ἐπεὶ δὲ χρῆν, ὡς ἔοικεν, οὐ μόνον πᾶσι κορυδαλλοῖς λόφον ἐγγίγνεσθαι, κατὰ Σιμωνίδην, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσῃ δημοκρατίᾳ συκοφάντην, ἐπεχείρησαν καὶ Τιμολέοντι δύο τῶν δημαγωγῶν, Λαφύστιος καὶ Δημαίνετος.
But since, as it would seem, not only all larks must grow a crest, as Simonides says, but also every democracy a false accuser, even Timoleon was attacked by two of the popular leaders at Syracuse, Laphystius and Demaenetus.
ὧν Λαφυστίου μὲν αὑτὸν πρός τινα δίκην κατεγγυῶντος οὐκ εἴα θορυβεῖν οὐδὲ κωλύειν τοὺς πολίτας· ἑκὼν γὰρ αὐτὸς ὑπομεῖναι τοσούτους πόνους καὶ κινδύνους ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοῖς νόμοις χρῆσθαι τὸν βουλόμενον Συρακουσίων·
Of these, Laphystius once tried to make him give surety that he would appear at a certain trial, and Timoleon would not suffer the citizens to stop the man by their turbulent disapproval; for he himself, he said, had of his own accord endured all his toils and dangers in order that any Syracusan who wished might avail himself of the laws.
τοῦ δὲ Δημαινέτου πολλὰ κατηγορήσαντος ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τῆς στρατηγίας, πρός ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὐδὲν ἀντεῖπε, τοῖς δὲ θεοῖς ἔφη χάριν ὀφείλειν, οἷς εὔξατο Συρακουσίους ἐπιδεῖν τῆς παρρησίας κυρίους γενομένους.
And when the other, Demaenetus, brought many denunciations in open assembly against his conduct in the field, to him, indeed, Timoleon made no answer, but said he owed thanks to the gods, for he had prayed them that he might live to see the Syracusans gain the right of free speech.
μέγιστα δʼ οὖν καὶ κάλλιστα τῶν καθʼ αὑτὸν Ἑλλήνων ὁμολογουμένως διαπραξάμενος ἔργα, καὶ μόνος, ἐφʼ ἃς οἱ σοφισταὶ διὰ τῶν λόγων τῶν πανηγυρικῶν ἀεὶ παρεκάλουν πράξεις τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἐν ταύταις ἀριστεύσας,
So, then, having by general confession performed the greatest and most glorious deeds of any Greek of his time, and having been the only one to succeed in those achievements to which the rhetoricians, in their speeches at the national assemblies, were ever exhorting the Greeks;
καὶ τῶν μὲν αὐτόθι κακῶν, ἃ τὴν ἀρχαίαν Ἑλλάδα κατέσχεν, ὑπὸ τῆς τύχης προεκκομισθεὶς ἀναίμακτος καὶ καθαρός, ἐπιδειξάμενος δὲ δεινότητα μὲν καὶ ἀνδρείαν τοῖς βαρβάροις καὶ τοῖς τυράννοις, δικαιοσύνην δὲ καὶ πρᾳότητα τοῖς Ἕλλησι καὶ τοῖς φίλοις,
having been removed betimes by a happy fortune, pure and unstained with blood, from the evils which were rife in the mother country, and having displayed ability and valour in his dealings with Barbarians and tyrants, as well as justice and gentleness in his dealings with the Greeks and his friends;
τὰ δὲ πλεῖστα τρόπαια τῶν ἀγώνων ἀδάκρυτα καὶ ἀπενθῆ τοῖς πολίταις καταστήσας, καθαρὰν δὲ τὴν Σικελίαν ἐν οὐδʼ ὅλοις ἔτεσιν ὀκτὼ ἀϊδίων καὶ συνοίκων κακῶν καὶ νοσημάτων παραδοὺς τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν,
having set up most of the trophies of his contests without causing his fellow citizens either tears or mourning, and having in even less than eight years handed over to her inhabitants a Sicily purged of her perpetual intestine miseries and complaints;
ἤδη πρεσβύτερος ὢν ἀπημβλύνθη τὴν ὄψιν, εἶτα τελέως ἐπηρώθη μετʼ ὀλίγον, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ πρόφασιν παρασχών οὔτε παροινηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς τύχης, ἀλλὰ συγγενικῆς τινος, ὡς ἔοικεν, αἰτίας καὶ καταβολῆς ἅμα τῷ χρόνῳ συνεπιθεμένης·
at last, being now advanced in years, he began to lose his sight, and then, after a little, became completely blind. He had done nothing himself to occasion this, nor was he therein the sport and mockery of Fortune, but suffered from some congenital disease, as it would seem, which came upon him with his years;
λέγονται γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγοι τῶν κατὰ γένος αὐτῷ προσηκόντων ὁμοίως ἀποβαλεῖν τὴν ὄψιν ὑπὸ γήρως ἀπομαρανθεῖσαν.
for it is said that not a few of his kindred lost their sight in a similar way, when it was enfeebled by old age.
ὁ δὲ Ἄθανις ἔτι συνεστῶτος τοῦ πρός Ἵππωνα πολέμου καὶ Μάμερκον, ἐν Μυλαῖς ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου φησὶν ἀπογλαυκωθῆναι τὴν ὄψιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσι φανερὰν γενέσθαι τὴν πήρωσιν, οὐ μὴν ἀποστῆναι διὰ τοῦτο τῆς πολιορκίας, ἀλλʼ ἐμμείναντα τῷ πολέμῳ λαβεῖν τοὺς τυράννους·
But Athanis says that while the war against Hippo and Mamercus was still in progress, in his camp at Mylae, his vision was obscured by a cataract in the eye, and it was plain to all that he was getting blind; he did not, however, desist from the siege on this account, but persisted in the war and captured the tyrants;
ὡς δὲ ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς Συρακούσας, εὐθὺς ἀποθέσθαι τὴν μοναρχίαν καὶ παραιτεῖσθαι τοὺς πολίτας, τῶν πραγμάτων εἰς τὸ κάλλιστον ἡκόντων τέλος.
yet after his return to Syracuse, he at once laid aside the sole command and begged the citizens to excuse him from it, now that matters had reached the happiest conclusion.
ἐκεῖνον μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν ὑπομείναντα τὴν συμφορὰν ἀλύπως ἧττον ἄν τις θαυμάσειε·
Well, then, that he himself should bear his misfortune without repining is less a matter for wonder;
τῶν δὲ Συρακουσίων ἄξιον ἄγασθαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τιμὴν καὶ χάριν ἣν ἐπεδείξαντο πεπηρωμένῳ, φοιτῶντες ἐπὶ θύρας αὐτοὶ καὶ τῶν ξένων τοὺς παρεπιδημοῦντας ἄγοντες εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὸ χωρίον, ὅπως θεάσαιντο τὸν εὐεργέτην αὑτῶν,
but the gratitude and honour which the Syracusans showed him in his blindness are worthy of admiration. They often went to visit him in person, and brought strangers who were sojourning in the city to his house and to his country seat to see their benefactor,
ἀγαλλόμενοι καὶ μέγα φρονοῦντες ὅτι παρʼ αὐτοῖς εἵλετο καταζῆσαι τὸν βίον, οὕτω λαμπρᾶς ἐπανόδου τῆς εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα παρεσκευασμένης αὐτῷ διὰ τῶν εὐτυχημάτων καταφρονήσας.
exulting and proud that he chose to end his days among them and thus made light of the brilliant return to Greece which had been prepared for him by reason of his successes.
πολλῶν δὲ καὶ μεγάλων εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου τιμὴν γραφομένων καὶ πραττομένων οὐδενὸς ἧττον ἦν τὸ ψηφίσασθαι τὸν τῶν Συρακουσίων δῆμον, ὁσάκις συμπέσοι πόλεμος αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἀλλοφύλους, Κορινθίῳ χρῆσθαι στρατηγῷ.
And of the many great things decreed and done in his honour, nothing surpassed the vote passed by the people of Syracuse that whenever they went to war against alien peoples, they would employ a Corinthian as their general.
καλὴν δὲ καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰς ἐκκλησίας γινόμενον ὄψιν εἰς τιμὴν αὐτοῦ παρεῖχε· τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα διʼ αὑτῶν κρίνοντες ἐπὶ τὰς μείζονας διασκέψεις ἐκεῖνον ἐκάλουν.
Moreover, the proceedings in their assemblies afforded a noble spectacle in his honour, since, while they decided other matters by themselves, for the more important deliberations they summoned him.
ὁ δὲ κομιζόμενος διʼ ἀγορᾶς ἐπὶ ζεύγους πρὸς τὸ θέατρον ἐπορεύετο καὶ τῆς ἀπήνης, ὥσπερ ἐτύγχανε καθήμενος, εἰσαγομένης, ὁ μὲν δῆμος ἠσπάζετο μιᾷ φωνῇ προσαγορεύων αὐτόν, ὁ δʼ ἀντασπασάμενος καὶ χρόνον τινὰ δοὺς ταῖς εὐφημίαις καὶ τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, εἶτα διακούσας τὸ ζητούμενον, ἀπεφαίνετο γνώμην.
Then he would proceed to the theatre carried through the market place on a mule-car; and when the vehicle in which he sat was brought in, the people would greet him with one voice and call him by name, and he, after returning their greetings and allowing some time for their felicitations and praises, would then listen carefully to the matter under debate and pronounce opinion.
ἐπιχειροτονηθείσης δὲ ταύτης οἱ μὲν ὑπηρέται πάλιν ἀπῆγον διὰ τοῦ θεάτρου τὸ ζεῦγος, οἱ δὲ πολῖται βοῇ καὶ κρότῳ προπέμψαντες ἐκεῖνον ἤδη τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν δημοσίων καθʼ αὑτοὺς ἐχρημάτιζον.
And when this opinion had been adopted, his retainers would conduct his car back again through the theatre, and the citizens, after sending him on his way with shouts of applause, would proceed at once to transact the rest of the public business by themselves.
ἐν τοιαύτῃ δὲ γηροτροφούμενος τιμῇ μετʼ εὐνοίας, ὥσπερ πατὴρ κοινός, ἐκ μικρᾶς προφάσεως τῷ χρόνῳ συνεφαψαμένης ἐτελεύτησεν.
Cherished in old age amid such honour and good will, like a common father, a slight cause co-operated with his great age to bring him to his end.
ἡμερῶν δὲ δοθεισῶν τοῖς μὲν Συρακουσίοις εἰς τὸ παρασκευάσαι τὰ περὶ τὴν ταφήν, τοῖς δὲ περιοίκοις καὶ ξένοις εἰς τὸ συνελθεῖν, τά τʼ ἄλλα λαμπρᾶς χορηγίας ἔτυχε, καὶ τὸ λέχος οἱ ψήφῳ τῶν νεανίσκων προκριθέντες ἔφερον κεκοσμημένον διὰ τῶν Διονυσίου τυραννείων τότε κατεσκαμμένων.
A number of days having been allowed in which the Syracusans might prepare for his funeral, while the country folk and strangers came together, the whole ceremony was conducted with great magnificence, and besides, young men selected by lot carried his bier with all its decorations through the precinct where the palace of Dionysius had stood before Timoleon destroyed it.
προὔπεμπον δὲ πολλαὶ μυριάδες ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν, ὧν ὄψις μὲν ἦν ἑορτῇ πρέπουσα, πάντων ἐστεφανωμένων καὶ καθαρὰς ἐσθῆτας φορούντων, φωναὶ δὲ καὶ δάκρυα συγκεκραμένα τῷ μακαρισμῷ τοῦ τεθνηκότος οὐ τιμῆς ἀφοσίωσιν οὐδὲ λειτουργίαν ἐκ προβουλεύματος, ἀλλὰ πόθον δίκαιον ἐπεδείκνυντο καὶ χάριν ἀληθινῆς εὐνοίας.
The bier was escorted, too, by many thousands of men and women, whose appearance was one that because a festival, since all were crowned with garlands and wore white raiment; while cries and tears, mingled with benedictions upon the dead, betokened, not a formal tribute of respect, nor a service performed in obedience to public decree, but a just sorrow and a thankfulness arising from genuine good will.
τέλος δὲ τῆς κλίνης ἐπὶ τὴν πυρὰν τεθείσης Δημήτριος, ὃς ἦν μεγαλοφωνότατος τῶν τότε κηρύκων, γεγραμμένον ἀνεῖπε κήρυγμα τοιοῦτον·
And finally, when the bier had been placed upon the funeral pyre, Demetrius, who had the loudest voice of any herald of the time, read from manuscript the following decree:—
ὁ δῆμος ὁ Συρακουσίων Τιμολέοντα Τιμοδήμου Κορίνθιον τόνδε θάπτει μὲν διακοσίων μνῶν, ἐτίμησε δʼ εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἀγῶσι μουσικοῖς, ἱππικοῖς, γυμνικοῖς, ὅτι τοὺς τυράννους καταλύσας καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους καταπολεμήσας καὶ τὰς μεγίστας τῶν ἀναστάτων πόλεων οἰκίσας ἀπέδωκε τοὺς νόμους τοῖς Σικελιώταις.
By the people of Syracuse, Timoleon, son of Timodemus, from Corinth, is here buried at a public cost of two hundred minas, and is honoured for all time with annual contests, musical, equestrian, and gymnastic, because he overthrew the tyrants, subdued the Barbarians, re-peopled the largest of the devastated cities, and then restored their laws to the Greeks of Sicily.
ἐποιήσαντο δὲ τὴν ταφὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐν ἀγορᾷ, καὶ στοὰς ὕστερον περιβαλόντες καὶ παλαίστρας ἐνοικοδομήσαντες γυμνάσιον τοῖς νέοις ἀνῆκαν καὶ Τιμολεόντειον προσηγόρευσαν.
Furthermore, they buried his ashes in the market place, and afterwards, when they had surrounded it with porticoes and built palaestras in it, they set it apart as a gymnasium for their young men, and named it Timoleonteum.
αὐτοὶ δὲ χρώμενοι πολιτείᾳ καὶ νόμοις οὓς ἐκεῖνος κατέστησεν, ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον εὐδαιμονοῦντες διετέλεσαν.
And they themselves, using the civil polity and the laws which he had ordained, enjoyed a long course of unbroken prosperity and happiness.
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