Demosthenes, On the Peace, James Herbert Vince (Translator), 5

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[5] For in the first place, Athenians, when it was proposed to take advantage of the unrest in Euboea ¹ and side with Plutarchus in a war that would bring us more expense than glory, I was the first and indeed the only speaker to oppose it, and I narrowly escaped being torn to pieces by those who induced you for trifling gains to commit many serious errors. It was not long before you incurred disgrace and suffered indignities² such as no men have ever received from those whom they have helped, and so you realized the baseness of those to whom you then gave ear and the wisdom of the advice you received from me.

On the Peace. Demosthenes. James Herbert Vince (Translator). London. 1930.

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Current edition Perseus

On the Peace (English) (Demosthenes, Vol. I: Olynthiacs, Philippics, Minor Public Speeches, Speech Against Leptines, I-XVII, XX. Vince, J. H., translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1930 (printing).)

Editions (1)

περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης Perseus (Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. I. Butcher, S. H., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903.) — 5 focus

[5] ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πρῶτον μέν, ἡνίκʼ ἔπειθόν τινες ὑμᾶς, τῶν ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ πραγμάτων ταραττομένων, βοηθεῖν Πλουτάρχῳ καὶ πόλεμον ἄδοξον καὶ δαπανηρὸν ἄρασθαι, πρῶτος καὶ μόνος παρελθὼν ἀντεῖπον, καὶ μόνον οὐ διεσπάσθην ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπὶ μικροῖς λήμμασιν πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλʼ ὑμᾶς ἁμαρτάνειν πεισάντων· καὶ χρόνου βραχέος διελθόντος, μετὰ τοῦ προσοφλεῖν αἰσχύνην καὶ παθεῖν οἷα τῶν ὄντων ἀνθρώπων οὐδένες πώποτε πεπόνθασʼ ὑπὸ τούτων οἷς ἐβοήθησαν, πάντες ὑμεῖς ἔγνωτε τήν τε τῶν τότε ταῦτα πεισάντων κακίαν καὶ τὰ βέλτιστʼ εἰρηκότʼ ἐμέ.

Notes on the current edition

On the Peace

1. Through Philip’s intrigues a Macedonian party had been formed in the cities of Euboea . Plutarchus, the ruler of Eretria , applied to Athens for help against a rising. The request was supported by Eubulus and Midias, but opposed by Demosthenes. A force was sent under the command of Phocion and won a battle, but Plutarchus proved himself a traitor and was expelled from Eretria .

2. According to the Scholiast, Plutarchus seized some of the Athenian troops and compelled Athens to ransom them for 50 talents.

Demosthenes On the Peace 5

James Herbert Vince (Translator)

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