by Demosthenes
[67] Surely, men of Athens, you ought to feel indignation rather toward those who are rascals in wealth than toward those who are such in poverty. In the case of the latter the pressure of their needy state affords them some excuse in the eyes of those who look on the matter with human sympathy, whereas those who, like this fellow, are rascals while possessing abundance, could find no reasonable excuse to offer, but will be shown to act as they do from a spirit of shameful greed and covetousness and insolence, and a resolve to make their own plots stronger than the laws. Not one of these things is to your interest, but rather that the weak, if he suffers wrong, should be able to get redress from the wealthy. And he will be able, if you punish those who are thus manifestly rascals while possessing wealth.
[68] οὐ τοίνυν οὐδ᾽ ἃ πέπλασται οὗτος καὶ βαδίζει παρὰ τοὺς τοίχους ἐσκυθρωπακώς, σωφροσύνης ἄν τις ἡγήσαιτ᾽ εἰκότως εἶναι σημεῖα, ἀλλὰ μισανθρωπίας. ἐγὼ γάρ, ὅστις αὐτῷ μηδενὸς συμβεβηκότος δεινοῦ, μηδὲ τῶν ἀναγκαίων σπανίζων, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ σχέσει διάγει τὸν βίον, τοῦτον ἡγοῦμαι συνεορακέναι καὶ λελογίσθαι παρ᾽ αὑτῷ, ὅτι τοῖς μὲν ἁπλῶς, ὡς πεφύκασι, βαδίζουσι καὶ φαιδροῖς καὶ προσέλθοι τις ἂν καὶ δεηθείη καὶ ἐπαγγείλειεν οὐδὲν ὀκνῶν, τοῖς δὲ πεπλασμένοις καὶ σκυθρωποῖς ὀκνήσειέ τις ἂν προσελθεῖν πρῶτον.
[68] Neither should the airs which the fellow puts on as he walks with sullen face along the walls be properly considered as marks of sobriety, but rather as marks of misanthropy. In my opinion a man whom no misfortune has befallen, and who is in no lack of the necessaries of life, but who none the less habitually maintains this demeanor,has reviewed the matter and reached the conclusion in his own mind, that to those who walk in a simple and natural way and wear a cheerful countenance, men draw near unhesitatingly with requests and proposals, whereas they shrink from drawing near in the first place to affected and sullen characters.
[69] οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλ᾽ ἢ πρόβλημα τοῦ τρόπου τὸ σχῆμα τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, καὶ τὸ τῆς διανοίας ἄγριον καὶ πικρὸν ἐνταῦθα δηλοῖ. σημεῖον δέ: τοσούτων γὰρ ὄντων τὸ πλῆθος Ἀθηναίων, πράττων πολὺ βέλτιον ἢ σὲ προσῆκον ἦν, τῷ πώποτ᾽ εἰσήνεγκας, ἢ τίνι συμβέβλησαί πω, ἢ τίν᾽ εὖ πεποίηκας;
[69] This demeanor, then, is nothing but a cloak to cover his real character, and he shows therein the rudeness and malignity of his temper. Here is a proof. You have been far better off than you deserved, yet to whom among the whole host of Athenians have you ever made a contribution? To whom have you ever lent aid, or to whom done a kindness?
[70] οὐδέν᾽ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοις: ἀλλὰ τοκίζων καὶ τὰς τῶν ἄλλων συμφορὰς καὶ χρείας εὐτυχήματα σαυτοῦ νομίζων, ἐξέβαλες μὲν τὸν ἀφῄρησαι δὲ τὴν σαυτοῦ πενθερὰν ταῦτ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔζη, ἀοίκητον δὲ τὸν Ἀρχεδήμου παῖδα τὸ σαυτοῦ μέρος πεποίηκας. οὐδεὶς δὲ πώποθ᾽ οὕτω πικρῶς οὐδ᾽ ὑπερήμερον εἰσέπραξεν ὡς σὺ τοὺς ὀφείλοντας τοὺς τόκους. εἶθ᾽ ὃν ὁρᾶτ᾽ ἐπὶ πάντων οὕτως ἄγριον καὶ μιαρόν, τοῦτον ὑμεῖς ἠδικηκότ᾽ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοφώρῳ λαβόντες οὐ τιμωρήσεσθε; δείν᾽ ἄρ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ποιήσετε καὶ οὐχὶ δίκαια.
[70] You could not name a single one; but while lending money at interest and regarding the misfortunes and necessities of others as your own good fortune, you ejected your own uncle Nicias from the house of his fathers, you have taken from your own mother-in-law the resources upon which she lived, and you have, in so far as it depended upon you, rendered homeless the son of Archedemus. No one ever exacted payment from a defaulter as rigorously as you exact interest from your debtors. A man, then, whom you find to be so brutal and so savage on all occasions, are you going to fail to punish him when you have caught him in the very act of wrongdoing? In that case, men of the jury, you will do what is an outrage and in no sense right.
[71] ἄξιον τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ Φορμίωνι τῷ παρασχομένῳ τουτονὶ νεμεσῆσαι τοῖς πεπραγμένοις, τὴν ἀναίδειαν τοῦ τρόπου καὶ τὴν ἀχαριστίαν ἰδόντας. οἶμαι γὰρ ἅπαντας ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι τοῦτον, ἡνίκ᾽ ὤνιος ἦν, εἰ συνέβη μάγειρον ἤ τινος ἄλλης τέχνης δημιουργὸν πρίασθαι, τὴν τοῦ δεσπότου τέχνην ἂν μαθὼν πόρρω τῶν νῦν παρόντων ἦν ἀγαθῶν.
[71] It is fitting therefore, men of Athens, that you should wax indignant also against Phormio, for bringing this man forward as a witness, when you see the shamelessness of his character and his ingratitude. For I fancy you all know that if, when the fellow was for sale, a cook or an artisan in any other trade had bought him, he would have learned the trade of his master and been far removed from the prosperity which now is his.
[72] ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἡμέτερος τραπεζίτης ὢν ἐκτήσατ᾽ αὐτὸν καὶ γράμματ᾽ ἐπαίδευσεν καὶ τὴν τέχνην ἐδίδαξεν καὶ χρημάτων ἐποίησε κύριον πολλῶν, εὐδαίμων γέγονεν, τὴν τύχην, ᾗ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφίκετο, ἀρχὴν λαβὼν πάσης τῆς νῦν παρούσης εὐδαιμονίας.
[72] But since my father into whose possession he came, was a banker and taught him letters and instructed him in his business and put him in control of large sums of money, he has become wealthy, having found the good luck which brought him into our family the foundation of all his present wealth.
[73] οὐκοῦν δεινόν, ὦ γῆ καὶ θεοί, καὶ πέρᾳ δεινοῦ, τοὺς Ἕλληνα μὲν ἀντὶ βαρβάρου ποιήσαντας, γνώριμον δ᾽ ἀντ᾽ ἀνδραπόδου, τοσούτων δ᾽ ἀγαθῶν ἡγεμόνας, τούτους περιορᾶν ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἀπορίαις ὄντας ἔχοντα καὶ πλουτοῦντα, καὶ εἰς τοῦθ᾽ ἥκειν ἀναιδείας ὥστε, ἧς παρ᾽ ἡμῶν τύχης μετέσχε, ταύτης ἡμῖν μὴ τολμᾶν μεταδοῦναι.
[73] It is outrageous, then, O Earth and the gods, and worse than outrageous, that he should suffer those who made him a Greek instead of a barbarian and a man of note instead of a slave, and who brought him to such great prosperity, to live in dire want while he has means and is rich, and that he should have come to such a pitch of shamelessness that he cannot bring himself to share with us the good fortune which we shared with him.
[74] ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ὤκνησε τὴν δέσποιναν γῆμαι καὶ ἣ τὰ καταχύσματ᾽ αὐτοῦ κατέχεε τόθ᾽ ἡνίκ᾽ ἐωνήθη, ταύτῃ συνοικεῖν, οὐδὲ προῖκα πέντε τάλανθ᾽ αὑτῷ γράψαι, χωρὶς ὧν οὔσης τῆς μητρὸς κυρίας οὗτος ἐγκρατὴς γέγονεν πολλῶν χρημάτων （τί γὰρ αὐτὸν οἴεσθ᾽ εἰς τὰς διαθήκας ἐγγράψαι ‘καὶ τἄλλα, ὅσα ἐστίν, Ἀρχίππῃ δίδωμι;’） τὰς δ᾽ ἡμετέρας θυγατέρας μελλούσας δι᾽ ἔνδειαν ἀνεκδότους ἔνδον
γηράσκειν περιορᾷ.
[74] But for himself he has not scrupled to marry his mistress, and he dwells as husband with her who scattered the sweatmeats over him when he was bought as a slave, nor to write a clause giving himself a marriage portion of five talents in addition to the large sums of which he became master, inasmuch as they were in the custody of my mother — for why do you suppose he wrote in the will the clause “and all else which she has I give to Archippê”? — while he looks with indifference on my daughters, who are doomed through poverty to grow old in maidenhood with none to dower them.
[75] καὶ εἰ μὲν πένης οὗτος ἦν, ἡμεῖς δ᾽ εὐποροῦντες ἐτυγχάνομεν, καὶ συνέβη τι παθεῖν, οἷα πολλά, ἐμοί, οἱ παῖδες ἂν οἱ τούτου τῶν ἐμῶν θυγατέρων ἐπεδικάζοντο, οἱ τοῦ δούλου τῶν τοῦ δεσπότου: θεῖοι γάρ εἰσιν αὐταῖς διὰ τὸ τὴν μητέρα τὴν ἐμὴν τοῦτον λαβεῖν: ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἀπόρως ἡμεῖς ἔχομεν, τηνικαῦτ᾽ οὐ συνεκδώσει ταύτας, ἀλλὰ λέγει καὶ λογίζεται τὸ πλῆθος ὧν ἐγὼ χρημάτων ἔχω.
[75] If Phormio had been poor, and it had been our fortune to be wealthy, and if, in the course of nature, anything had happened to me, this fellow’s sons would have claimed my daughters in marriage — the sons of the slave would have claimed the daughters of the master! For they are their uncles, since the man married my mother; but seeing that it is we who are poor, he will not help to portion them off, but he talks and talks, and reckons up the amount of property which I possess.
[76] καὶ γὰρ τοῦτ᾽ ἀτοπώτατον πάντων. ὧν μὲν ἀπεστέρηκεν ἡμᾶς χρημάτων, οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον ἠθέλησεν ὑποσχεῖν τὸν λόγον, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἰσαγωγίμους εἶναι τὰς δίκας παραγράφεται: ἃ δὲ τῶν πατρῴων ἐνειμάμην ἐγώ, ταῦτα λογίζεται. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἄν τις ἴδοι τοὺς οἰκέτας ὑπὸ τῶν δεσποτῶν ἐξεταζομένους: οὗτος δ᾽ αὖ τοὐναντίον τὸν δεσπότην ὁ δοῦλος ἐξετάζει, ὡς δῆτα πονηρὸν καὶ ἄσωτον ἐκ τούτων ἐπιδείξων.
[76] For this is the most absurd thing of all. Up to this day he has never seen fit to render an account of the money of which he has defrauded me, but enters a special plea that my action is not even admissible; yet he charges against me what I have received from the estate of my fathers. Other slaves one may see called to strict account by their masters, but here we see the very opposite: the fellow, though a slave, calls his master to account, thinking thereby to show him forth as a vile fellow and a prodigal.
[77] ἐγὼ δ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῆς μὲν ὄψεως τῇ φύσει καὶ τῷ ταχέως βαδίζειν καὶ λαλεῖν μέγα, οὐ τῶν εὐτυχῶς πεφυκότων ἐμαυτὸν κρίνω: ἐφ᾽ οἷς γὰρ οὐδὲν ὠφελούμενος λυπῶ τινας, ἔλαττον ἔχω πολλαχοῦ: τῷ μέντοι μέτριος κατὰ πάσας τὰς εἰς ἐμαυτὸν δαπάνας εἶναι πολὺ τούτου καὶ τοιούτων ἑτέρων εὐτακτότερον ζῶν ἂν φανείην.
[77] For myself, men of Athens, in the matter of my outward appearance, my fast walking, and my loud voice, I judge that I am not one of those favored by nature; for in so far as I annoy others without benefiting myself, I am in many respects at a disadvantage; but since I am moderate in all my personal expenses, it will be seen that I live a much more orderly life than Phormio and others who are like him.
[78] τὰ δ᾽ εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ ὅσ᾽ εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὡς δύναμαι λαμπρότατα, ὡς ὑμεῖς σύνιστε, ποιῶ: οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοῶ τοῦθ᾽ ὅτι τοῖς μὲν γένει πολίταις ὑμῖν ἱκανόν ἐστι λῃτουργεῖν ὡς οἱ νόμοι προστάττουσι, τοὺς δὲ ποιητοὺς ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀποδιδόντας χάριν, οὕτω προσήκει φαίνεσθαι λῃτουργοῦντας. μὴ οὖν μοι ταῦτ᾽ ὀνείδιζε, ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἐπαίνου τύχοιμ᾽ ἂν δικαίως.
[78] Whatever concerns the state, however, and all that concerns you, I perform, as you know, as lavishly as I can; for I am well aware that for you who are citizens by birth it is sufficient to perform public services as the laws require; we on the contrary who are created citizens ought to show that we perform them as a grateful payment of a debt. Cease, then, to fling into my teeth matters for which I should properly win commendation.
[79] ἀλλὰ τίν᾽, ὦ Φορμίων, τῶν πολιτῶν ἑταιρεῖν, ὥσπερ σύ, μεμίσθωμαι; δεῖξον. τίνα τῆς πόλεως, ἧς αὐτὸς ἠξιώθην, καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῇ παρρησίας ἀπεστέρηκα, ὥσπερ σὺ τοῦτον ὃν κατῄσχυνας; τίνος γυναῖκα διέφθαρκα, ὥσπερ σὺ πρὸς πολλαῖς ἄλλαις ταύτην, ᾗ τὸ μνῆμ᾽ ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ θεοῖς ἐχθρὸς οὗτος πλησίον τοῦ τῆς δεσποίνης, ἀνηλωκὼς πλέον ἢ τάλαντα δύο; καὶ οὐκ ᾐσθάνετο, ὅτι οὐχὶ τοῦ τάφου μνημεῖον ἔσται τὸ οἰκοδόμημα τοιοῦτον ὄν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀδικίας ἧς τὸν ἄνδρ᾽ ἠδίκηκεν ἐκείνη διὰ τοῦτον.
[79] But, Phormio, whom of the citizens have I hired for prostitution, as you have done? Show me. Whom have I deprived of the citizenship of which I was deemed worthy, and of the right of free speech in the city, as you did in the case of the man whom you dishonored? Whose wife have I debauched, as you have the wives of many? — among them her to whom this god-detested fellow built the monument near that of his mistress at a cost of more than two talents. And he did not see that a structure, being of that sort, would be a monument, not of her tomb, but of the wrong which because of him she had done to her husband.
[80] εἶτα τοιαῦτα ποιῶν καὶ τηλικαύτας μαρτυρίας ἐξενηνοχὼς τῆς ὕβρεως τῆς σαυτοῦ σύ, τὸν ἄλλου του βίον ἐξετάζειν τολμᾷς; μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν εἶ σὺ σώφρων, τὴν δὲ νύκτ᾽ ἐφ᾽ οἷς θάνατος ἡ ζημία, ταῦτα ποιεῖς. πονηρός, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πονηρὸς οὗτος ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ Ἀνακείου καὶ ἄδικος. σημεῖον δέ: εἰ γὰρ ἦν δίκαιος, πένης ἂν ἦν τὰ τοῦ δεσπότου διοικήσας. νῦν δὲ τοσούτων χρημάτων τὸ πλῆθος κύριος καταστὰς ὥστε τοσαῦτα λαθεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν κλέψας ὅσα νῦν κέκτηται, οὐκ ὀφείλειν ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ πατρῷ᾽ ἔχειν ἡγεῖται.
[80] Do you, then, who perform acts like these, and who have given such manifest proofs of your outrageous conduct, dare to scrutinize the manner of life of anyone else? By day you act soberly, but the whole night long you indulge in actions for which death is the penalty. He is a knave, men of Athens, a knave and a villain, and has been such from of old, ever since he left the temple of Castor and Pollux. Here is the proof. If he had been honest, he would have managed his master’s business, and remained poor. But as it is, having got control of so large an amount of money that he could steal from it all that he now possesses without detection, he regards what he holds, not as a debt, but as an inherited patrimony.
[81] καίτοι πρὸς θεῶν, εἰ κλέπτην σ᾽ ἀπῆγον ὡς ἐπ᾽ αὐτοφώρῳ εἰληφώς, τὴν οὐσίαν ἣν ἔχεις, εἴ πως ο�
�όν τ᾽ ἦν, ἐπιθείς σοι, εἶτά σ᾽ ἠξίουν, εἰ μὴ φὴς ὑφῃρημένος ταῦτ᾽ ἔχειν, ἀνάγειν ὅθεν εἴληφας, εἰς τίν᾽ ἂν αὔτ᾽ ἀνήγαγες; οὔτε γάρ σοι πατὴρ παρέδωκεν, οὔθ᾽ ηὗρες, οὔτε λαβών ποθεν ἄλλοθεν ἦλθες ὡς ἡμᾶς: βάρβαρος γὰρ ἐωνήθης. εἶθ᾽ ᾧ δημοσίᾳ προσῆκεν ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰργασμένοις τεθνάναι, σύ, τὸ σῶμα σεσῳκὼς καὶ πόλιν ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων σαυτῷ κτησάμενος καὶ παῖδας ἀδελφοὺς τοῖς σεαυτοῦ δεσπόταις ἀξιωθεὶς ποιήσασθαι, παρεγράψω μὴ εἰσαγώγιμον εἶναι τὴν δίκην τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων χρημάτων ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν;
[81] And yet, by the gods, if I had led you off to prison as a thief caught in the act, piling upon your back — if this had been in any way possible — the wealth which you now possess, and had then demanded of you, if you denied having got this wealth by thievery, to refer me to the source from which you got it, to whom would you have referred me? Your father did not give it to you; you did not find it; you had not got it from some other source when you come into our family; for you were a barbarian when you were purchased. Have you, then, a man who ought to have been publicly put to death for what you have done, after saving your skin, after securing for yourself a city with our money, and after being allowed to beget children as brothers to your own masters — have you entered a special plea that our action for the sums claimed from you is inadmissible?