(31) καὶ ὡς ὁ Λάκων εὐθυνόμενος τῆς ἐφορίας, ἐρωτώμενος εἰ δο(32)κοῦσιν αὐτῷ δικαίως ἀπολωλέναι ἅτεροι, ἔφη.
ὁ δὲ “οὐκοῦν (33) σὺ τούτοις ταὐτὰ ἔθου;” καὶ ὃς ἔφη.
“οὐκοῦν δικαίως ἄν”, (34) ἔφη, “καὶ σὺ ἀπόλοιο;” “οὐ δῆτα”, ἔφη, “οἱ μὲν γὰρ χρήματα (35) λαβόντες ταῦτα ἔπραξαν, ἐγὼ δὲ οὔ, ἀλλὰ γνώμῃ.”
διὸ (1419b1) οὔτε ἐπερωτᾶν δεῖ μετὰ τὸ συμπέρασμα, οὔτε τὸ συμπέρασμα (2) ἐπερωτᾶν, ἐὰν μὴ τὸ πολὺ περιῇ τοῦ ἀληθοῦς.
Thus when Sophocles was asked by Peisander whether he had, like the other members of the Board of Safety, voted for setting up the Four Hundred, he said ‘Yes.’ —’Why, did you not think it wicked?’ —’Yes.’ —’So you committed this wickedness?’ ‘Yes’, said Sophocles, ‘for there was nothing better to do.’
Again, the Lacedaemonian, when he was being examined on his conduct as ephor, was asked whether he thought that the other ephors had been justly put to death. ’Yes’, he said.
’Well then’, asked his opponent, ‘did not you propose the same measures as they?’—’Yes.’
—’Well then, would not you too be justly put to death?’—’Not at all’, said he; ‘they were bribed to do it, and I did it from conviction’.