Do not, after yourselves voting for war, dispute with each other, whether you ought or ought not to have done so.
Demosthenes: “Do not, after yourselves voting for war, dispute with each other, whether you ought or ought not to have done so.”
Editor's note · Context
Demosthenes admonishes the Athenians to stand by their decision to go to war rather than engaging in internal disputes about its wisdom.
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Because our city is the only one where liberty is allowed to speak for the enemy, where a man taking a bribe may safely address the people, though they have been deprived of their possessions.
How is it equitable, that certain of these men, returned from prison, should not know themselves, while the state, that once protected all Greece and held the foremost place, is sunk in ignominy and humiliation?
If we admitted the truth of what would be your best possible answer, namely, that all you do is for honor and renown, I wonder what puts it into your head, that you ought from such motives to exert yourself and undergo toil and danger…
For this reason he will show us no mercy, if he get us into his power: and therefore you must make up your minds, that the struggle will be one for life and death.





