by Demosthenes
[7] Her brothers, Menexenus and.Bathyllus （for Periander was still a boy） then gave her again in marriage with the talent for her dowry, and she dwelt with my father as his wife. There were born to them myself and another brother, younger than I, who died while still a child.
To prove that I am speaking the truth, I will first bring forward witnesses to establish these facts.” Witnesses”
[8] τὴν μὲν τοίνυν μητέρα τὴν ἐμὴν οὕτως ὁ πατήρ μου γήμας εἶχε γυναῖκα ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐμέ τε ἐπαίδευεν καὶ ἠγάπα, ὥσπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἅπαντες τοὺς ὑμετέρους παῖδας ἀγαπᾶτε. τῇ δὲ τούτων μητρὶ Πλαγγόνι ἐπλησίασεν ὅντινα δή ποτ᾽ οὖν τρόπον: οὐ γὰρ ἐμὸν τοῦτο λέγειν ἐστίν.
[8] My father, then, having thus married my mother, maintained her as his wife in his own house; and he brought me up and showed me a father’s affection such as you also all show to your children. But with Plangon, the mother of these men, he formed a connection of some sort or other （it is not for me to say what it was）;
[9] καὶ οὕτως οὐ πάντα γε ἦν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας κεκρατημένος, ὥστε οὐδὲ τῆς μητρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀποθανούσης ἠξίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν παρ᾽ ἑαυτὸν εἰσδέξασθαι, οὐδὲ τούτους, ὡς υἱεῖς εἰσιν αὑτοῦ, πεισθῆναι: ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἄλλον χρόνον οὗτοι διῆγον οὐκ ὄντες τοῦ ἐμοῦ πατρός, ὡς καὶ ὑμῶν οἱ πολλοὶ ἴσασιν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὗτος αὐξηθεὶς καὶ μεθ᾽ αὑτοῦ παρασκευασάμενος ἐργαστήριον συκοφαντῶν, ὧν ἡγεμὼν ἦν Μνησικλῆς καὶ Μενεκλῆς ἐκεῖνος ὁ τὴν Νῖνον ἑλών, μεθ᾽ ὧν οὗτος ἐδικάζετό
[9] however, he was not so wholly the slave of his passion as to deem it right even after my mother’s death to receive the woman into his own house, or to admit that the defendants were his children. No, for all the rest of the time they lived as not being sons of my father, as most of you know; but after Boeotus had grown up and had associated with himself a gang of blackmailers, whose leaders were Mnesicles and that Menecles who secured the conviction of Ninus, in connection with these men he brought suit against my father, claiming that he was his son.
[10] μου τῷ πατρὶ φάσκων υἱὸς εἶναι ἐκείνου — συνόδων δὲ γιγνομένων πολλῶν ὑπὲρ τούτων, καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς οὐκ ἂν φάσκοντος πεισθῆναι, ὡς οὗτοι γεγόνασιν ἐξ αὑτοῦ, τελευτῶσα ἡ Πλαγγών, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί （πάντα γὰρ εἰρήσεται τἀληθῆ πρὸς ὑμᾶς）, μετὰ τοῦ Μενεκλέους ἐνεδρεύσασα τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ ἐξαπατήσασα ὅρκῳ, ὃς μέγιστος δοκεῖ καὶ δεινότατος παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις εἶναι, ὡμολόγησεν τριάκοντα μνᾶς λαβοῦσα τούτους μὲν τοῖς αὑτῆς ἀδελφοῖς εἰσποιήσειν υἱεῖς, αὐτὴ δέ, ἂν πρὸς τῷ διαιτητῇ προκαλῆται αὐτὴν ὁ πατήρ μου ὀμόσαι ἦ μὴν τοὺς παῖδας ἐξ αὑτοῦ γεγονέναι, οὐ δέξεσθαι τὴν πρόκλησιν: τούτων γὰρ γενομένων οὔτε τούτους ἀποστερήσεσθαι τῆς πολιτείας, τῷ τε πατρί μου οὐκέτι δυνήσεσθαι αὐτοὺς πράγματα παρέχειν, τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν οὐ δεξαμένης τὸν ὅρκον.
[10] Many meetings took place about these matters, and my father declared that he would never be convinced that these men were his children, and finally Plangon, men of the jury （for the whole truth shall be told you）, having in conjunction with Menecles laid a snare for my father, and deceived him by an oath that among all mankind is held to be the greatest and most awful, agreed that, if she were paid thirty minae, she would get her brothers to adopt these men, and that, on her own part, if my father should challenge her before the arbitrator to swear that the children were in very truth his sons, she would decline the challenge. For if this were done, she said, the defendants would not be deprived of their civic rights, but they would no longer be able to make trouble for my father, seeing that their mother had refused the oath.
[11] συγχωρηθέντων δὲ τούτων — τί ἂν ὑμῖν μακρολογοίην; ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τὸν διαιτητὴν ἀπήντησεν, παραβᾶσα πάντα τὰ ὡμολογημένα ἡ Πλαγγὼν δέχεταί τε τὴν πρόκλησιν καὶ ὄμνυσιν ἐν τῷ Δελφινίῳ ἄλλον ὅρκον ἐναντίον τῷ προτέρῳ, ὡς καὶ ὑμῶν οἱ πολλοὶ ἴσασιν: περιβόητος γὰρ ἡ πρᾶξις ἐγένετο. καὶ οὕτως ὁ πατήρ μου διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πρόκλησιν ἀναγκασθεὶς ἐμμεῖναι τῇ διαίτῃ, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς γεγενημένοις ἠγανάκτει καὶ βαρέως ἔφερεν, καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐδ᾽ ὣς εἰσδέξασθαι τούτους ἠξίωσεν, εἰς δὲ τοὺς φράτερας ἠναγκάσθη εἰσαγαγεῖν. καὶ τοῦτον μὲν ἐνέγραψε Βοιωτόν, τὸν δ᾽ ἕτερον Πάμφιλον.
[11] When these terms had been accepted — for why should I make my story a long one? — he went to meet her before the arbitrator, and Plangon, contrary to all that she had agreed to do, accepted the challenge, and swore in the Delphinium an oath which was the very opposite of her former one, as most of you know well; for the transaction became a notorious one. Thus, my father was compelled on account of his own challenge to abide by the arbitrator’s award, but he was indignant at what had been done, and took the matter heavily to heart, and did not even so consent to admit these men into his house; but he was compelled to introduce them to the clansmen. The defendant he enrolled as Boeotus, and the other as Pamphilus.
[12] ἐμὲ δ᾽ εὐθὺς ἔπειθε περὶ ὀκτωκαίδεκ᾽ ἔτη γεγενημένον τὴν Εὐφήμου γῆμαι θυγατέρα, βουλόμενος παῖδας ἐξ ἐμοῦ γενομένους ἐπιδεῖν. ἐγὼ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, νομίζων δεῖν καὶ πρότερον καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὗτοι ἐλύπουν αὐτὸν δικαζόμενοι καὶ πράγματα παρέχοντε, ἐμὲ τοὐναντίον εὐφραίνειν ἅπαντα ποιοῦντα ὅσα ἐκείνῳ χαριεῖσθαι μέλλοιμι, ἐπείσθην αὐτῷ.
[12] As for me, he forthwith persuaded me, for I was about eighteen years of age, to marry the daughter of Euphemus, wishing to live to see children born to me. I, men of the jury, as before, so especially then, when these men were beginning to annoy him with lawsuits and were proving troublesome, thought that I, on the contrary, ought to strive to gladden him by doing everything whereby I could give him pleasure, and so obeyed him.
[13] γήμαντος δέ μου τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον, ἐκεῖνος μὲν τὸ θυγάτριόν μοι ἐπιδὼν γενόμενον, οὐ πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ὕστερον ἀρρωστήσας ἐτελεύτησεν: ἐγὼ δ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ζῶντος μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς οὐδὲν ᾤμην δεῖν ἐναντιοῦσθαι αὐτῷ, τελευτήσαντος δὲ ἐκείνου εἰσεδεξάμην τε τούτους εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων μετέδωκα, οὐχ ὡς ἀδελφοῖς οὖσιν （οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς λελή
θασιν ὃν τρόπον οὗτοι γεγόνασιν）, νομίζων δ᾽ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναί μοι, ἐπειδὴ ὁ πατὴρ ἐξηπατήθη, πείθεσθαι τοῖς νόμοις τοῖς ὑμετέροις.
[13] When I had married in this way, and he had lived to see my little daughter born, not many years later he fell sick and died. Then, although during my father’s lifetime, men of the jury, I had thought it my duty to oppose him in nothing, yet after his death I received these men into the house, and gave them a share of all the property, not as being really my brothers （for most of you are well aware of the manner in which they became such）, but thinking that, as my father had been beguiled, it was my duty to obey your laws.
[14] καὶ οὕτως ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσδεχθέντες, ὡς ἐνεμόμεθα τὰ πατρῷα, ἀξιοῦντος ἐμοῦ ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν τῆς μητρὸς προῖκα ἀντενεκάλουν καὶ οὗτοι, καὶ ἔφασαν ὀφείλεσθαι καὶ τῇ αὑτῶν μητρὶ τὴν ἴσην προῖκα. συμβουλευσάντων δ᾽ ἡμῖν τῶν παρόντων, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ἐνειμάμεθα, τὴν δὲ οἰκίαν καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς διακόνους τοῦ πατρὸς ἐξαιρέτους ἐποιησάμεθα,
[14] And when they had thus been received by me into the house, we proceeded to divide the inheritance; and upon my demanding that my mother’s marriage-portion be repaid to me, these men put in a counter-claim, and alleged that a portion of like amount was owing to their mother. On the advice of friends who were present we divided all the rest of the property but kept apart the house and the domestic servants of my father,
[15] ἵν᾽ ἐκ μὲν τῆς οἰκίας, ὁποτέροις ἂν ἡμῶν φαίνηται ὀφειλομένη ἡ προίξ, οὗτοι αὐτὴν κομίσωνται, ἐκ δὲ τῶν παίδων κοινῶν ὄντων, ἐάν τι οὗτοι τῶν πατρῴων ἐπιζητῶσιν, πυνθάνωνται, καὶ βασανίζοντες αὐτοὺς καὶ ἄλλῳ ὅτῳ ἂν τρόπῳ βούλωνται ζητοῦντες. ὅτι δὲ καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, ἐκ τούτων τῶν μαρτυριῶν εἴσεσθε.”Μαρτυρίαι”
[15] in order that whichever party of us might establish his claim to the dowry should recover it from the value of the house; and from the slaves, who were common property, the defendants, should they wish to search out any of my father’s effects, might make inquiry by torturing them, or by prosecuting their search in any other way they might please.
That I am speaking the truth in this also you will know from these depositions.” Depositions”
[16] μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν οὗτοί τε ἐμοὶ δίκας ἔλαχον ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐνεκάλουν κἀγὼ τούτοις ὑπὲρ τῆς προικός. καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον παραγραψάμενοι Σόλωνα Ἑρχιέα διαιτητὴν τούτῳ ἐπετρέψαμεν δικάσαι περὶ ὧν ἐνεκαλοῦμεν ἀλλήλοις: ὡς δ᾽ οὐκ ἀπήντων οὗτοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐφυγοδίκουν καὶ χρόνος διετρίβετο συχνός, τῷ μὲν Σόλωνι συνέβη τελευτῆσαι τὸν βίον, οὗτοι δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς λαγχάνουσί μοι τὰς δίκας, καὶ ἐγὼ τούτῳ, προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπιγραψάμενος ἐπὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα Βοιωτόν: τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο τοὔνομα.
[16] After this these men brought action against me to establish their claims, and I sued them for the marriage-portion. At the first we had Solon, of Erchia, registered as arbitrator, and submitted to him for decision the claims we advanced against each other. These men, however, did not appear, but avoided the hearing; and thus considerable time was wasted, and it came about that Solon died. These men then instituted their suit against me afresh, and I my suit against the defendant, summoning him under the name of Boeotus, and inscribing that name on the complaint; for that was the name my father gave him.
[17] περὶ μὲν οὖν ὧν οὗτοί μοι ἐδικάζοντο, παρόντος τούτου καὶ ἀντιδικοῦντος καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντος ἐπιδεῖξαι οὐδὲν ὧν ἐνεκάλουν, ἀπεδιῄτησέν μου ὁ διαιτητής: καὶ οὗτος συνειδὼς αὑτῷ ἀδίκως ἐγκαλοῦντι οὔτε ἐφῆκεν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον, οὔτε νῦν περὶ ἐκείνων εἴληχέ μοι δίκην οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἄλλων τινῶν, λύσειν τοῖς ἐγκλήμασι τούτοις τὴν δίκην ταύτην οἰόμενος. ἣν δ᾽ ἐγὼ τοῦτον ἐδίωκον τότε περὶ τῆς προικός, ἐπιδημοῦντος τούτου ἐνθάδε καὶ οὐκ ἀπαντήσαντος πρὸς τὸν διαιτητήν, ἐρήμην κατεδιῄτησεν αὐτοῦ.
[17] In the suit which these men brought against me, Boeotus appeared and fought the case, but, since he was unable to establish any of their claims, the arbitrator decided in my favor; and Boeotus, conscious that he was making charges without any just basis, did not appeal to a jury, and has not now entered any suit against me in regard to these matters, but in regard to some others, thinking to break down this suit of mine by these counter-charges. In the suit which at that time I was carrying on against Boeotus in regard to the marriage-portion, since he was here in Athens and did not appear before the arbitrator, the latter gave judgement against him by default.
[18] οὑτοσὶ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὔτε ἠντεδίκει τότε παρὼν οὔτε ἔφη με καταδιαιτήσασθαι τὴν δίκην αὑτοῦ: οὐ γὰρ εἶναι Βοιωτὸν αὑτῷ ὄνομα, ἀλλὰ Μαντίθεον, καὶ οὕτως ὀνόματι ἀμφισβητῶν ἔργῳ τὴν προῖκά με τῆς μητρὸς ἀποστερεῖ. ἀπορῶν δ᾽ ἐγὼ τί ἄν τις χρήσαιτο τῷ πράγματι, οὕτω πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην δίκην λαχὼν αὐτῷ Μαντιθέῳ ἑνδεκάτῳ ἔτει νῦν εἰς ὑμᾶς καταπέφευγα. ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, ἀναγνώσεται ὑμῖν τὰς περὶ τούτων μαρτυρίας.”Μαρτυρίαι”
[18] And Boeotus, men of the jury, though he was here at the time would not contest the suit, but declared that I had not received the arbitrator’s verdict against him, for his name was not Boeotus, but Mantitheus; and thus, by quibbling about a name, he is in fact depriving me of my mother’s portion. As I was at a loss to know how one should deal with a matter like this, I instituted the same suit afresh against him as Mantitheus, and now in the eleventh year I have come to you for help.
To prove that I am speaking the truth in this also, the clerk will read the depositions dealing with these matters.” Depositions”
[19] ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἥ τε μήτηρ μου τάλαντον ἐπενεγκαμένη προῖκα, ἐκδοθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν αὑτῆς, ὥσπερ οἱ νόμοι κελεύουσιν, συνῴκησεν τῷ πατρί, καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐγὼ τούτους εἰσεδεξάμην εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήσαντος, καὶ ὅτι ἀπέφυγον αὐτοὺς τὰς δίκας ἅς μοι ἐνεκάλουν, ταῦτα μὲν πάντα καὶ μεμαρτύρηται ὑμῖν καὶ ἐπιδέδεικται. ἴθι δὴ λαβὲ καὶ τὸν περὶ τῆς προικὸς νόμον τουτονί.”Νόμος”
[19] That my mother, therefore, men of the jury, bringing a talent as her dowry, and given in marriage by her brothers, as the laws command, lived with my father
as his wife; the manner, too, in which I received these men into the house after my father’s death; and the fact that I obtained a verdict in the suits which they brought against me; — all this has been established for you by proofs and by testimony.
Come now, take also this law concerning the marriage-portion.” Law”
[20] οὕτω τοίνυν τοῦ νόμου ἔχοντος, οἶμαι τουτονὶ Βοιωτὸν ἢ Μαντίθεον ἢ ὅ τι ποτ᾽ ἄλλο χαίρει προσαγορευόμενος, δικαίαν μὲν ἀπολογίαν καὶ ἀληθινὴν οὐδεμίαν ἕξειν εἰπεῖν, ἐπιχειρήσειν δὲ τῇ τόλμῃ καὶ τῇ θρασύτητι τῇ ἑαυτοῦ πιστεύοντα περιιστάναι τὰς αὑτῶν συμφορὰς εἰς ἐμέ, ἅπερ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ποιεῖν εἴωθεν, λέγων ὡς δημευθείσης τῆς τοῦ Παμφίλου οὐσίας, ὃς ἦν πατὴρ τῆς Πλαγγόνος, τὰ περιγενόμενα χρήματα ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς ἔλαβεν ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου, καὶ οὕτως ἀποφαίνειν πειρώμενος τὴν μὲν αὑτοῦ μητέρα ἐπενεγκαμένην προῖκα πλέον ἢ ἑκατὸν μνᾶς, τὴν δ᾽ ἐμὴν ἄπροικον φάσκων συνοικῆσαι.