρνος γίγνεται, καὶ γράφει ταύτας τὰς συνθήκας. λαβέ μοι καὶ λέγε ταυτασί.”Συνθῆκαι”
[176] These are the terms that Charidemus drafted, and this is the convention he signed. He swore the oath to which you have listened; but as soon as he saw that the forces of Athenodorus had been disbanded, and that Chabrias had come with only one galley, he did not give up to you the son of Iphiades; he did not fulfil any other of his sworn promises; he repudiated every other article of the convention, and drew up the convention I have here. — That is it; please take and read it.” Convention”
[177] ἐνθυμεῖσθ᾽ ὅτι καὶ τέλη καὶ δεκάτας ἠξίου λαμβάνειν, καὶ πάλιν ὡς αὑτοῦ τῆς χώρας οὔσης τοὺς λόγους ἐποιεῖτο, τοὺς δεκατηλόγους ἀξιῶν τοὺς αὑτοῦ τῶν τελῶν κυρίους εἶναι, καὶ τὸν ὅμηρον τὸν υἱὸν τὸν Ἰφιάδου, ὃν ὑπὲρ Σηστοῦ ἔχων ὤμοσε πρὸς τὸν Ἀθηνόδωρον παραδώσειν, οὐδ᾽ ὑπισχνεῖται παραδώσειν ἔτι. λαβὲ τὸ ψήφισμ᾽ ὃ πρὸς ταῦθ᾽ ὑμεῖς ἐψηφίσασθε. λέγε.”Ψήφισμα”
[177] Observe that he claimed the right to take the port-dues and the ten-per-cent customs-duties; that he again talked as though the whole country belonged to him, requiring that the duties should be under the control of his own custom-house officers; and that, though he had taken his oath to Athenodorus that he would surrender the son of Iphiades, the hostage whom he held on behalf of Sestus, he now does not even promise to surrender him. — Take the decree which the Athenians adopted in this emergency. Read it.” Decree”
[178] ἐλθόντων τοίνυν μετὰ ταῦτα τῶν πρέσβεων εἰς Θρᾴκην, ὁ μὲν Κερσοβλέπτης ὑμῖν ἐπιστέλλει ταυτί, καὶ οὐδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν ὡμολόγει δίκαιον, οἱ δ᾽ ἕτεροι ταυτί. λέγ᾽ αὐτοῖς.”Ἐπιστολή”
λέγε δὴ τὴν παρὰ τῶν βασιλέων. καὶ σκοπεῖτ᾽ εἰ ἄρ᾽ ὑμῖν δοκοῦσι μηδὲν ἐγκαλεῖν.”Ἐπιστολή”
ὁρᾶτε καὶ συνίετ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὴν πονηρίαν καὶ τὴν ἀπιστίαν, ὡς ἄνω καὶ κάτω. τὸ πρῶτον ἠδίκει Κηφισόδοτον, πάλιν φοβηθεὶς Ἀθηνόδωρον ἐπαύσατο: αὖθις ἠδίκει Χαβρίαν, πάλιν ὡμολόγει Χάρητι. πάντ᾽ ἄνω καὶ κάτω πεποίηκεν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ δικαίως ἔπραξεν.
[178] Here is the letter sent by Cersobleptes later, after the arrival of the ambassadors in Thrace, — he would agree to nothing that was fair; and here is the letter sent by the others. — Read this to the jury.” Letter”
Now read the letter from the two kings. — Consider whether you really think that they are making no complaint.” Letter”
Men of Athens, look at this see-saw of villainy and perfidy, and try to understand it. First he was maltreating Cephisodotus; then he stopped, because he was afraid of Athenodorus. Another time he tried to maltreat Chabrias; changed his mind, and agreed with Chares. He always acted inconsistently, ever like an honest, straightforward man.
[179] μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν ὅσον μὲν χρόνον ἡ ὑμετέρα δύναμις παρῆν ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ, κολακεύων καὶ φενακίζων ὑμᾶς διαγέγονεν: ἐπεὶ δ᾽ εἶδε τάχιστα τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἔρημον δυνάμεως, εὐθὺς ἐνεχείρει καταλύειν καὶ ἀπαλλάξαι τοὺς δύο τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ πᾶσαν ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀρχήν, ἔργῳ πεῖραν ἔχων ὅτι τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν μὴ δυνηθῇ πρότερον λῦσαι, πρὶν ἂν ἐκβάλῃ τούτους.
[179] Since that time, so long as you had forces in the Hellespont, he has continually flattered you and cozened you; but as soon as he found the Hellespont denuded of your forces, he tried to break and to dethrone the two kings, and to bring the whole kingdom under his own thumb, knowing by experience that, until he had ejected them, he could not possibly revoke any part of his agreement with you.
[180] ἵνα δ᾽ ὡς ῥᾷστα τοῦτο περάνειε, ψήφισμα τοιοῦτο παρ᾽ ὑμῶν εὕρετο ἐξ ο�
� κυρωθέντος ἄν, εἰ μὴ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς καὶ ταύτην τὴν γραφήν, ἠδίκηντο μὲν φανερῶς οἱ δύο τῶν βασιλέων, ἡσυχίαν δ᾽ ἂν ἦγον οἱ στρατηγοῦντες αὐτοῖς, ὁ Βιάνωρ, ὁ Σίμων, ὁ Ἀθηνόδωρος, φοβούμενοι τὴν διὰ τοῦ ψηφίσματος συκοφαντίαν, ὁ δὲ ταύτης τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀπολαύσας καὶ πᾶσαν ὑφ᾽ αὑτῷ λαβὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἰσχυρὸς ἂν ἐχθρὸς ὑπῆρχεν ὑμῖν.
[180] For the more expeditious fulfillment of this purpose, he procured from you a decree so worded that, if it had been ratified, as it would have been but for us and for this indictment, the two kings would have been iniquitously treated in the eyes of the world, the commanders of their armies, Bianor, Simon, Athenodorus, would have remained inactive through fear of the spiteful prosecution authorized by the decree, and the man who took advantage of this licence, and brought the whole kingdom into subjection, would have become and remained an enemy, and a powerful enemy, of Athens.
[181] ἔχει δ᾽ ὁρμητήριον παρὰ πάντα τὸν χρόνον αὑτῷ τετηρημένον τὴν Καρδιανῶν πόλιν, ἣν ἐν ἁπάσαις μὲν ταῖς συνθήκαις ἐξαίρετον αὑτῷ γέγραφεν, τὸ τελευταῖον δὲ καὶ φανερῶς αὐτὴν ἀφείλετο παρ᾽ ὑμῶν. καίτοι τοῖς ἀπηλλαγμένοις μὲν τοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν τι φρονεῖν ἄδικον, μετὰ πάσης δ᾽ ἀληθείας ἁπλῶς εὐνοεῖν ἡμῖν ᾑρημένοις τί προσῆκεν αὑτοῖς ὁρμητήριον καταλείπειν χρήσιμον τοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς πολέμου;
[181] For a base of operations, — on which he has constantly kept his eyes, — he has the city of the Cardians. In all his conventions he has had that city reserved to himself, and in the end he openly stole it from you. Yet why should men who had entirely got rid of any unjust feelings toward us, and had resolved candidly and with entire sincerity to be friendly to us, have left themselves a convenient base of operations for a war against us?
[182] ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο, οἱ μὲν ἀφιγμένοι σαφῶς, οἱ δ᾽ ἄλλοι τούτων ἀκούοντες, ὅτι τῆς Καρδιανῶν πόλεως ἐχούσης ὡς ἔχει, εἰ γενήσεται τὰ πρὸς τοὺς Θρᾷκας εὐτρεπῆ τῷ Κερσοβλέπτῃ, παρ᾽ ἡμέραν ἔξεστιν αὐτῷ βαδίζειν ἐπὶ Χερρόνησον ἀσφαλῶς. ὥσπερ γὰρ Χαλκὶς τῷ τόπῳ τῆς Εὐβοίας πρὸς τῆς Βοιωτίας κεῖται, οὕτω Χερρονήσου κεῖται πρὸς τῆς Θρᾴκης ἡ Καρδιανῶν πόλις. ἣν ὃν ἔχει τόπον ὅστις οἶδεν ὑμῶν, οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖν᾽ ἀγνοεῖ, τίνος εἵνεκα καιροῦ περιπεποίηται καὶ διεσπούδασται μὴ λαβεῖν ὑμᾶς.
[182] I am sure that you all know, — those of you who have visited the place know for certain, and the rest by hearing their report, — that, the condition of Cardia being what it is, if the relations of Cersobleptes with the Thracians ever become favorable, he is able at twenty-four hours’ notice to invade the Chersonesus quite safely. Indeed by its situation the city of the Cardians occupies a position in the Chersonesus in relation to Thrace analogous to the position of Chalcis in Euboea in relation to Boeotia. Those of you who know its situation cannot be unaware of the advantage for the sake of which he has acquired it for himself, and has taken great pains to keep it out of our hands.
[183] ὃν οὐ συμπαρασκευάσαι καθ᾽ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ὀφείλετε, ἀλλὰ κωλῦσαι καθ᾽ ὅσον δυνατὸν καὶ σκοπεῖν ὅπως μὴ γενήσεται, ἐπεὶ ὅτι γ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὁντινοῦν καιρὸν παρείη, δεδήλωκεν. Φιλίππου γὰρ εἰς Μαρώνειαν ἐλθόντος ἔπεμψεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἀπολλωνίδην, πίστεις δοὺς ἐκείνῳ καὶ Παμμένει: καὶ εἰ μὴ κρατῶν τῆς χώρας Ἀμάδοκος ἀπεῖπε Φιλίππῳ μὴ ἐπιβαίνειν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἦν ἐν μέσῳ πολεμεῖν ἡμᾶς πρὸς Καρδιανοὺς ἤδη καὶ Κερσοβλέπτην. καὶ ὅτι ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, λαβὲ τὴν Χάρητος ἐπιστολήν.”Ἐπιστολή”
[183] It is not your duty to help him to secure this advantage against yourselves; you must thwart him to the very best of your power, and consider how to prevent it, for he has made it quite clear that he is not the man to let slip any occasion whatsoever. In fact, when Philip came to Maroneia, he sent Apollonides to him, and gave pledges both to him and to Pammenes; and if Amadocus, who had control of the country, had not forbidden Philip to set foot there, there was nothing to prevent our being at war by this time with the Cardians and with Cersobleptes. — To prove that this statement of mine is true, take Chares’ letter.” Letter”
[184] ταῦτα μέντοι δεῖ σκοπουμένους ἀπιστεῖν καὶ μὴ τετυφῶσθαι, μηδ᾽ ὡς εὐεργέτῃ προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν. οὐ γὰρ ὧν ἀναγκαζόμενος φίλος εἶναί φησι φενακίζων ὑμᾶς, χάριν ἐστὶ δίκαιον ὀφείλειν Κερσοβλέπτῃ, οὐδ᾽ ὧν μίκρ᾽ ἀναλίσκων ἰδίᾳ καὶ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς καὶ τοῖς ῥήτορσιν Χαρίδημος διαπράττεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπαίνους αὑτοῦ γράφεσθαι: ἀλλ᾽ ὧν, ὁσαχοῦ κύριος γέγονεν τοῦ πράττειν ὅ τι βούλεται, πανταχοῦ κακῶς ἐπιχειρῶν ἡμᾶς ποιεῖν φαίνεται, τούτων πολὺ μᾶλλον ὀργίζεσθαι προσήκει.
[184] In view of these facts you ought to distrust him, instead of losing your wits and giving him your attention as a benefactor. There is no reason why you should owe him gratitude for those deceitful professions of friendship which he offers under compulsion, nor for the small sums which he lays out for the benefit of your commanders and politicians, thereby contriving to get votes of thanks to himself submitted to you. You have far better cause to resent those efforts to do you harm, which we know him to be making in every place where he has won the power of acting as he pleases.
[185] οἱ μὲν τοίνυν ἄλλοι πάντες, ὅσοι τι παρ᾽ ὑμῶν εὕρηνται πώποτε, ἐφ᾽ οἷς εὖ πεποιήκασιν ὑμᾶς τετίμηνται, οὗτος δ᾽ εἷς ἁπάντων τῶν ἄλλων μόνος ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἐγχειρῶν οὐ δεδύνηται κακῶς ποιῆσαι. καίτοι τῷ τοιούτῳ τὸ δίκης, ἣν ἔδωκε δικαίως ἄν, ἀφεῖσθαι, μεγάλη δωρειὰ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν ἦν. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ ταῦτα δοκεῖ τοῖς ῥήτορσιν, ἀλλὰ πολίτης, εὐεργέτης, στέφανοι, δωρειαί, δι᾽ ἃ τούτοις ἰδίᾳ δίδωσιν: οἱ δ᾽ ἄλλοι πεφενακισμένοι κάθησθε, τὰ πράγματα θαυμάζοντες.
[185] All other persons who have ever received any favour from you have been honored for benefits conferred on you; Charidemus is the one and only man who is honored for the impotence of his efforts to do you harm. Why, to such a fellow exemption from the punishment he had justly earned was a handsome gratuity! But that is not the view of the politicians; no, make him a citizen, dub him benefactor, — here are crowns and presents, — in return for those private doles of his! The rest of you are gulled, and sit there wondering what is going on.
[186] τὸ τελευταῖον δὲ νυνὶ κἂν φύλακας κατέστησαν ὑμᾶς ἐκείνου διὰ τοῦ προβουλεύματος τούτο
υ, εἰ μὴ τὴν γραφὴν ἐποιησάμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς ταυτηνί, καὶ τὸ τοῦ μισθοφόρου καὶ θεραπεύοντος ἐκεῖνον ἔργον ἡ πόλις ἂν διεπράττετο, ἐφρούρει Χαρίδημον. καλόν γ᾽, οὐ γάρ; ὦ Ζεῦ καὶ θεοί, ὃς αὐτός ποτε τοὺς ὑμετέρους ἐχθροὺς μισθὸν λαμβάνων ἐδορυφόρει, τοῦτον ὑφ᾽ ὑμετέρου ψηφίσματος φανῆναι φυλαττόμενον.
[186] And, to crown all, today they would have appointed his protectors by this resolution, if we had not laid the present indictment, and the commonwealth would have done duty as his hired servant and lackey, keeping guard over a Charidemus! A pretty business, is it not? Heaven help us! to think that a man, who once shouldered a pike for hire in the service of your enemies, should now be seen protected by your decree!
[187] ἴσως τοίνυν ἐκεῖν᾽ ἄν τίς μ᾽ ἔροιτο, τί δήποτε ταῦτ᾽ εἰδὼς οὕτως ἀκριβῶς ἐγὼ καὶ παρηκολουθηκὼς ἐνίοις τῶν ἀδικημάτων εἴασα, καὶ οὔθ᾽ ὅτ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐποιεῖσθε πολίτην οὐδὲν ἀντεῖπον, οὔθ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐπῃνεῖτε, οὔθ᾽ ὅλως πρότερον, πρὶν τὸ ψήφισμα τουτὶ γενέσθαι, λόγον οὐδέν᾽ ἐποιησάμην. ἐγὼ δ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἅπασαν ἐρῶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. καὶ γὰρ ὡς ἀνάξιος ἦν ᾔδειν, καὶ παρῆν ὅτε τούτων ἠξιοῦτο, καὶ οὐκ ἀντεῖπον: ὁμολογῶ.