since they could not convert you to their way of thinking until they have first made
 clear what is for your advantage. But, apart from these considerations, how can men wisely
 pass judgement on the past or take counsel for the future unless they examine and compare
 the arguments of opposing speakers, themselves giving an unbiased hearing Cf. Isoc. 15.21 ; Dem. 18.6 . to both sides? But I marvel that the older men no longer recall and that the younger have not been told
 by anyone that the orators who exhort us to cling fast to peace have never caused us to
 suffer any misfortune whatsoever, whereas those who lightly espouse war have already
 plunged us into many great disasters. However, we have no memory for these facts but are
 always ready, without in the least advancing our own welfare, to man triremes, to levy
 war-taxes, and to lend aid to the campaigns of others or wage war against them, as chance
 may determine, as if imperilling the interests, not of our own, but of a foreign state.
 And the cause of this condition of affairs is that, although you ought to be as much
 concerned about the business of the commonwealth as about your own, you do not feel the
 same interest in the one as in the other; on the contrary, whenever you take counsel
 regarding your private business you seek out as counsellors men who are your superiors in
 intelligence, but whenever you deliberate on the business of the state you distrust and
 dislike men of that character and cultivate, instead, the most depraved The private morals of men like Eubulus, Callistratus (see
 Theopompus in Athen. 4.166e ), and Philocrates (see Aeschin. 2.52 ) apparently left much to be desired. of
 the orators who come before you on this platform; and you prefer as being better friends
 of the people those who are drunk Aristotle ( Aristot. Ath. Pol. 34 ) states that when, after the
 battle of Arginusae, 406 B.C. , the Spartans made overtures of
 peace the demagogue Cleophon came before the Assembly drunk and prevented the Athenians
 from accepting the terms. With this paragraph should be compared Isoc. 15.316 and note. to those who are sober, those who are witless to
 those who are wise, and those who dole out the public money The reference is particularly to Eubulus, who caused to be set aside a portion of the
 public revenues (the “surplus” mentioned in Isoc. 8.82 ) as a
 “theoric” fund to be distributed to the people at the public festivals. to those
 who perform public services See Isoc.
 8.128 , note. at their own expense. So that we may well marvel that
 anyone can expect a state which employs such counsellors to advance to better things. But I know that it is hazardous to oppose your views Cf.
 Socrates in Plat. Apol. 31e : “No man in the world can
 preserve his life if he honestly opposes himself to you or to any other people and
 attempts to prevent many unjust and lawless things from being done by the state.” 
 and that, although this is a free government, there exists no ‘freedom of speech’ The pride of Athens . See Hdt. 5.78 ; Eur. Hipp. 422 . except that which is enjoyed in this
 Assembly by the most reckless orators, who care nothing for your welfare, and in the
 theater by the comic poets. The poets of the old comedy
 exercised an incredible degree of license in ridiculing everything, divine or human,
 particularly the foibles of the state. These comedies were given at the festival of
 Dionysus, when many visitors from other states were in Athens . Aristophanes himself says ( Aristoph.
 Ach. 500 ff. ) that he was attacked by Cleon for “abusing Athens in the presence of strangers.” And,
 what is most outrageous of all, you show greater favor to those who publish the failings
 of Athens to the rest of the Hellenes than you
 show even to those who benefit the city, while you are as ill-disposed to those who rebuke
 and admonish you Isocrates resents their attitude towards
 himself in the opening remarks of the Antidosis ( Isoc.
 15 ). as you are to men who work injury to the state. Nevertheless, in spite of these conditions, I shall not desist from what I had in mind
 to say. For I have come before you, not to seek your favor nor to solicit your votes, but
 to make known the views I hold, first, regarding the proposals which have been put before
 you by the Prytaneis, The Senate of the Five Hundred was
 divided into ten committees of 50, each serving a tenth part of the year. Such a
 committee was called a prytany and its members prytaneis. The prytany formulated
 measures to be brought before the General Assembly. and, second, regarding the
 other interests of the state; for no good will come of the resolutions which have now been
 made regarding the peace See Introduction, p. 2, note
 c. unless we are well advised also with regard to what remains to be done.