[40,20] καὶ νῦν ὑπὲρ τούτου ἐπαινῶ τόν τε ἄρχοντα καὶ τὸν εἰσηγησάμενον. πᾶσα μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ἔχθρα καὶ διαφορὰ πρὸς ὁντινοῦν γιγνομένη ἐργῶδες καὶ δυσχερὲς καὶ πόλει καὶ ἰδιώτῃ, κἂν ὁπωσοῦν τύχωσι διακείμενοι. τούς τε γὰρ ἀσθενεῖς ἱκανὸν ἐξελέγξαι καὶ ταπεινῶσαι πρὸς τοῖς οὖσι χαλεποῖς καὶ τοὺς εὖ πράττοντας ἐνοχλῆσαι καὶ ταράξαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν· ὅθεν οἱ νοῦν ἔχοντες αἱροῦνται φέρειν ἐλαττούμενοι τὰ μέτρια καὶ μὴ σφόδρα ἀκριβῶς περιέχεσθαι τῶν δικαίων ἢ φιλονικοῦντες ἐφ´ ἑκάστῳ καὶ μηδενὶ μηδὲν εἴκοντες ἀεί τινας ἔχειν τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας καὶ πολεμοῦντας, καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τοῖς εὐτυχήμασι νεμεσῶντας καὶ καθ´ ὅσον οἷοί τέ εἰσιν ἐμποδὼν ἱσταμένους, τοῦτο δέ, ἂν συμβῇ τι πταῖσμα (πολλὰ δέ, ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις, τὰ γιγνόμενα) χαίροντας καὶ ἐπιτιθεμένους. (40,21) οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οὐδεὶς ἀσθενὴς οὕτως οὐδὲ ἀδύνατος τὴν φύσιν, ἄνθρωπος ὢν πρὸς ἄνθρωπον, ὃς οὐ τυγχάνει καιροῦ τὴν δυσμένειαν ἐνδείξασθαι καὶ τὸ μῖσος ἢ καθ´ αὑτὸν ἢ σὺν ἑτέροις καὶ λόγον τινὰ εἰπεῖν, ᾧ πάντως ἐλύπησε, καὶ πρᾶγμα συνθεῖναι τὸ βλάψον. οὐδὲ γὰρ νόσημα οὐδὲν οὕτως ἀναίσθητον τοῖς ἔχουσιν ὡς μηδέποτε βλάψαι μηδὲ ἐμποδὼν γενέσθαι μηδεμιᾶς πράξεως, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐγρηγορότι καὶ βαδίζοντι μὴ σφόδρα ἐνοχλῇ τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῦ σώματος, εἴς γε τὴν κοίτην ἀπήντησε καὶ διασπᾷ καὶ διαφθείρει τὸν ὕπνον. (40,22) οὕτως ἔγωγέ φημι μηδέποτε λυσιτελεῖν ἀπεχθάνεσθαι καὶ φιλονικεῖν μηδὲ τῇ μεγίστῃ πόλει πρὸς τὴν βραχυτάτην κώμην· ὅταν δὲ δὴ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ᾖ πόλιν οἰκοῦντας 〈οὐ〉 σμικρὰν καὶ πολιτείαν ἐξαίρετον ἔχοντας καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τιμήν τινα καὶ δύναμιν, ἐὰν σωφρονῶσι (δεῖ γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀκούειν τἀληθῆ καὶ μὴ χαλεπῶς φέρειν, ἐάν τις ἑτέρους ἐπαινῇ βουλόμενος ὑμᾶς ὠφελεῖν) τὸ δὲ μέγιστον ὁμόρους καὶ ἀστυγείτονας καὶ μόνον οὐχὶ καθ´ ἑκάστην τὴν ἡμέραν ὑμῖν ἐπιμιγνυμένους, τοῦτο μὲν τοῖς πλείστοις ἐπιγαμίας ὑπαρχούσης, τοῦτο δὲ πολιτῶν τινων, καὶ σχεδὸν τῶν δυνατωτάτων παρ´ ἡμῖν, τῆς παρ´ ἐκείνοις τιμῆς τετυχηκότων πῶς χρὴ ταύτην ἄλυπον καὶ ἀβλαβῆ τὴν ἔχθραν ὑπολαμβάνειν; (40,23) καὶ μηδεὶς ὑπολάβῃ με λέγειν ὡς ἄρα χρὴ τελέως ὑποπεσεῖν καὶ μηδὲν ἐκείνων προαιρουμένων δίκαιον μηδὲ ἐπιεικὲς αὐτοὺς δεῖσθαι καὶ παρακαλεῖν· αἱρουμένων δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ προθυμουμένων τὰ εἰς φιλίαν ἑτοιμοτέρους πρὸς τοῦτο φαίνεσθαι καὶ τὴν φιλονικίαν τὴν ἐκ τῆς διαφορᾶς ἐπὶ τοῦτο μετενεγκεῖν πολὺ κάλλιον, ὅπως αὐτοὶ εὐγνωμονέστεροι φανησόμεθα καὶ μᾶλλον καταφρονοῦντες χρημάτων καὶ τοῦ πλείονος. (40,24) οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αἰσχρόν ἐστι λείπεσθαι τοῖς διὰ τὸ μῖσος ἔργοις καὶ νὴ Δία τοῖς πρὸς ἔχθραν ὡς τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς μετριότητος καὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνοις ἡττώμενος κινδυνεύει λαβεῖν δόξαν ἀσθενείας, ὁ δ´ ἐν τούτοις σκαιότητος καὶ φιλονικίας. ὅσῳ δὴ κρεῖττον ἀσθενῆ δόξαι μᾶλλον ἢ πονηρόν, τοσούτῳ βέλτιον ὑστέρους εἶναι μαχομένους ἢ διαλλαττομένους. (40,25) εἰκότως δ´ ἄν μοι προσέχοιτε τὸν νοῦν μᾶλλον ἑτέρων τυχὸν μὲν καὶ ἄλλως, ἔτι δὲ κἀκεῖνο σκοποῦντες ὅτι μηδὲν ἰδίᾳ μοι διαφέρει, μηδὲ ὄχλησίν τινα ὀκνῶν ἢ δαπάνην ἐμαυτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο ἀμελῶ τοῦ πρέποντος ὑμῖν. ὅτι γάρ με οὐκ ἐνοχλήσετε μὴ βουλόμενον οὐδὲ κελεύσετε ἀποδημεῖν, ὥσπερ ἤδη πολὺν χρόνον ἔχοντα παρ´ ὑμῖν, ἐπίσταμαι σαφῶς· (ἄλλως τε οὐκ ἀσχολούμενος ἐγὼ νομίζω συμφέρειν ὑμῖν οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἀποδημῶν τὸν τρόπον·) ἀλλ´ ὅπερ ἔφην, βέλτιον ἡγοῦμαι πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, οὐ μόνον ὑμῖν, μήτε ἀναιρεῖσθαι ῥᾳδίως ἔχθραν μὴ σφόδρα ἀναγκαίαν, τάς τε πρότερον οὔσας καταλύεσθαι πάντα τρόπον, ἂν ᾖ δυνατόν, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ διαφέρεσθαί τισι βλάβην μείζονα ἡγουμένους τῆς παρὰ τὰς διαλύσεις ζημίας. (40,26) πᾶσα γάρ, ὥς φασιν, εἰρήνη κρείττων πολέμου, καὶ πᾶσα φιλία πολὺ ἀμείνων καὶ λυσιτελεστέρα τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν ἔχθρας, καὶ ἰδίᾳ τοῖς οἴκοις καὶ δημοσίᾳ ταῖς πόλεσιν. εἰρήνη μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὁμόνοια τοὺς χρωμένους οὐδὲν πώποτε ἔβλαψεν, ἔχθρα δὲ καὶ φιλονικία θαυμαστὸν εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἀνήκεστα καὶ μεγάλα. καὶ τῆς μὲν ὁμονοίας τό τε ὄνομα εὔφημον ἥ τε πεῖρα ἀρίστη καὶ λυσιτελεστάτη πᾶσι· στάσεως δὲ καὶ διαφορᾶς σκυθρωπὴ μὲν ἡ προσηγορία καὶ δυσχερής, πολὺ δὲ χείρω {καὶ} τὰ ἔργα καὶ σκυθρωπότερα. καὶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν ἔστι καὶ ἀκοῦσαι {καὶ} πολλὰ τῶν ἀβουλήτων καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ παθεῖν. (40,27) ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐγγὺς οὕτως καὶ ὁμόρων διαφορὰ καὶ τὸ μῖσος οὐδενὶ ἄλλῳ ἔοικεν ἢ στάσει μιᾶς πόλεως, ὅπου καὶ γάμων κοινωνία πολλοῖς καὶ συμβολαίων καὶ τὸ ἀφικνεῖσθαι παρ´ ἀλλήλους σχεδόν τι καθ´ ἑκάστην τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ τὸ συγγενεῖς εἶναι καὶ συνήθεις καὶ ξένους τρόπον τινὰ ἀλλήλοις ἅπαντας. παροικοῦσα δὲ πόλις ἐχθρὰ καὶ δυσμενὴς λυπηρὸν πάντα τρόπον καὶ δυσομίλητον, ὥσπερ εὔνους καὶ φίλη συμφέρον καὶ ἀγαπητόν. (40,28) ἐνθυμεῖσθε δὲ ὅσῳ μὲν ἥδιον ἀποδημεῖν πρὸς τοὺς πέλας οἰκείως ἔχοντας, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐχθρῶς, ὅσῳ δὲ βέλτιον τοὺς ἐπιξενουμένους ὑποδέχεσθαι χωρὶς ὑποψίας, ἐν δὲ ταῖς κοιναῖς πανηγύρεσι καὶ θεῶν ἑορταῖς καὶ θέαις ὅσῳ κρεῖττον καὶ σωφρονέστερον ἀναμίγνυσθαι συνθύοντας ἀλλήλοις καὶ συνευχομένους, (40,29) ἀλλὰ μὴ τοὐναντίον καταρωμένους καὶ βλασφημοῦντας. αἱ δὲ ἐπιβοήσεις ἑκατέρου τοῦ πλήθους ἐν τοῖς σταδίοις καὶ τοῖς θεάτροις πόσον διαφέρουσι μετὰ ἐπαίνου γιγνόμεναι καὶ πολλῆς εὐφημίας τῶν μετὰ μίσους καὶ λοιδορίας; οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιεικῶν οὐδὲ πόλεων σωφρόνων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἑταιρῶν ἀσχημόνων ἀπὸ οἰκήματος ἑκατέρας οὐδὲν αἰσχυνομένων ῥῆμα ἀκόλαστον εἰπεῖν, ᾗ φησιν Ὅμηρος, αἵ τε χολωσάμεναι ἀγορῆς ἐς μέσσον ἰοῦσαι νεικεῦς´ ἀλλήλῃσι, χόλος δέ τε καὶ τὰ κελεύει.

[40,20] And now in this enterprise I praise both the official in charge and the man who made the motion. For practically every enmity, every disagreement arising in connexion with any person at all, is a vexatious thing and unpleasant for both state and private citizen, no matter how they may be situated. For enmity can not only expose and humiliate the weak, to say nothing of the hardships they have already, but also annoy those who are prosperous and distress their spirits. Therefore sensible persons prefer to submit to defeat in ordinary matters and (p129) to be not too precise in defending their rights, rather than, by quarrelling over every matter and never making any concessions to any one, always to have persons plotting against them and making war on them, persons who feel resentment at their good fortune and, so far as they are able, try to stand in the way of it, and who, on the other hand, if any reverse should take place — and many are the reverses which do occur, as is natural among men — 21 rejoice and seize the opportunity to attack. For there is no one so weak or impotent by nature, man for man, who does not chance upon some opportunity to display his malice and hatred, either alone or in conjunction with others, and to make some statement by which he is certain to cause pain, or to contrive some situation sure to cause injury. Similarly there is no disease so imperceptible to those afflicted with it as never to do harm or become a hindrance to some activity, but even if it does not greatly hamper the strength of a man while awake and walking, at least it confronts him when he goes to bed and causes him distraction and destroys his slumber. 22 So I claim it is never profitable even for the greatest city to indulge in hostility and strife with the humblest village; but of course when the hostility is directed against men who occupy no small city, who have a superior form of government, and who, if they are prudent, enjoy a measure of distinction and influence with the proconsuls — for you must hear the truth and not be vexed if a man praises others in his desire to benefit you — men who, above all, share your borders, are neighbours to (p131) your city, and mingle with you almost every day, most of you being bound to them by ties of marriage, while some citizens, yes, virtually the most influential citizens among us, have obtained the honour of citizenship with them — how in these circumstances should we regard this hostility as causing no pain and doing no harm? 23 And let no one imagine that I mean we should be wholly submissive, and that when they are not at all just or fair in their policies we should beg and entreat them; nay, but when they choose friendship and display an eagerness for it, to show ourselves more favourable to this policy and to transfer the rivalry growing out of our disagreement to this alternative course is far more creditable, a course whose aim is to make it plain that we ourselves are more reasonable and more scornful of wealth and personal advantage. 24 For it is not so disgraceful to prove inferior in actions prompted by hatred and, by Heaven, in those which provoke enmity as it is in those which are inspired by a spirit of moderation and benevolence. For while he who is overcome in the one is likely to gain a reputation for mere weakness, in the other it will be for boorishness and contentiousness. Indeed, the better it is to be deemed weak rather than base, so much the more preferable is it to be tardy in making war rather than in making peace. 25 Now there may be other grounds also on which you might with reason pay heed to me rather than to those others, but that is especially true because you observe that I have no private interest and am not disposed through any dread of annoyance or expense on my part to disregard the course which is becoming (p133) to you. For I know full well you will not trouble me against my wishes, or order me to go abroad as if I had already made too long a stay in Prusa — and besides, I do not believe I can assist you by sacrificing my leisure or by going abroad in this manner — however, as I was saying, I consider it better for men in general, and not merely for you, both to refrain from entering lightly into an enmity which is not extremely necessary and also by every means possible to put an end to enmities already existing, recognizing that the damage resulting from quarrelling with any people is greater than the loss incident to the reconciliation. 26 For any peace, so they say, is better than war, and any friendship is far better and more profitable for men of right judgement than enmity, not only individually for our families, but also collectively for our cities. For peace and concord have never damaged at all those who have employed them, whereas it would be surprising if enmity and contentiousness were not very deadly, very mighty evils. Moreover, while concord is a word of good omen, and to make trial of it is most excellent and profitable for all, strife and discord are forbidding and unpleasant words even to utter, and much worse are their deeds and more forbidding. For the fact is, strife and discord involve saying and hearing said many things one might wish to avoid, and doing and experiencing them too. 27 But the wrangling and hatred of men who are such near neighbours, yes, who share common borders, is like nothing else than insurrection in a single city, (p135) since many have ties both of marriage and of business, and there is almost daily visiting back and forth, and the inhabitants are all related and intimate and, as one might say, on terms of hospitality with one another. But a neighbouring city that is at enmity and ill disposed is a grievous thing in every way and hard to get along with, even as a city that is well disposed and friendly is beneficial and much to be desired. 28 Furthermore, consider how much more pleasant it is to visit one's neighbours when they are on terms of intimacy and not of hostility, and how much better it is for those who are entertained away from home to be received without distrust, and how much better and more sensible it is at the common religious gatherings and festivals and spectacles to mingle together, joining with one another in common sacrifice and prayer, rather than the opposite, cursing and abusing one another. 29 And how different are the shouts of the partisans of each of two cities in the stadium and the theatre, when uttered in praise and generous acclamation, from the cries which are uttered in hatred and abuse! For these outbreaks are not for reasonable men or well- behaved cities, but rather for indecent harlots, who are not at all ashamed to utter licentious phrases, each from her respective chamber, as Homer puts it, "Who in a rage to mid-assembly go And bandy insults, so their choler bids."