by Demosthenes
[30] It did not escape the Oeneidae that Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, and of her was born one whom it would be sacrilegious to name at this tomb, and by him Oeneus was begotten, who was called the founder of their race. Since the danger in question was common to both States, on behalf of both they thought themselves bound to endure any Anguish to the end. The Cecropidae were well aware that their founder was reputed to have been part dragon, part human, for no other reason than this, that in understanding he was like a man, in strength like a dragon. So they assumed that their duty was to perform feats worthy of both.
[31] ἐμέμνηνθ᾽ Ἱπποθωντίδαι τῶν Ἀλόπης γάμων, ἐξ ὧν Ἱπποθῶν ἔφυ, καὶ τὸν ἀρχηγὸν ᾔδεσαν: ὧν, τὸ πρέπον φυλάττων ἐγὼ τῷδε τῷ καιρῷ, τὸ σαφὲς εἰπεῖν ὑπερβαίνω. ἄξια δὴ τούτων ᾤοντο δεῖν ποιοῦντες ὀφθῆναι. οὐκ ἐλάνθανεν Αἰαντίδας ὅτι τῶν ἀριστείων στερηθεὶς Αἴας ἀβίωτον ἑαυτῷ ἡγήσατο τὸν βίον. ἡνίκ᾽ οὖν ὁ δαίμων ἄλλῳ τἀριστεῖ᾽ ἐδίδου, τότε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀμυνόμενοι τεθνάναι δεῖν ᾤοντο, ὥστε μηδὲν ἀνάξιον αὑτῶν παθεῖν. οὐκ ἠμνημόνουν Ἀντιοχίδαι Ἡρακλέους ὄντ᾽ Ἀντίοχον. δεῖν οὖν ἡγήσαντ᾽ ἢ ζῆν ἀξίως τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἢ τεθνάναι καλῶς.
[31] The Hippothoontidae bore in mind the marriage of Alope, from which Hippothoon was born, and they knew also who their founder was; about these matters — to avoid impropriety on an occasion like this I forbear to speak plainly — they thought it was their duty to be seen performing deeds worthy of these ancestors. It did not escape the Aeantidae that Ajax, robbed of the prize of valor, did not consider his own life worth living. When, therefore, the god was giving to another the prize of valor, at once they thought they must die trying to repel their foes so as to suffer no disgrace to themselves. The Antiochidae were not unmindful that Antiochus was the son of Heracles. They concluded therefore that they must either live worthily of their heritage or die nobly.
[32] οἱ μὲν οὖν ζῶντες οἰκεῖοι τούτων ἐλεινοί, τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν ἐστερημένοι καὶ συνηθείας πολλῆς καὶ φιλανθρώπου διεζευγμένοι, καὶ τὰ τῆς πατρίδος πράγματ᾽ ἔρημα καὶ δακρύων καὶ πένθους πλήρη: οἱ δ᾽ εὐδαίμονες τῷ δικαίῳ λογισμῷ. πρῶτον μὲν ἀντὶ μικροῦ χρόνου πολὺν καὶ τὸν ἅπαντ᾽ εὔκλειαν ἀγήρω καταλείπουσιν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ παῖδες οἱ τούτων ὀνομαστοὶ τραφήσονται καὶ γονεῖς οἱ τούτων περίβλεπτοι γηροτροφήσονται, παραψυχὴν τῷ πένθει τὴν τούτων εὔκλειαν ἔχοντες.
[32] Now, though the living kinsmen of these dead deserve our sympathy, bereaved of such brave men and divorced from close and affectionate association, and though the life of our native land is desolate and filled with tears and mourning, nevertheless these dead by a just calculation are happy. First of all, bartering little for much, a brief time for all eternity, they leave behind them an ageless fame
[33] ἔπειτα νόσων ἀπαθεῖς τὰ σώματα καὶ λυπῶν ἄπειροι τὰς ψυχάς, ἃς ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν οἱ ζῶντες ἔχουσιν, ἐν μεγάλῃ τιμῇ καὶ πολλῷ ζήλῳ τῶν νομιζομένων τυγχάνουσιν. οὓς γὰρ ἅπασα μὲν ἡ πατρὶς θάπτει δημοσίᾳ, κοινῶν δ᾽ ἐπαίνων μόνοι τυγχάνουσιν, ποθοῦσι δ᾽ οὐ μόνοι συγγενεῖς καὶ πολῖται, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ὅσην Ἑλλάδα χρὴ προσειπεῖν, συμπεπένθηκεν δὲ καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος, πῶς οὐ χρὴ τούτους εὐδαίμονας νομίζεσθαι;
[33] In which the children of these men shall be reared in honor and the parents of these men shall enjoy distinction and tender care in their old age, cherishing the fame of these men as an assuagement of their sorrow. In the second place, immune from disease of body and beyond the reach of anguish of spirit, such as the living must suffer because of the misfortunes which have befallen, they today receive high honor and inspire great emulation while they are accorded the customary obsequies. How, then, since the whole country unites in according them a public burial, and they alone receive the words of universal praise, while their kinsmen and fellow-citizens are not alone in mourning them, but every land that has the right to be called Hellas and the greater part of the whole world mourns with them, how can we do otherwise than consider them blessed of fortune?
[34] οὓς παρέδρους εἰκότως ἄν τις φήσαι τοῖς κάτω θεοῖς εἶναι, τὴν αὐτὴν τάξιν ἔχοντας τοῖς προτέροις ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐν μακάρων νήσοις. οὐ γὰρ ἰδών τις οὐδὲ περὶ ἐκείνων ταῦτ᾽ ἀπήγγελκεν, ἀλλ᾽ οὓς οἱ ζῶντες ἀξίους ὑπειλήφαμεν τῶν ἄνω τιμῶν, τούτους τῇ δόξῃ καταμαντευόμενοι κἀκεῖ τῶν αὐτῶν τιμῶν ἡγούμεθ᾽ αὐτοὺς τυγχάνειν.
[34] With excellent reason one might declare them to be now seated beside the gods below, possessing the same rank as the brave men who have preceded them in the islands of the blest. For though no man has been there to see or brought back this report concerning them, yet those whom the living have assumed to be worthy of honors in the world above, these we believe, basing our surmise on their fame, receive the same honors also in the world beyond.
[35] ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἴσως χαλεπὸν τὰς παρούσας συμφορὰς λόγῳ κουφίσαι: δεῖ δ᾽ ὅμως πειρᾶσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὰ παρηγοροῦντα τρέπειν τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς τοὺς τοιούτους ἄνδρας γεγεννηκότας καὶ πεφυκότας αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοιούτων ἑτέρων καλόν ἐστιν τὰ δείν᾽ εὐσχημονέστερον τῶν ἄλλων φέροντας ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ πάσῃ τύχῃ χρωμένους ὁμοίους εἶναι.
[35] While it is perhaps difficult to mitigate the present misfortunes by the spoken word, nevertheless it is our duty to endeavor to turn our minds to comforting thoughts, reflecting that it is a beautiful thing for parents who have begotten men like these, and themselves were born of others like unto them, to be seen enduring their affliction more decorously than the rest of mankind, and, no matter what fortune befalls, to be like them;
[36] καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνοις ταῦτ᾽ ἂν εἴη μάλιστ᾽ ἐν κόσμῳ καὶ τιμῇ, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ πόλει καὶ τοῖς ζῶσιν ταῦτ᾽ ἂν ἐνέγκοι πλείστην εὐδοξίαν. χαλεπὸν πατρὶ καὶ μητρὶ παίδων στερηθῆναι καὶ ἐρήμοις εἶναι τῶν οἰκειοτάτων γηροτρόφων: σεμνὸν δέ γ᾽ ἀγήρως τιμὰς καὶ μνήμην ἀρετῆς δημοσίᾳ κτησαμένους ἐπιδεῖν, καὶ θυσιῶν καὶ ἀγώνων ἠξιωμένους ἀθανάτων.
[36] for to the departed such conduct would seem most becoming in you and honorable to them, and to the whole State and to the living it would bring the greatest glory. It is a grievous thing for fathers and mothers to be deprived of their children and in their old age to lack the care of those who are nearest and dearest to them. Yes, but it is a proud privilege to behold them possessors of deathless honors and a memorial of their valor erected by the State, and deemed deserving of
sacrifices and games for all future time.
[37] λυπηρὸν παισὶν ὀρφανοῖς γεγενῆσθαι πατρός: καλὸν δέ γε κληρονομεῖν πατρῴας εὐδοξίας. καὶ τοῦ μὲν λυπηροῦ τούτου τὸν δαίμον᾽ αἴτιον εὑρήσομεν ὄντα, ᾧ φύντας ἀνθρώπους εἴκειν ἀνάγκη, τοῦ δὲ τιμίου καὶ καλοῦ τὴν τῶν ἐθελησάντων καλῶς ἀποθνῄσκειν αἵρεσιν.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὐχ ὅπως πολλὰ λέξω, τοῦτ᾽ ἐσκεψάμην, ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως τἀληθῆ. ὑμεῖς δ᾽ ἀποδυράμενοι καὶ τὰ προσήκονθ᾽ ὡς χρὴ καὶ νόμιμα ποιήσαντες ἄπιτε.
[37] It is painful for children to be orphaned of a father. Yes, but it is a beautiful thing to be the heir of a father’s fame. And of this pain we shall find the deity to be the cause, to whom mortal creatures must yield, but of the glory and honor the source is found in the choice of those who willed to die nobly.
As for myself, it has not been my concern how I might make a long speech, but how I might speak the truth. And now do you, having spent your grief and done your part as law and custom require, disperse to your homes.
ἐρωτικός — THE EROTIC ESSAY
[1] ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδήπερ ἀκούειν βούλει τοῦ λόγου, δείξω σοι καὶ ἀναγνώσομαι. δεῖ δέ σε τὴν προαίρεσιν αὐτοῦ πρῶτον εἰδέναι. βούλεται μὲν γὰρ ὁ τὸν λόγον ποιῶν ἐπαινεῖν Ἐπικράτην, ὃν ᾤετο πολλῶν καὶ καλῶν κἀγαθῶν ὄντων νέων ἐν τῇ πόλει χαριέστατον εἶναι, καὶ πλέον τῇ συνέσει προέχειν ἢ τῷ κάλλει τῶν ἡλικιωτῶν. ὁρῶν δ᾽ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἐρωτικῶν συνταγμάτων αἰσχύνην μᾶλλον ἢ τιμὴν περιάπτοντα τούτοις περὶ ὧν ἐστι γεγραμμένα, τοῦθ᾽ ὅπως μὴ πείσεται πεφύλακται, καὶ ὅπερ καὶ πεπεῖσθαί φησιν τῇ γνώμῃ, τοῦτο καὶ γέγραφεν, ὡς δίκαιος ἐραστὴς οὔτ᾽ ἂν ποιήσειεν οὐδὲν αἰσχρὸν οὔτ᾽ ἀξιώσειεν. ὃ μὲν οὖν ὡσπερεὶ μάλιστ᾽ ἂν ἐρωτικὸν λάβοις τοῦ λόγου,
[1] Well, since you wish to hear the essay, I shall bring it out and read it aloud; but first you must understand its purpose. The writer’s desire is to praise Epicrates, whom he thought to be the most charming young man in the city, although there were many fine gentlemen among those of his own age, and to surpass him more in understanding than in beauty of person. Observing also that, generally speaking, most erotic compositions attach shame rather than honor to those about whom they are written, he has taken precautions that this should not happen in his case, and has written only what he says he is convinced of by his judgement, believing that an honest lover would neither do anything shameful nor request it.
[2] περὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν: ὁ δ᾽ ἄλλος λόγος τὰ μὲν αὐτὸν ἐπαινεῖ τὸν νεανίσκον, τὰ δ᾽ αὐτῷ συμβουλεύει περὶ παιδείας τε καὶ προαιρέσεως τοῦ βίου. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα γέγραπται τὸν τρόπον ὅν τις ἂν εἰς βιβλίον καταθεῖτο. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ λεκτικοῖς τῶν λόγων ἁπλῶς καὶ ὁμοίως οἷς ἂν ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμά τις εἴποι πρέπει γεγράφθαι, τοῖς δ᾽ εἰς τὸν πλείω χρόνον τεθησομένοις ποιητικῶς καὶ περιττῶς ἁρμόττει συγκεῖσθαι: τοὺς μὲν γὰρ πιθανούς, τοὺς δ᾽ ἐπιδεικτικοὺς εἶναι προσήκει. ἵν᾽ οὖν μὴ παρὰ τὸν λόγον σοι λέγω, μηδ᾽ ἃ γιγνώσκω περὶ τούτων αὐτὸς διεξίω, πρόσεχ᾽ ὡς αὐτοῦ τοῦ λόγου ἤδη ἀκουσόμενος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἥκει, ὃν ἠβουλήθην ἀκούειν, Ἐπικράτης.
[2] Now, that part of my essay which you may find to be the most erotic, so to speak, is on this topic, but the rest of it in part praises the lad himself and in part counsels about his education and his design for living. whole essay is written as one would put it into a book, because discourses intended to be delivered ought to be written simply and just as one might speak offhand, while those of the other kind, which are planned to last longer, are properly composed in the manner of poetry and ornately. For it is the function of the former to win converts and of the latter to display one’s skill. Accordingly, to avoid spoiling the essay for you or rehearsing my own opinions about these questions, I ask you to lend your attention, since you are immediately going to hear the essay itself, because Epicrates is also at hand, whom I wished to hear it.
[3] ὁρῶν ἐνίους τῶν ἐρωμένων καὶ κάλλους μετεσχηκότων οὐδετέρᾳ τῶν εὐτυχιῶν τούτων ὀρθῶς χρωμένους, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ τῆς ὄψεως εὐπρεπείᾳ σεμνυνομένους, τὴν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἐραστὰς ὁμιλίαν δυσχεραίνοντας, καὶ τοσοῦτον διημαρτηκότας τοῦ τὰ βέλτιστα κρίνειν ὥστε διὰ τοὺς λυμαινομένους τῷ πράγματι καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μετὰ σωφροσύνης πλησιάζειν ἀξιοῦντας δυσκόλως διακειμένους, ἡγησάμην τοὺς μὲν τοιούτους οὐ μόνον αὑτοῖς ἀλυσιτελῶς ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις μοχθηρὰς συνηθείας ἐνεργάζεσθαι,
[3] Observing that certain of those who are loved and possess their share of good looks make the right use of neither one of these blessings, but put on grand airs because of the comeliness of their appearance and exhibit reluctance to associate with their admirers, and so far fail in judging what is best that, because of those who pervert the thing, they assume a surly attitude toward those also who desire to associate with them from pure motives, I concluded that such young men not only defeat their own interests but also engender evil habits in the rest,
[4] τοῖς δὲ καλῶς φρονοῦσιν οὐκ ἐπακολουθητέον εἶναι τῇ τούτων ἀπονοίᾳ, μάλιστα μὲν ἐνθυμουμένοις ὅτι τῶν πραγμάτων οὔτε καλῶν οὔτ᾽ αἰσχρῶν ἀποτόμως ὄντων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοὺς χρωμένους τὸ πλεῖστον διαλλαττόντων, ἄλογον μιᾷ γνώμῃ περὶ ἀμφοτέρων χρῆσθαι, ἔπειθ᾽ ὅτι πάντων ἀτοπώτατόν ἐστιν ζηλοῦν μὲν τοὺς πλείστους φίλους καὶ βεβαιοτάτους ἔχοντας, ἀποδοκιμάζειν δὲ τοὺς ἐραστάς, ὃ μόνον ἴδιον ἔθνος οὐχ ἅπασιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς καλοῖς καὶ σώφροσιν οἰκειοῦσθαι πέφυκεν.
[4] and that the high-minded should not follow their foolish example, bearing in mind particularly that, since actions are not absolutely either honorable or shameful but for most part vary according to the persons concerned, it is unreasonable to adopt the same attitude toward both classes of men, and secondly, that it is the height of absurdity to envy those who have a host of firm friends but to repulse their admirers, who are a separate group and alone feel drawn by nature, not toward all, but only to the beautiful and modest.
[5] ἔτι δὲ τοῖς μὲν μηδεμίαν πω τοιαύτην φιλίαν ἑορακόσιν καλῶς ἀποβᾶσαν, ἢ σφόδρα κατεγνωκόσιν αὑτῶν ὡς οὐκ ἂν δυνηθεῖεν σωφρόνως τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσ
ιν ὁμιλεῖν, ἴσως οὐκ ἄλογον ταύτην ἔχειν τὴν διάνοιαν: τοῖς δ᾽ ὥσπερ σὺ διακειμένοις, καὶ μήτε παντάπασιν ἀνηκόοις οὖσιν ὅσαι δὴ χρεῖαι δι᾽ ἔρωτος χωρὶς αἰσχύνης ηὐξήθησαν, καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἀκριβεστάτης εὐλαβείας τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον βεβιωκόσιν, οὐδ᾽ ὑποψίαν ἔχειν εὔλογον ὡς ἄν τι πράξειαν αἰσχρόν.
[5] Moreover, although those who have never yet seen such a friendship turn out well or have severely condemned themselves on the ground that they would be incapable of associating innocently with casual acquaintances, it is perhaps not unreasonable to entertain this prejudice; but for those so disposed as yourself, who have not utterly refused to hear how very many benefits accrue through love without shame and have lived the rest of their lives with the utmost circumspection, it is not reasonable to have even a suspicion that they would do anything shameful.
[6] διὸ δὴ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπήρθην τοῦτον γράψαι τὸν λόγον, ἡγούμενος δυοῖν τοῖν καλλίστοιν οὐ διαμαρτήσεσθαι. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ὑπάρχοντά σοι ἀγαθὰ διελθὼν ἅμα σέ τε ζηλωτὸν καὶ ἐμαυτὸν οὐκ ἀνόητον ἐπιδείξειν ἐλπίζω, εἴ σε τοιοῦτον ὄντ᾽ ἀγαπῶ: συμβουλεύσας δ᾽ ἃ μάλιστα κατεπείγει, νομίζω τῆς μὲν εὐνοίας τῆς ἐμῆς δεῖγμα, τῆς δὲ κοινῆς φιλίας ἀφορμὴν ἀμφοτέροις εἰσοίσειν.