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Τοὺς κατὰ ἀλήθειαν εὐσεβεῖς καὶ φιλοσόφους μόνον τἀληθὲς τιμᾶν καὶ στέργειν ὁ λόγος ὑπαγορεύει, παραιτουμένους δόξαις παλαιῶν ἐξακολουθεῖν, ἂν φαῦλαι ὦσιν· οὐ γὰρ μόνον μὴ ἕπεσθαι τοῖς ἀδίκως τι πράξασινἤ δογματίσασιν ὁ σώφρων λόγος ὑπαγορεύει, ἀλλ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς τὸν φιλαλήθη, κἂν θάνατος ἀπειλῆται, τὰ δίκαια λέγειν τε καὶ πράττειν αἱρεῖσθαι δεῖ. Ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν ὅτι λέγεσθε εὐσεβεῖς καὶ φιλόσοφοι καὶ φύλακες δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐρασταὶ παιδείας, ἀκούετε πανταχοῦ· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπάρχετε, δειχθήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ κολακεύσοντες ὑμᾶς διὰ τῶνδε τῶν γραμμάτων οὐδὲ πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλήσοντες, ἀλλ ἀπαιτήσοντες κατὰ τὸν ἀκριβῆ καὶ ἐξεταστικὸν λόγον τὴν κρίσιν ποιήσασθαι προσεληλύθαμεν, μὴ προλήψει μηδ ἀνθρωπαρεσκείᾳ τῇ δεισιδαιμόνων κατεχομένους ἢ ἀλόγῳ ὁρμῇ καὶ χρονίᾳ προκατεσχηκυίᾳ φήμῃ κακῇ τὴν καθ ἑαυτῶν ψῆφον φέροντας. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ πρὸς οὐδενὸς πείσεσθαί τι κακὸν δύνασθαι λελογίσμεθα, ἢν μὴ κακίας ἐργάται ἐλεγχώμεθα ἢ πονηροὶ διεγνώσμεθα· ὑμεῖςδ ἀποκτεῖναι μὲν δύνασθε, βλάψαιδ οὔ
Reason directs that those who are truly devout and philosophers should honor and cherish the truth alone, refusing to follow the opinions of the ancients if these are worthless. For sound reason directs not only that one should not follow those who have done or taught anything unjust, but that the lover of truth must by every means, even before his own life, choose to speak and do what is just, though death be threatened. You, indeed, are everywhere called devout and philosophers and guardians of justice and lovers of learning; whether you truly are such will be shown. For we have not come to flatter you by these writings, nor to address you so as to win favor, but to demand that judgment be passed according to strict and searching reason, not in a manner governed by prejudice or by a desire to please the superstitious, nor swayed by irrational impulse and an evil reputation long prevailing, so as to cast a vote against yourselves. For we are convinced that we can suffer no evil from anyone, unless we be convicted as workers of wickedness or proved to be base. You can indeed kill us, but you cannot harm us.
理性指示：凡真正虔敬的人和哲學家，都當單單尊崇並珍愛真理，若古人的見解是惡的，便不可隨從。因為健全的理性指示，不僅不可隨從那些行了或教了不義之事的人，更要那愛真理的人，無論如何、甚至寧捨自己的性命、縱然死亡相威脅，也要選擇說公義的話、行公義的事。你們既到處被稱為虔敬的、哲學家、公義的守護者、愛學問的人；至於你們是否真是如此，將要顯明出來。因為我們寫這些文字，並非要諂媚你們，也不是為討好而說話，乃是要求你們照著嚴謹而審慎的理性來作判斷。我們前來，是不願你們被成見、或被討好迷信者之心、或被無理的衝動、或被長久流傳的惡名所挾制，以致對自己投下不利的一票。我們深信，除非被查明是作惡的人、或被斷定為邪惡，否則無人能使我們受任何損害。你們固然能殺我們，卻不能傷害我們。