On the Crown

狄摩西尼/Demosthenes

狄摩西尼（公元前384—公元前322），古代雅典政治家、演说家。他7岁时，父亲去世，留下的巨额财产被监护人侵吞。狄摩西尼成年之后，决心向法庭提出控诉。他虽然身体虚弱，但意志十分顽强，并克服口吃、吐字不清等先天缺陷，掌握了雄辩术，终于以流畅有力的言辞取得胜利。此后，他长期代人撰写状纸，投身政治，并领导雅典人民进行了近30年反对马其顿侵略的斗争。公元前322年狄摩西尼被捕，后在狱中服毒自杀。

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我可以断言，埃斯基涅斯，你是利用这件事来显示你的口才和嗓门，并非惩恶扬善。但是，埃斯基涅斯，一个演说家的价值并不在于他语言和声调，而在于他能够与人民持相同的观点，以国家的爱憎为自己的爱憎。也只有心怀这点的人才会以忠诚的心志说每一句话。要是对那些威胁到国家安全的人奉承拍马，与人民貌合神离，那自然是无法指望与人民一起得到安全的保障了。但是——你看到了吗——我已经得到了这种安全保障，因为我的目标与我的同胞一致，我关注的利益跟人民无异。你是否也是这样呢？人尽皆知，你之前一直拒绝接受出使腓力的任务，但战后你却立即到腓力那边出任大使了，要知道当时给你的国家带来灾难的元凶正是他。怎么会是这样呢？

是谁欺骗了国家？当然是那个口是心非的人。庭吏该对谁公开诅咒？当然是上述那类人。对于一个演说家，还有比口是心非更大的罪恶吗？而这正是你的品格。你竟然还敢张口说话，敢正视这些人！你以为他们不知道？你以为他们昏昏沉睡或如此健忘到记不得你在会上的讲话？在会上你一面诅咒他人，一面发誓与腓力无任何关系，说我出于个人恩怨才告发你，并无任何依据。等到战争的消息传来，你就忘了这一切。你信誓旦旦地承认，你与腓力之间存在友谊——这其实是你们之间雇佣关系的新代名词。埃斯基涅斯，你只是鼓手格劳柯蒂亚的儿子，又能有什么平等和公正的借口使你成为腓力的朋友或知己呢？我真不明白！不！绝对不可能！你只是受雇来破坏国人利益的。虽然你在公开叛变中被当场捕获，事后也遭到了告发，你却还以一些别人可能犯而我却不会犯的事来辱骂我、谴责我。

埃斯基涅斯，我们国家有许多伟大而光荣的事业是由我成功完成的，国家没有忘记这些。以下就是明证：在选举由谁来发表葬礼后的演说时，有人建议你。可是，人民没有选你，尽管你的声音很动听；也不选狄马德斯，尽管他刚刚签署了和约；也不选海吉门或你们当中的任何人，却选了我。当你和彼梭克列斯们以粗暴而又可耻的态度（慈悲的主啊！）列出你现在所举的这些罪状来谴责、辱骂我时，人民却更要选举我。尽管你知道原因，但我还是要告诉你。雅典人知道，在处理他们的事务中我付出了忠诚与热忱，正如他们知道你和你们这帮人的不忠一样。当国家昌盛时，你发誓拒绝承认这些事；当国家危难时，你却承认了。因此，对于那些利用国家灾难来换取政治安全的人，我们的人民认为，早在他们如此做时已与人民为敌，现在则更是公认的敌人。对于那些向死者演说致敬、表扬烈士英勇精神的人，人民认为他不应该和与烈士为敌的人共处一室，同桌而食，他不该与杀人凶手开怀畅饮，并为希腊的大难唱欢乐之歌后，再来这里接受殊荣；他不该用声音来哀悼烈士的厄运而应诚心吊唁他们。人民在我和他们自己身上体会到了这一点，却无法在你们中的任何人中找到。因此他们选了我，却没有选你们。这是人民的想法，也是人民选出来主持葬礼的死者父兄的想法。依照风俗，丧宴应该设在死者至亲的家中，但人民却命令将宴席设在我家。他们这样做有道理：从个体来讲，他们与死者及其亲属关系比我亲切，可是，对全体死者而言，却没有人比我更亲了。最深切关心他们安危和成就的人，对他们死难的哀痛也最深。

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I should conclude， Aeschines， that you undertook this cause to exhibit your eloquence and strength of lungs， not to obtain satisfaction for any wrong. But it is not the language of an orator， Aeschines， that has any value， yet the tone of his voice， but his adopting the same views with the people， and his hating and loving the same persons that his country does.He that is thus minded will say everything with loyal intention：he that courts persons from whom the commonwealth apprehends danger to herself， rides not on the same anchorage with the people， and therefore has not the same expectation of safety.But—do you see？—I have：for my objects are the same with those of my countrymen；I have no interest separate or distinct.Is that so with you？How can it be—when immediately after the battle you went as ambassadorto Philip， who was at that period the author of your country's calamities， not with standing that you had before persisted in refusing that office， as all men know？

And who is it that deceives the state？Surely the man who speaks not what he thinks. On whom does the crier pronounce a curse？Surely on such a man.What greater crime can an orator be charged with than that his opinions and his language are not the same？Such is found to be your character.And yet you open your mouth， and dare to look these men in the faces！Do you think they don't know you？—or are sunk all in such slumber and oblivion as not to remember the speeches which you delivered in the assembly， cursing and swearing that you had nothing to do with Philip， and that I brought that charge against you out of personal enmity without foundation？No sooner came the news of the battle， than you forgot all that；you acknowledged and avowed that between Philip and yourself there subsisted a relation of hospitality and friendship—new names these for your contract of hire.For upon what plea of equality or justice could Aeschines， son of Glaucothea the timbrel-player， be the friend or acquaintance of Philip？I can not see.No！You were hired to ruin the interests of your countrymen：and yet though you have been caught yourself in open treason， and informed against yourself after the fact， you revile and reproach me for things， which you will find any man is chargeable with sooner than I.

Many great and glorious enterprises has the commonwealth， Aeschines， undertaken and succeeded in through me；and she did not forget them. Here is the proof—On the election of a person to speak the funeral oration immediately after the event， you were proposed， but the people would not have you， notwithstanding your fine voice， nor Demades， though he had just made the peace， nor Hegemon， nor any other of your party—but me.And when you and Pythocles came forward in a brutal and shameful manner (O merciful heaven！) and urged the same accusations against me which you now do， and abused me， they elected me all the more.The reason—you are not ignorant of it—yet I will tell you.The Athenians knew as well the loyalty and zeal with which I conducted their affairs as the dishonesty of you and your party；for what you denied upon oath in our prosperity you confessed in the misfortunes of the republic.They considered， therefore， that men who got security for their politics by the public disasters had been their enemies long before， and were then avowedly such.They thought it right also that the person who was to speak in honor of the fallen and celebrate their valor should not have sat under the same roof or at the same table with their antagonists；that he should not revel there and sing a paean over the calamities of Greece in company with their murderers， and then come here and receive distinction；that he should not with his voice act the mourner of their fate， but that he should lament over them withhis heart.This they perceived in themselves and in me， but not in any of you：therefore they elected me， and not you.Nor， while the people felt thus， did the fathers and brothers of the deceased， who were chosen by the people to perform their obsequies， feel differently.For having to order the funeral banquet (according to custom) at the house of the nearest relative to the deceased， they ordered it at mine.And with reason：because， though each to his own was nearer of kin than I was， none was so near to them all collectively.He that has the deepest interest in their safety and success had upon their mournful disaster the largest share of sorrow for them all.