by Demosthenes
[23] ἔτι δὲ συνέβη τῆς νυκτὸς ὥρᾳ ἔτους ὕδωρ καὶ βροντὰς καὶ ἄνεμον μέγαν γενέσθαι （ὑπ᾽ αὐτὰς γὰρ Πλειάδων δύσεις οἱ χρόνοι οὗτοι ἦσαν）, ἐξ ὧν τίνα οὐκ οἴεσθε, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τοῖς στρατιώταις ἀθυμίαν ἐμπεσεῖν; πόσην δέ μοι μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπόλειψιν γενέσθαι πάλιν, τῶν ἀρχαίων ναυτῶν ταλαιπωρουμένων μὲν πολλά, ὠφελουμένων δὲ βραχέα, ὅσα ἐγὼ δυναίμην ἑκάστῳ δανειζόμενος ἐπαρκέσαι πρὸς ᾧ πρότερον εἶχον παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἐπεὶ ὅ γε στρατηγὸς οὐδὲ τὸ ἐφ᾽ ἡμέραν αὐτοῖς τροφὴν διαρκῆ ἐδίδου. καὶ ἤδη τρεῖς μῆνες ἐπετετριηράρχηντό μοι, καὶ οὐδέπω οὗτος ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμισθούμην ναύτας ἀντὶ τῶν ἀπολιπόντων, δανειζόμενος ἀργύριον.
[23] Nor was this all. It was our lot to have by night rain and thunder and a violent wind at that season of the year （for the time was just at the setting of the Pleiades）; so can you not imagine, men of the jury, what despondency fell upon our men, and what an amount of desertion I had again to face after this? For the old sailors had borne many hardships and received but little compensation — merely what I was able to borrow and give to each man in addition to what they had had from me before, since the general did not supply enough even for their daily sustenance. By now I had served three months beyond my term, and the defendant had not yet come to take over the ship; but I borrowed money and hired sailors to replace those who had deserted.
[24] μόνῳ τοίνυν τούτῳ τῶν ἄλλων διαδόχων οὐκ ἔστι πρόφασις ὑπολειπομένη, δι᾽ ὅ τι οὐ πάλαι ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν. ὁ γὰρ Εὐκτήμων ὁ πεντηκόνταρχος, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου ἀπεστάλη οἴκαδε ἀσθενήσας, ἐπειδὴ κατέπλευσε καὶ ἤκουσε τοῦτον ἐμοὶ διάδοχον καθεστηκότα, εἰδὼς τόν τε χρόνον ἐξήκοντά μοι τῆς τριηραρχίας καὶ ἤδη ἐπιτριηραρχοῦντά με, παραλαβὼν Δεινίαν τὸν κηδεστὴν τὸν ἐμὸν προσέρχεται αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ δείγματι, καὶ ἐκέλευεν αὐτὸν ὡς τάχιστα ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν ἀποπλεῖν, ὡς τῶν ἀναλωμάτων πολλῶν ὄντων ἃ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἑκάστην πρὸς τῷ παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ σιτηρεσίῳ εἰς τὴν ναῦν διδομένῳ ἀνηλίσκετο,
[24] The defendant alone of the trierarchs appointed to succeed us has no excuse left him for not having come to take over the ship long before. For Euctemon, the pentecontarch, after he was sent home from the Hellespont on account of his sickness, when he reached port and heard that Polycles had been appointed to relieve me, knowing that the term of my trierarchy had expired and that I was now serving over time, took with him my father-in-law, Deinias, and coming up to Polycles in the sample market, bade him set sail and take over the ship with all speed, telling him that the expenses which were incurred every day in addition to the provision money supplied by the general were very heavy.
[25] καθ᾽ ἕκαστον αὐτῷ διεξιὼν τούς τε μισθοὺς τοὺς τῇ ὑπηρεσίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐπιβάταις κατὰ μῆνα διδομένους, τοῖς τε ναύταις οὓς αὐτὸς ἐκ τῆς Λαμψάκου ἐμισθώσατο, καὶ τοῖς ὕστερον ἐπεμβᾶσιν ἀντὶ τῶν ἀπολιπόντων, ἔτι δὲ ὃ τῶν ἀρχαίων ναυτῶν ἑκάστῳ προσέθηκα δεηθέντι, ἐπειδή μοι ὁ χρόνος ἐξῆκε τῆς τριηραρχίας, καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα ἦν τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ἀναλισκόμενα εἰς τὴν ναῦν, οὐκ ἀπείρως ἔχων: διὰ γὰρ ἐκείνου πεντηκονταρχοῦντος καὶ ἠγοράζετο καὶ ἀνηλίσκετο.
[25] He told him in detail of the pay given each month to the rowers and the marines, both to the sailors whom he had himself hired at Lampsacus and to those who came on board subsequently to replace those who had deserted, and also of the additional sums which I had given to each of the old sailors at their request after the term of my trierarchy had expired, and all the rest of the money expended upon the ship from day to day. With all these matters Euctemon was thoroughly acquainted, for it was through him as pentecontarch that all purchases and disbursements were made.
[26] καὶ περὶ τῶν σκευῶν ἔφραζεν αὐτῷ ὅτι ἴδια ἔχοιμι καὶ δημόσιον οὐδέν: ‘ὡς οὖν’, ἔφη, ‘ἢ πείσων ἐκεῖνον διανοοῦ, ἢ σκεύη ἔχων σαυτῷ ἀνάπλει. οἶμαι δέ σοι’, ἔφη, ‘αὐτὸν οὐδὲν διοίσεσθαι: ὀφείλει γὰρ ἀργύριον ἐκεῖ, ὃ διαλῦσαι βουλήσεται ἐκ τῆς τιμῆς τῶν σκευῶν.’ ἀκούσας δὲ οὗτος ταῦτα τοῦ τ᾽ Εὐκτήμονος καὶ τοῦ Δεινίου τοῦ κηδεστοῦ τοῦ ἐμοῦ, περὶ μὲν ὧν ἔλεγον αὐτῷ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ἀποκρίνεται, γελάσαντα δὲ ἔφασαν αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν ‘ἄρτι μῦς πίττης γεύεται: ἐβούλετο γὰρ Ἀθηναῖος εἶναι’.
[26] He told him, too, about the ship’s equipment, that it was wholly my own, and that I had nothing from the public stores. “Therefore,” he said, “plan to come to an agreement with him, or sail from here taking your own equipment with you. I think, however,” he added, “that he will readily come to terms with you; for he owes money there, which he will be glad to pay from the price of the equipment.” When the defendant heard these words from Euctemon and Deinias my father-in-law, he made no answer to them regarding the matters of which they spoke but, they said, he broke into a laugh, and said, “The mouse has just tasted pitch; for he wanted to be an Athenian.”
[27] ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τοῦ Εὐκτήμονος καὶ τοῦ Δεινίου ἀκούσας οὐδὲν ἐφρόντιζεν, πάλιν αὐτῷ προσέρχονται ὕστερον Πυθόδωρός τε ὁ Ἀχαρνεὺς καὶ Ἀπολλόδωρος ὁ Λευκονοεύς, ἐπιτήδειοι ὄντες ἐμοὶ καὶ φίλοι, καὶ ἐκέλευον αὐτὸν ἐπί τε τὴν ναῦν ἀπιέναι ὡς διάδοχον ὄντα, καὶ περὶ τῶν σκευῶν ἔφραζον αὐτῷ, ὅτι ἴδια ἔχοιμι ἅπαντα καὶ δημόσιον οὐδέν:
[27] Well, when he paid no heed to what he heard from Euctemon and Deinias, later on Pythodorus of Acharnae, and Apollodorus of Leuconoë, friends and connections of mine, again approached him, and urged him to go and take over the ship, as he had been designated as my successor; and they told him about the equipment, that it was wholly my own, and that I had nothing from the public stores.
[28] ‘εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐκείνοις ἐθέλεις χρῆσθαι, κατάλιπε’ ἔφασαν ‘ἀργύριον αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ διακινδύνευε ἐκεῖσε ἄγων’, ἵνα λύσωνταί μοι τὸ χωρίον, ἀποδόντες Ἀρχένεῳ καὶ Θρασυλόχῳ τὰς τριάκοντα μνᾶς. περὶ δὲ ἀποτριβῆς τῶν σκευῶν, ἤθελον αὐτῷ γράμματα γράφειν, καὶ ἐγγυηταὶ αὐτοὶ γίγνεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἦ μὴν ἔσεσθαι αὐτῷ ὅ τι ἂν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τριηράρχοις πρὸς τοὺς διαδόχους ᾖ. ὡς οὖν πάντα ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, το
ύτων ὑμῖν ἀναγνώσεται τὰς μαρτυρίας.”Μαρτυρίαι”
[28] “So, if you want to make use of that,” they said, “leave money here, and do not run the risk of carrying it abroad.” For they wanted to redeem the farm for me by paying Archeneüs and Thrasylochus thirty minae. Regarding the wear and tear of the ship’s equipment they were willing to draw up an agreement with him, and themselves to be sureties for me, that he would assuredly have the terms which the other trierarchs gave to their successors.
To prove that I am speaking the truth in all this, the clerk shall read you the depositions bearing upon these matters.” Depositions”
[29] ἐκ πολλῶν μὲν τοίνυν τεκμηρίων οἶμαι ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξειν Πολυκλέα ὅτι οὔτε αὐτόθεν διενοεῖτο παραλαμβάνειν παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ τὴν ναῦν, οὔτε, ἐπειδὴ ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ ψηφίσματος τοῦ ὑμετέρου ἠναγκάσθη ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν ἀπιέναι, ἐλθὼν ἠθέλησέ μοι διαδέξασθαι αὐτήν. οὗτος γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ἀφίκετο εἰς Θάσον ἤδη μου τέταρτον μῆνα ἐπιτριηραρχοῦντος, παραλαβὼν ἐγὼ μάρτυρας τῶν τε πολιτῶν ὡς ἐδυνάμην πλείστους καὶ τοὺς ἐπιβάτας καὶ τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν προσέρχομαι αὐτῷ ἐν Θάσῳ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ, καὶ ἐκέλευον αὐτὸν τήν τε ναῦν παραλαμβάνειν παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ ὡς διάδοχον ὄντα, καὶ τοῦ ἐπιτετριηραρχημένου χρόνου ἀποδιδόναι μοι τἀναλώματα.
[29] There are many proofs from which I think I can show you that Polycles neither at the first intended to take over the ship from me, nor, after he was forced by you and your decree to go and join the ship, was he willing to take it over as my successor. For after he arrived at Thasos, when I was serving for the fourth month after my term had expired, I took witnesses with me, as many of the citizens as I could and the marines and rowers, and, coming up to him in the market-place at Thasos, I bade him take over the ship from me as my successor and repay me what I had expended since the expiration of my term.
[30] λογίσασθαι δ᾽ ἤθελον αὐτῷ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον, ἕως μοι μάρτυρες παρῆσαν τῶν ἀνηλωμένων οἵ τε ναῦται καὶ οἱ ἐπιβάται καὶ ἡ ὑπηρεσία, ἵν᾽ εἴ τι ἀντιλέγοι εὐθὺς ἐξελέγχοιμι. οὕτω γάρ μοι ἀκριβῶς ἐγέγραπτο, ὥστ᾽ οὐ μόνον αὐτά μοι τἀναλώματα ἐγέγραπτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅποι ἀνηλώθη καὶ ὅ τι ποιούντων, καὶ ἡ τιμὴ τίς ἦν καὶ νόμισμα ποδαπόν, καὶ ὁπόσου ἡ καταλλαγὴ ἦν τῷ ἀργυρίῳ, ἵν᾽ εἴη ἀκριβῶς ἐξελέγξαι με τῷ διαδόχῳ, εἴ τι ἡγοῖτο ψεῦδος αὑτῷ λογίζεσθαι.
[30] I was ready to reckon it up item by item, while I had by me as witnesses to the expenditures the sailors and the marines and the rowers, in order that, if he disputed anything, I might refute him at once. Everything had been recorded so accurately by me, that I had written down not only the disbursements themselves, but also the objects for which the money had been spent, the nature of the service rendered, what the price was, in the coinage of what country the payment was made, and what the loss in exchange was, in order that I might be able to give convincing proof to my successor, if he thought any false entries were being made against him.
[31] ἔτι δὲ καὶ πίστιν αὐτῷ ἐπιθεὶς ἠθέλησα λογίσασθαι τὰ ἀνηλωμένα. προκαλουμένου δέ μου ταῦτα, ἀπεκρίνατό μοι ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτῷ μέλοι ὧν λέγοιμι. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ ὑπηρέτης ἥκων παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐμοὶ παρήγγελλεν ἀνάγεσθαι, οὐ τούτῳ τῷ διαδόχῳ, οὗ ἡ λῃτουργία ἤδη ἐγίγνετο: τούτου δὲ τὸ αἴτιον ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς προϊόντος τοῦ λόγου διδάξω. τότε μὲν οὖν μοι ἐδόκει ἀνάγεσθαι καὶ πλεῖν οἷ ἐκέλευεν:
[31] And besides I was ready to take an oath to confirm my reckoning. Upon my giving him this challenge, he answered that he had no interest in what I was saying. At this point a servant came from the general with orders for me to set sail. The order was given to me, not to the defendant, my successor, upon whom the duty was now devolving; but the reason for this I will explain in the course of my address. For the time being it seemed to me best to weigh anchor and sail where he ordered me,
[32] ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατέπλευσα πάλιν εἰς Θάσον, ἑλκύσας τὰ πλοῖα εἰς Στρύμην, οἷ προσέταξεν ὁ στρατηγός, κελεύσας τοὺς ναύτας ἐν τῇ νηὶ μένειν καὶ τοὺς ἐπιβάτας καὶ τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν, ἐκβὰς αὐτὸς πορεύομαι ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν οὗ κατήγετο Τιμόμαχος ὁ στρατηγός, βουλόμενος κἀκείνου ἐναντίον παραδιδόναι τὴν ναῦν Πολυκλεῖ τουτῳὶ πλήρη.
[32] but when I put into Thasos again, after towing the vessels to Strymê as the general had ordered, bidding the sailors and the marines and the rowers to remain on board, I went by myself to the house where the general, Timomachus, lodged, wishing that he too should be present, when I offered the ship with her full crew to the defendant Polycles.
[33] καταλαμβάνω οὖν καὶ τοῦτον ἐκεῖ καὶ τοὺς τριηράρχους καὶ τοὺς διαδόχους καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς τῶν πολιτῶν, καὶ εἰσελθὼν εὐθὺς ἐναντίον τοῦ στρατηγοῦ λόγους πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐποιούμην, καὶ ἠξίουν αὐτὸν τήν τε ναῦν μοι παραλαμβάνειν καὶ τοῦ ἐπιτετριηραρχημένου χρόνου ἀποδιδόναι μοι τὰ ἀναλώματα, καὶ περὶ τῶν σκευῶν ἠρώτων αὐτόν, πότερα παραλήψεται ἢ ἴδια σκεύη ἔχων ἥκοι ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν.
[33] I found the defendant there and the trierarchs and those who were to succeed them, and some others of our citizens; and on coming in I spoke at once to Polycles in the presence of the general, and called upon him to take over the ship from me, and to pay me for the disbursements made during the period since my term of service had expired; and I asked him about the ship’s equipment, whether he would take it over, or whether he had brought equipment of his own with him.
[34] ταῦτα δέ μου προκαλουμένου αὐτόν, ἠρώτα με δι᾽ ὅ τι σκεύη τε ἴδια μόνος ἔχοιμι τῶν τριηράρχων, καὶ πότερα ἡ πόλις οὐκ εἰδείη τινὰς δυναμένους σκεύη παρασχεῖν ταῖς ναυσίν, ὥστε αὐτὴ μὴ παρέχειν. ‘ἢ σὺ τοσοῦτον’ ἔφη ‘ὑπερπέπαικας πλούτῳ τοὺς ἄλλους, ὥστε καὶ σκεύη ἴδια ἔχειν καὶ κόσμον χρυσόπαστον μόνος τῶν τριηράρχων;
[34] When I thus challenged him, he asked me why I was the only one of the trierarchs who had equipment of my own, and whether the state did not know that there were some people able to provide equipment for their ships, so that the state itself did not need to do it. “Or have you,” he said, “so far surpassed the others in wealth as to be the only one of the trierarchs to have equipment of your own and gilded ornaments?
[35] τίς ἂν οὖν δύναιτ᾽’ ἔφη ‘τὴν σὴν μανίαν καὶ πολυτέλειαν ὑπομεῖναι, διεφθαρμένον μὲν πλήρωμα καὶ εἰωθὸς ἀργύριον
πολὺ προλαμβάνειν καὶ ἀτελείας ἄγειν τῶν νομιζομένων ἐν τῇ νηὶ λῃτουργιῶν καὶ λοῦσθαι ἐν βαλανείῳ, τρυφῶντας δ᾽ ἐπιβάτας καὶ ὑπηρεσίαν ὑπὸ μισθοῦ πολλοῦ καὶ ἐντελοῦς; κακῶν δ᾽,’ ἔφη, ‘διδάσκαλος γέγονας ἐν τῷ στρατεύματι, καὶ αἴτιος εἶ μέρος τι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τριηράρχοις πονηροτέρους εἶναι τοὺς στρατιώτας, ζητοῦντας ταὐτὰ τοῖς παρὰ σοί: ἔδει γὰρ σὲ ταὐτὰ ποιεῖν τοῖς ἄλλοις τριηράρχοις.’
[35] Who,” he continued, “could endure your madness and extravagance, a crew corrupted and accustomed to receive large sums in advance and to enjoy exemption from services normally required on board a ship, and able also to make use of the baths, and marines and rowers rendered luxurious by high wages paid in full? Bad ways,” he said, “are these you have taught the army. It is partly your fault that the troops of the other trierarchs have become more unruly, seeking to have the same treatment that yours enjoy; you ought to have done the same as the other trierarchs.”
[36] λέγοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα, ἀπεκρινάμην αὐτῷ ὅτι σκεύη μὲν διὰ τοῦτο οὐ λάβοιμι ἐκ τοῦ νεωρίου, ‘ὅτι σὺ ἀδόκιμα ἐποίησας αὐτά. ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν βούλει, ταῦτα παράλαβε: εἰ δὲ μή, σκεύη σαυτῷ παρασκεύαζε. περὶ δὲ τῶν ναυτῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν καὶ τῆς ὑπηρεσίας, εἰ φὴς ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ αὐτοὺς διεφθάρθαι, παραλαβὼν τὴν τριήρη αὐτὸς σαυτῷ κατασκεύασαι καὶ ναύτας καὶ ἐπιβάτας καὶ ὑπηρεσίαν, οἵτινές σοι μηδὲν λαβόντες συμπλεύσονται. τὴν δὲ ναῦν παράλαβε: οὐ γὰρ ἔτι μοι προσήκει τριηραρχεῖν: ὅ τε γὰρ χρόνος ἐξήκει μοι τῆς τριηραρχίας, καὶ ἐπιτετριηράρχηκα τέτταρας μῆνας.’