by Demosthenes
[9] For not only did Stephanus seek in this way to bring us to ruin, but he even wished to drive Apollodorus from his country. He brought a false charge against him that, having once gone to Aphidna in search of a runaway slave of his, he had there struck a woman, and that she had died of the blow; and he suborned some slaves and got them to give out that they were men of Cyren, and by public proclamation cited Apollodorus before the court of the Palladium on a charge of murder.
[10] καὶ ἔλεγεν τὴν δίκην Στέφανος οὑτοσί, διομοσάμενος ὡς ἔκτεινεν Ἀπολλόδωρος τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοχειρίᾳ, ἐξώλειαν αὑτῷ καὶ γένει καὶ οἰκίᾳ ἐπαρασάμενος, ἃ οὔτ᾽ ἐγένετο οὔτ᾽ εἶδεν οὔτ᾽ ἤκουσεν οὐδενὸς πώποτε ἀνθρώπων. ἐξελεγχθεὶς δ᾽ ἐπιορκῶν καὶ ψευδῆ αἰτίαν ἐπιφέρων, καὶ καταφανὴς γενόμενος μεμισθωμένος ὑπὸ Κηφισοφῶντος καὶ Ἀπολλοφάνους ὥστ᾽ ἐξελάσαι Ἀπολλόδωρον ἢ ἀτιμῶσαι ἀργύριον εἰληφώς, ὀλίγας ψήφους μεταλαβὼν ἐκ πεντακοσίων, ἀπῆλθεν ἐπιωρκηκὼς καὶ δόξας πονηρὸς εἶναι.
[10] This fellow Stephanus prosecuted the case, declaring on oath that Apollodorus had killed the woman with his own hand, and he imprecated destruction upon himself and his race and his house, affirming matters which had never taken place, which he had never seen or heard from any human being. However, since he was proved to have committed perjury and to have brought forward a false accusation, and was shown to have been hired by Cephisophon and Apollophanes to procure for pay the banishment or the disfranchisement of Apollodorus, he received but a few votes out of a total of five hundred, and left the court a perjured man and one with the reputation of a scoundrel.
[11] σκοπεῖτε δὴ αὐτοί, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἐκ τῶν εἰκότων λογιζόμενοι πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτούς, τί ἂν ἐχρησάμην ἐμαυτῷ καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ τῇ ἀδελφῇ, εἴ τι Ἀπολλοδώρῳ συνέβη παθεῖν ὧν Στέφανος οὑτοσὶ ἐπεβούλευσεν αὐτῷ, ἢ ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ ἢ ἐν τῷ ὑστέρῳ ἀγῶνι; ἢ ποίᾳ αἰσχύνῃ οὐκ ἂν καὶ συμφορᾷ περιπεπτωκὼς ἦν;
[11] Now, men of the jury, I would have you ask yourselves, considering in your own minds the natural course of events, what I could have done with myself and my wife and my sister, if it had fallen to the lot of Apollodorus to suffer any of the injuries which this fellow Stephanus plotted to inflict upon him in either the former or the latter trial, or how great were the disgrace and the ruin in which I should have been involved.
[12] παρακαλούντων δή με ἁπάντων, ἰδίᾳ προσιόντων μοι, ἐπὶ τιμωρίαν τρέπεσθαι ὧν ἐπάθομεν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὀνειδιζόντων μοι ἀνανδρότατον ἀνθρώπων εἶναι, εἰ οὕτως οἰκείως ἔχων τὰ πρὸς τούτους μὴ λήψομαι δίκην ὑπὲρ ἀδελφῆς καὶ κηδεστοῦ καὶ ἀδελφιδῶν καὶ γυναικὸς ἐμαυτοῦ, μηδὲ τὴν περιφανῶς εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς ἀσεβοῦσαν καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὑβρίζουσαν καὶ τῶν νόμων καταφρονοῦσαν τῶν ὑμετέρων εἰσαγαγὼν εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐξελέγξας τῷ λόγῳ ὡς ἀδικεῖ, κυρίους καταστήσω ὅ τι ἂν βούλησθε χρῆσθαι αὐτῇ,
[12] People came to me privately from all sides exhorting me to exact punishment from my opponent for the wrongs he had done us. They flung in my teeth the charge that I was the most cowardly of humankind, if, being so closely related to them, I did not take vengeance for the injuries done my sister, my father-in-law, my sister’s children, and my own wife, and if I did not bring before you this woman who is guilty of such flagrant impiety toward the gods, of such outrage toward the commonwealth, and of such contempt for your laws, and by prosecuting her and by my arguments convicting her of crime, to enable you to deal with her as you might see fit.
[13] ὥσπερ καὶ Στέφανος οὑτοσὶ ἐμὲ ἀφῃρεῖτο τοὺς οἰκείους παρὰ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὰ ψηφίσματα τὰ ὑμέτερα, οὕτω καὶ ἐγὼ τοῦτον ἥκω ἐπιδείξων εἰς ὑμᾶς ξένῃ μὲν γυναικὶ συνοικοῦντα παρὰ τὸν νόμον, ἀλλοτρίους δὲ παῖδας εἰσαγαγόντα εἴς τε τοὺς φράτερας καὶ εἰς τοὺς δημότας, ἐγγυῶντα δὲ τὰς τῶν ἑταιρῶν θυγατέρας ὡς αὑτοῦ οὔσας, ἠσεβηκότα δ᾽ εἰς τοὺς θεούς, ἄκυρον δὲ ποιοῦντα τὸν δῆμον τῶν αὑτοῦ, ἄν τινα βούληται πολίτην ποιήσασθαι: τίς γὰρ ἂν ἔτι παρὰ τοῦ δήμου ζητήσειε λαβεῖν δωρεάν, μετὰ πολλῶν ἀναλωμάτων καὶ πραγματείας πολίτης μέλλων ἔσεσθαι, ἐξὸν παρὰ Στεφάνου ἀπ᾽ ἐλάττονος ἀναλώματος, εἴ γε τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο γενήσεται αὐτῷ;
[13] And as Stephanus here sought to deprive me of my relatives contrary to your laws and your decrees, so I too have come before you to prove that Stephanus is living with an alien woman contrary to the law; that he has introduced children not his own to his fellow-clansmen and demesmen; that he has given in marriage the daughters of courtesans as though they were his own; that he is guilty of impiety toward the gods; and that he nullifies the right of your people to bestow its own favors, if it chooses to admit anyone to citizenship; for who will any longer seek to win this reward from you and to undergo heavy expense and much trouble in order to become a citizen, when he can get what he wants from Stephanus at less expense, assuming that the result for him is to be the same?
[14] ἃ μὲν οὖν ἀδικηθεὶς ἐγὼ ὑπὸ Στεφάνου πρότερος ἐγραψάμην τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην, εἴρηκα πρὸς ὑμᾶς: ὡς δ᾽ ἐστὶν ξένη Νέαιρα αὑτηὶ καὶ συνοικεῖ Στεφάνῳ τουτῳὶ καὶ πολλὰ παρανενόμηκεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ταῦτ᾽ ἤδη δεῖ μαθεῖν ὑμᾶς. δέομαι οὖν ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἅπερ ἡγοῦμαι προσήκειν δεηθῆναι νέον τε ὄντα καὶ ἀπείρως ἔχοντα τοῦ λέγειν, συνήγορόν με κελεῦσαι καλέσαι τῷ ἀγῶνι τούτῳ Ἀπολλόδωρον.
[14] The injuries, then, which I have suffered at the hands of Stephanus, and which led me to prefer this indictment, I have told you. I must now prove to you that this woman Neaera is an alien, that she is living with this man Stephanus as his wife, and that she has violated the laws of the state in many ways. I make of you, therefore, men of the jury, a request which seems to me a proper one for a young man and one without experience in speaking — that you will permit me to call Apollodorus as advocate to assist me in this trial.
[15] καὶ γὰρ πρεσβύτερός ἐστιν ἢ ἐγώ, καὶ ἐμπειροτέρως ἔχει τῶν νόμων, καὶ μεμέληκεν αὐτῷ περὶ τούτων ἁπάντων ἀκριβῶς, καὶ ἠδίκηται ὑπὸ Στεφάνου τουτουί, ὥστε καὶ ἀνεπίφθονον αὐτῷ τιμωρεῖσθαι τὸν ὑπάρξαντα. δεῖ δ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας, τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἀκούσαντας τῆς τε κατηγορίας καὶ τῆς ἀπολογίας, οὕτως ἤδη τὴν ψῆφον φέρειν ὑπέρ τε τῶν θεῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων κ
αὶ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν.”Συνηγορία”
[15] For he is older than I and is better acquainted with the laws. He has studied all these matters with the greatest care, and he too has been wronged by this fellow Stephanus so that no one can object to his seeking vengeance upon the one who injured him without provocation. It is your duty, in the light of truth itself, when you have heard the exact nature both of the accusation and the defense, then and not till then to reach a verdict which will be in the interest of the gods of the laws, of justice, and of your own selves.
[16] ἃ μὲν ἠδικημένος, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὑπὸ Στεφάνου ἀναβέβηκα κατηγορήσων Νεαίρας ταυτησί, Θεόμνηστος εἴρηκεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς: ὡς δ᾽ ἐστὶ ξένη Νέαιρα καὶ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους συνοικεῖ Στεφάνῳ, τοῦτο ὑμῖν βούλομαι σαφῶς ἐπιδεῖξαι. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τὸν νόμον ὑμῖν ἀναγνώσεται, καθ᾽ ὃν τήν τε γραφὴν ταυτηνὶ Θεόμνηστος ἐγράψατο καὶ ὁ ἀγὼν οὗτος εἰσέρχεται εἰς ὑμᾶς.”Νόμος
ἐὰν δὲ ξένος ἀστῇ συνοικῇ τέχνῃ ἢ μηχανῇ ᾑτινιοῦν, γραφέσθω πρὸς τοὺς θεσμοθέτας Ἀθηναίων ὁ βουλόμενος οἷς ἔξεστιν. ἐὰν δὲ ἁλῷ, πεπράσθω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ οὐσία αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον μέρος ἔστω τοῦ ἑλόντος. ἔστω δὲ καὶ ἐὰν ἡ ξένη τῷ ἀστῷ συνοικῇ κατὰ ταὐτά, καὶ ὁ συνοικῶν τῇ ξένῃ τῇ ἁλούσῃ ὀφειλέτω χιλίας δραχμάς.”
[16] The wrongs done me by Stephanus, men of Athens, which have led me to come forward to accuse this woman Neaera, have been told you by Theomnestus. And that Neaera is an alien woman and is living as his wife with Stephanus contrary to the laws, I wish to make clear to you. First, the clerk shall read you the law under which Theomnestus preferred this indictment and this case comes before you.”Law
If an alien shall live as husband with an Athenian woman in any way or manner whatsoever, he may be indicted before the Thesmothetae by anyone who chooses to do so from among the Athenians having the right to bring charges. And if he be convicted, he shall be sold, himself and his property, and the third part shall belong to the one securing his conviction. The same principle shall hold also if an alien woman shall live as wife with an Athenian, and the Athenian who lives as husband with the alien woman so convicted shall be fined one thousand drachmae.”
[17] τοῦ μὲν νόμου τοίνυν ἀκηκόατε, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ τὴν ξένην τῷ ἀστῷ συνοικεῖν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀστὴν τῷ ξένῳ, οὐδὲ παιδοποιεῖσθαι, τέχνῃ οὐδὲ μηχανῇ οὐδεμιᾷ: ἐὰν δέ τις παρὰ ταῦτα ποιῇ, γραφὴν πεποίηκεν κατ᾽ αὐτῶν εἶναι πρὸς τοὺς θεσμοθέτας, κατά τε τοῦ ξένου καὶ τῆς ξένης, κἂν ἁλῷ, πεπρᾶσθαι κελεύει. ὡς οὖν ἐστι ξένη Νέαιρα αὑτηί, τοῦθ᾽ ὑμῖν βούλομαι ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀκριβῶς ἐπιδεῖξαι.
[17] You have heard the law, men of the jury, which forbids the union of an alien woman with an Athenian, or of an Athenian woman with an alien in any way or manner whatsoever, or the procreation of children. And if any persons shall transgress this law, it has provided that there shall be an indictment against them before the Thesmothetae, against both the alien man and the alien woman, and that, if convicted, any such person shall be sold. I wish, therefore, to prove to you convincingly from the very beginning that this woman Neaera is an alien.
[18] ἑπτὰ γὰρ ταύτας παιδίσκας ἐκ μικρῶν παιδίων ἐκτήσατο Νικαρέτη, Χαρισίου μὲν οὖσα τοῦ Ἠλείου ἀπελευθέρα, Ἱππίου δὲ τοῦ μαγείρου τοῦ ἐκείνου γυνή, δεινὴ δὲ καὶ δυναμένη φύσιν μικρῶν παιδίων συνιδεῖν εὐπρεπῆ, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπισταμένη θρέψαι καὶ παιδεῦσαι ἐμπείρως, τέχνην ταύτην κατεσκευασμένη καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων τὸν βίον συνειλεγμένη.
[18] There were these seven girls who were purchased while they were small children by Nicaretê, who was the freedwoman of Charisius the Elean and the wife of his cook Hippias. She was skilled in recognizing the budding beauty of young girls and knew well how to bring them up and train them artfully; for she made this her profession, and she got her livelihood from the girls.
[19] προσειποῦσα δ᾽ αὐτὰς ὀνόματι θυγατέρας, ἵν᾽ ὡς μεγίστους μισθοὺς πράττοιτο τοὺς βουλομένους πλησιάζειν αὐταῖς ὡς ἐλευθέραις οὔσαις, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἡλικίαν ἐκαρπώσατο αὐτῶν ἑκάστης, συλλήβδην καὶ τὰ σώματα ἀπέδοτο ἁπασῶν ἑπτὰ οὐσῶν, Ἄντειαν καὶ Στρατόλαν καὶ Ἀριστόκλειαν καὶ Μετάνειραν καὶ Φίλαν καὶ Ἰσθμιάδα καὶ Νέαιραν ταυτηνί.
[19] She called them by the name of daughters in order that, by giving out that they were free women, she might exact the largest fees from those who wished to enjoy them. When she had reaped the profit of the youthful prime of each, she sold them, all seven, without omitting one — Anteia and Stratola and Aristocleia and Metaneira and Phila and Isthmias and this Neaera.
[20] ἣν μὲν οὖν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἐκτήσατο καὶ ὡς ἠλευθερώθησαν ἀπὸ τῶν πριαμένων αὐτὰς παρὰ τῆς Νικαρέτης, προϊόντος τοῦ λόγου, ἂν βούλησθε ἀκούειν καί μοι περιουσία ᾖ τοῦ ὕδατος, δηλώσω ὑμῖν: ὡς δὲ Νέαιρα αὑτηὶ Νικαρέτης ἦν καὶ ἠργάζετο τῷ σώματι μισθαρνοῦσα τοῖς βουλομένοις αὐτῇ πλησιάζειν, τοῦθ᾽ ὑμῖν βούλομαι πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν.
[20] Who it was who purchased them severally, and how they were set free by those who bought them from Nicaretê, I will tell you in the course of my speech, if you care to hear and if the water in the water-clock holds out. I wish for the moment to return to the defendant Neaera, and prove to you that she belonged to Nicaretê, and that she lived as a prostitute letting out her person for hire to those who wished to enjoy her.
[21] Λυσίας γὰρ ὁ σοφιστὴς Μετανείρας ὢν ἐραστής, ἐβουλήθη πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀναλώμασιν οἷς ἀνήλισκεν εἰς αὐτὴν καὶ μυῆσαι, ἡγούμενος τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἀναλώματα τὴν κεκτημένην αὐτὴν λαμβάνειν, ἃ δ᾽ ἂν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν καὶ τὰ μυστήρια ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἀναλώσῃ, πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ἄνθρωπον χάριν καταθήσεσθαι. ἐδεήθη οὖν τῆς Νικαρέτης ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὰ μυστήρια ἄγουσαν τὴν Μετάνειραν, ἵνα μυηθῇ, καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπέσχετο μυήσειν.
[21] Lysias, the sophist, being the lover of Metaneira, wished, in addition to the other expenditures which he lavished upon her, also to initiate her; for he considered that everything else which he expended upon her was being taken by the woman who owned her, but that from whatever he might spend on her behalf for the festival and the initiation the girl herself would profit and be grateful to him. So he asked Nicaretê to come to the mysteries bringing with her Metaneira that she might be initiated, and he promised that he would himself initiate her.
[22] ἀ�
�ικομένας δ᾽ αὐτὰς ὁ Λυσίας εἰς μὲν τὴν αὑτοῦ οἰκίαν οὐκ εἰσάγει, αἰσχυνόμενος τήν τε γυναῖκα ἣν εἶχε, Βραχύλλου μὲν θυγατέρα, ἀδελφιδῆν δὲ αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μητέρα τὴν αὑτοῦ πρεσβυτέραν τε οὖσαν καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ διαιτωμένην: ὡς Φιλόστρατον δὲ τὸν Κολωνῆθεν, ᾔθεον ἔτι ὄντα καὶ φίλον αὐτῷ, καθίστησιν ὁ Λυσίας αὐτάς, τήν τε Μετάνειραν καὶ τὴν Νικαρέτην. συνηκολούθει δὲ καὶ Νέαιρα αὑτηί, ἐργαζομένη μὲν ἤδη τῷ σώματι, νεωτέρα δὲ οὖσα διὰ τὸ μήπω τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτῇ παρεῖναι.
[22] When they got here, Lysias did not bring them to his own house, out of regard for his wife, the daughter of Brachyllus and his own niece, and for his own mother, who was elderly and who lived in the same house; but he lodged the two, Metaneira and Nicaretê, with Philostratus of Colonus, who was a friend of his and was as yet unmarried. They were accompanied by this woman Neaera, who had already taken up the trade of a prostitute, young as she was; for she was not yet old enough.
[23] ὡς οὖν ἀληθῆ λέγω, ὅτι Νικαρέτης ἦν καὶ ἠκολούθει ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἐμισθάρνει τῷ βουλομένῳ ἀναλίσκειν, τούτων ὑμῖν αὐτὸν τὸν Φιλόστρατον μάρτυρα καλῶ.”Μαρτυρία