,

may she grant glory to be secured, bringing forth for you in return her own assistance." 2.13.15 When therefore the chiliarch had belched forth these ignoble words and was terrifying the assembly with his speech, and the crowd was still and astounded at the dreadful tales, a certain old man from the assembly leapt up with a shout, blaming the chiliarch, and he demanded that the assembly enter into a debate. 2.13.16 And when the crowd assented and with their hands bade him speak, imploring with an aged voice and with an old man's tear urging reverence for his words, he began his speech somewhat as follows. 2.14.1 "Men of Rome, if only you do not belie your names by your deeds; men, if only with your bodies you might have male souls. Even if the chiliarch knows how to make great boasts in his speeches and to stir things up, nevertheless, deeds are more effective than words and do not tolerate mere noises; for he does not frighten us with his sophistries as if we were children. 2.14.2 But first I would gladly ask him: by truth, to whom do you deliver these harangues, O chiliarch? You would have beguiled rustics by uttering these things, among whom the shovel stands for a sword, and a leather jerkin for a breastplate, and in place of a proud and high-necked horse, plow-oxen, men unskilled in deeds and servants of farmers. 2.14.3 Why have you supposed the assembly to be a women's quarters, and along with their gender insulted their nature? You wrong the facts with your words, shamelessly dishonoring the council. Did you not think to pour out unseemly words in the sight of men? Or do you not see an assembly and a Roman people, boasting in their zeal, bristling with arms, and knowledgeable from experience of dangers and from foresight of what is advantageous? Why has a small misfortune cut short for you the increase of great deeds of valor? 2.14.4 Let the enemy put you to shame, who is not astounded at his misfortunes. He who a short while ago became as it were a creature of the marsh, and fled to the island, and undertook the treacherous safety of trusting the waters, now draws up his line manfully, and encourages the wounded, and persuades them by their wounds to receive greater blows from the enemy as if they were certain soothing remedies for the greatest pains. 2.14.5 For he is forgetful of his former evils; for one who does not hope for his difficulties to change is necessarily deprived of good fortune. 2.14.6 Whence have the Romans advanced to great power and extended a small city-state into so great an empire? I for my part think it is by being magnanimous and having burning desires, and by being naturally daring and lovers of danger, and by considering this to be death: not to have died for glory. 2.14.7 For if they had been similar in soul to the chiliarch, they would not have ruled Europe, they would not have held Libya subject, they would not have sent out tax collectors to Asia, they would not have possessed the Nile as a servant, which floods the wealth of Egypt in the summer season to the Roman cities and with its merchant ships almost makes the sea into dry land. And what is this wonderful refrain of your speech? 2.14.8 "There will be," he says, "no reinforcing power for us." Who entrusted to you the principles of this divination? Or did you receive this oracle as if from some Pythia of cowardice? Sloth has this praise also, along with others: it is a self-taught prophet and a most ready guesser, always spontaneously improvising delay for affairs. 2.14.9 But I am amazed, if the barbarians are running about at the Long Walls, and the emperor is not awake, 2.14.10 while such great disturbances are surging through the city. One unconquerable ally, men, is magnanimity, which is loftier than all things, making possible what is impossible for others, and enduring more boldly what is terrifying to the multitude. 2.14.11 Therefore let every man go inspired into battle today, and let us affix to our deeds the great stamp of glory; for I shall not insult the deeds with names, and call courage recklessness, 2.14.12 or valor rashness. This, then, from me, the old man and lover of danger. If it seems good to any other man also, let him decide this way. But if not,

διασφαλῆναι δοίη τῆς δόξης αὐτὴν τὴν παρ' ἑαυτῆς ἐπικουρίαν ὑμῖν ἀντεξάγουσα." 2.13.15 ῞Οτε τοίνυν ὁ χιλίαρχος τοὺς ἀγεννεῖς τούτους ἐξηρεύξατο λόγους τοῖς τε ῥήμασιν ἐξεδειμάτου τὸν σύλλογον, ἀτρεμοῦντός τε τοῦ πλήθους καὶ τεθηπότος τοῖς φοβεροῖς διηγήμασιν, ἀνήρ τις πρεσβύτης ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀνέθορε μετὰ βοῆς τῷ χιλιάρχῳ μεμφόμενος, ἐξῄτει τε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐς λόγους 2.13.16 ἀντιλογίας γενέσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ πλῆθος ἐπένευε καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ προαγορεύειν ἐκέλευσεν, φωνῇ γηραλέᾳ ποτνιώμενος πρεσβυτικῷ τε δακρύῳ τοῖς ῥήμασι τὴν αἰδῶ προτρεπόμενος ὧδέ πως τῶν λόγων ἀπήρξατο. 2.14.1 "῎Ανδρες ῾Ρωμαῖοι, ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἔργοις ψεύσησθε τὰ ὀνόματα· ἄνδρες, ἀλλ' εἰ μετὰ τοῦ σώματος ἄρρενας σχοίητε τὰς ψυχάς. εἰ καὶ τοῖς λόγοις κομπάζειν μεγάλα οἶδε καὶ περικυκᾶν ὁ χιλίαρχος, ὅμως ἐνδρανέστερα τῶν ῥημάτων τὰ πράγματα καὶ ψόφων οὐκ ἀνεχόμενα· οὐ γὰρ 2.14.2 καθάπερ παῖδας ἡμᾶς μορμολύττεται τοῖς σοφίσμασιν. ἐγὼ δὲ πρῶτον ἡδέως ἐροίμην ἐκεῖνον· πρὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, τίσι ταῦτα δημηγορεῖς, ὦ χιλίαρχε; ἀγροίκους ἂν ἐβουκόλησας ταῦτα φθεγγόμενος, παρ' οἷς ἀντὶ μὲν ξίφους τὸ πτύον, διφθέρα δὲ θώραξ, ἀντὶ δὲ ἵππου γαύρου τε καὶ ὑψαύχενος ἀροτῆρες βόες, ἰδιῶται τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ θεράποντες γεωργῶν. 2.14.3 τί τὴν ἐκκλησίαν γυναικωνῖτιν ὑπείληφας, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ γένους τὴν φύσιν ἐνύβρισας; ἀδικεῖς τοῖς λόγοις τὰ πράγματα καταναισχυντῶν τῆς βουλῆς. οὐκ ἐν ἀρρένων ὄψεσιν ἐκχεῖν ἀσχήμονας λόγους ἐδόκησας; ἢ οὐκ ἐκκλησίαν ὁρᾷς καὶ δῆμον ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν αὐχοῦντα τῇ προθυμίᾳ καὶ σφριγῶντα τοῖς ὅπλοις καὶ πείρᾳ κινδύνων καὶ προμηθείᾳ τοῦ συνοίσοντος ἐπιστήμονα; τί σοι μικρὰ συμφορὰ μεγάλων ἀνδραγαθημάτων 2.14.4 ἐπίδοσιν περιέτεμεν; καταισχυνέτω σε τὸ πολέμιον μὴ τεθηπὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀτυχήμασιν. ὁ πρὸ μικροῦ λιμναῖος ὥσπερ γενόμενος καὶ πρὸς τῇ νήσῳ φυγὼν καὶ τὴν τῶν ὑδάτων πίστιν σωτηρίαν ἄπιστον ἀνελόμενος νῦν ἀνδρικῶς παρατάττεται καὶ παραθαρρύνει τοὺς τραυματίας καὶ πείθει τοῖς ἕλκεσι μείζονας ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν βολὰς ὑποδέχεσθαι ὥσπερ τινὰ 2.14.5 φάρμακα μεγίστων ἀλγηδόνων θελκτήρια. τῶν γὰρ ἔμπροσθέν ἐστιν ἐπιλήσμων κακῶν· ἀπορεῖν γὰρ εὐπραγίας ἀνάγκη τὸν 2.14.6 μὴ μεταβάλλεσθαι τὰς δυσχερείας ἐλπίσαντα. πόθεν ῾Ρωμαῖοι ἐς μέγα προῆλθον δυνάμεως καὶ μικρὰν πολιαρχίαν ἐς τοσοῦτον κράτος παρέτειναν; ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι τῷ μεγαλόφρονας εἶναι καὶ ζέοντας ἔχειν τοὺς ἔρωτας, καὶ τῷ τολμητὰς πεφυκέναι καὶ φιλοκινδυνευτάς, καὶ τοῦτο δοκοῦντας τεθνάναι τὸ μὴ 2.14.7 τεθνάναι δι' εὔκλειαν. εἰ γὰρ παραπλήσιοι ἦσαν τῇ τοῦ χιλιάρχου ψυχῇ, οὐ τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐκράτησαν ἄν, οὐ τὴν Λιβύην εἶχον ὑπήκοον, οὐκ ἀργυρολόγους ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Ασίαν ἐξέπεμπον, οὐ τὸν Νεῖλον ὑπηρέτην ἐκέκτηντο τὸν Αἰγύπτιον πλοῦτον ὥρᾳ θέρους ταῖς ῾Ρωμαϊκαῖς πελαγίζοντα πόλεσι καὶ ταῖς ὁλκάσιν ὥσπερ ἀποχερσοῦντα τὴν θάλατταν. οἷον δέ σου 2.14.8 καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν τῶν λόγων ἐφόλκιον; οὐκ ἔσται, φησίν, ἡμῖν ἐπίθετος δύναμις. τίς σοι τοὺς τῆς μαντικῆς ταύτης ἐπίστευσε γνώμονας; ἢ ὥσπερ ἐκ Πυθίας τινὸς τῆς ἀνανδρίας ἀνείλου τὸ μάντευμα; ἔχει καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ ὄκνος ἐγκώμιον· μάντις ἐστὶν αὐτοδίδακτος καὶ στοχαστὴς ἑτοιμότατος ἀεὶ τοῖς πράγμασι τὴν ἀναβολὴν ἀποσχεδιάζων 2.14. αὐτόματον. ἐγὼ δὲ τεθαύμακα, εἰ πρὸς τοῖς Μακροῖς οἱ βάρβαροι διαθέουσι τείχεσιν, καὶ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἐγρήγορεν, 2.14.10 τηλικούτων ἀνὰ τὸ ἄστυ κυμαινόντων θορύβων. μία τις, ἄνδρες, ἀκαταγώνιστος σύμμαχος ἡ πάντων ὑψηλοτέρα μεγαλοψυχία καθέστηκεν, τὰ μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀδύνατα δυνατὰ καθιστῶσα, τὰ δὲ τῷ πλήθει φοβερὰ θαρσαλεώτερον ὑπο2.14.11 μένουσα. ἔνθους τοίνυν ἅπας ἐς μάχην χωρείτω τὸ τήμερον, καὶ μέγαν τοῖς ἔργοις εὐδοξίας χαρακτῆρα προσβάλωμεν· οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ὀνόμασιν ὑβρίσω τὰ πράγματα, καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν 2.14.12 θράσος ἀποκαλέσομαι, ἢ τὴν ἀριστείαν προπέτειαν. ταῦτα μὲν ὁ πρεσβύτης ἐγὼ καὶ φιλοκίνδυνος. εἰ δέ τῳ καὶ ἄλλῳ δοκεῖ, ταύτῃ κρινέτω. εἰ δὲ μή,