οὕτως αἱ κρίσεις, ἂν μὴ βεβαιότητα καὶ ῥώμην ἐκ λόγου καὶ φιλοσοφίας προσλάβωσιν ἐπὶ τὰς πράξεις, σείονται καὶ παραφέρονται ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων ἐπαίνων καὶ ψόγων, ἐκκρουόμεναι τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν,
So true is it that the purposes of men, unless they acquire firmness and strength from reason and philosophy for the activities of life, are unsettled and easily carried away by casual praise and blame, being forced out of their native reckonings.
δεῖ γὰρ οὐ μόνον, ὡς ἔοικε, τὴν πρᾶξιν καλὴν εἶναι καὶ δικαίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δόξαν, ἀφʼ ἧς πράττεται, μόνιμον καὶ ἀμετάπτωτον,
For it would seem that not only our action must be noble and just, but the conviction also from which our action springs must be abiding and unchangeable,
ἵνα πράττωμεν δοκιμάσαντες, μηδʼ ὥσπερ οἱ λίχνοι τὰ πλήσμια τῶν ἐδεσμάτων ὀξυτάτῃ διώκοντες ἐπιθυμίᾳ τάχιστα δυσχεραίνουσιν ἐμπλησθέντες, οὕτως ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ ταῖς πράξεσι συντελεσθείσαις ἀθυμῶμεν διʼ ἀσθένειαν ἀπομαραινομένης τῆς τοῦ καλοῦ φαντασίας.
in order that we may be satisfied with what we are about to do, and that mere weakness may not make us dejected over actions which have once been accomplished, when the fair vision of the Good fades away; just as gluttons who devour cloying viands with the keenest appetite are very soon sated and then disgusted with them.
αἰσχρὸν γὰρ ἡ μετάνοια ποιεῖ καὶ τὸ καλῶς πεπραγμένον, ἡ δʼ ἐξ ἐπιστήμης ὡρμημένη καὶ λογισμοῦ προαίρεσις οὐδʼ ἂν πταίσωσιν αἱ πράξεις μεταβάλλεται.
For repentance makes even the noble action base; whereas the choice which springs from a wise and understanding calculation does not change, even though its results are unsuccessful.
διὸ Φωκίων μὲν ὁ Ἀθηναῖος τοῖς ὑπὸ Λεωσθένους πραττομένοις ἐναντιωθείς, ἐπειδὴ κατορθοῦν ἐκεῖνος ἐδόκει καὶ θύοντας ἑώρα καὶ μεγαλαυχουμένους τῇ νίκῃ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, εἶπεν ὡς ἐβούλετο ἂν αὑτῷ ταῦτα μὲν πραχθῆναι, βεβουλεῦσθαι δʼ ἐκεῖνα·
For this reason Phocion the Athenian, after having opposed the activities of Leosthenes, when Leosthenes was thought to be successful and the Athenians were seen sacrificing and exulting over the victory, said he could have wished that the achievement were his own, but was glad that he counselled as he did.
σφοδρότερον δʼ Ἀριστείδης ὁ Λοκρός, εἷς ὢν τῶν Πλάτωνος ἑταίρων, αἰτοῦντος μὲν αὐτὸν γυναῖκα Διονυσίου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου μίαν τῶν θυγατέρων, ἥδιον ἂν ἔφη νεκρὰν ἰδεῖν τὴν κόρην ἢ τυράννῳ συνοικοῦσαν,
And with more force Aristides the Locrian, one of Plato’s companions, when Dionysius the Elder asked him for one of his daughters in marriage, said he would be more pleased to see the maid dead than living with a tyrant;
ἀποκτείναντος δὲ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ μετʼ ὀλίγον χρόνον τοῦ Διονυσίου καὶ πυθομένου πρὸς ὕβριν εἰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔτι γνώμην ἔχοι περὶ τῆς ἐκδόσεως τῶν θυγατέρων, ἀπεκρίνατο τοῖς μὲν γεγενημένοις λυπεῖσθαι, τοῖς δʼ εἰρημένοις μὴ μεταμέλεσθαι. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἴσως μείζονος καὶ τελειοτέρας ἀρετῆς ἐστι.
and when, after a little while, Dionysius put his children to death and then asked him insultingly whether he was still of the same mind about giving his daughters in marriage, answered that he was afflicted by what had been done, but did not repent him of what had been said. Such utterances as these, then, betoken perhaps a larger and more consummate virtue.
τὸ δὲ Τιμολέοντος ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις πάθος, εἴτʼ οἶκτος ἦν τοῦ τεθνηκότος εἴτε τῆς μητρὸς αἰδώς, οὕτω κατέκλασε καί συνέτριψεν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ὥστʼ εἴκοσι σχεδὸν ἐτῶν διαγενομένων μηδεμιᾶς ἐπιφανοῦς μηδὲ πολιτικῆς ἅψασθαι πράξεως,
But the grief of Timoleon over what had been done, whether it was due to pity for his dead brother or to reverence for his mother, so shattered and confounded his mental powers that almost twenty years passed without his setting his hand to a single conspicuous or public enterprise.
ἀναγορευθέντος οὖν αὐτοῦ, καί τὸν δήμου προθύμως δεξαμένου καί χειροτονήσαντος, ἀναστὰς Τηλεκλείδης ὁ τότε καί δυνάμει καί δόξῃ πρωτεύων ἐν τῇ πόλει, παρεκάλει τὸν Τιμολέοντα περὶ τὰς πράξεις ἀγαθὸν ἄνδρα εἶναι καί γενναῖον. ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἔφη, καλῶς ἀγωνίσῃ, τύραννον ἀνῃρηκέναι δόξομεν, ἂν δὲ φαύλως, ἀδελφόν.
Accordingly, when he had been nominated general, and the people had readily approved of it and given him their votes, Telecleides, who was at that time the foremost man in the city for reputation and influence, rose up and exhorted Timoleon to be a noble and brave man in his enterprises. For if, said he, thou contendest successfully, we shall think of thee as a tyrannicide; but if poorly, as a fratricide.
παρασκευαζομένου δὲ τοῦ Τιμολέοντος τὸν ἔκπλουν καί στρατιώτας συνάγοντος, ἐκομίσθη γράμματα πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους παρʼ Ἱκέτου μηνύοντα τὴν μεταβολὴν αὐτοῦ καί προδοσίαν.
But while Timoleon was getting ready for his voyage and collecting soldiers, a letter was brought to the Corinthians from Hicetas which disclosed his treacherous change of sides.
ὡς γὰρ τάχιστα τοὺς πρέσβεις ἐξέπεμψε, τοῖς Καρχηδονίοις προσθέμενος ἀναφανδὸν ἔπραττε μετʼ ἐκείνων ὅπως Διονύσιον ἐκβαλὼν Συρακουσῶν αὐτὸς ἔσται τύραννος.
For as soon as he had sent out the embassy, he openly attached himself to the Carthaginians and acted with them in order to expel Dionysius from Syracuse and become its tyrant himself.
καί δεδοικώς μὴ πρότερον ἐλθούσης ἐκ Κορίνθου δυνάμεως καί στρατηγοῦ διαφύγωσιν αἱ πράξεις αὐτόν, ἔπεμψεν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς Κορινθίοις φράζουσαν ὡς οὐδὲν δέον πράγματα καί δαπάνας ἔχειν αὐτούς πλέοντας εἰς Σικελίαν καί κινδυνεύοντας,
And fearing lest his opportunities for action should escape him if a general and an army came from Corinth in advance, he sent a letter to the Corinthians telling them that there was no need of their putting themselves to the trouble and expense of a voyage to Sicily with all its perils,
ἄλλως τε καί Καρχηδονίων ἀπαγορευόντων καί παραφυλαττομένων ναυσὶ πολλαῖς τὸν στόλον, οὓς αὐτὸς ἀναγκασθεὶς ἐκείνων βραδυνόντων ποιήσαιτο συμμάχους ἐπὶ τὸν τύραννον.
especially since the Carthaginians, with whom their delay had forced him to make an alliance against the tyrant, forbade their expedition and were on the watch for it with a large fleet.
τούτων δὲ τῶν γραμμάτων ἀναγνωσθέντων, εἰ καί τις ἠπίως εἶχε πρότερον τῶν Κορινθίων πρὸς τὴν στρατείαν, τότε πάντας ἡ πρὸς τὸν Ἱκέτην ὀργὴ παρώξυνεν, ὥστε συγχορηγῆσαι προθύμως τῷ Τιμολέοντι καί συμπαρασκευάσαι τὸν ἔκπλουν.
When this letter had been read publicly if any of the Corinthians had before been lukewarm towards the expedition, their wrath against Hicetas now incited them all, so that they eagerly joined in supplying Timoleon and helping him get ready for his voyage.
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