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clear proofs of the truth, yet being very hesitant and shrinking from the change, as one who knew that such changes for the most part become causes of evils, for a long time 2.157 he paused, considering what he would turn to and answer, and a deep silence held the assembly, with everyone in suspense for the hearing of what was to be said. And with difficulty, as if thrusting away the confusion of his doubtful thoughts, he said, "I still hold to my former considerations that I ought not to disturb anything of the present state, nor to innovate, and I myself would rather choose not only to be deprived of my existing possessions, but even, if necessary, to endure some irreparable harm in my body, than to provide a pretext for civil war. For you yourselves are witnesses to the aversion I have had from my earliest years to plundering the property of others or to delighting in murders and plunderings and the destruction of men. Furthermore, not only barbarians and Greeks, all who learned of the friendship between myself and the emperor, but I would also be ashamed before the sun and any other inanimate thing, if I should now appear as an enemy to his children after his death. For not only would I most gladly have chosen to die myself for him to live, if it were possible, but also after his death, I call to witness the all-seeing eye, that I intended the best and most profitable things for his wife and children and to do everything and to undergo every danger, so that every trouble might be far from them and the affairs of the Romans might be raised to a great height of glory and fortune, while remaining in my present station. And now no less, after the war was declared by them 2.158 for no reason and contrary to all, as I would say, reason of justice, I also choose to endure the most terrible things in order not to give the multitude the impression of waging war against the empress for the sake of power. But since, as I myself am aware and it is fitting to be persuaded by you in your deliberations, greater and more terrible dangers are expected from my withdrawing from affairs, unwillingly indeed and as if openly deserting to danger—for it is not from desire of glory, for I enjoy the highest glory even now in my present station, nor for the sake of money, for my present possessions, being almost beyond counting, I have left to those wishing to plunder them—yet for your sake and for the common salvation of the Romans I choose the expected great and many dangers in place of my present security. And those things which seemed most advantageous to me, not idly, nor foolishly, but wishing to provide no pretext for war, I willingly set aside, and I will turn myself to what has been decided by you for your benefit, as I said. Nevertheless, since it is not for my own advantage, but for your sake and for the common good that I have chosen these things, it is surely not just, nor otherwise pious, that now you all alike urge me to these things and point to no other path of salvation than this, and then a little later, if matters do not turn out according to your mind, you defect one after another, 2.159 to provide for yourselves what seems to be salvation from your present circumstances, and to leave me alone in the dangers, I who undertook them on behalf of you all, when it was possible for me to be safe without danger. For this would be most disadvantageous not only for me, but for you also. For neither will it be possible for a pilot to save the ship, if the sailors out of contentiousness desist from cooperating, and for the sailors no hope of safety is left, when the ship is lost. But it is necessary for all, holding the same opinion and showing equal endurance in dangers, thus to accomplish great things. For not one of the ancients, being idle and lazy and dull, raised a trophy from the enemy, but by enduring every toil and appearing undaunted in dangers. But if to anyone what is being done is not pleasing, nor does he wish to run risks for the sake of goodwill towards me by persevering here, but he thinks he should rather save his property at home, than be held in suspense by empty hopes, having left behind what is in his hands, it is necessary with a free tongue

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ἀληθείας ἐναργῆ, ὅμως δὲ πρὸς τὴν μεταβολὴν ὀκνῶν πάνυ καὶ ἀναδυόμενος, οἷα δὴ τὰς τοιαύτας μεταβολὰς κακῶν αἰτίας εἰδὼς ὡς ἐπίπαν γινομένας, ἐπιπολὺ 2.157 μὲν ἐπέσχε πρὸς ὅ,τι τραπόμενος ἀποκρινεῖται στοχαζόμενος, καὶ σιωπὴ βαθεῖα τὸ θέατρον κατεῖχε, πάντων πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν λεχθησομένων μετεώρων ὑπαρχόντων. μόλις δὲ ὥσπερ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀμφιβόλων σύγχυσιν λογισμῶν ἀποκρουσάμενος, «τῶν μὲν προτέρων» ἔφη «λογισμῶν περὶ τοῦ δεῖν μηδὲν τῶν ὄντων μετακινεῖν, μηδὲ νεωτερίζειν, ἔτι ἔχομαι καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς αἱροῦμαι οὐ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μόνον ἀποστερηθῆναι, ἀλλ' εἴ τι δέοι καὶ τῶν ἀνηκέστων ὑποστῆναι ἐν τῷ σώματι, ἢ πολέμου πρόφασιν ἐμφυλίου παρασχέσθαι. τὴν γὰρ ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας αὐτοί μοι σύνιστε ἀπέχθειαν, ἣν ἔσχον περὶ τὸ τὰ ἀλλότρια διαρπάζειν ἢ φόνοις χαίρειν καὶ λεηλασίαις καὶ φθοραῖς ἀνθρώπων. ἔτι δὲ οὐδὲ βαρβάρους καὶ Ἕλληνας μόνον, ὅσοι τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐμοῦ τε καὶ βασιλέως ἐπύθοντο φιλίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἥλιον ἂν καὶ εἴ τι τῶν ἀψύχων ἕτερον, αἰσχυνοίμην, εἰ τοῖς ἐκείνου παισὶ πολέμιος μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν φαινοίμην νῦν. οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ζῇν ἐκεῖνον τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὸς, εἴγε ἐξῆν, ὡς ἥδιστα ἂν εἱλόμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνου τελευτὴν, τὸν πάντα ἐφορῶντα μαρτύρομαι ὀφθαλμὸν, ὡς τὰ βέλτιστα καὶ λυσιτελέστατα περί τε γαμετῆς καὶ τέκνων διενοούμην καὶ πάντα πράττειν καὶ ὑφίστασθαι πάντα κίνδυνον, ἵν' ἐκείνων τε πᾶν ἀπείη δυσχερὲς καὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ μέγα καὶ εὐκλείας αἴροιτο καὶ τύχης, μένων ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος σχήματος. νυνί τε οὐχ ἧττον μετὰ τὸν κηρυχθέντα παρ' ἐκείνων πόλε 2.158 μον ἐξ οὐδεμιᾶς αἰτίας καὶ παρὰ πάνθ', ὡς ἂν ἐγὼ φαίην, τοῦ δικαίου λόγον, καὶ τὰ δεινότατα αἱροῦμαι ὑπομένειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ πόλεμον κινεῖν πρὸς βασιλίδα ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὑπόληψιν παρέχειν τοῖς πολλοῖς. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὥσπερ αὐτός τε σύνοιδα καὶ ὑμῖν βουλευομένοις πείθεσθαι προσήκει, μείζω καὶ δεινότερα προσδοκᾶται τὰ δεινὰ ἐκ τοῦ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτὸν ὑποχωρεῖν, ἄκων μὲν καὶ ὥσπερ εἰς κινδύνους προφανῶς αὐτομολῶν, οὔτε γὰρ ἐπιθυμίᾳ δόξης, τῆς γὰρ ἀκροτάτης κἀν τῷ παρόντι σχήματι ἀπολαύω νῦν, οὔτε χρημάτων ἕνεκα, τὰ γὰρ παρόντα καὶ ἀριθμοῦ σχεδὸν ὄντα κρείττω τοῖς διαρπάζειν προεῖμαι βουλομένοις, ὅμως ὑμῶν τε εἵνεκα καὶ τῆς κοινῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων σωτηρίας τοὺς προσδοκωμένους μεγάλους καὶ πολλοὺς κινδύνους τῆς ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀσφαλείας ἀνθαιροῦμαι. καὶ ἃ ἐμοὶ λυσιτελέστατα ἐδόκει, οὐκ ἀπραγμόνως, οὐδ' ἀνοήτως, ἀλλὰ μηδεμίαν πρόφασιν παρέχειν τῷ πολέμῳ βουλομένῳ, παρεὶς ἑκὼν, ἐπὶ τὰ ὑμῖν δεδογμένα τῆς ὑμῶν ὠφελείας ἕνεκα, ὥσπερ ἔφην, τρέψω ἐμαυτόν. οὐ μὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ οὐκ ἰδίας πλεονεξίας, ἀλλ' ὑμῶν τε ἕνεκα καὶ τοῦ κοινῇ λυσιτελοῦντος τοιαῦτα προειλόμην, οὐ δήπου δίκαιον, οὐδὲ ἄλλως εὐσεβὲς, νῦν μὲν ὁμοίως ἐπὶ ταῦτα πάντας ὑμᾶς παρακαλεῖν καὶ μηδεμίαν ἄλλην ἢ ταύτην ὁδὸν ὑφηγεῖσθαι σωτηρίας, ὀλίγῳ δὲ ὕστερον, εἰ μὴ κατὰ γνώμην ὑμῖν τὰ πράγματα ἐκβαίνοι, ἄλλον ἄλλοτε ἀφισταμένους, 2.159 ἑαυτοῖς μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων ἐκπορίζειν τὴν δοκοῦσαν σωτηρίαν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις καταλείπειν μόνον, ὃς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ὑμῶν αὐτοὺς ἀνεδεξάμην, ἐνὸν ἀκινδύνως σώζεσθαι. τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῖν ἀλυσιτελέστατον ἂν εἴη. οὔτε γὰρ κυβερνήτῃ διασώζειν τὴν ναῦν ἐξέσται, ἂν πρὸς φιλονεικίαν οἱ ναῦται τοῦ συμπράττειν ἀφιστῶνται, τοῖς τε ναύταις οὐδεμία σωτηρίας ὑπολείπεται ἐλπὶς, τῆς νηὸς ἀπολλυμένης. ἀλλὰ δεῖ πάντας τὴν ὁμοίαν γνώμην ἔχοντας καὶ τὴν καρτερίαν ἴσην ἐπιδεικνυμένους ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς, οὕτω τὰ μεγάλα κατορθοῦν. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τῶν παλαιῶν οὐδεὶς ἀργῶν καὶ ῥᾳθυμῶν καὶ ἀμβλυνόμενος τρόπαιον ἀνέστησεν ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλὰ πάντα πόνον ὑπομένων καὶ ἀκατάπληκτος φαινόμενος ἐν τοῖς δεινοῖς. εἰ δέ τῳ τὰ πραττόμενα οὐκ ἀρεστὰ, οὐδὲ διακινδυνεύειν βούλεται τῆς εἰς ἐμὲ εὐνοίας ἕνεκα ἐνθάδε διακαρτερῶν, ἀλλ' οἴεται δεῖν μᾶλλον τὰ οἴκοι διασώζειν, ἢ κεναῖς ἐλπίσιν αἰωρεῖσθαι, τὰ ἐν χερσὶ καταλιπὼν, ἐλευθέρᾳ γλώττῃ δέον