1-3:3
Ἀλλ ἵνα μὴ ἄλογον φωνὴν καὶ τολμηρὰν δόξῃ τις ταῦτα εἶναι, ἀξιοῦμεν τὰ κατηγορούμενα αὐτῶν ἐξετάζεσθαι καί, ἐὰν οὕτως ἔχοντα ἀποδεικνύωνται, κολάζεσθαι ὡς πρέπον ἐστὶν ἁλόντας κολάζειν· εἰ δὲ μηδὲν ἔχοι τις ἐλέγχειν, οὐχ ὑπαγορεύει ὁ ἀληθὴς λόγος διὰ φήμην πονηρὰν ἀναιτίους ἀνθρώπους ἀδικεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἑαυτούς, οἵ οὐ κρίσει ἀλλὰ πάθει τὰ πράγματα ἐπάγειν ἀξιοῦτε. Καλὴν δὲ καὶ μόνην δικαίαν πρόκλησιν ταύτην πᾶς ὁ σωφρονῶν ἀποφανεῖται, τὸ τοὺς ἀρχομένους τὴν εὐθύνην τοῦ ἑαυτῶν βίου καὶ λόγου ἄληπτον παρέχειν, ὁμοίωςδ αὖ καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας μὴ βίᾳ μηδὲ τυραννίδι ἀλλ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ ἀκολουθοῦντας τὴν ψῆφον τίθεσθαι· οὕτως γὰρ ἂν καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ οἱ ἀρχόμενοι ἀπολαύοιεν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ. Ἔφη γάρ που καί τις τῶν παλαιῶν· Ἄν μὴ οἱ ἄρχοντες φιλοσοφήσωσι καὶ οἱ ἀρχόμενοι, οὐκ ἂν εἴη τὰς πόλεις εὐδαιμονῆσαι. Ἡμέτερον οὖν ἔργον καὶ βίου καὶ μαθημάτων τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν πᾶσι παρέχειν, ὅπως μὴ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀγνοεῖν τὰ ἡμέτερα νομιζόντων τὴν τιμωρίαν, ὧν ἂν πλημμελῶσι τυφλώττοντες, αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ὀφλήσωμεν· ὑμέτερον δὲ, ὡς αἱρεῖ λόγος, ἀκούοντας ἀγαθοὺς εὑρίσκεσθαι κριτάς. Ἀναπολόγητον γὰρ λοιπὸν μαθοῦσιν, ἢν μὴ τὰ δίκαια ποιήσητε, ὑπάρξει πρὸς θεόν
But lest anyone think these words rash and presumptuous, we ask that the charges against them be examined; and if they are proved to be as alleged, that they be punished as it is fitting to punish the convicted; but if no one can convict them of anything, true reason does not direct that, on account of an evil report, innocent men should be wronged—rather, that you wrong yourselves, who think fit to conduct affairs not by judgment but by passion. Every sober person will declare this to be the one good and just demand: that the subjects render an unimpeachable account of their own life and teaching, and that the rulers likewise give their verdict following not violence or tyranny but piety and philosophy; for thus both rulers and ruled would enjoy the good. For one of the ancients said somewhere: 'Unless both rulers and ruled become philosophers, cities cannot be happy.' It is therefore our task to offer to all an inspection of our life and our teachings, so that we may not bear the penalty for those who, supposing they know our affairs, blunder in blindness—lest we incur it for ourselves; and it is yours, as reason demands, to be found good judges when you have heard. For if, having learned the truth, you do not do what is just, you will be without excuse before God.
但恐怕有人以為這些話狂妄魯莽，我們便請求查驗對他們所提的控告；倘若查明屬實，便照所定罪者當受的責罰來懲治；但若無人能指證出甚麼，真理就不容許因著惡名而冤枉無辜的人，反倒是你們冤枉了自己——你們竟以為當憑情緒而非憑判斷來處理事情。凡清醒的人都要承認這是唯一美善公正的要求：就是被治者要為自己的生活與言論交出無可指摘的帳，治者也照樣不憑暴力或暴政，乃憑虔敬與哲學來作判決；如此，治者與被治者就都能享受美善。古人中有一位說過：「若是治者與被治者都不成為愛智慧的人，城邦便不能興盛。」所以查驗我們的生活與教訓、向眾人開放，乃是我們的本分，免得我們因那些自以為知道我們底細、卻盲目妄為之人的緣故，自取刑罰；而你們的本分，正如理性所要求的，乃是聽完之後作公正的審判者。因為你們既已得知真理，若不行公義，在神面前就無可推諉了。