We hold these truths to be self-evident

 

 

 

Ταύτᾱς τὰς ἀληθείᾱς νομίζομεν ἀξιώματα εἶναι, ὅτι οἱ πάντες οἱ ἀνθρώποι πεποίηνται ἴσοι, ὅτι αὐτοῖς ὑτὸ τοῦ Δημιουροῦ δεδομένα τινά δικαιώματα ἀναπαλλοτριώτα, ὅτι ἐν τούτοις εἰσίν ἡ ζωή, τἐλευθερία, καὶ τὸ διώκειν τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν.—Ὅτι ἵνα ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα φυλάσσωνται, καθίστανται ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολῑτείαι, τοὺς κράτους δικαίους λαμβάνουσαι ἐκ τῇ τοῦ δήμου ὁμολογίᾳ.—Ὅτι εἴ τις πολῑτεία γεγένηται ἀσύμφορα εἰς τούτους τοὺς τέλους, δικαιώμα ἐστὶ τοῦ δήμου αὐτὴν ἀλλάξαι ἢ καταλῦσαι, καὶ νέαν πολῑτείαν καταστῆσαι, τοὺς θεμελίους καταβαλόντες εἰς οἵᾱς ὑποθέσεις, καὶ τοὺς κράτους συνστήσαντες εἰς οἷαν τάξιν, ὡς αὐτοῖς δοκοῦσι ἐπιδοξόταται φυλάσσειν τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν καὶ εὐδαιμονίαν.

(Taútās tās alētheíās nomízomen axiṓmata eînai, hóti hoi pántes hoi anthrṓpoi pepoíēntai ísoi, hóti autoîs hypo toû Dēmiourgoû dedoména tiná dikaiṓmata anapallotriṓta, hóti en toútois eisín hē zōḗ, t’eleuthería, kai to diṓkein tēn eudaimonían.—Hóti hína taûta ta dikaiṓmata phylássōntai, kathístantai en anthrṓpois polīteíai, tous krátous dikaíous lambánousai ek tê toû dḗmou homologíā.—Hóti eí tis polīteía gegénētai asýmphora eis toútous tous télous, dikaiṓma esti toû dḗmou autēn alláxai ē katalŷsai, kai néan polīteían katastêsai, tous themelíous katabalóntes eis hoíās hypothéseis, kai tous krátous synstḗsantes eis hoîan táxin, hōs autoîs dokoûsi epidoxótatai phylássein tēn heautôn sōtērían kai eudaimonían.)

 

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

 

—The United States Declaration of Independence