We are concerned about our polity no less than about the safety of the whole state and we know that our democracy flourishes and endures in times of peace and security while in times of war it has twice already been overthrown,By the oligarchical revolution of 411 B.C., when the government of the Four Hundred was established, and that of 404 B.C., when the reign of the Thirty began. but we are hostile to those who desire peace as if suspecting them of favoring oligarchy,For example, Timotheus, who was no flatterer. See Isoc. 15.131 ff. Cf. Isoc. 15.318. while we are friendly to those who advocate war as if assured of their devotion to democracy.

We are versed beyond all others in discourse and in the conduct of affairs, but we are so devoid of reason that we do not hold the same views about the same question on the same day; on the contrary, the things which we condemn before we enter the assembly are the very things which we vote for when we are in session, and again a little later when we depart to our homes we disapprove of the things which we resolved upon here.Aristophanes (Aristoph. Ach. 630) ridicules the Athenians for being quick in making up and in changing their minds. Cf.Aristoph. Eccl. 797. We pretend that we are the wisest of the Hellenes, but we employ the kind of advisers whom no one could fail to despise, and we place these very same men in control of all our public interests to whom no one would entrust a single one of his private affairs.

But, what is most reprehensible of all, we regard those whom all would acknowledge to be the most depraved of our citizensCf. Isoc. 15.316 ff. and notes; Aristoph. Frogs 730 ff. as the most trustworthy guardians of our polity; and we judge the character of our alien residents by the kind of patronsOnly through a citizen to represent him as his “patron” before the law could a foreign resident enjoy the protection of the state. The word for patron, προστάτης, was also used for the leader of the General Assembly. Hence the play on the word, which can be reproduced only by a free rendering in English. they select to represent them, but do not expect that we shall be judged by the character of those who represent us at the head of the state.

So far are we different from our ancestors that whereas they chose the same men to preside over the city and to be generals in the field,For example, Pericles, who personally led a number of expeditions. since they believed that one who could give the best counsel on this platform would best take counsel with himself when alone, we ourselves do the very opposite;

for the men whose counsels we follow in matters of the greatest importance—these we do not see fit to elect as our generals, as if distrusting their intelligence, but men whose counsel no one would seek either on his own business or on that of the state—these we send into the field with unlimited authority,Obviously a jibe at Chares (the enemy of Isocrates’ pupil and friend Timotheus. See Isoc. 15.116, note) who was sent out as στρατηγὸς αὐτοκράτωρ. See Dem. 23.173. as if expecting that they will be wiser abroad than at home and will find it easier to take counsel on questions pertaining to the Hellenes than on those which are proposed for consideration here.