| [197] Ἔθος τοῖς πλέουσι καὶ ὁδοιποροῦσιν εὐχὰς ποιεῖσθαι καθ´
ὧν ἂν ἕκαστος ἐπινοῇ. ποιητὴς μὲν οὖν ἤδη τις εἶπε σκώψας εὔξασθαι
κατὰ χρυσόκερω λιβανωτοῦ. ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὦ
ἄνδρες, παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὸν πλοῦν εὐχὴν ταύτην
ἐποιησάμεθα, οὐκ ἄμουσον οὐδ´ ἐκμελῆ οὐδ´
ἄπο τῆς τέχνης, εἰ σωθείημεν, προσερεῖν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τὴν
πόλιν. κατὰ ἰσομετρήτου μὲν οὖν εὔξασθαι τῇ πόλει λόγου
οὐκ ἐνῆν, ἀλλ´ ὡς ἀληθῶς εὐχῆς αὖ προσεδεῖτο ἑτέρας,
ἴσως μὲν οὖν καὶ μείζονος, δυνηθῆναι τοιοῦτον ἆραι λόγον,
ὅστις παρισώσεται τοσῷδε ὄγκῳ πόλεως· προσερεῖν γε
μὴν ὑπεσχόμεθα, ὅπως ἂν δυνώμεθα, ἐπειδή γε καὶ ἄλλοι
τὰ ἰσομέτρητα σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἰσομέτρητα ποιοῦσιν αὖ καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς.
| [197] It is customary for travelers by sea and land to make vows, in accordance
with their various whims. A poet has jokingly told us to vow
"golden-horned frankincense." For my trip here by land and sea I made this
vow, gentlemen, which is not unrefined, out of tune, or unprofessional:
"If I arrive safely, I will deliver a public address to the city." I could
not vow a speech worthy of the city; it would really call for an additional
and perhaps a greater vow, to be able to handle such a speech as would
match so titanic a city. But I promised to speak as best I can, since there
are others who make what is worthy of them worthy of the gods too.
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