Delphi Complete Works of Demosthenes

by Demosthenes

  [59] But you must hear the most outrageous thing which these conspirators have done （and I beg you in the name of Zeus and the gods, let no one of you be offended if I show the rascality of these men who have wronged me. For I hold that in showing what scoundrels they are I am speaking with precise reference to the experience which has befallen me）. For, you must know, men of Athens, that when certain aliens, Anaximenes and Nicostratus, wished to become citizens, these scoundrels admitted them for a sum of money, which they divided among themselves, receiving five drachmae apiece. Eubulides and his clique will not deny on oath that they have knowledge of this; and now in this last revision they did not expel these men. Do you think, then, that there is anything that they would not do in private, seeing that in a public matter they dared this?

  [60] πολλούς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οἱ μετ᾽ Εὐβουλίδου συνεστῶτες καὶ ἀπ- ολωλέκασιν καὶ σεσῴκασιν ἕνεκ᾽ ἀργυρίου. ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ πρότερον （ἐρῶ δ᾽ εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμ᾽, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι） δημαρχῶν ὁ Εὐβουλίδου πατήρ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, Ἀντίφιλος, τεχνάζει βουλόμενος παρά τινων λαβεῖν ἀργύριον, καὶ ἔφη τὸ κοινὸν γραμματεῖον ἀπολωλέναι, ὥστ᾽ ἔπεισε διαψηφίσασθαι τοὺς Ἁλιμουσίους περὶ αὑτῶν, καὶ κατηγορῶν δέκα τῶν δημοτῶν ἐξέβαλεν, οὓς ἅπαντας πλὴν ἑνὸς κατεδέξατο τὸ δικαστήριον. καὶ ταῦτα πάντες ἴσασιν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι.

  [60] There are many people indeed, men of the jury, whom Eubulides and his clique have destroyed or have saved for money. For even at an earlier time （and my words shall bear upon the matter in hand, men of Athens） Antiphilus, the father of Eubulides, when he was prefect of the deme, as I have told you, made use of trickery in his desire to get money from certain persons, and asserted that he had lost the public register; and he thereby induced the Halimusians to revise their list of members, denounced ten of their number, and had them expelled; all of whom with one exception the court of justice restored. These facts all the older ones know.

  [61] πολλοῦ γ᾽ ἔδεόν τινας ἐγκαταλιπεῖν τῶν μὴ Ἀθηναίων, ὅπου καὶ τοὺς ὄντας πολίτας συνιστάμενοι ἐξέβαλον, οὓς τὸ δικαστήριον κατεδέξατο. καὶ ὢν ἐχθρὸς τῷ ἐμῷ πατρὶ τότ᾽ οὐ μόνον οὐ κατηγόρησεν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τὴν ψῆφον ἤνεγκεν ὡς οὐκ ἦν Ἀθηναῖος. τῷ τοῦτο δῆλον; ὅτι ἁπάσαις ἔδοξεν δημότης εἶναι. καὶ τί δεῖ περὶ τῶν πατέρων λέγειν; ἀλλ᾽ Εὐβουλίδης αὐτὸς οὑτοσί, ἡνίκ᾽ ἐνεγράφην ἐγὼ καὶ ὀμόσαντες οἱ δημόται δικαίως πάντες περὶ ἐμοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἔφερον, οὔτε κατηγόρησεν οὔτ᾽ ἐναντίαν τὴν ψῆφον ἤνεγκεν: καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ἐμὲ πάντες ἐψηφίσαντο δημότην. καὶ εἴ φασίν με τοῦτο ψεύδεσθαι, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ ὕδατος ὅστις βούλεται τούτων τἀναντία μαρτυρησάτω.

  [61] It is unlikely indeed that they left on the list any who were not Athenians, when they conspired to expel even men who were citizens, whom the court restored. And although he was a personal enemy of my father at the time, Eubulides not only did not denounce him, but did not even cast his vote that he was not an Athenian. How is this proved? Because my father was declared by all the votes to be a member of the deme. But what need is there to speak of our fathers? Eubulides himself, when I was entered on the register and all the demesmen after taking the oath cast their votes regarding me as the law prescribes, neither denounced me nor cast his vote against me; for in this case again they all voted that I was a member of the deme. And, if they say that I am lying about this, let anyone who wishes give evidence to the contrary in the time allotted to me.

  [62] εἰ τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῦτο δοκοῦσιν οὗτοι λέγειν μάλιστ᾽ ἰσχυρόν, ὡς ἀπεψηφίσαντό μου νῦν οἱ δημόται, ἐγὼ τετράκις ἐπιδεικνύω πρότερον, ὅθ᾽ ὁσίως ἄνευ συστάσεως ἐψηφίσαντο, καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα δημότας αὑτῶν εἶναι ψηφισαμένους, πρῶτον μέν γε τοῦ πατρὸς δοκιμασθέντος, εἶτ᾽ ἐμοῦ, εἶτ᾽ ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ διαψηφίσει, ὅτ᾽ ἠφάνισαν οὗτοι τὸ γραμματεῖον: τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον προκρίναντες ἐμὲ ἐψηφίσαντ᾽ ἐν τοῖς εὐγενεστάτοις κληροῦσθαι τῆς ἱερωσύνης τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ. καὶ ταῦτα πάντα μεμαρτύρηται.

  [62] If, then, men of Athens, my opponents seem to have a very strong argument in the fact that in the present instance the demesmen have rejected me, I point out to you that on four previous occasions, when they gave their votes in accordance with their oaths without entering into a conspiracy, they voted that both I and my father were their fellow-demesmen — first, when my father passed the scrutiny; secondly, when I did so; then, in the former revision, after these men had made away with the register; and, finally, when they nominated me among the noblest-born and voted that I should draw lots for the priesthood of Heracles. All these facts have been established by testimony.

  [63] εἰ δὲ δεῖ τὴν δημαρχίαν λέγειν, δι᾽ ἣν ὠργίζοντό μοί τινες, ἐν ᾗ διάφορος ἐγενόμην εἰσπράττων ὀφείλοντας πολλοὺς αὐτῶν μισθώσεις τεμενῶν καὶ ἕτερ᾽ ἃ τῶν κοινῶν διηρπάκεσαν, ἐγὼ μὲν ἂν βουλοίμην ὑμᾶς ἀκούειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἴσως ἔξω τοῦ πράγματος ὑπολήψεσθε ταῦτ᾽ εἶναι. ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ἔχω δεικνύναι τεκμήριον ὡς συνέστησαν: ἔκ τε γὰρ τοῦ ὅρκου ἐξήλειψαν τὸ ψηφιεῖσθαι γνώμῃ τῇ δικαιοτάτῃ καὶ οὔτε χάριτος ἕνεκ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἔχθρας:

  [63] If it be right for me to speak of my administration as prefect, because of which I incurred the anger of many, and in the course of which I became involved in quarrels because I required some of the demesmen to pay the rents which they owed for sacred lands and to refund other sums which they had embezzled from the public moneys, I should be very glad to have you listen to me; but perhaps you will hold that these matters are foreign to the subject before us. However, I am able to point to this as a positive proof of their conspiracy. For they struck out of the oath the clause that they would vote according to their unbiassed judgement and without favor or malice.

  [64] καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο φανερὸν ἐγένετο καὶ ὅτι ἱεροσυλήσαντες τὰ ὅπλα （εἰρήσεται γάρ）, ἃ ἐγὼ ἀνέθηκα τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ, καὶ τὸ ψήφισμ᾽ ἐκκολάψαντες ὃ ἐμοὶ ἐψηφίσανθ᾽ οἱ δημόται, συνώμνυον οὗτοι ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ οἱ ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ τὰ κοινὰ εἰσπραχθέντες. καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτ᾽ ἀναιδείας ἐληλύθασιν, ὥστ᾽ ἔλεγον περιιόντες ἐμὲ τῆς ἀπολογίας ἕνεκα ταῦτα ποιῆσαι. καὶ τίς ὑμῶν ἂν καταγνοίη μου τοσαύτην μανίαν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὥστε τηλικούτων ἕνεκα πρὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα τεκμηρίων ἄξια θανάτου διαπράξασθαι, καὶ ἃ ἐμοὶ φιλοτιμίαν ἔφερεν, ταῦτ᾽ ἀφανίζειν;


  [64] This became a matter of general knowledge, as did also the fact that the demesmen from whom I had exacted repayment of the public moneys swore a conspiracy against me, and by a sacrilegious theft stole from the temple the shields which I had dedicated to Athena （for the truth shall be told）, and chiseled out the decree which the demesmen had passed in my honor. And they have come to such a pitch of shamelessness that they went about saying that I had done this for the sake of my defence. Yet what man among you, men of the jury, would judge me so utterly insane as to commit an act punishable with death in order to secure so mighty a bit of evidence for my case, and then myself to destroy an inscription which brought me honor?

  [65] τὸ δὲ πάντων δεινότατον οὐ δήπου γε φήσαιεν ἂν ἐμὲ κατασκευάσαι. οὐ γὰρ ἔφθη μοι συμβᾶσ᾽ ἡ ἀτυχία καὶ εὐθύς, ὥσπερ φυγάδος ἤδη μου ὄντος καὶ ἀπολωλότος, τούτων τινὲς ἐπὶ τὸ οἰκίδιον ἐλθόντες τὸ ἐν ἀγρῷ νύκτωρ ἐπεχείρησαν διαφορῆσαι τὰ ἔνδοθεν: οὕτω σφόδρ᾽ ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων κατεφρόνησαν. καὶ ταῦτα τοὺς εἰδότας, ἐὰν βούλησθε, καλοῦμεν.

  [65] But the most outrageous act of all I fancy they would hardly say that I myself contrived. For hardly had my misfortune come about, when immediately, as if I were already an exile and a ruined man, some of these people went by night to my cottage in the country and attempted to carry off what was there; so utter was their contempt for you and for your laws. If you wish, I will call persons who know the facts.

  [66] πολλὰ δ᾽ ἔχων καὶ ἄλλ᾽ ἐπιδεῖξαι, ἃ τούτοις ἐστὶν διαπεπραγμένα καὶ ἅ εἰσιν ἐψευσμένοι, ἡδέως μὲν ἂν ὑμῖν λέγοιμι, ἐπειδὴ δ᾽ ἔξω τοῦ πράγματος νομίζετ᾽ εἶναι, ἐάσω. ἀναμνήσθητε δ᾽ ἐκείνων καὶ θεάσασθε, ὡς πολλὰ καὶ δίκαι᾽ ἔχων πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἥκω. ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς θεσμοθέτας ἀνακρίνετε, ἐγὼ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον ἐμαυτὸν ὑμῖν ἀνακρινῶ.

  [66] Many are the other deeds of theirs which I could point out and many the falsehoods which they have told, which I should be glad to enumerate to you; but as you consider these alien to the matter in hand, I will leave them out. Bear in mind, however, the following points, and see how many just arguments I have in coming before you. For, just as you question the Thesmothetae in their scrutiny, I will in the same manner question myself before you.

  [67] ‘ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τίς ἦν σοι πατήρ;’ ἐμοί; Θούκριτος. ‘οἰκεῖοί τινες εἶναι μαρτυροῦσιν αὐτῷ;’ πάνυ γε, πρῶτον μέν γε τέτταρες ἀνεψιοί, εἶτ᾽ ἀνεψιαδοῦς, εἶθ᾽ οἱ τὰς ἀνεψιὰς λαβόντες αὐτῷ, εἶτα φράτερες, εἶτ᾽ Ἀπόλλωνος πατρῴου καὶ Διὸς ἑρκείου γεννῆται, εἶθ᾽ οἷς ἠρία ταὐτά, εἶθ᾽ οἱ δημόται πολλάκις αὐτὸν δεδοκιμάσθαι καὶ ἀρχὰς ἄρξαι, καὶ αὐτοὶ διεψηφισμένοι φαίνονται. τὰ μὲν τοίνυν περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς πῶς ἂν ὑμῖν δικαιότερον ἢ καθαρώτερον ἐπιδείξαιμι; καλῶ δ᾽ ὑμῖν τοὺς οἰκείους, εἰ βούλεσθε. τὰ δὲ περὶ τῆς μητρὸς ἀκούσατε.

  [67] “Sir, who was your father?” “My father? Thucritus.” “Do any of your relatives give testimony in his favor?” “Certainly; first, four cousins; then, the son of a cousin; then, those who are married to the female cousins; then, the clansmen; then, those of the gens who worship Apollo, our ancestral god, and Zeus, the god of the household; then, those who have the right to the same places of burial; then, the members of the deme, who testify that he has often passed the scrutiny and held office, and who are shown themselves to have cast their votes in his favor.” In all that concerns my father, then, how could I prove my case to you more fairly or more convincingly? I will call my relatives before you, if you so wish.

  [68] ἐμοὶ γάρ ἐστιν μήτηρ Νικαρέτη Δαμοστράτου θυγάτηρ Μελιτέως. ταύτης τίνες οἰκεῖοι μαρτυροῦσιν; πρῶτον μὲν ἀδελφιδοῦς, εἶτα τοῦ ἑτέρου ἀδελφιδοῦ δύ᾽ υἱοί, εἶτ᾽ ἀνεψιαδοῦς, εἶθ᾽ οἱ Πρωτομάχου υἱεῖς τοῦ λαβόντος τὴν ἐμὴν μητέρα πρότερον, εἶθ᾽ ὁ τὴν ἀδελφὴν τὴν ἐμὴν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πρωτομάχου γήμας Εὔνικος Χολαργεύς, εἶθ᾽ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς.

  [68] Now hear the facts regarding my mother. My mother is Nicaretê, the daughter of Damostratus of Melitê. Who among her relatives give testimony? First, a nephew; then, two sons of her other nephew; then, the son of a cousin; then the sons of Protomachus, who was my mother’s former husband; then, Eunicus, of Cholargus, who married my sister, the daughter of Protomachus; then, my sister’s son.

  [69] ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ φράτερες τῶν οἰκείων αὐτῆς καὶ δημόται ταῦτα μεμαρτυρήκασι. τίνος οὖν ἂν προσδέοισθε; καὶ γὰρ ὅτι κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ὁ πατὴρ ἔγημεν καὶ γαμηλίαν τοῖς φράτερσιν εἰσήνεγκεν μεμαρτύρηται. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἐμαυτὸν ἐπέδειξα πάντων μετειληφόθ᾽ ὅσων προσήκει τοὺς ἐλευθέρους. ὥστε πανταχῇ δικαίως καὶ προσηκόντως ἡμῖν ἂν προσθέμενοι τὴν ψῆφον εὐορκοίητε.

  [69] More than this, the clansmen and the demesmen of her relatives have given this testimony. Of what, then, could you have further need? Yet again, that my father married my mother according to the laws, and that he gave a marriage-feast to the members of the clan, has been proved by testimony. And besides all this, I have shown that I myself have shared in all the privileges which befit free men. On all grounds, therefore, you will act in accordance with your oaths, if you give your verdict in my favour as justice and right demand.

  [70] ἔτι τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τοὺς ἐννέα ἄρχοντας ἀνακρίνετε, εἰ γονέας εὖ ποιοῦσιν. ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦ μὲν πατρὸς ὀρφανὸς κατελείφθην, τὴν δὲ μητέρ᾽ ἱκετεύω ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀντιβολῶ διὰ τοῦτον τὸν ἀγῶν᾽ ἀπόδοτέ μοι θάψαι εἰς τὰ πατρῷα μνήματα καὶ μή με κωλύσητε, μηδ᾽ ἄπολιν ποιήσητε, μηδὲ τῶν οἰκείων ἀποστερήσητε τοσούτων ὄντων τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ὅλως ἀπολέσητε. πρότερον γὰρ ἢ προλιπεῖν τούτους, εἰ μὴ δυνατὸν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν εἴη σωθῆναι, ἀποκτείναιμ᾽ ἂν ἐμαυτόν, ὥστ᾽ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι γ᾽ ὑπὸ τούτων ταφῆναι.

  [70] Furthermore, men of the jury, when you question the nine archons, you ask whether they act dutifully toward their parents. I for my part am left without a father, but for my mother’s sake I beg and beseech you so to settle this trial as to restore to me the right to bury her in our ancestral tomb. Do not deny me this; do not make me a man without a country; do not cut me off from such a host of relatives, and bring me to utter ruin. Rather than abandon them, if it prove impossible for them to save me, I will kill myself, that at least I may be buried by them in my country.

  ἔνδειξις κατὰ Θεοκρίνου — AGAINST THEOCRINES

  [1] τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, διὰ τουτ
ονὶ Θεοκρίνην ἀτυχήσαντος πρὸς τὴν πόλιν καὶ ὀφλόντος δέκα τάλαντα, καὶ τούτου διπλοῦ γεγενημένου ὥστε μηδ᾽ ἐλπίδα ἡμῖν εἶναι σωτηρίας μηδεμίαν, ἡγησάμην δεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ τιμωρεῖσθαι μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν τοῦτον μήτε ἡλικίαν μήτε ἄλλο μηδὲν ὑπολογισάμενος δοῦναι τὴν ἔνδειξιν ταύτην.

  [1] Inasmuch as my father, men of the jury, through this man Theocrines was brought to disaster in his relations to the state and condemned to pay a fine of ten talents, and as this fine has been doubled, so that we have not the slightest hope of deliverance, I have thought it my duty to lodge this criminal information with a view to taking vengeance upon the defendant with your aid, without taking into consideration my youth or anything else.