Plato, Apology, 31d mid - 32b start
Oct. 29th, 2012 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lb[31δ] ἐμοὶ δὲ τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐκ παιδὸς ἀρξάμενον, φωνή τις γιγνομένη, ἣ ὅταν γένηται, ἀεὶ ἀποτρέπει με τοῦτο ὃ ἂν μέλλω πράττειν, προτρέπει δὲ οὔποτε. τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ὅ μοι ἐναντιοῦται τὰ πολιτικὰ πράττειν, καὶ παγκάλως γέ μοι δοκεῖ ἐναντιοῦσθαι: εὖ γὰρ ἴστε, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, εἰ ἐγὼ πάλαι ἐπεχείρησα πράττειν τὰ πολιτικὰ πράγματα, πάλαι ἂν ἀπολώλη καὶ οὔτ᾽ ἂν ὑμᾶς ὠφελήκη
And this is ruling to me from boyhood, some sound happens upon me, which whenever it should happen, this always prevents me from [doing] that which I might intend to do, and it never urges me on. This is that which opposes me practising political matters, and indeed it seems to me to have opposed me nobly: for well you know, O Athenian men, if I of old put my hand to praticising politcal matters, of old I would have been ruined and it would have been with neither any help with respect to you
[31ε] οὐδὲν οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἐμαυτόν. καί μοι μὴ ἄχθεσθε λέγοντι τἀληθῆ: οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὅστις ἀνθρώπων σωθήσεται οὔτε ὑμῖν οὔτε ἄλλῳ πλήθει οὐδενὶ γνησίως ἐναντιούμενος καὶ διακωλύων πολλὰ ἄδικα καὶ παράνομα ἐν τῇ πόλει γίγνεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽
nor any with respect to myself. And don't be grieved at me for speaking the truth: for it is not any man who will be saved from death neither by lawfully opposing you nor anyone else of the many and hindering many injustices and lawlessnesses from happening in the city, but
[32α] ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τὸν τῷ ὄντι μαχούμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ εἰ μέλλει ὀλίγον χρόνον σωθήσεσθαι, ἰδιωτεύειν ἀλλὰ μὴ δημοσιεύειν.
μεγάλα δ᾽ ἔγωγε ὑμῖν τεκμήρια παρέξομαι τούτων, οὐ λόγους ἀλλ᾽ ὃ ὑμεῖς τιμᾶτε, ἔργα. ἀκούσατε δή μοι τὰ συμβεβηκότα, ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἑνὶ ὑπεικάθοιμι παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον δείσας θάνατον, μὴ ὑπείκων δὲ ἀλλὰ κἂν ἀπολοίμην. ἐρῶ δὲ ὑμῖν φορτικὰ μὲν καὶ δικανικά, ἀληθῆ δέ. ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἄλλην μὲν ἀρχὴν οὐδεμίαν
it is necessary for the one who in reality fights on behalf of justice, if he intends to save himself for even a little while, he should live privately, not in the public service.
I at least will present to you great proofs of these things, not words but that which you honour, deeds. And hear the things that have come to me, in order that you will know that I will not yield to [any]one, from beside the right on account of fearing death, lest by yielding to another I also might die. And I will say to you things which while they are vulgar and tedious are also true. For I, O Athenian men,
[32β] πώποτε ἦρξα ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἐβούλευσα δέ:
I never held any single other office in the city, but I was in the boule.
And this is ruling to me from boyhood, some sound happens upon me, which whenever it should happen, this always prevents me from [doing] that which I might intend to do, and it never urges me on. This is that which opposes me practising political matters, and indeed it seems to me to have opposed me nobly: for well you know, O Athenian men, if I of old put my hand to praticising politcal matters, of old I would have been ruined and it would have been with neither any help with respect to you
[31ε] οὐδὲν οὔτ᾽ ἂν ἐμαυτόν. καί μοι μὴ ἄχθεσθε λέγοντι τἀληθῆ: οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὅστις ἀνθρώπων σωθήσεται οὔτε ὑμῖν οὔτε ἄλλῳ πλήθει οὐδενὶ γνησίως ἐναντιούμενος καὶ διακωλύων πολλὰ ἄδικα καὶ παράνομα ἐν τῇ πόλει γίγνεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽
nor any with respect to myself. And don't be grieved at me for speaking the truth: for it is not any man who will be saved from death neither by lawfully opposing you nor anyone else of the many and hindering many injustices and lawlessnesses from happening in the city, but
[32α] ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τὸν τῷ ὄντι μαχούμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ εἰ μέλλει ὀλίγον χρόνον σωθήσεσθαι, ἰδιωτεύειν ἀλλὰ μὴ δημοσιεύειν.
μεγάλα δ᾽ ἔγωγε ὑμῖν τεκμήρια παρέξομαι τούτων, οὐ λόγους ἀλλ᾽ ὃ ὑμεῖς τιμᾶτε, ἔργα. ἀκούσατε δή μοι τὰ συμβεβηκότα, ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἑνὶ ὑπεικάθοιμι παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον δείσας θάνατον, μὴ ὑπείκων δὲ ἀλλὰ κἂν ἀπολοίμην. ἐρῶ δὲ ὑμῖν φορτικὰ μὲν καὶ δικανικά, ἀληθῆ δέ. ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἄλλην μὲν ἀρχὴν οὐδεμίαν
it is necessary for the one who in reality fights on behalf of justice, if he intends to save himself for even a little while, he should live privately, not in the public service.
I at least will present to you great proofs of these things, not words but that which you honour, deeds. And hear the things that have come to me, in order that you will know that I will not yield to [any]one, from beside the right on account of fearing death, lest by yielding to another I also might die. And I will say to you things which while they are vulgar and tedious are also true. For I, O Athenian men,
[32β] πώποτε ἦρξα ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἐβούλευσα δέ:
I never held any single other office in the city, but I was in the boule.
