[56,10] οὐ μόνον δὲ τῷ Νέστορι ὑπήκουε δοκοῦντι φρονιμωτάτῳ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, ἀλλ´ οὐδὲ ἄνευ τῶν γερόντων οὐδὲν ἔπραττεν. ὁπότε γοῦν ἔμελλεν ἐξάγειν τὸν στρατὸν τῷ ἐνυπνίῳ πεισθείς, οὐ πρότερον ἐξήγαγε πρὶν ἡ βουλὴ τῶν γερόντων ἐκάθισε παρὰ τῇ νηὶ τῇ Νέστορος. οὐδὲ τὴν πεῖραν, ἣν ἐβούλετο λαβεῖν τοῦ πλήθους, εἰ ἔτι μένειν ἐβούλετο καὶ διαπολεμεῖν τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως μηνίοντος, οὐκ ἄλλως ἐπειράθη, πρὶν εἰς τὴν βουλὴν πρῶτον εἰσήγγειλεν. οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν δημαγωγῶν ἀπροβούλευτα ψηφίσματα οὐκ ὀκνοῦσιν εἰς τὸν δῆμον εἰσφέρειν. ἐκεῖνος δὲ μετὰ τῶν γερόντων βουλευσάμενος οὕτως ἐμέμνητο εἰς τὸ πλῆθος περὶ τῆς καταστάσεως τοῦ πολέμου. (11) (Interlocuteur) Τοῦτο μὲν οὐδὲν ἄτοπον, εἰ βασιλεὺς ὢν μετεδίδου λόγου τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ σύμβουλον εἶχε διὰ γῆρας πιστευόμενον, αὐτὸς ὢν κύριος ἁπάντων τῶν πραγμάτων. ἐπεὶ διὰ τί τὰ περὶ τὴν Βρισηίδα οὕτως ἐποίησεν οὐ πεισθεὶς τῷ Νέστορι τῷ βελτίστῳ; (Dion) Ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν οὐ πειθόμενοι τοῖς ἄρχουσιν οὐδὲ τοῖς νόμοις πολλὰ πράττουσι παρανόμως, ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ τὰς εὐθύνας ὑπέχουσιν· οὐκοῦν ἀχθέντες εἰς {τὸ δικαστήριον} τὴν ἀρχὴν ζημιοῦνται ἧς ἂν ἕκαστοι δοκῶσιν ἄξιοι ζημίας; (12) (Interlocuteur) Πάνυ γε. (Dion) Τί οὖν; Ἀγαμέμνων οὐ δοκεῖ σοι τότε ἀπειθήσας ὕστερον εὐθύνεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Νέστορος, ὁπηνίκα αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖ τῆς πράξεως ἐκείνης ἐν τοῖς φρονιμωτάτοις τῶν συμμάχων, {τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν αὐτοῖς} τίμημα ἐπάγων ὅ,τι χρὴ παθεῖν ἢ ἀποτῖσαι, κατηγορίαν χαλεπωτάτην, ἅτε δεινὸς ὢν ῥήτωρ, λέγων ὅτι πάλαι βαρέως ἔχει τοῖς πράγμασιν· (13) ἐξέτι τοῦ, ὅτε, διογενές, Βρισηίδα κούρην χωομένου Ἀχιλῆος ἔβης κλισίηθεν ἀπούρας οὔτι καθ´ ἡμέτερόν γε νόον. μάλα γάρ τοι ἔγωγε πόλλ´ ἀπεμυθεόμην· σὺ δὲ σῷ μεγαλήτορι θυμῷ εἴξας ἄνδρα φέριστον, ὃν ἀθάνατοί περ ἔτισαν, ἠτίμασσας· ἑλὼν γὰρ ἔχεις γέρας· ἀλλ´ ἔτι καὶ νῦν φραζώμεσθα. (14) καὶ νὴ Δία γε οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν εὔθυνε τοῖς λόγοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζημίαν ἐπήγαγε τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος πασῶν βαρυτάτην. κελεύει γὰρ αὐτὸν δεηθῆναι τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως καὶ πάντα ποιεῖν, ὅπως πείσῃ τὸν ἄνδρα. καὶ ὃς ὑποτιμᾶται χρημάτων τὸ πρῶτον, ὥσπερ οἱ ἁλόντες τοῖς δικαστηρίοις, ὅσα φησὶν ἀποτῖσαι δύνασθαι ἀντὶ τῆς ὕβρεως καὶ τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ὅρκον ὑποδέχεται ὀμόσειν σφαγίων γενομένων

[56,10] However, he was not only obedient to Nestor, who was deemed the wisest of the Achaeans, but also he would not attempt anything without the elders. For instance, when he was about to lead forth his army in obedience to the dream, he did not do so until the council of the elders had held a session by the ship of Nestor. Moreover, with regard to the test which he wished to make of the army, to see if it was willing to remain longer and fight it out despite the wrath of Achilles, he did not make the test in any other way before first consulting the council. On the other hand, most demagogues do not hesitate to bring before the popular assembly measures which have not been passed upon by the council. Yet Agamemnon conferred with the elders, and only then reported to the soldiery on the state of the war. (11) (Interlocuteur) This is nothing strange, that, king though he was, he gave the others a chance to be heard and had an advisor who was trusted because of his years, though he himself had full authority in all matters. Else why did he act as he did in the matter of Briseïs instead of obeying the most noble Nestor ? (Dion) Why, it is just like the case of many men in private station who, not obeying their rulers or the laws, commit many unlawful acts, arts for which they even have to submit to an accounting ; so when they are brought before the court they are subjected to whatever penalty they severally are thought to merit. (Interlocuteur) Certainly. (12) (Dion) Well then, does it not seem to you that Agamemnon, because he disobeyed on that occasion, was later called to account by Nestor ? I refer to the passage in which Nestor accuses him of that act in the presence of the wisest of the allies, the leaders themselves, adding what he was to suffer or to pay by way of penalty, a most grievous arraignment—for he was an able speaker—wherein he says he has long been troubled by Agamemnon's conduct : "E'er since that day, oh son of Zeus, when thou Didst go and snatch Briseïs from the tent, Despite Achilles' rage, and not at all As I was minded. Many words I spake Against it ; yet to thy proud heart thou didst Submit, dishonouring the bravest man, Whom e'en the gods had honoured ; for his prize Thou hast by seizure ; still let us plan e'en now." (14) And, by the gods, he not only called him to account by his words but even laid upon him the heaviest penalty of all for his misconduct. For he bids him entreat Achilles and go to all lengths to persuade him. And Agamemnon, like men convicted in the courts, first makes a counter proposal of a fine, such as he says he is able to pay, as compensation for his insult ; then, among other things, he undertakes to offer sacrifice and to swear an oath regarding Briseïs,

[56,15] περὶ τῆς Βρισηίδος, ἦ μὴν αὐτῆς μηδὲ ἅψασθαι λαβών· ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ μόνον μεταγαγεῖν ἀπὸ σκηνῆς ἐπὶ σκηνὴν χρυσίον ἐπαγγέλλεται δώσειν πολὺ καὶ ἵππους καὶ τρίποδας καὶ λέβητας καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ πόλεις· τελευταῖον δέ, ὡς οὐκ ὂν ἱκανόν, τῶν θυγατέρων τριῶν οὐσῶν ἣν ἂν βούληται συνοικιεῖν· ὅπερ οὐδεὶς πώποτε κατεκρίθη παθεῖν, ἀντὶ θεραπαίνης, καὶ ταύτης αἰχμαλώτου, μηδὲν παθούσης, {ἀναγκάσαι} συνοικίσαι τὴν θυγατέρα ἐπὶ προικὶ μεγάλῃ ἄνευ ἕδνων. καίτοι τῆς δίκης ταύτης οὐδεμίαν ἴσμεν ἰδιωτικὴν δίκην πικρότερον κριθεῖσαν. (16) ἆρά σοι δοκεῖ πρὸς θεῶν ἀνυπεύθυνος ἄρχειν ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἀλλ´ οὐ πάνυ ἀκριβεῖς ὑπέχειν εὐθύνας ἁπάντων ὧν ἔπραττεν; περὶ μὲν δὴ τούτων αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον ἐάσωμεν, χθὲς ἱκανῶς εἰρημένον, ἐπ´ ἄλλον δέ τινα ἴωμεν. (Interlocuteur) Μὴ πρὸς θεῶν, ἀλλὰ πειράθητι πάντα εἰπεῖν ὅσα ἔχεις ὑπὲρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος, ὡς ἐγὼ μόλις ἀρτίως συνίημι τοῦ λόγου τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. οἶμαι γάρ σε περὶ ἀρχῆς ἢ βασιλείας ἢ τοιοῦτόν τι βούλεσθαι λέγειν.

[56,15] that he has not even touched her since the day he took her from Achilles ; and in payment for merely having removed her from one tent to another, he offers to give much gold, horses, tripods, cauldrons, women, and cities ; and finally, thinking this not enough, he offers Achilles whichever of his three daughters he may desire to have as wife.' Such a penalty no man had ever been condemned to undergo —in payment for a maidservant, and her a captive woman, although she had suffered no harm, to be forced to give his own daughter in marriage, together with a huge dower, and without any presents from the groom ! In truth we know of no suit involving a man in priva te station that has received a more bitter decision than this one. (16) Does it seem to you, in Heaven's name, that Agamemnon ruled the Greeks without being subject to an accounting, and that he did not give very strict account for all he did ? Very well, let us drop our discussion of these matters just here, since they were deait with adequately yesterday, and let us turn to some other topic. (Interlocuteur) Nay, by Heaven, relier try to say all you can upon the same topic, since I am now at last just beginning to understand the drift of your argument. For I imagine- you wish to discuss government or kingship or some such thing.