This eBook was produced by Robert Nield David StarnerCharles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamHandy Literal TranslationsTHE ORATIONS OF LYSIAS_LITERALLY TRANSLATED_CONTENTSTHE ORATIONSII     FUNERAL ORATIONV      FOR CALLIASVII    THE OLIVE TREEIX     POLYAENUSX      THEOMNESTUSXII    ERATOSTHENESXIII   AGORATUSXIV    ALCIBIADESXVI    MANTITHEUSXVII   PROPERTY OF ERATONXIX    PROPERTY OF ARISTOPHANESXXII   THE GRAIN DEALERSXXIII  PANCLEONXXIV   THE CRIPPLEXXV    REPLY TO THE OVERTHROW OF THIS DEMOCRACYXXVIII ERGOCLESXXX    NICOMACHUSXXXI   AGAINST PHILONXXXII  DIOGEITONXXXIII PANEGYRICORATION IIFUNERAL ORATION1 If I thought it were possible O fellowcitizens who are assembled atthis burialplace to set forth in words the valor of those who lie hereI should blame the men who invited me to speak about them at a few daysnotice But as all time would not be sufficient for the combinedefforts of all men to prepare an address adequate to their deeds thecity seems to me in providing for men to speak here to make theappointment at short notice on the supposition that the speakers wouldunder the circumstances meet with less adverse criticism2 And though my words relate to these men the chief difficulty is notconcerning their deeds but with those who formerly spoke upon them Forthe valor of these men has been the occasion of such abundance ofcomposition both by those able to compose and those wishing to speakthat although many noble sentiments have been uttered about them by menin the past yet much has been left unsaid and enough can yet be spokenat the present time For they have experienced perils on land and seaand everywhere and among all men who while bewailing their own hardfate yet sing the praises of the courage of these men3 First then I will review the hardships of our ancestors followingthe traditions For all men should keep them too in mind bothcelebrating them in song speaking of them in maxims about the goodhonoring them at such times as this and instructing the living by thedeeds of the dead4 The Amazons were once the daughters of Ares living by the riverThermodon and they alone of the inhabitants of that region were armedwith metal and first of all they mounted horses by which theyunexpectedly because of the inexperience of their adversaries overtookthose who fled from them and they left their pursuers far behind So fortheir spirit they were thought men rather than women for their natureFor they seemed to surpass men in spirit rather than to be inferior in_physique_5 And after they had subdued many tribes and in fact enslaved thesurrounding nations they heard great reports about this country and forthe sake of glory took the most warlike of their tribes and marchedagainst this city And after they met these brave men they came to havetheir souls like their nature and with changed hearts seemed to be womenrather from their conduct in danger than from their forms6 And they alone were not allowed to learn from experience and to planbetter for the future and they might not go homeward and tell of theirdiscomfiture and the valor of our ancestors for they died here and paidthe penalty for their rashness and made the memory of this city immortalthrough valor and rendered their own country nameless through theirdefeat here These women then through their unjust desire for a countrynot their own justly lost their own7 After Adrastus and Polyneices had joined in the expedition againstThebes and had been worsted in battle the Thebans would not let thembury their dead So the Athenians who believed that if these men didwrong they had already the greatest punishment in death and that thegods of the lower world were not receiving their due and that by thepollution of holy places the gods above were being insulted first sentheralds and demanded them to grant the removal of the dead 8 thinkingit the part of brave men to punish their enemies while alive but of menwho distrusted themselves to show their courage on the bodies of thedead As they were unable to obtain this favor they marched against theThebans although previously there was no reason for hostility againstthem and not because they were trying to please the living Argives 9but because they believed those who died in battle should obtain thecustomary rites they ran into danger against the Thebans in theinterests of both on the one hand that they might never again offerinsult to the gods by their treatment of the dead and on the other thatthey might not return to their country with disgrace attached to theirnames without fulfilling Greek customs robbed of a common hope 10 Withthis in mind and thinking that the chances of war are common to all menthey made many enemies but with right on their side they came offvictorious And they did not roused by success contend for a greaterpunishment for the Thebans but they exhibited to them their own valorinstead of their impiety and after they had obtained the prizes theystruggled for the bodies of the Argives they buried them in their ownEleusis Such were they who fought for the dead of the Seven at Thebes11 And afterwards after Heracles had disappeared from men and hischildren fled from Eurystheus and were hunted by all the Greeks whothough ashamed indeed of what they did feared the power of Eurystheusthey came to this city and took refuge at the altars 12 And thoughEurystheus demanded it the Athenians would not give them up but theyreverenced the bravery of Heracles more than they feared their owndanger and they thought it more worthy of themselves to contend for theweak on the side of justice than to please those in power and surrenderthose wronged by them 13 And when Eurystheus marched on them at thattime at the head of the Peloponnesus they did not change their minds onthe approach of danger but held the same opinion as