Speeches, addresses, etc., Greek -- Translations into English
And now many, both of the citizens and of the strangers, have come to
learn your opinion about these things, some of whom, being your own
citizens, will go away having learned either that they will suffer
punishment for the crimes they shall commit, or, having done what they
desire, will become tyrants of the city, but, failing, will be on equal
terms with you; but the foreigners in the city will know whether they
banished the Thirty from their city justly or unjustly, for, if the very
men who have suffered ill, shall acquit those whom they arrested, truly
they will think that they themselves have been over-zealous in taking
vengeance in your behalf. 36. Is it not then a hard thing if you punished
by death the generals who conquered in the naval battle because they said
they were not able to rescue their companions from the sea on account of
the storm, thinking it was necessary to exact punishment from them on
account of the valor of the dead, but these, who, as private citizens,
did all in their power to be defeated in the naval battle, and, when they
were established in power, confessed that they willingly put to death
many of the citizens without a trial,--is it not necessary that both they
themselves and their children should be punished by you with the most
extreme punishments?
37. I then, jurors, think that sufficient accusation has been made, for I
think it is necessary to carry the accusation up to this point until the
accused shall appear to have done things worthy of death; for this is the
most extreme punishment we can inflict upon them, so that I do not know
what need there is to make many accusations against men who would not be
able to give satisfaction for each of their offenses even by dying twice.
38. For it is not fitting for him to do that which is customary in this
city, to make no defense against the accusations but, speaking much of
themselves, they sometimes deceive, showing to you how good soldiers they
are, or how many ships of the enemy they took when in command of
triremes, or how many cities which were hostile they made friendly. 39.
For command him to show where he killed as many of the enemy as of the
citizens, or where he took as many ships as they themselves betrayed, or
what city they acquired so great as this one of ours which they enslaved.
40. For did they take as many arms from the enemy as they have taken from
you? Did they take such walls as those of their own country which they
dismantled? Who took away the garrisons about Attica, and made it plain
to you that they did not dismantle the Piraeus because the Lacedaemonians
commanded it, but because they thought that thus their own power would be
firmer?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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