by Demosthenes
[7] Hearsay evidence they do not admit from a living person, but only from one who is dead; but in the case of those who are sick or absent from the country they allow evidence to be introduced, provided it be in written form, and the absent witness and the one submitting his testimony shall alike be liable to action under the same impeachment, in order that, if the absent witness acknowledges his evidence, he may be liable to action for giving false testimony, and if he does not acknowledge it, the one who submitted his testimony may be liable.
[8] στέφανος τοίνυν οὑτοσί, οὔτ᾽ εἰδὼς διαθήκας καταλιπόντα τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν, οὔτε παραγενόμενος πώποτε διατιθεμένῳ τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν, ἀκούσας δὲ Φορμίωνος, μεμαρτύρηκεν ἀκοὴν τὰ ψευδῆ τε καὶ παρὰ τὸν νόμον. καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω, αὐτὸν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον ἀναγνώσεται.”Νόμος
ἀκοὴν εἶναι μαρτυρεῖν τεθνεῶτος, ἐκμαρτυρίαν δὲ ὑπερορίου καὶ ἀδυνάτου.”
[8] Now Stephanus here, without knowing that my father left a will or having ever been present when he drew one up, but having been told this by Phormio, has given hearsay evidence which is false, and has done it in defiance of the law.
To prove that I am telling the truth in this, the clerk shall read you the law itself.”Law
It shall be lawful to introduce hearsay evidence from one that is dead, and written evidence given in absence from one who is out of the country, or is sick.”
[9] ὡς τοίνυν καὶ παρ᾽ ἕτερον νόμον μεμαρτύρηκεν, ἐπιδεῖξαι ὑμῖν βούλομαι, ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι μεγάλων ἀδικημάτων οὐκ ἔχων καταφυγὴν ὁ Φορμίων, πρόφασιν λαβὼν λόγῳ τὴν πρόκλησιν, ἔργῳ αὐτὸς αὑτῷ μεμαρτύρηκε προστησάμενος τούτους, δι᾽ ὧν οἱ μὲν δικασταὶ ἐξηπατήθησαν ὡς ἀληθῆ τούτων μαρτυρούντων, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπεστερήθην ὧν ὁ πατήρ μοι κατέλιπεν χρημάτων καὶ τοῦ δίκην λαβεῖν περὶ ὧν ἀδικοῦμαι. μαρτυρεῖν γὰρ οἱ νόμοι οὐκ ἐῶσιν αὐτὸν αὑτῷ οὔτ᾽ ἐπὶ ταῖς γραφαῖς οὔτ᾽ ἐπὶ ταῖς δίκαις οὔτ᾽ ἐν ταῖς εὐθύναις. ὁ τοίνυν Φορμίων αὐτὸς αὑτῷ μεμαρτύρηκεν, ὁπότε φασὶν οὗτοι ἀκούσαντες ἐκείνου ταῦτα μεμαρτυρηκέναι.
[9] Now I wish to prove to you that he has given evidence contrary to another law also, that you may know that Phormio, having no harbor of refuge from the grievous wrongs he has committed, had made a pretence of the challenge, but actually has given evidence for himself, screening himself behind the testimony of these men, by which the jurymen were deceived, assuming that they were testifying to the truth, and I was robbed of the property which my father left me and of reparation for the wrongs which I have suffered. For the laws do not permit a man to give evidence for himself either in criminal suits or in civil suits or in audits. Phormio, however, has given evidence for himself, when these men say that they have given this testimony on the strength of what they heard from him.
[10] ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ἀκριβῶς, αὐτὸν τὸν νόμον μοι ἀνάγνωθι.”Νόμος
τοῖν ἀντιδίκοιν ἐπάναγκες εἶναι ἀποκρίνασθαι ἀλλήλοις τὸ ἐρωτώμενον, μαρτυρεῖν δὲ μή.”
σκέψασθε τοίνυν τουτονὶ τὸν νόμον, ὃς κελεύει ὑποδίκους εἶναι τῶν ψευδομαρτυρίων καὶ κατ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, ὅτι μαρτυρεῖ παρὰ τὸν νόμον.”Νόμος
ἔστω δὲ καὶ ὑπόδικος τῶν ψευδομαρτυρίων ὁ μαρτυρήσας αὐτοῦ τούτου, ὅτι μαρτυρεῖ παρὰ τὸν νόμον: καὶ ὁ προβαλόμενος κατὰ ταὐτά.”
[10] But that you may be fully convinced of this, please read the law itself.”Law
The two parties to a suit shall be compelled to answer one another’s questions, but they may not testify.”
Now consider this law also which ordains that action for false testimony may also be brought on this very ground, namely, that one testifies contrary to law.”Law
The witness shall also be liable to action for giving false testimony on the mere ground that he gives evidence contrary to law, and the one producing him shall also be liable in the selfsame manner.”
[11] ἔτι τοίνυν κἂν ἀπὸ τοῦ γραμματείου γνοίη τις, ἐν ᾧ ἡ μαρτυρία γέγραπται, ὅτι τὰ ψευδῆ μεμαρτύρηκεν. λελευκωμένον τε γάρ ἐστιν καὶ οἴκοθεν κατεσκευασμένον. καίτοι τοὺς μὲν τὰ πεπραγμένα μαρτυροῦντας προσήκει οἴκοθεν τὰς μαρτυρίας κατεσκευασμένας μαρτυρεῖν, τοὺς δὲ τὰς προκλήσεις μαρτυροῦντας, τοὺς ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου προσστάντας, ἐν μάλθῃ γεγραμμένην τὴν μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα, ἐάν τι προσγράψαι ἢ ἀπαλεῖψαι βουληθῇ, ῥᾴδιον ᾖ.
[11] Furthermore, even from the tablet upon which the deposition is written one can tell that he has given false evidence. For it is whitened, and was prepared at home. Yet it is only those who testify to facts who should offer depositions prepared at home; those who testify to challenges, who stand forward on the spur of the moment, should present their depositions written in wax, in order that, if one wants to add or to erase anything, it may be easier to do so.
[12] οὐκοῦν κατὰ μὲν ταῦτα πάντα ἐξελέγχεται τὰ ψευδῆ μεμαρτυρηκὼς καὶ παρὰ τὸν νόμον: βούλομαι δ᾽ ὑμῖν καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐπιδεῖξαι, ὡς οὔτε διέθετο ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν διαθήκην οὐδεμίαν οὔθ᾽ οἱ νόμοι ἐῶσιν. εἰ γάρ τις ἔροιτο ὑμᾶς, καθ᾽ ὁποίους νόμους δεῖ πολιτεύεσθαι ἡμᾶς, δῆλον ὅτι ἀποκρίναισθ᾽ ἂν κατὰ τοὺς κειμένους. ἀλλὰ μὴν οἵ γε νόμοι ἀπαγορεύουσι ‘μηδὲ νόμον ἐξεῖναι ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρὶ θεῖναι, ἂν μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐφ᾽ ἅπασιν Ἀθηναίοις’.
[12] In all these things, then, he is shown to have given false testimony, and to have given it contrary to law; but I wish to prove this further fact, that our father did not make a will, and could not legally make one. For, if anyone should ask you in accordance with what laws we should live as citizens, you would of course answer, the established laws. But look you, the laws ordain, “nor shall it be permitted to enact a law applying to an individual, unless the same law applies also to all the Athenians.”
[13] οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν νόμος οὑτοσὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς νόμοις πολιτεύεσθαι ἡμᾶς κελεύει καὶ οὐκ ἄλλους ἄλλοις. ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ἐτελεύτησεν ἐπὶ Δυσνικήτου ἄρχοντος, ὁ δὲ Φορμίων Ἀθηναῖος ἐγένετο ἐπὶ Νικοφήμου ἄρχοντος, δεκάτῳ ἔτει ὕστερον ἢ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν. πῶς ἂν οὖν μὴ εἰδὼς ὁ πατὴρ αὐτὸν Ἀθηναῖον ἐσόμενον, ἔδωκεν ἂν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα, καὶ προὐπηλάκισε μὲν ἂν ἡμᾶς, κατεφρόνησε δ᾽ ἂν τῆς δωρεᾶς ἧς παρ᾽ ὑμῶν ἔλαβεν, παρεῖδε δ᾽ ἂν τοὺς νόμους; πότερα δὲ κάλλιον ἦν αὐτῷ ζ�
��ντι πρᾶξαι ταῦτα, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, ἢ ἀποθανόντα διαθήκας καταλιπεῖν, ἃς οὐ κύριος ἦν;
[13] This law, then, ordains that we should live as citizens under the same laws and not one under one law, another under another. But my father died during the archonship of Dysnicetus, and Phormio became an Athenian citizen during the archonship of Nicophemus, in the tenth year after my father died. How, then, could my father, not knowing that Phormio was to become an Athenian citizen, have given him in marriage his own wife, and thus have outraged us, shown his contempt of the gift of citizenship which he had received from you, and disregarded your laws? And which was the more honorable course for him — to do this during his lifetime, supposing he wished to do it, or to leave behind him at his death a will which he had no legal right to make?
[14] ἀλλὰ μὴν αὐτῶν τῶν νόμων ἀκούσαντες γνώσεσθε, ὡς οὐ κύριος ἦν διαθέσθαι. λέγε τὸν νόμον.”Νόμος
ὅσοι μὴ ἐπεποίηντο, ὥστε μήτε ἀπειπεῖν μήτ᾽ ἐπιδικάσασθαι, ὅτε Σόλων εἰσῄει τὴν ἀρχήν, τὰ ἑαυτοῦ διαθέσθαι εἶναι ὅπως ἂν ἐθέλῃ, ἂν μὴ παῖδες ὦσι γνήσιοι ἄρρενες, ἂν μὴ μανιῶν ἢ γήρως ἢ φαρμάκων ἢ νόσου ἕνεκα, ἢ γυναικὶ πειθόμενος, ὑπὸ τούτων του παρανοῶν, ἢ ὑπ᾽ ἀνάγκης ἢ ὑπὸ δεσμοῦ καταληφθείς.”
[14] And verily, when you have heard the laws themselves you will see clearly that Pasio had no right to make a will.
Read the law.”Law
Any citizen, with the exception of those who had been adopted when Solon entered upon his office, and had thereby become unable either to renounce or to claim an inheritance, shall have the right to dispose of his own property by will as he shall see fit, if he have no male children lawfully born, unless his mind be impaired by one of these things, lunacy or old age or drugs or disease, or unless he be under the influence of a woman, or under constraint or deprived of his liberty.”
[15] τοῦ μὲν νόμου τοίνυν ἀκηκόατε, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ διαθήκας διαθέσθαι, ἐὰν παῖδες ὦσι γνήσιοι. οὗτοι δέ φασι ταῦτα διαθέσθαι τὸν πατέρα, ὡς δὲ παρεγένοντο οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐπιδεῖξαι. ἄξιον δὲ καὶ τόδε ἐνθυμηθῆναι, ὅτι ὅσοι μὴ ἐπεποίηντο ἀλλ᾽ ἦσαν πεφυκότες γνήσιοι, τούτοις ὁ νόμος δίδωσιν, ἐὰν ἄπαιδες ὦσιν, διαθέσθαι τὰ ἑαυτῶν. ὁ τοίνυν πατὴρ ἡμῶν ἐπεποίητο ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου πολίτης, ὥστε οὐδὲ κατὰ τοῦτο ἐξῆν αὐτῷ διαθέσθαι διαθήκην, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ τῆς γυναικός, ἧς οὐδὲ κύριος ἐκ τῶν νόμων ἦν, παῖδές τε ἦσαν αὐτῷ.
[15] You have heard the law, then, which does not permit a man to dispose of his property by will, if he have male children lawfully born. But these men declare that my father made this will, yet they cannot prove that they were present at the time. Another thing also deserves to be borne in mind, that it is to those who had not been adopted, but were lawfully born, that the law gives the right, in case of their being childless, to dispose of their property by will. Now my father had been adopted as a citizen by the people, so that on this account also he had not the right to make a will, especially in regard to his wife, of whom he was not even the legal guardian; and besides he had children.
[16] σκέψασθε δὲ καὶ διότι οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἄπαις τις ᾖ, κύριός ἐστι τὰ αὑτοῦ διαθέσθαι, ἐὰν μὴ εὖ φρονῇ: νοσοῦντα δὲ ἢ φαρμακῶντα ἢ γυναικὶ πειθόμενον ἢ ὑπὸ γήρως ἢ ὑπὸ μανιῶν ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνάγκης τινὸς καταληφθέντα ἄκυρον κελεύουσιν εἶναι οἱ νόμοι. σκοπεῖτε δή, εἰ δοκοῦσιν ὑμῖν εὖ φρονοῦντος ἀνδρὸς εἶναι αἱ διαθῆκαι, ἅς φασι διαθέσθαι οὗτοι τὸν πατέρα.
[16] Note further, that even if a man be childless, he has not the right to dispose of his property by will, unless he be of sound mind; but if he be impaired by disease or the effect of drugs, or be under the influence of a woman, or be the victim of old age or madness, or be under constraint, the laws ordain that he be incompetent. Now consider whether the will, which these men say my father made, seems to you to be the will of a man of sound mind.
[17] μὴ πρὸς ἄλλο δέ τι παράδειγμα σκέψησθε ἢ πρὸς τὴν μίσθωσιν, εἰ δοκεῖ ὑμῖν ἀκόλουθον εἶναι τῷ τὴν τέχνην μὴ ἐξουσίαν δοῦναι εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ἡμῖν ἐργάζεσθαι, τούτῳ τὴν γυναῖκα δοῦναι τὴν αὑτοῦ καὶ τῶν παίδων ἐᾶσαι κοινωνὸν αὑτῷ γενέσθαι. καὶ μὴ θαυμάζετε, εἰ τἄλλα σκευωρουμένους αὐτοὺς τὰ ἐν τῇ μισθώσει τοῦτο παρέλαθεν. ἴσως μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ προσεῖχον ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἢ τῷ τὰ χρήματα ἀποστερῆσαι καὶ τῷ προσοφείλοντα τὸν πατέρα ἐγγράψαι: εἶτα δὲ οὐδὲ ἐδόκουν ἐμὲ οὕτω δεινὸν ἔσεσθαι ὥστε ταῦτα ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσαι.
[17] Taking the lease, and nothing else, as an example, tell me whether it seems to you consistent that my father should refuse Phormio permission to carry on his business except in association with us, and yet that he should give him his wife in marriage, and thus make him a partner in his own fatherhood? And do not be surprised that, while they were arranging all else in regard to the lease so cleverly, they overlooked this. For perhaps they paid no heed to anything else, save to rob me of my money and to set my father down as a debtor to the bank; and then they did not suppose that I should be clever enough to look into these matters closely.
[18] σκέψασθε τοίνυν καὶ τοὺς νόμους, παρ᾽ ὧν κελεύουσι τὰς ἐγγύας ποιεῖσθαι, ἵν᾽ εἰδῆτε καὶ ἐκ τούτων ὡς κατεσκευασμένης διαθήκης ψευδὴς μάρτυς γέγονε Στέφανος οὑτοσί.”Νόμος
ἣν ἂν ἐγγυήσῃ ἐπὶ δικαίοις δάμαρτα εἶναι ἢ πατὴρ ἢ ἀδελφὸς ὁμοπάτωρ ἢ πάππος ὁ πρὸς πατρός, ἐκ ταύτης εἶναι παῖδας γνησίους. ἐὰν δὲ μηδεὶς ᾖ τούτων, ἐὰν μὲν ἐπίκληρός τις ᾖ, τὸν κύριον ἔχειν, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ, ὅτῳ ἂν ἐπιτρέψῃ, τοῦτον κύριον εἶναι.”
[18] Now, then, consider the laws, and see from whom they ordain that betrothals should be made, that you may come to know from them also, that this fellow Stephanus has proved himself to be a false witness to a forged will.”Law
If a woman be betrothed for lawful marriage by her father or by a brother begotten of the same father or by her grandfather on her father’s side, her children shall be legitimate. In case there be none of these relatives, if the woman be an heiress, her guardian shall take her to wife, and if she be not, that man shall be her guardian to whom she may entrust herself.”
[19] οὗτος μὲν τοίνυν ὁ νόμος οὓς ἐποίησεν κυρίους εἶναι, ἀκηκόατε: ὅτι δ᾽ οὐδεὶς ἦν τούτων τῇ μητρί, οἱ ἀντίδικοί μοι αὐτοὶ μεμαρτυρήκασιν. εἰ γὰρ ἦν, παρείχοντ᾽ ἄν. ἢ μάρτυρας μὲν ψευδεῖς οἴεσθ᾽ ἂν παρασχέσθαι καὶ διαθήκας οὐκ οὔσας, ἀδελφὸ�
� δὲ ἢ πάππον ἢ πατέρα οὐκ ἄν, εἴπερ ἦν δυνατὸν ἕνεκα χρημάτων; ὁπότε τοίνυν μηδεὶς φαίνεται ζῶν τούτων, τότε ἀνάγκη ἐπίκληρον τὴν μητέρα ἡμῶν εἶναι. τῆς τοίνυν ἐπικλήρου σκοπεῖτε τίνας κελεύουσιν οἱ νόμοι κυρίους εἶναι.
[19] You have heard what persons this law has appointed to be guardians; and that my mother had none of these my opponents have themselves borne witness. For if there had been such, they would have produced them. Or do you suppose they would have produced false witnesses and a non-existent will, but would not have produced a brother or a grandfather or a father, if they could have done it for money? Since, then, it is plain that no one of these was living, it follows necessarily that my mother was an heiress. Now see whom the law ordains to be guardians of an heiress.