by Demosthenes
[51] ἀφικομένων δ᾽ ἡμῶν τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ εἰς τὴν Θάσον, μεταπέμπεταί με ὁ Τιμόμαχος, οὗ κατήγετο ἔξω τείχους. φοβούμενος δ᾽ ἐγὼ μὴ δεθείην διαβληθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Καλλίππου, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐχ ὑπακούω, ἀλλὰ λέγω τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ ὅτι εἴ τι βούλοιτό μοι διαλέγεσθαι, ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἔσομαι, τὸν δὲ παῖδα συμπέμπω αὐτῷ, ἵν᾽ εἴ τί μοι προστάττοι, ἀκούσας ἀπαγγείλαι μοι.
[51] When we reached Thasos the next day, Timomachus sent for me to come to the place where he lodged outside the wall. I was afraid that he would put me under arrest on false charges preferred by Callippus, so did not obey the summons in person, but told the officer that, if he had anything to say to me, I should be in the market-place; and I sent my servant with him, in order that, if the general had any orders to give he might hear and report to me.
[52] διὰ μὲν ταύτας τὰς αἰτίας, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἃς εἴρηκα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὁ Τιμόμαχος οὐκ ἠνάγκαζε παραλαμβάνειν τοῦτον τὴν ναῦν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ βουλόμενος αὐτὸς χρῆσθαι τῇ νηὶ ὡς ἄριστα πλεούσῃ. τὴν μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Θρασυλόχου τοῦ Ἀναγυρασίου τριήρη, ἐφ᾽ ἧς αὐτὸς ἔπλει, τὸν Θρασύλοχον τῷ Καλλίππῳ μισθῶσαι τὴν τριηραρχίαν ἔπεισεν, ἵν᾽ αὐτοκράτωρ ὢν ὁ Κάλλιππος τῆς νεὼς ἄγοι τὸν Καλλίστρατον: αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ναῦν περιέπλει πανταχοῖ, ἕως ἀφίκετο εἰς Ἑλλήσποντον.
[52] It was for this reason, which I have stated to you, men of the jury, that Timomachus did not force the defendant to take over the ship, and besides, he wanted the use of the ship for himself, as she was the best sailer. As for the trireme of Thrasylochus of Anagyrus, on board which he was himself sailing, he induced Thrasylochus to let his trierarchy to Callippus, that Callippus, being in full control of the ship, might carry Callistratus about, as he pleased. Timomachus himself came on board my ship, and sailed around here and there until he reached the Hellespont.
[53] ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ οὐκέτι χρεία ἦν αὐτῷ τριήρων, ἐμβιβάσας μοι Λυκῖνον τὸν Παλληνέα ἄρχοντα εἰς τὴν ναῦν, καὶ προστάξας αὐτῷ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀργύριον διδόναι τοῖς ναύταις, ἀποπλεῖν οἴκαδέ με ἐκέλευεν. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν καταπλέοντες οἴκαδε ἦμεν ἐν Τενέδῳ, καὶ οὔτε ὁ Λυκῖνος, ᾧ προσέταξεν ὁ Τιμόμαχος, ἐδίδου τοῖς ναύταις σιτηρέσιον （οὐ γὰρ ἔφη ἔχειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ Μυτιλήνης λήψεσθαι）, οἵ τε στρατιῶται εἶχον οὐδὲν ὅτου ἂν ἐπεσιτίσαντο, ἄσιτοι δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐδύναντο ἐλαύνειν,
[53] When he had no longer need of ships of war, he put on board my vessel Eucinus of Pallenê, as commander, and, enjoining upon him to give the sailors money every day, ordered me to sail for home. When, then, on our homeward voyage we were in Tenedos, and Lucinus, despite the orders given him by Timomachus, was furnishing no money for sustenance to the sailors （he said he had none, but should get some from Mytilenê）, and the men had nothing with which to buy provisions, and without food could not have continued rowing,
[54] πάλιν παραλαβὼν ἐγὼ μάρτυρας τῶν πολιτῶν, προσελθὼν Πολυκλεῖ τουτῳὶ ἐν Τενέδῳ, ἐκέλευον αὐτὸν τήν τε ναῦν παραλαμβάνειν ὡς διάδοχον ὄντα, καὶ τὸ ἐπιτριηράρχημα ἀποδιδόναι τοῦ χρόνου οὗ ἐπανήλωσα ὑπὲρ τούτου ἐπιτριηραρχῶν, ἵνα μὴ πρόφασις αὐτῷ γένοιτο ἀπολογίας πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὡς ἐγὼ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἤθελον αὐτῷ παραδοῦναι τὴν ναῦν φιλοτιμούμενος, ἵνα καταπλεύσαιμι οἴκαδε ἐπὶ νεὼς εὖ πλεούσης καὶ ἐνδειξαίμην ὑμῖν τὰ ἀναλώματα.
[54] again taking some of our citizens as witnesses I approached the defendant in Tenedos, and bade him take over the ship as my successor, and to reimburse me for the expenses I had incurred while I serving as trierarch in his stead beyond my term. I did this in order that he might not make use of the pretext, in his defence before you, that I refused to hand over the ship to him because I was ambitious to sail home in a fast-sailing ship and show off to you my lavish expenditure.
[55] οὐκ ἐθέλοντος δ᾽ αὐτοῦ παραλαμβάνειν, τῶν δὲ ναυτῶν ἀργύριον αἰτούντων ἵνα ἀγοράσωνται τὰ ἐπιτήδεια, πάλιν αὐτῷ προσέρχομαι μάρτυρας ἔχων, καὶ ἠρώτων αὐτὸν εἰ ἀναπλεύσειεν ἔχων ἀργύριον ὡς διαδεξόμενός μοι τὴν ναῦν, ἢ οὔ. ἀποκριναμένου δ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἔχων ἀργύριον ἥκοι, ἐκέλευον αὐτόν μοι δανεῖσαι ὑποθέμενον τὰ σκεύη τῆς νεώς, ἵν᾽ ἔχοιμι διαδοῦναι τοῖς ναύταις καὶ κατακομίσαι τὴν ναῦν, ἐπειδὴ οὐ βούλεται παραλαβεῖν διάδοχος ὤν.
[55] Since he refused to take over the ship, and the sailors were asking for money that they might buy supplies, I came up to him again, having witnesses with me, and asked whether he had come out with money with the purpose of taking over the ship from me, or not. On his replying that he had brought money with him, I urged him to lend me some on the security of the ship’s equipment, that I might distribute it among the sailors and bring the ship home, seeing that he refused to take over the ship, although he was my successor.
[56] δεομένου δέ μου ταῦτα, ἀπεκρίνατό μοι ὅτι οὐδ᾽ ἀκαρῆ δανείσοι. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν παρὰ ξένων Τενεδίων τοῦ πατρός, Κλεάνακτος καὶ Ἐπηράτου, ἐδανεισάμην καὶ ἔδωκα τοῖς ναύταις τὸ σιτηρέσιον: διὰ γὰρ τὸ Πασίωνος εἶναι καὶ ἐκεῖνον ἐπεξενῶσθαι πολλοῖς καὶ πιστευθῆναι ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι οὐκ ἠπόρουν, ὅπου δεηθείην, δανείσασθαι. ὡς οὖν ταῦτα ἀληθῆ πρὸς ὑμᾶς λέγω, τούτων ὑμῖν τὰς μαρτυρίας παρέξομαι.”Μαρτυρίαι”
[56] To this request of mine he replied that he would not lend me a farthing. Accordingly I borrowed from Cleanax and Eperatus, friends of my father in Tenedos, and gave the sailors their provision-money; for on account of my being Pasion’s son, and the fact that he was connected by ties of hospitality with many, and was trusted throughout the Greek world, I had no difficulty in borrowing money wherever I needed it.
To prove that the statements I am making to you are true, I shall produce for you the depositions establishing these facts.” Depositions”
[57] ὅσων μὲν τοίνυν ὑμῖν ἐδυνάμην τὰς μαρτυρίας παρασχέσθαι τῶν παραγενομένων, ὡς παρεδίδουν τὴν ναῦν Πολυκλεῖ πολλάκις, οὗτος δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν παραλαβεῖν, ἀνέγνωκεν ὑμῖν: ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τεκμηρίων ἱκανῶν δεδήλωκα ὑμῖν, δι᾽ ὅ τι οὐκ ἤθελεν παραλαβεῖν τὴν ναῦν. βούλομαι δ᾽ ὑμῖν καὶ τὸν νόμον ἀναγνωσθῆναι τὸν περὶ τῶν διαδόχων, ἵν᾽ εἰδῆτε ἡλίκων τῶν
ἐπιτιμίων ὄντων, ἐάν τις μὴ διαδέξηται τὴν ναῦν ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τῷ εἰρημένῳ, κατεφρόνησεν οὐκ ἐμοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων.
[57] The clerk has read the depositions of all those whom I was able to produce, who were present in person, to prove that I again and again offered to give over the ship to Polycles, and that he refused to take it. More than that, I have shown by convincing circumstantial evidence, why it was that he refused to take over the ship. I desire now to have read to you the law also regarding those appointed to succeed others in the trierarchy, that you may know how severe the penalties are when a man fails to take over a ship from his predecessor within the appointed time, and how Polycles scoffed, not at me only, but at you and at the laws.
[58] καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦτον πάντα τῇ πόλει ἄπρακτα γέγονεν καὶ τοῖς συμμάχοις: οὔτε γὰρ ἀφίκετο ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, οὔτ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ἦλθεν ἠθέλησε διαδέξασθαι: ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ ὑμῖν χρόνον καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ συντριηράρχου ἐλῃτούργησα, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐξῆλθέ μοι ὁ χρόνος τῆς τριηραρχίας, προστάττοντός μοι τοῦ στρατηγοῦ πλεῖν ἐφ᾽ Ἱερὸν παρέπεμψα τῷ δήμῳ τὸν σῖτον,
[58] So far as he is concerned, all measures undertaken by the state and her allies have failed; for he neither joined his ship, as the law commands, nor, when he did come, was he willing to take over the ship from his predecessor; whereas I served for my own term and that of my associate in the trierarchy, and when my term of service had expired and I was ordered by the general to sail to Hieron, I convoyed the grain for our people,
[59] ἵνα ἔχητε ἄφθονον ὠνεῖσθαι καὶ μηδὲν ὑμῖν τὸ κατ᾽ ἐμὲ ἐλλείπηται, καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἢ ἐμοὶ ἢ τῇ τριήρει ἐβουλήθη ὁ στρατηγὸς χρῆσθαι, παρέσχον αὐτῷ, οὐ μόνον τὴν οὐσίαν ἀναλίσκων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ σώματι κινδυνεύων συνεπιπλέων, τῶν οἰκείων μοι πραγμάτων τοιούτων συμβεβηκότων ἐν τῷ τότε καιρῷ, ὥστε ὑμᾶς ἂν ἀκούσαντας ἐλεῆσαι.
[59] that they might buy in a plentiful market, and that, so far as depended on me, there should be no lack; and I performed for the general every other service which he desired either of myself or of my trireme, not only spending my property, but risking my life as well through always making the voyage in person, although my domestic affairs were in such a condition at that time that you would pity me, if you heard them.
[60] ἡ μέν γε μήτηρ ἔκαμνε καὶ ἐπιθάνατος ἦν ἐμοῦ ἀποδημοῦντος, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἂν ἔτι αὐτὴν βοηθῆσαι τοῖς ἐμοῖς πράγμασιν ἀνηλωμένοις ἀλλ᾽ ἢ βραχέα. ἑκταῖος γὰρ ἥκων ἐτύγχανον, καὶ ἐκείνη ἰδοῦσά με καὶ προσειποῦσα τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφῆκεν, οὐκέτι τῶν ὄντων κυρία οὖσα ὥστε δοῦναι ὅσα ἐβούλετό μοι. πολλάκις δὲ πρότερον μετεπέμπετό με, ἀφικέσθαι δεομένη αὐτόν, εἰ μὴ τῇ τριήρει οἷόν τε εἴη.
[60] My mother lay sick, and was at the point of death while I was abroad, so that she was unable any longer to help in the depletion of my resources save to a slight extent. I had been but six days at home, when, after she had seen and greeted me, she breathed her last, being no longer mistress of her property, so as to give me I as much as she wished. She had often sent for me before this, begging me to come to her by myself if I could not come in my ship.
[61] ἡ δὲ γυνή, ἣν ἐγὼ περὶ πλείστου ποιοῦμαι, ἀσθενῶς διέκειτο πολὺν χρόνον ἐν τῇ ἐμῇ ἀποδημίᾳ: τὰ δὲ παιδία μικρά, ἡ δὲ οὐσία ὑπόχρεως: ἡ δὲ γῆ οὐχ ὅπως τινὰ καρπὸν ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ, ὡς πάντες ἴστε, ἐκ τῶν φρεάτων ἐπέλιπεν, ὥστε μηδὲ λάχανον γενέσθαι ἐν τῷ κήπῳ: οἱ δὲ δεδανεικότες ἧκον ἐπὶ τοὺς τόκους, ἐπειδὴ ὁ ἐνιαυτὸς ἐξῆλθεν, εἰ μή τις ἀποδοίη αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰς συγγραφάς.
[61] My wife, too, to whom I am deeply attached, was in poor health for a long time during my absence; my children were small and my estate was in debt; my land not only produced no crops, but that year, as you all know, the water even dried up in the wells, so that not a vegetable grew in the garden; and my creditors at the expiration of the year came to collect their interest, unless the principal was paid to them according to the contract.
[62] ὧν ἀκούοντά με καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀφικνουμένων λόγῳ, τὰ δὲ καὶ δι᾽ ἐπιστολῶν παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων, τίνα με οἴεσθε ψυχὴν ἔχειν ἢ πόσα δάκρυα ἀφιέναι, τὰ μὲν ἐκλογιζόμενον περὶ τῶν παρόντων, τὰ δὲ καὶ ποθοῦντα ἰδεῖν παιδία καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ μητέρα, ἣν ἐγὼ οὐ πολλὰς ἐλπίδας εἶχον ζῶσαν καταλήψεσθαι; ὧν τί ἥδιόν ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ, ἢ τοῦ ἕνεκ᾽ ἄν τις εὔξαιτο τούτων στερηθεὶς ζῆν;
[62] When I heard these facts from the lips of those who came and also through letters from my relatives, how do you think I must have felt, and how many tears must I have shed, while I reckoned up my present troubles and was longing to see my children and my wife, and my mother whom I had little hope of finding alive? For what is sweeter to a man than these, or why should one wish to live, if deprived of them?
[63] τοιούτων τοίνυν μοι συμβεβηκότων τῶν πραγμάτων, οὐ περὶ πλείονος ἐποιησάμην τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ ἴδια ἢ τὰ ὑμέτερα, ἀλλ᾽ ἡγούμην δεῖν καὶ χρημάτων ἀναλισκομένων κρείττων εἶναι καὶ τῶν οἴκοι ἀμελουμένων καὶ γυναικὸς καὶ μητρὸς νοσούσης, ὥστε μήτε τὴν τάξιν αἰτιᾶσθαί μέ τινα λιπεῖν μήτε τὴν τριήρη τῇ πόλει ἄχρηστον γενέσθαι.
[63] Although the misfortunes which had befallen me were thus grievous, I did not count my private interests of so much importance as your interests, but felt that I ought to rise above the wasting of my fortune, the neglect of my household affairs, and the sickness of my wife and my mother, so that no one could accuse me of deserting my post or letting my ship be useless to the state.
[64] ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἁπάντων νῦν ὑμῶν δέομαι, ὥσπερ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν εὔτακτον καὶ χρήσιμον ἐμαυτὸν παρέσχον, οὕτω καὶ ὑμᾶς νυνὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ πρόνοιαν ποιησαμένους, καὶ ἀναμνησθέντας ἁπάντων ὧν τε διηγησάμην πρὸς ὑμᾶς, τῶν τε μαρτυριῶν ὧν παρεσχόμην καὶ τῶν ψηφισμάτων, βοηθῆσαι μὲν ἐμοὶ ἀδικουμένῳ, τιμωρήσασθαι δ᾽ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, εἰσπρᾶξαι δὲ τὰ ὑπὲρ τούτου ἀνηλωμένα. ἢ τίς ἐθελήσει φιλοτιμεῖσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὅταν ὁρῶσι μήτε τοῖς χρηστοῖς καὶ εὐτάκτοις χάριν οὖσαν, μήτε τοῖς πονηροῖς καὶ ἀκοσμοῦσιν τιμωρίαν παρ᾽ ὑμῶν;
[64] In return
for all this I now implore you, that, as I showed myself obedient and useful in your service, so you will now take thought of me, and, remembering all that I have told you, the depositions which I have produced and the decrees, you will succor me when I am being wronged, will mete out punishment in your own interest, and will exact repayment of the funds expended in the defendant’s behalf. Or who will wish to be zealous on your service, when men see that you neither reward those who are honest and obedient, nor punish those who are dishonest and disobedient?
[65] ἀναγνώσεται δὲ καὶ τὸν νόμον ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ ἀναλώματα τοῦ χρόνου οὗ ἐπετριηράρχησα ὑπὲρ τούτου, καθ᾽ ἕκαστον, καὶ τοὺς λιπόνεως, ὅσον ἕκαστος ἔχων ἀργύριον ἀπέδρα καὶ ὅπου, ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι οὔτε νῦν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ψεῦδος οὐδὲν λέγω οὔτε ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν χρόνῳ, ἡγοῦμαί τε δεῖν τὸν μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν νόμων χρόνον ὡρισμένον ἀμέμπτως ὑμῖν λῃτουργεῖν, τοὺς δὲ καταφρονοῦντας καὶ ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλοντας πείθεσθαι τοῖς νόμοις ἐξελέγξας ἀδικοῦντας ἐν ὑμῖν τιμωρήσασθαι.
[65] The clerk shall read you the law and an account of my expenses in detail for the period during which I served as trierarch beyond my term on the defendant’s behalf, and the sums which the several deserters took with them when they ran away from the ship, and where they went, in order that you may be assured that neither now nor at any time before have I made false statements to you. I count it my duty to serve you in a manner above reproach for the period prescribed by law, and as regards those who scorn you and the laws, and will not obey the laws, to convict them and get them punished in your courts.