---
title: "Against Aphobus I · Κατὰ Ἀφόβου ἐπιτροπῆς α΄"
author: "Demosthenes"
translator: "Augustus Taber Murray"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/
cite: "Demosthenes, tr. Augustus Taber Murray, Against Aphobus I · Κατὰ Ἀφόβου ἐπιτροπῆς α΄. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/"
---

# Against Aphobus I · Κατὰ Ἀφόβου ἐπιτροπῆς α΄

*Demosthenes, tr. Augustus Taber Murray*

At twenty Demosthenes sues the guardian who squandered his inheritance, and accounts for it item by item.

> Greek: ed. William Rennie, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0014.tlg027, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Augustus Taber Murray, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0014.tlg027.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## Contents

1. [Sections 1–35](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/1.md)
2. [Sections 36–69](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/2.md)

## 1. Sections 1–35

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/1/#p-N

[¶0] 1. If Aphobus, men of the jury, had been willing to do what is fair, or to submit the matters in dispute between us to the arbitration of friends, there would be no occasion for a troublesome lawsuit; for I should have been satisfied to abide by their decision, and we should have had no controversy with him. Since, however, he has refused to let those well acquainted with our affairs give a decision, and has come before you, who have no accurate knowledge of them, it must be in your court that I try to win from him what is my due.

> Greek: 1. εἰ μὲν ἐβούλετʼ Ἄφοβος, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν ἢ περὶ ὧν διεφερόμεθα τοῖς οἰκείοις ἐπιτρέπειν, οὐδὲν ἂν ἔδει δικῶν οὐδὲ πραγμάτων· ἀπέχρη γὰρ ἂν τοῖς ὑπʼ ἐκείνων γνωσθεῖσιν ἐμμένειν, ὥστε μηδεμίαν ἡμῖν εἶναι πρὸς τοῦτον διαφοράν. ἐπειδὴ δʼ οὗτος τοὺς μὲν σαφῶς εἰδότας τὰ ἡμέτερʼ ἔφυγε μηδὲν διαγνῶναι περὶ αὐτῶν, εἰς δʼ ὑμᾶς τοὺς οὐδὲν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀκριβῶς ἐπισταμένους ἐλήλυθεν, ἀνάγκη ἐστὶν ἐν ὑμῖν παρʼ αὐτοῦ πειρᾶσθαι τῶν δικαίων τυγχάνειν.

[¶1] 2. I know well, men of the jury, that it is a hard task to enter into a contest in which all my fortune is at stake with men who are able speakers and clever in preparing their case, while I because of my youth am wholly without experience in affairs. Yet nevertheless, although they have every advantage over me, I have strong hopes that I shall obtain justice in your court, and that, as far at least as relating the facts, I shall myself speak well enough to ensure that not a single detail shall escape you, and that you will not be in the dark regarding the matters concerning which you are to cast your vote.

> Greek: 2. οἶδα μὲν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅτι πρὸς ἄνδρας καὶ λέγειν ἱκανοὺς καὶ παρασκευάσασθαι δυναμένους χαλεπόν ἐστιν εἰς ἀγῶνα καθίστασθαι περὶ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων, ἄπειρον ὄντα παντάπασι πραγμάτων διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν· ὅμως δέ, καίπερ πολὺ τούτων καταδεέστερος ὤν, πολλὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχω καὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν τεύξεσθαι τῶν δικαίων καὶ μέχρι γε τοῦ τὰ γεγενημένα διεξελθεῖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀρκούντως ἐρεῖν, ὥσθʼ ὑμᾶς μήτʼ ἀπολειφθῆναι τῶν πραγμάτων μηδὲ καθʼ ἓν μήτʼ ἀγνοῆσαι περὶ ὧν δεήσει τὴν ψῆφον ἐνεγκεῖν.

[¶2] 3. I beg of you, men of the jury, to give me a favorable hearing, and, if you judge that I have been wronged, to render me the aid which is my due. I shall make my speech as brief as possible, and shall begin by endeavoring to inform you of the facts from which you will most readily understand the case.

> Greek: 3. δέομαι δʼ ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μετʼ εὐνοίας τέ μου ἀκοῦσαι, κἂν ἠδικῆσθαι δοκῶ, βοηθῆσαί μοι τὰ δίκαια. ποιήσομαι δʼ ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι διὰ βραχυτάτων τοὺς λόγους. ὅθεν οὖν ῥᾷστα μαθήσεσθε περὶ αὐτῶν, ἐντεῦθεν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐγὼ πρῶτον πειράσομαι διδάσκειν.

[¶3] 4. Demosthenes, my father, men of the jury, left at his death an estate of nearly fourteen talents, a son, myself, aged seven, and my sister, aged five, and his widow, our mother, who had brought him a fortune of fifty minae. He had taken thought for our welfare, and, when he was about to die, put all this property in the hands of the defendant, Aphobus, and Demophon, son of Demo, nephews of his, one by his brother, the other by his sister, and of Therippides of Paeania, who was not a relative, but had been his friend from boyhood.

> Greek: 4. Δημοσθένης γὰρ οὑμὸς πατήρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, κατέλιπεν οὐσίαν μὲν σχεδὸν τεττάρων καὶ δέκα ταλάντων, ἐμὲ δʼ ἕπτʼ ἐτῶν ὄντα καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν πέντε, ἔτι δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν μητέρα πεντήκοντα μνᾶς εἰς τὸν οἶκον εἰσενηνεγμένην. βουλευσάμενος δὲ περὶ ἡμῶν, ὅτʼ ἔμελλε τελευτᾶν, ἅπαντα ταῦτʼ ἐνεχείρισεν Ἀφόβῳ τε τουτῳὶ καὶ Δημοφῶντι τῷ Δήμωνος υἱεῖ, τούτοιν μὲν ἀδελφιδοῖν ὄντοιν, τῷ μὲν ἐξ ἀδελφοῦ, τῷ δʼ ἐξ ἀδελφῆς γεγονότοιν, ἔτι δὲ Θηριππίδῃ τῷ Παιανιεῖ, γένει μὲν οὐδὲν προσήκοντι, φίλῳ δʼ ἐκ παιδὸς ὑπάρχοντι.

[¶4] 5. To Therippides he gave the interest on seventy minae of my property, to be enjoyed by him until I should come of age, in order that avarice might not tempt him to mismanage my affairs. To Demophon he gave my sister with a dowry of two talents, to be paid at once, and to the defendant himself he gave our mother with a dowry of eighty minae, and the right to use my house and furniture. His thought was that, if he should unite these men to me by still closer ties, they would look after my interests the better because of this added bond of kinship.

> Greek: 5. κἀκείνῳ μὲν ἔδωκεν ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν ἑβδομήκοντα μνᾶς καρπώσασθαι τοσοῦτον χρόνον, ἕως ἐγὼ ἀνὴρ εἶναι δοκιμασθείην, ὅπως μὴ διʼ ἐπιθυμίαν χρημάτων χεῖρόν τι τῶν ἐμῶν διοικήσειεν· Δημοφῶντι δὲ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀδελφὴν καὶ δύο τάλαντʼ εὐθὺς ἔδωκεν ἔχειν, αὐτῷ δὲ τούτῳ τὴν μητέρα τὴν ἐμὴν καὶ προῖκʼ ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς, καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ⟨οἰκεῖν⟩ καὶ σκεύεσι χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἐμοῖς, ἡγούμενος, καὶ τούτους ἔτʼ οἰκειοτέρους εἴ μοι ποιήσειεν, οὐκ ἂν χεῖρόν μʼ ἐπιτροπευθῆναι ταύτης τῆς οἰκειότητος προσγενομένης.

[¶5] 6. But these men, who took at once their own legacies from the estate, and as my guardians administered all the remainder for ten years, have robbed me of my entire fortune except the house, and fourteen slaves and thirty silver minae, which they have handed over to me—amounting in all to about seventy minae.

> Greek: 6. λαβόντες δʼ οὗτοι ταῦτα πρῶτον σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῶν χρημάτων, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην οὐσίαν ἅπασαν διαχειρίσαντες, καὶ δέκʼ ἔτη ἡμᾶς ἐπιτροπεύσαντες, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντʼ ἀπεστερήκασιν, τὴν οἰκίαν δὲ καὶ ἀνδράποδα τέτταρα καὶ δέκα καὶ ἀργυρίου μνᾶς τριάκοντα, μάλιστα σύμπαντα ταῦτʼ εἰς ἑβδομήκοντα μνᾶς παραδεδώκασι.

[¶6] 7. This, men of the jury, to put it as briefly as possible, is a summing up of the wrongs they have done me. But of the fact that the amount of property left by my father was as much as I have stated these men themselves have proved the most convincing witnesses, for in the tax-company they agreed on my behalf to a tax of five hundred drachmae on every twenty-five minae —a tax equal to that paid by Timotheus, son of Conon, and those possessing the largest fortunes. However, I had better inform you in detail what portions of the property were producing a profit and what were unproductive, and what were their respective values; for when you have accurate information regarding these matters, you will know that of all who have ever acted as trustees none have so shamelessly and so openly plundered an estate as these men have plundered ours.

> Greek: 7. καὶ τὸ μὲν κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀδικημάτων, ὡς ἂν συντομώτατʼ εἴποι τις, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί· τὸ δὲ πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας ὅτι τοῦτʼ ἦν τὸ καταλειφθέν, μέγιστοι μὲν αὐτοὶ μάρτυρές μοι γεγόνασιν· εἰς γὰρ τὴν συμμορίαν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ συνετάξαντο κατὰ τὰς πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι μνᾶς πεντακοσίας δραχμὰς εἰσφέρειν, ὅσονπερ Τιμόθεος ὁ Κόνωνος καὶ οἱ τὰ μέγιστα κεκτημένοι τιμήματʼ εἰσέφερον· δεῖ δὲ καὶ καθʼ ἕκαστον ὑμᾶς ἀκοῦσαι τά τʼ ἐνεργὰ αὐτῶν καὶ ὅσʼ ἦν ἀργὰ καὶ ὅσου ἦν ἄξιʼ ἕκαστα. ταῦτα γὰρ μαθόντες ἀκριβῶς εἴσεσθε, ὅτι τῶν πώποτʼ ἐπιτροπευσάντων οὐδένες ἀναιδέστερον οὐδὲ περιφανέστερον ἢ οὗτοι τὰ ἡμέτερα διηρπάκασιν.

[¶7] 8. I shall produce witnesses to prove, first, that in the tax-company they agreed on my behalf to be taxed to the amount which I have stated, and, next, that my father did not leave me a poor man, nor one possessing an estate of merely seventy minae. On the contrary, my estate was so considerable that these men were themselves unable to hide its value from the state. Take, please, and read this deposition. The Deposition From this evidence it is clear what the value of the property was.

> Greek: 8. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὡς συνετιμήσανθʼ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ταύτην τὴν εἰσφορὰν εἰς τὴν συμμορίαν, παρέξομαι τούτων μάρτυρας, ἔπειθʼ ὅτι οὐ πένητα κατέλιπέν μʼ ὁ πατὴρ οὐδʼ ἑβδομήκοντα μνῶν οὐσίαν κεκτημένον, ἀλλὰ τοσαύτην ὅσην οὐδʼ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι ἀποκρύψασθαι διὰ τὸ μέγεθος πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἐδυνήθησαν. καί μοι ἀναγίγνωσκε λαβὼν ταύτην τὴν μαρτυρίαν. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑ.

[¶8] 9. Three talents is the tax on an estate of fifteen, and this tax they saw fit to pay. But you will see this more clearly if you hear what the property was. My father, men of the jury, left two factories, both doing a large business. One was a sword-manufactory, employing thirty-two or thirty-three slaves, most of them worth five or six minae each and none worth less than three minae. From these my father received a clear income of thirty minae each year. The other was a sofa-manufactory, employing twenty slaves, given to my father as security for a debt of forty minae. These brought him in a clear income of twelve minae. In money he left as much as a talent, loaned at the rate of a drachma a month, the interest of which amounted to more than seven minae a year.

> Greek: 9. δῆλον μὲν τοίνυν καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἐστὶν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας. πεντεκαίδεκα ταλάντων γὰρ τρία τάλαντα τίμημα· ταύτην ἠξίουν εἰσφέρειν τὴν εἰσφοράν. ἔτι δʼ ἀκριβέστερον εἴσεσθε τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτὴν ἀκούσαντες· ὁ γὰρ πατήρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, κατέλιπεν δύʼ ἐργαστήρια, τέχνης οὐ μικρᾶς ἑκάτερον, μαχαιροποιοὺς μὲν τριάκοντα καὶ δύʼ ἢ τρεῖς, ἀνὰ πέντε μνᾶς καὶ ἕξ, τοὺς δʼ οὐκ ἐλάττονος ἢ τριῶν μνῶν ἀξίους, ἀφʼ ὧν τριάκοντα μνᾶς ἀτελεῖς ἐλάμβανεν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ τὴν πρόσοδον, κλινοποιοὺς δʼ εἴκοσι τὸν ἀριθμόν, τετταράκοντα μνῶν ὑποκειμένους, οἳ δώδεκα μνᾶς ἀτελεῖς αὐτῷ προσέφερον, ἀργυρίου δʼ εἰς τάλαντον ἐπὶ δραχμῇ δεδανεισμένου, οὗ τόκος ἐγίγνετο τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἑκάστου πλεῖν ἢ ἑπτὰ μναῖ.

[¶9] 10. This was the amount of productive capital which my father left, as these men will themselves admit, the principal amounting to four talents and five thousand drachmae, and the proceeds to fifty minae each year. Besides this, he left ivory and iron, used in the factory, and wood for sofas, worth about eighty minae; and gall and copper, which he had bought for seventy minae; furthermore, a house worth three thousand drachmae, and furniture and plate, and my mother’s jewelry and apparel and ornaments, worth in all ten thousand drachmae, and in the house eighty minae in silver.

> Greek: 10. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐνεργὰ κατέλιπεν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι ὁμολογήσουσιν· ὧν γίγνεται τοῦ μὲν ἀρχαίου κεφάλαιον τέτταρα τάλαντα καὶ πεντακισχίλιαι, τὸ δʼ ἔργον αὐτῶν πεντήκοντα μναῖ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἑκάστου. χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἐλέφαντα μὲν καὶ σίδηρον, ὃν κατηργάζοντο, καὶ ξύλα κλίνειʼ εἰς ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς ἄξια, κηκῖδα δὲ καὶ χαλκὸν ἑβδομήκοντα μνῶν ἐωνημένα, ἔτι δʼ οἰκίαν τρισχιλίων, ἔπιπλα δὲ καὶ ἐκπώματα καὶ χρυσία καὶ ἱμάτια, τὸν κόσμον τῆς μητρός, ἄξια σύμπαντα ταῦτʼ εἰς μυρίας δραχμάς, ἀργυρίου δʼ ἔνδον ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς.

[¶10] 11. To these sums left by him at home we must add seventy minae, a maritime loan to Xuthus; twenty-four hundred drachmae in the bank of Pasion, six hundred in that of Pylades, sixteen hundred in the hands of Demomeles, son of Demon, and about a talent loaned without interest in sums of two hundred or three hundred drachmae. The total of these last sums amounts to more than eight talents and fifty minae, and the whole taken together you will find on examination to come to about fourteen talents.

> Greek: 11. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οἴκοι κατέλιπεν πάντα, ναυτικὰ δʼ ἑβδομήκοντα μνᾶς, ἔκδοσιν παρὰ Ξούθῳ, τετρακοσίας δὲ καὶ δισχιλίας ἐπὶ τῇ τραπέζῃ τῇ Πασίωνος, ἑξακοσίας δʼ ἐπὶ τῇ Πυλάδου, παρὰ Δημομέλει δὲ τῷ Δήμωνος υἱεῖ χιλίας καὶ ἑξακοσίας, κατὰ διακοσίας δὲ καὶ τριακοσίας ὁμοῦ τι τάλαντον διακεχρημένον. καὶ τούτων αὖ τῶν χρημάτων τὸ κεφάλαιον πλέον ἢ ὀκτὼ τάλαντα καὶ πεντήκοντα μναῖ γίγνονται. συμπάντων δʼ εἰς τέτταρα καὶ δέκα τάλανθʼ εὑρήσετε σκοποῦντες.

[¶11] 12. This, then, men of the jury, was the amount of property left by my father. How much of it has been squandered, how much they have severally taken, and of how much they have jointly robbed me, it is impossible to tell in the time allotted to one plea. I must discuss each one of these questions separately. I pass over the question as to what property of mine Demophon or Therippides are holding. It will be time enough to discuss this when I bring in my accusations against them. I shall speak to you now of the defendant and shall state what his colleagues prove that he has in his hands, and what I know he has taken. In the first place I shall show that he has the marriage-portion, the eighty minae, and after that shall take up the other matters and discuss them with the utmost brevity.

> Greek: 12. καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας τοῦτʼ ἦν τὸ καταλειφθέν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί. ὅσα δʼ αὐτῆς διακέκλεπται καὶ ὅσʼ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος εἴληφεν καὶ ὁπόσα κοινῇ πάντες ἀποστεροῦσιν, οὐκ ἐνδέχεται πρὸς ταὐτὸ ὕδωρ εἰπεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀνάγκη χωρὶς ἕκαστον διελεῖν ἐστίν. ἃ μὲν οὖν Δημοφῶν ἢ Θηριππίδης ἔχουσι τῶν ἐμῶν, τότʼ ἐξαρκέσει περὶ αὐτῶν εἰπεῖν, ὅταν κατʼ αὐτῶν τὰς γραφὰς ἀπενέγκωμεν· ἃ δὲ τοῦτον ἔχοντʼ ἐξελέγχουσιν ἐκεῖνοι καὶ ἐγὼ οἶδʼ αὐτὸν εἰληφότα, περὶ τούτων ἤδη ποιήσομαι τοὺς λόγους πρὸς ὑμᾶς. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὡς ἔχει τὴν προῖκα, τὰς ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς, τοῦθʼ ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξω, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι διὰ βραχυτάτων.

[¶12] 13. Immediately after my father’s death the defendant came and dwelt in the house according to the terms of the will, and took possession of my mother’s jewels and the plate. In these he received the equivalent of about fifty minae. Furthermore, he received from Therippides and Demophon the proceeds of the sale of the slaves until he had made up the full amount of the marriage-portion, eighty minae.

> Greek: 13. οὗτος γὰρ εὐθὺς μετὰ τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς θάνατον ᾤκει τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσελθὼν κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνου διαθήκην, καὶ λαμβάνει τά τε χρυσία τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τὰ ἐκπώματα τὰ καταλειφθέντα. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς εἰς πεντήκοντα μνᾶς εἶχεν, ἔτι δὲ τῶν ἀνδραπόδων τῶν πιπρασκομένων παρά τε Θηριππίδου καὶ Δημοφῶντος τὰς τιμὰς ἐλάμβανεν, ἕως ἀνεπληρώσατο τὴν προῖκα, τὰς ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς.

[¶13] 14. and after getting this, when he was about to set sail for Corcyra as trierarch, he sent Therippides a written acknowledgement that he had these sums in his possession, and admitted that he had received the marriage-portion. Of these matters Demophon and Therippides, his co-trustees, are witnesses, and, besides this, his own acknowledgement of having received these moneys is attested by Demochares, of Leuconion, who is the husband of my aunt, and by many other witnesses.

> Greek: 14. καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἶχεν, ἐκπλεῖν μέλλων εἰς Κέρκυραν τριήραρχος, ἀπέγραψε ταῦτα πρὸς Θηριππίδην ἔχονθʼ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ὡμολόγει κεκομίσθαι τὴν προῖκα. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τούτων Δημοφῶν καὶ Θηριππίδης, οἱ τούτου συνεπίτροποι, μάρτυρές εἰσιν· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὡς αὐτὸς ὡμολόγει ταῦτʼ ἔχειν, Δημοχάρης θʼ ὁ Λευκονοεύς, ὁ τὴν τηθίδα τὴν ἐμὴν ἔχων, καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοὶ μάρτυρες γεγόνασιν.

[¶14] 15. For when it proved that Aphobus, though he had her fortune, would not maintain my mother, and refused to let the property, choosing rather to administer it himself in conjunction with the other guardians, Demochares remonstrated with him about the matter; and Aphobus, when he had heard him, neither denied that he had the money nor waxed indignant as one who had received nothing, but admitted the fact, and said that he was having a little dispute with my mother about her jewels, and that, when he had settled this matter, he would act regarding the maintenance and all else in such a way that I should have no ground for complaint.

> Greek: 15. οὐ γὰρ διδόντος τούτου σῖτον τῇ μητρί, τὴν προῖκʼ ἔχοντος, οὐδὲ τὸν οἶκον μισθοῦν ἐθέλοντος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτρόπων διαχειρίζειν ἀξιοῦντος, ἐποιήσατο λόγους περὶ τούτων ὁ Δημοχάρης. οὗτος δʼ ἀκούσας οὔτʼ ἠμφεσβήτησεν μὴ ἔχειν οὔτε χαλεπῶς ἤνεγκεν ὡς οὐκ εἰληφώς, ἀλλʼ ὡμολόγει καὶ ἔτι μικρὸν ἔφη πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν μητέρα περὶ χρυσιδίων ἀντιλέγεσθαι· τοῦτʼ οὖν διευκρινησάμενος, καὶ περὶ τῆς τροφῆς καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ποιήσειν οὕτως ὥστʼ ἔχειν μοι πάντα καλῶς.

[¶15] 16. Yet, if it be shown that he made these admissions before Demochares and the others who were present; that he received from Demophon and Therippides the money accruing from the sale of the slaves in part settlement of the marriage portion; that he gave to his co-trustees a written acknowledgement that he had received the portion; and that he occupied the house immediately after the death of my father; will it not be clear—the matter being admitted by everybody—that he has received the portion, the eighty minae, and that his denial of having received it is a piece of shameless impudence.

> Greek: 16. καίτοι εἰ φανήσεται πρός τε τὸν Δημοχάρη ταῦθʼ ὡμολογηκὼς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους οἳ παρῆσαν, παρά τε τοῦ Δημοφῶντος καὶ τοῦ Θηριππίδου τῶν ἀνδραπόδων εἰς τὴν προῖκα τὰς τιμὰς εἰληφώς, αὐτός θʼ ἑαυτὸν ἔχειν τὴν προῖκʼ ἀπογράψας πρὸς τοὺς συνεπιτρόπους, οἰκῶν τε τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπειδὴ τάχιστʼ ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ πατήρ, πῶς οὐκ ἐκ πάντων ὁμολογουμένου τοῦ πράγματος εὑρεθήσεται φανερῶς τὴν προῖκα, τὰς ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς, κεκομισμένος, καὶ λίαν ἀναιδῶς μὴ λαβεῖν ἐξαρνούμενος.

[¶16] 17. To prove that what I say is true, take and read the depositions. The Depositions The dowry, then, he got in this way, and kept. But in the event of his not marrying my mother the law declares that he owes me the amount of the dowry with interest at nine obols a month. However, I set it down at a drachma a month only. This comes, if one adds the principle and the interest for ten years, to about three talents.

> Greek: 17. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω, λαβὲ τὰς μαρτυρίας καὶ ἀνάγνωθι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ. τὴν μὲν τοίνυν προῖκα τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἔχει λαβών. μὴ γήμαντος δʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν μητέρα τὴν ἐμήν, ὁ μὲν νόμος κελεύει τὴν προῖκʼ ὀφείλειν ἐπʼ ἐννέʼ ὀβολοῖς, ἐγὼ δʼ ἐπὶ δραχμῇ μόνον τίθημι. γίγνεται δʼ, ἐάν τις συντιθῇ τό τʼ ἀρχαῖον καὶ τὸ ἔργον τῶν δέκʼ ἐτῶν, μάλιστα τρία τάλαντα.

[¶17] 18. This money I have thus shown you that he received and that he confessed in the presence of a host of witnesses that he had it. Then he has also in his possession thirty minae besides, which he received as the revenue from the factory, and of which he has tried to defraud me in the most shameless manner possible. My father left me a revenue of thirty minae accruing from the factory; and after the sale by these men of one-half of the slaves, I should receive the proportionate sum of fifteen minae.

> Greek: 18. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως ὑμῖν ἐπιδείκνυμι λαβόντα καὶ ἔχειν ὁμολογήσαντα μαρτύρων ἐναντίον τοσούτων· ἄλλας τοίνυν ἔχει τριάκοντα μνᾶς, τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου λαβὼν τὴν πρόσοδον, καὶ ἀναισχυντότατʼ ἀνθρώπων ἀποστερεῖν ἐπικεχείρηκεν. ἐμοὶ δʼ ὁ πατὴρ κατέλιπεν τριάκοντα μνᾶς ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τὴν πρόσοδον· ἀποδομένων δὲ τούτων τὰ ἡμίσεα τῶν ἀνδραπόδων, πεντεκαίδεκά μοι μνᾶς γίγνεσθαι κατὰ λόγον προσῆκε.

[¶18] 19. Therippides, however, who had charge of the slaves for seven years, has submitted an account of eleven minae a year, four minae a year less than it should have been; and the defendant who had charge of the business at the first for two years shows no profit whatever, but says sometimes that the factory was idle, and sometimes that he was not himself the manager, but that the foreman, Milyas, a freedman of ours, had charge of it, and that I should look for an accounting from him. If he persists even now in making any of these statements he will easily be convicted of falsehood.

> Greek: 19. Θηριππίδης μὲν οὖν ἕπτʼ ἔτη τῶν ἀνδραπόδων ἐπιμεληθεὶς ἕνδεκα μνᾶς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἀπέφηνε, τέτταρσι μναῖς καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν ἔλαττον ἢ ὅσον προσῆκε λογιζόμενος. οὗτος δὲ δύʼ ἔτη τὰ πρῶτʼ ἐπιμεληθεὶς οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἀποδείκνυσιν, ἀλλʼ ἐνίοτε μέν φησιν ἀργῆσαι τὸ ἐργαστήριον, ἐνίοτε δʼ ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐπεμελήθη τούτων, ὁ δʼ ἐπίτροπος Μιλύας, ὁ ἀπελεύθερος ὁ ἡμέτερος, διῴκησεν αὐτά, καὶ παρʼ ἐκείνου μοι προσήκει λόγον λαβεῖν. ἂν οὖν καὶ νῦν εἴπῃ τινὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων, ῥᾳδίως ἐξελεγχθήσεται ψευδόμενος.

[¶19] 20. If he declares that the factory was idle, yet he has himself rendered an account of money expended, not on provisions for the men, but for their work—ivory for the trade, swordhandles, and other supplies—indicating that the workmen were busy. Furthermore, he charges me with money which he has paid to Therippides for the hire of three slaves of his who were in my factory. Yet if no work was being done, Therippides should have received no pay, nor should these expenditures have been charged to me.

> Greek: 20. ἂν μὲν οὖν ἀργὸν φῇ γενέσθαι, λόγον αὐτὸς ἀπενήνοχεν ἀναλωμάτων οὐκ εἰς σιτία τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλʼ εἰς ἔργα, τὸν εἰς τὴν τέχνην ἐλέφαντα καὶ μαχαιρῶν λαβὰς καὶ ἄλλας ἐπισκευάς, ὡς ἐργαζομένων τῶν δημιουργῶν. ἔτι δὲ Θηριππίδῃ τριῶν ἀνδραπόδων, ἃ ἦν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ἐργαστηρίῳ, μισθὸν ἀποδεδωκέναι λογίζεται. καίτοι μὴ γενομένης ἐργασίας οὔτʼ ἐκείνῳ λαβεῖν μισθὸν οὔτʼ ἐμοὶ τὰ ἀναλώματα ταῦτα λογισθῆναι προσῆκεν.

[¶20] 21. Again, if he alleges that the work was done, but that there was no market for goods manufactured, he ought at any rate to show that he has delivered to me these goods, and to produce witnesses in whose presence he delivered them. Seeing that he has done neither of these things, how can you doubt that he is keeping thirty minae, the two years’ income from the factory, since the business has so manifestly been carried on.

> Greek: 21. εἰ δʼ αὖ γενέσθαι μὲν φήσει, τῶν δʼ ἔργων ἀπρασίαν εἶναι, δεῖ δήπου τά γʼ ἔργʼ αὐτὸν ἀποδεδωκότα μοι φαίνεσθαι, καὶ ὧν ἐναντίον ἀπέδωκε παρασχέσθαι μάρτυρας. εἰ δὲ μηδὲν τούτων πεποίηκεν, πῶς οὐκ ἔχει τὴν πρόσοδον δυοῖν ἐτοῖν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου, τὰς τριάκοντα μνᾶς, φανερῶς οὕτως τῶν ἔργων γεγενημένων.

[¶21] 22. If, however, he shall make none of these statements, but shall assert that Milyas had charge of everything, how can you believe him, when he alleges that he himself made the disbursements amounting to more than five hundred drachmae, but that any profits which accrued are in the hands of Milyas? For my part, I think it likely that the very opposite is the case, supposing that Milyas actually did have charge of the work,—that he made the disbursements, and that Aphobus received the profits, if we may draw any conclusion from the general character and the shamelessness of the man. Take now and read these depositions to the jury. The Depositions These thirty minae, then, he has received from the factory, and the interest on them for eight years; and if one sets this down at the rate of a drachma only, it will make thirty minae more.

> Greek: 22. εἰ δʼ αὖ τούτων μὲν μηδὲν ἐρεῖ, Μιλύαν δʼ αὐτὰ φήσει πάντα διῳκηκέναι, πῶς χρὴ πιστεύειν, ὅταν φῇ τὰ μὲν ἀναλώματʼ αὐτὸς ἀνηλωκέναι, πλέον ἢ πεντακοσίας δραχμάς, λῆμμα δʼ εἴ τι γέγονεν, ἐκεῖνον ἔχειν; ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ δοκεῖ τοὐναντίον ἂν γενέσθαι τούτων, εἰ καὶ Μιλύας αὐτῶν ἐπεμελεῖτο, τὰ μὲν ἀναλώματʼ ἐκεῖνος ἀναλῶσαι, τὰ δὲ λήμμαθʼ οὗτος λαβεῖν, εἴ τι δεῖ τεκμαίρεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον αὐτοῦ τρόπον καὶ τὴν ἀναίδειαν. λάβʼ οὖν τὰς μαρτυρίας ταύτας, καὶ ἀνάγνωθʼ αὐτοῖς. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ.

[¶22] 23. These sums he has himself embezzled, and, if they be added to the marriage-portion, the total is about four talents, principal and interest combined. Now I shall go on to show you what sums he has embezzled in conjunction with his co-trustees, and what sums he asserts were never left by my father at all.

> Greek: 23. ταύτας τοίνυν ἔχει τριάκοντα μνᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου, καὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν· ὃ ἂν ἐπὶ δραχμῇ τις τιθῇ μόνον, ἄλλας τριάκοντα μνᾶς εὑρήσει. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἰδίᾳ μόνος εἴληφεν· ἃ συντεθέντα πρὸς τὴν προῖκα μάλιστα τέτταρα τάλαντα γίγνεται σὺν τοῖς ἀρχαίοις. ἃ δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτρόπων κοινῇ διήρπακεν, καὶ ὅσʼ ἔνια μηδὲ καταλειφθῆναι παντάπασιν ἠμφεσβήτηκεν, ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν ἤδη ἐπιδείξω καθʼ ἕκαστον.

[¶23] 24. First, regarding the twenty sofa-makers, given to my father as security for a debt of forty minae, whom my father certainly left behind him at his death, but of whom these men show not a trace—let me prove to you with what utter shamelessness and how openly they are seeking to cheat me of these. That these slaves were left by my father in the house they all admit, and that they brought him in an income of twelve minae every year. Yet these men report no receipts as having come in to my credit from them in ten years, and Aphobus reckons up a total expenditure on them of nearly a thousand drachmae. To such a pitch of effrontery has he come.

> Greek: 24. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν περὶ τῶν κλινοποιῶν, οὓς κατέλιπεν μὲν ὁ πατήρ, ἀφανίζουσι δʼ οὗτοι, τετταράκοντα μὲν μνῶν ὑποκειμένους, εἴκοσι δʼ ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμόν, ἐπιδείξω ὑμῖν ὡς λίαν ἀναιδῶς καὶ φανερῶς μʼ ἀποστεροῦσι. τούτους γὰρ καταλειφθῆναι μὲν οἴκοι παρʼ ἡμῖν πάντες ὁμολογοῦσιν, καὶ τὰς δώδεκα μνᾶς ἑκάστου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ τῷ πατρὶ γίγνεσθαί φασιν· αὐτοὶ δὲ λῆμμα μὲν παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐν δέκʼ ἔτεσιν οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ γεγενημένον ἀποφαίνουσιν ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ μικρόν, ἀναλώματος δὲ κεφάλαιον εἰς αὐτοὺς οὗτος ὀλίγου δεῖν λογίζεται χιλίας· εἰς τοῦτʼ ἀναιδείας ἐλήλυθεν.

[¶24] 25. And these slaves themselves, upon whom he alleges that he has expended the money, they have never handed over to me. On the contrary, they tell the idlest tale imaginable, to the effect that the man who pledged the slaves to my father is the vilest sort of a fellow, who has left many friendly loans unpaid, and who is overwhelmed with debt; and to prove this against him they have called a large number of witnesses. But as for the slaves—who got them; how they went out of the house; who took them away; or in what suit they lost them by judgement, they are unable to say.

> Greek: 25. αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, εἰς οὓς ταῦτʼ ἀνηλωκέναι φησίν, οὐδαμοῦ μοι παραδεδώκασιν, ἀλλὰ πάντων κενότατον λόγον λέγουσιν, ὡς ὁ ὑποθεὶς τῷ πατρὶ τἀνδράποδα πονηρότατος ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶν καὶ ἐράνους τε λέλοιπε πλείστους καὶ ὑπέρχρεως γέγονε, καὶ τούτων οὐκ ὀλίγους κεκλήκασι κατʼ ἐκείνου μάρτυρας. τὰ δʼ ἀνδράποδʼ ὅστις ἐστὶν ὁ λαβών, ἢ πῶς ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας ἐξῆλθεν, ἢ τίς ἀφείλετο, ἢ πρὸς τίνα δίκην ἥττηνται περὶ αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἔχουσιν εἰπεῖν.

[¶25] 26. Yet, if there were any truth in what they allege they would not be bringing forward witnesses to prove this man’s vile character (with which I have no concern), but would be holding on to the slaves, or would show who took them, and would have left not one of them out of sight. But as it is, though they admit that the slaves were left by my father, and though they took possession of them and enjoyed the profits from them for ten years, they have in the most ruthless manner possible done away with the whole factory. To prove that I am speaking the truth in this, take, please, and read the depositions. The Depositions That, moreover, Moeriades was not without resources and that my father did not act foolishly in making the contract with him about the slaves, I will show you by the clearest proof.

> Greek: 26. καίτοι εἴ τι ἔλεγον ὑγιές, οὐκ ἂν κατὰ τῆς ἐκείνου πονηρίας παρείχοντο μάρτυρας, ἧς οὐδέν μοι προσήκει φροντίζειν, ἀλλὰ τούτων ἂν ἀντελαμβάνοντο καὶ τοὺς λαβόντας ἀπεδείκνυσαν καὶ οὐδὲν ἂν αὐτῶν παρέλειπον. νῦν δʼ ὠμότατʼ ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογοῦντες καταλειφθῆναι καὶ λαβόντες ὡς αὑτοὺς καὶ καρπωσάμενοι δέκʼ ἔτη τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἄρδην ὅλον τὸ ἐργαστήριον ἀφανίζουσι. καὶ ταῦθʼ ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω, λαβέ μοι τὰς μαρτυρίας καὶ ἀναγίγνωσκε. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ.

[¶26] 27. For after Aphobus took into his own hands the factory as you have yourselves heard from the witnesses, when it was his duty as my guardian to prevent anyone else from advancing money on the same security, he himself loaned to Moeriades on the security of these same slaves the sum of five hundred drachmae, which he admits he has duly recovered from him in full.

> Greek: 27. ὅτι τοίνυν οὐκ ἄπορος ἦν ὁ Μοιριάδης, οὐδʼ ἦν τῇ πατρὶ τοῦτο τὸ συμβόλαιον εἰς τἀνδράποδʼ ἠλιθίως συμβεβλημένον, μεγίστῳ τεκμηρίῳ γνώσεσθε· λαβὼν γὰρ ὡς ἑαυτὸν Ἄφοβος τοῦτο τὸ ἐργαστήριον, ὡς αὐτοὶ τῶν μαρτύρων ἠκούσατε, καὶ δέον αὐτόν, εἰ καί τις ἄλλος ἐβούλετʼ εἰς ταῦτα συμβαλεῖν, τοῦτον διακωλύειν ἐπίτροπόν γʼ ὄντα, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδραπόδοις τῷ Μοιριάδῃ πεντακοσίας δραχμὰς ἐδάνεισεν, ἃς ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως παρʼ ἐκείνου κεκομίσθαι ὡμολόγηκεν.

[¶27] 28. And yet is it not outrageous that we who made the prior loan should, besides having received no profit from the slaves, have lost our security, while this fellow, who loaned money on security belonging to us, and whose loan was so long subsequent to ours, should from funds that were ours have recovered both principal and interest, and have suffered no loss whatever? To prove that what I say is true, take the deposition and read it. The Deposition Consider now of how large a sum they are defrauding me in the matter of these sofa-makers: the principal alone, forty minae, and interest upon it for ten years, two talents; for they obtained from the slaves a profit of twelve minae each year.

> Greek: 28. καίτοι πῶς οὐ δεινόν, εἰ ἡμῖν μὲν πρὸς τῷ λῆμμʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν μηδὲν γεγονέναι καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ὑποτεθέντʼ ἀπόλωλεν, οἳ πρότερον συνεβάλομεν, τῷ δʼ εἰς τὰ ἡμέτερα δανείσαντι καὶ τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ πράξαντι καὶ οἱ τόκοι καὶ τἀρχαῖʼ ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀποδέδοται καὶ οὐδεμίʼ ἀπορία γέγονεν; ἀλλὰ μὴν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω, λαβὲ τὴν μαρτυρίαν καὶ ἀνάγνωθι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑ.

[¶28] 29. Is this a trifling sum drawn from some obscure source, which might easily have been miscalculated, or have they not manifestly robbed me of nearly three talents? Of this sum which they have jointly scattered to the winds, it is surely right that I should recover a third from the defendant.

> Greek: 29. σκέψασθε τοίνυν ὅσον ἀργύριον οὗτοι παρὰ τοὺς κλινοποιοὺς κλέπτουσι, τετταράκοντα μὲν μνᾶς αὐτὸ τὸ ἀρχαῖον, δέκα δʼ ἐτῶν τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν δύο τάλαντα· δώδεκα γὰρ μνᾶς ἑκάστου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ τὴν πρόσοδον αὐτῶν ἐλάμβανον. ἆρα μικρόν τι καὶ ἐξ ἀφανοῦς ποθεν καὶ παραλογίσασθαι. ῥᾴδιον, ἀλλʼ οὐ φανερῶς οὑτωσὶ μικροῦ δεῖν τρία τάλαντα ταῦτʼ ἀνηρπάκασιν; ὧν κοινῇ διαπεφορημένων τὸ τρίτον δήπου μέρος παρὰ τούτου μοι προσήκει κεκομίσθαι.

[¶29] 30. Furthermore, men of the jury, they have dealt in much the same way with the ivory and iron which were left me. They do not produce them. Yet it is impossible that one who possessed so many sofa-makers and so many sword-makers should not also have left iron and ivory. These things must have been available, for what could the slaves have produced without these materials.

> Greek: 30. καὶ μήν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἐλέφαντος καὶ σιδήρου τοῦ καταλειφθέντος παραπλήσιά πως τούτοις πεποιήκασιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτʼ ἀποφαίνουσιν. καίτοι κεκτημένον μὲν τοσούτους κλινοποιούς, κεκτημένον δὲ μαχαιροποιοὺς οὐχ οἷόν τε μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ σίδηρον καὶ ἐλέφαντα καταλιπεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀνάγκη ταῦτά γʼ ὑπάρχειν· τί γὰρ ἂν ἠργάζοντο τούτων μὴ ὑπαρξάντων.

[¶30] 31. Well then, though my father possessed more than fifty slaves and conducted two factories, one of which easily consumed two minae worth of ivory per month for the sofas, while the sword-factory consumed as much more, and iron besides, these men declare that he left no ivory and no iron; to such a pitch of shamelessness have they come.

> Greek: 31. τὸν τοίνυν πλέον ἢ πεντήκοντʼ ἀνδράποδα κεκτημένον καὶ δυοῖν τέχναιν ἐπιμελούμενον, ὧν θάτερον ἐργαστήριον εἰς τὰς κλίνας ῥᾳδίως δύο μνᾶς τοῦ μηνὸς ἀνήλισκεν ἐλέφαντος, τὸ δὲ μαχαιροποιεῖον οὐκ ἔλαττον ἢ τοσοῦτον ἕτερον σὺν σιδήρῳ, τοῦτον οὔ φασιν καταλιπεῖν οὐδὲν τούτων· εἰς τοῦτʼ ἀναιδείας ἐληλύθασιν.

[¶31] 32. From these facts alone it is easy to see that no credence is to be given to their statements; but that my father actually did leave such an amount of these materials as not only to suffice for his own workmen to use in their trade, but also for sale to anyone else who wished to buy, is made clear by the fact that he himself during his lifetime used to sell these materials, and that after his death Demophon and the defendant continued to sell them from out my house to those wishing to buy.

> Greek: 32. ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ πιστὰ λέγουσιν, καὶ ἐκ τούτων αὐτῶν ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι μαθεῖν· ὅτι δʼ ἐκεῖνος κατέλιπε τοσοῦτον τὸ πλῆθος ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἱκανὸν εἶναι κατεργάζεσθαι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δημιουργοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ πρὸς ὠνεῖσθαι τῶν ἄλλων, ἐκεῖθεν φανερόν, ὅτι αὐτός τʼ ἐπώλει ζῶν καὶ Δημοφῶν καὶ οὗτος τοῦ πατρὸς ἤδη τετελευτηκότος ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπεδίδοντο τοῖς βουλομένοις.

[¶32] 33. And yet how large must one suppose the quantity left by my father to have been, when it is shown to have sufficed for such extensive factories, and to have been sold by the guardians besides? Was it a small amount, or not rather much more than I have charged? Take now these depositions and read them to the jury. The Depositions Of this ivory, you see, there is more than a talent’s worth of which they make no report—neither of the raw material nor of the finished product. No; this also they have utterly and absolutely made away with.

> Greek: 33. καίτοι πόσον τινὰ χρὴ τὸν καταλειφθέντα νομίζειν εἶναι, ὅταν φαίνηται τηλικούτοις τʼ ἐργαστηρίοις ἐξαρκῶν καὶ χωρὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων πιπρασκόμενος; ἆρʼ ὀλίγον, ἀλλʼ οὐ πολλῷ πλείω τῶν ἐγκεκλημένων; λαβὲ τοίνυν τὰς μαρτυρίας ταυτασὶ καὶ ἀνάγνωθʼ αὐτοῖς. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ τούτου τοίνυν τοῦ ἐλέφαντός ἐστι πλέον ἢ τάλαντον, ὃν οὔτʼ αὐτὸν οὔτε τὸ ἔργον μοι ἀποφαίνουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον ἄρδην ἀφανίζουσιν ὅλον.

[¶33] 34. Furthermore, men of the jury, I shall prove to you from the account which they render, and from the receipts admitted by themselves, that these three men have in their possession more than eight talents of my money, and that of this amount Aphobus has separately taken three talents and one thousand drachmae. I shall set down separately at a higher figure than they do themselves the moneys they have expended, and shall deduct all the sums they have paid me, that you may see the utter shamelessness of their attempts.

> Greek: 34. ἔτι τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, παρὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἀποφέρουσιν, ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ λαβεῖν ὁμολογοῦσιν, ἐπιδείξω ὑμῖν τρεῖς μὲν ὄντας αὐτοὺς πλέον ἢ ὀκτὼ τάλαντʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν ἔχοντας, ἰδίᾳ δʼ ἐκ τούτων Ἄφοβον τρία τάλαντα καὶ χιλίας εἰληφότα, τά τʼ ἀνηλωμένα χωρὶς τούτων πλείω τιθεὶς καὶ ὅσʼ ἐκ τούτων ἀπέδοσαν ἀφαιρῶν, ἵνʼ εἰδῆθʼ ὅτι οὐ μικρᾶς ἀναιδείας τὰ ἐγχειρήματʼ αὐτῶν ἐστίν.

[¶34] 35. They confess to have received from my estate, Aphobus one hundred and eight minae (besides what I shall now show to be in his hands); Therippides two talents; and Demophon eighty-seven minae. This makes altogether five talents and fifteen minae. Of this sum there are nearly seventy-seven minae, the income from the slaves, which were not received all at once, and a little less than four talents of which they got possession immediately. Now, if you add to this last sum the interest for ten years, reckoned at a drachma only you will find that the whole, principal and interest, amounts to eight talents and four thousand drachmae.

> Greek: 35. λαβεῖν γὰρ ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν ὁμολογοῦσιν οὗτος μὲν ὀκτὼ καὶ ἑκατὸν μνᾶς, χωρὶς ὧν ἔχοντʼ αὐτὸν ἐγὼ ἐπιδείξω νῦν, Θηριππίδης δὲ δύο τάλαντα, Δημοφῶν δʼ ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς. τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ πέντε τάλαντα καὶ πεντεκαίδεκα μναῖ. τούτου τοίνυν ὃ μὲν οὐχ ἅθρουν ἐλήφθη, σχεδόν εἰσιν ἑβδομήκοντα μναῖ καὶ ἑπτά, ἡ πρόσοδος ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνδραπόδων, ὃ δʼ εὐθὺς ἔλαβον οὗτοι, μικροῦ δέοντα τέτταρα τάλαντα· οἷς τὸ ἔργον ἂν προσθῆτʼ ἐπὶ δραχμῇ μόνον τῶν δέκʼ ἐτῶν, ὀκτὼ τάλανθʼ εὑρήσετε σὺν τοῖς ἀρχαίοις καὶ χιλίας γιγνομένας.

## 2. Sections 36–69

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/2/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-aphobus-1/2/#p-N

[¶0] 36. From the seventy-seven minae, the profits of the factory, the cost of maintenance of the men must be deducted, for Therippides expended for this seven minae a year, and I admit having received thus much. Thus they expended on our behalf in the ten years seventy minae for maintenance; to this I add the balance, seven hundred drachmae, and thus credit them with a larger expenditure than they do themselves. There must also be deducted from the eight talents and more the sum they handed over to me when I came of age, and the taxes which they have paid to the state.

> Greek: 36. τὴν μὲν τοίνυν τροφὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα μνῶν καὶ ἑπτὰ λογιστέον τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου γενομένων. Θηριππίδης γὰρ ἑπτὰ μνᾶς ἐδίδου καθʼ ἕκαστον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν εἰς ταῦτα, καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο λαβεῖν ὁμολογοῦμεν. ὥσθʼ ἑβδομήκοντα μνῶν ἐν τοῖς δέκʼ ἔτεσιν τροφὴν τούτων ἡμῖν ἀνηλωκότων, τὸ περιὸν τὰς ἑπτακοσίας προστίθημʼ αὐτοῖς, καὶ τούτων πλείω εἰμὶ τεθηκώς. ὃ δʼ ἐμοὶ δοκιμασθέντι παρέδοσαν καὶ ὅσον εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσενηνόχασιν, τοῦτʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀκτὼ ταλάντων καὶ τοῦ προσόντος ἀφαιρετέον ἐστίν.

[¶1] 37. The defendant and Therippides paid me thirty-one minae, and they compute that they have paid eighteen minae in taxes. I will go beyond them and will make this sum thirty minae, that they may have not a word to say in protest. Well, then, if you take away one talent from the eight, seven are left, which, according to their own admissions of receipts, they must necessarily have in their possession. This sum, then, even if they rob me of everything else and deny that they have it, they ought at least to have paid me, seeing that they admit having received it from my estate.

> Greek: 37. ἀπέδοσαν μὲν τοίνυν οὗτος καὶ Θηριππίδης μίαν καὶ τριάκοντα μνᾶς, εἰσφορὰς δʼ εἰσενηνοχέναι λογίζονται δυοῖν δεούσας εἴκοσι μνᾶς. ἐγὼ δʼ ὑπερβαλὼν τοῦτο ποιήσω τριάκοντα μνᾶς, ἵνα πρὸς ταῦτα μηδʼ ἀντειπεῖν ἔχωσιν. οὐκοῦν ἂν ἀφέλητε τὸ τάλαντον ἀπὸ τῶν ὀκτὼ ταλάντων, ἑπτὰ τὰ λειπόμενʼ ἐστί, καὶ ταῦτα, ἐξ ὧν αὐτοὶ λαβεῖν ὁμολογοῦσι, τούτους ἔχειν ἐστὶν ἀναγκαῖον. τοῦτο τοίνυν, εἰ καὶ τἄλλα πάντʼ ἀποστεροῦσιν ἀρνούμενοι μὴ ἔχειν, ἀποδοῦναι προσῆκεν, ὁμολογοῦντάς γε λαβεῖν ταῦτʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν.

[¶2] 38. But what is it that they do? They report no return in interest for this money, and tell me that they have expended the entire principal together with the seventy-seven minae; and Demophon has, moreover, actually set me down as indebted to him. Is not this absolute and barefaced effrontery? Is it not the very excess of outrageous rapacity? What is the meaning of outrageous, if matters pushed to this extreme are not to be so called.

> Greek: 38. νῦν δὲ τί ποιοῦσιν; ἔργον μὲν οὐδὲν ἀποφαίνουσι τοῖς χρήμασιν, αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἀρχαῖα πάντʼ ἀνηλωκέναι φασὶ σὺν ταῖς ἑπτὰ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα μναῖς· Δημοφῶν δὲ καὶ πρὸς ὀφείλοντας ἡμᾶς ἐνέγραψε. ταῦτʼ οὐ μεγάλη καὶ περιφανὴς ἀναισχυντία; ταῦτʼ οὐχ ὑπερβολὴ δεινῆς αἰσχροκερδίας; τί οὖν ποτʼ ἐστὶ τὸ δεινόν, εἰ μὴ ταῦτα δόξει τηλικαύτας ὑπερβολὰς ἔχοντα.

[¶3] 39. The defendant, then, for his own part, since he admits having received one hundred and eight minae, has in his possession these and the interest on them for ten years, in all about three talents and one thousand drachmae. In proof that what I say is true—that each one of them in the account of his guardianship admits that he has received the money, but claims to have spent it all—take the depositions and read them. The Depositions I think, men of the jury, that you have now been fully informed regarding the theft and wrongdoings of each of these men.

> Greek: 39. οὗτος τοίνυν τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸν ὀκτὼ καὶ ἑκατὸν μνᾶς λαβεῖν ὁμολογῶν, ἔχει καὶ αὐτὰς καὶ τὸ ἔργον δέκʼ ἐτῶν, μάλιστα τρία τάλαντα καὶ χιλίας. καὶ ταῦθʼ ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω, καὶ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς τὸ λῆμμʼ ἕκαστος τοῦθʼ ὁμολογῶν λαβεῖν ἅπαν ἀνηλωκέναι λογίζεται, λαβὲ τὰς μαρτυρίας καὶ ἀνάγνωθι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ.

[¶4] 40. You would, however, have had more exact knowledge of the matter, if they had been willing to give up to me the will which my father left; for it contained (so my mother tells me) a statement of all the property that my father left, along with instructions regarding the funds from which these men were to take what had been given them, and regarding the letting of the property.

> Greek: 40. νομίζω τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, περὶ τούτων ἱκανῶς μὲν ὑμᾶς μεμαθηκέναι, καὶ ὅσα κλέπτουσιν καὶ κακουργοῦσιν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν· ἔτι δʼ ἀκριβέστερον ἔγνωτʼ ἄν, εἴ μοι τὰς διαθήκας, ἃς ὁ πατὴρ κατέλιπεν, οὗτοι ἀποδοῦναι ἠθέλησαν. ἐν γὰρ ἐκείναις ἐγέγραπτο, ὥς φησιν ἡ μήτηρ, ἃ κατέλιπεν ὁ πατὴρ πάντα, καὶ ἐξ ὧν ἔδει τούτους λαβεῖν τὰ δοθέντα, καὶ τὸν οἶκον ὅπως μισθώσουσι.

[¶5] 41. But as it is, on my demanding it, they admit that there was a will, but they do not produce it; and they take this course because they do not want to make known the amount of the property which was left, and which they have embezzled, and to the end that they may not appear to have received their legacies—as though they would not easily be convicted by the facts themselves. Take now, and read them the evidence of those in whose presence they made their answers. The Depositions This man declares that a will was made and testifies that in it the two talents were given to Demophon, and the eighty minae to Aphobus; but he declares there was no additional clause regarding the seventy minae which Therippides received, or regarding the amount of the property bequeathed, or instructions as to the letting of it; for it was not to his interest to make these further admissions.

> Greek: 41. νῦν δʼ ἀπαιτοῦντος ἐμοῦ καταλειφθῆναι μὲν ὁμολογοῦσιν, αὐτὰς δʼ οὐκ ἀποφαίνουσι. ταῦτα δὲ ποιοῦσι τό τε πλῆθος οὐ βουλόμενοι καταφανὲς ποιῆσαι τῆς οὐσίας τὸ καταλειφθέν, ὃ διηρπάκασιν οὗτοι, τάς τε δωρεὰς ἵνα μὴ δοκῶσιν ἔχειν, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ἐξελεγχθησόμενοι ῥᾳδίως. λαβὲ δʼ αὐτοῖς τὰς μαρτυρίας ὧν ἐναντίον ἀπεκρίναντο, καὶ ἀνάγνωθι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ.

[¶6] 42. Now take the answer of the defendant. The Deposition He also declares that the will was made, and that the money accruing from the copper and the gall was duly paid to Therippides, which Therippides denies; and that the two talents were paid to Demophon; but in regard to the money given to himself, while he admits that the clause was written in the will, he declares that he did not assent to it, in order that he may not appear to have received it.

> Greek: 42. οὗτος διαθήκην μὲν γενέσθαι φησίν, καὶ τὰ δύο τάλαντα Δημοφῶντι καὶ τὰς ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς τούτῳ δοθῆναι μαρτυρεῖ· τὰς δʼ ἑβδομήκοντα μνᾶς, ἃς Θηριππίδης ἔλαβεν, οὐ προσγραφῆναί φησιν, οὐδὲ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας τὸ καταλειφθέν, οὐδὲ τὸν οἶκον ὅπως μισθώσουσιν· οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ συμφέρει προσομολογῆσαι ταῦτα. λαβὲ δὴ τὴν τούτου ἀπόκρισιν. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑ.

[¶7] 43. But as to the amount of the estate he, too, reveals absolutely nothing, nor as to letting the property. For it was not to his interest either to make these further admissions. The amount of the property that was left is, however, none the less clear (though these men seek to conceal it) from the terms of the will, in accordance with which they state that such large sums were given to them severally. When a man out of four talents and three thousand drachmae has given to two of these men three talents and two thousand drachmae as marriage-portions, and to the third the interest on seventy minae, it is clear, I fancy, that he took these sums, not from a small estate, but from one bequeathed to me of more than double this amount.

> Greek: 43. οὗτος αὖ τὴν μὲν διαθήκην γενέσθαι φησίν, καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον ἐκ τοῦ χαλκοῦ καὶ τῆς κηκῖδος ἀποδοθῆναι τῷ Θηριππίδῃ, ὃ ἐκεῖνος οὔ φησιν, καὶ τὰ δύο τάλαντα τῷ Δημοφῶντι· περὶ δὲ τῶν αὐτῷ δοθέντων γραφῆναι μέν φησιν, οὐχ ὁμολογῆσαι δʼ αὐτός, ἵνα μὴ δοκῇ λαβεῖν. τὸ δὲ πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας οὐδʼ οὗτος ἀποφαίνει καθόλου, οὐδὲ τὸ μισθοῦν τὸν οἶκον· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τούτῳ συμφέρει προσομολογῆσαι ταῦτα. δῆλον τοίνυν ἐστὶν οὐδὲν ἧττον τὸ πλῆθος τῶν καταλειφθέντων, καίπερ ἀφανιζόντων τούτων τὴν οὐσίαν ἐκ τῶν διαθηκῶν, ἐξ ὧν τοσαῦτα χρήματʼ ἀλλήλοις φασὶ δοθῆναι. ὅστις γὰρ ἐκ τεττάρων ταλάντων καὶ τρισχιλίων τοῖς μὲν τρία τάλαντα καὶ δισχιλίας προῖκα δέδωκεν, τῷ δʼ ἑβδομήκοντα μνᾶς καρποῦσθαι, φανερὸν δήπου πᾶσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ μικρᾶς οὐσίας, ἀλλὰ πλέον ἢ διπλασίας ἧς ἐμοὶ κατέλειπεν ταῦτʼ ἀφεῖλεν.

[¶8] 45. For, I take it, he would not wish to leave me, his son, in poverty, and be eager further to enrich these men, who were already wealthy. No; it was because of the size of the estate left to me that he gave to Therippides the interest on a sum so considerable, and to Demophon that on the two talents—though he was not yet to marry my sister—in order to accomplish one or the other of two ends: either he would by his gifts encourage them to act the more honorably in the guardianship, or, if they should prove dishonest, they would meet with no leniency at your hands, seeing that, after being so liberally treated, they sinned so grievously against us.

> Greek: 45. οὐ γὰρ δήπου τὸν μὲν υἱὸν ἐμὲ πένητʼ ἐβούλετο καταλιπεῖν, τούτους δὲ πλουσίους ὄντας ἔτι πλουσιωτέρους ποιῆσαι ἐπεθύμησεν, ἀλλʼ ἕνεκα τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἐμοὶ καταλειπομένων Θηριππίδῃ τε τοσοῦτον ἀργύριον καὶ Δημοφῶντι τὰ δύο τάλαντα, οὔπω μέλλοντι τῇ ἀδελφῇ τῇ ἐμῇ συνοικήσειν, καρποῦσθαι ἔδωκεν, ἵνα δυοῖν θάτερον διαπράξαιτο, ἢ διὰ τὰ διδόμενα βελτίους αὐτοὺς εἶναι τὰ περὶ τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν προτρέψειεν, ἢ εἰ κακοὶ γίγνοιντο, μηδεμιᾶς συγγνώμης παρʼ ὑμῶν τυγχάνοιεν, εἰ τοσούτων ἀξιωθέντες τοιαῦτʼ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐξαμαρτάνοιεν.

[¶9] 46. Well now, the defendant, who in addition to my mother’s marriage-portion has taken the female servants, and has lived in the house, when it becomes necessary to render an account of these matters, says he is busy with his own affairs; and he has come to such a pitch of rapaciousness, that he has even cheated my instructors of their fees, and has left unpaid some of the taxes, although he charges me with the amounts. Take these depositions too, and read them to the jury. The Depositions How could one show more clearly that he has made havoc of the whole estate, sparing nothing, however small, than by proving, as I have done by so many witnesses and proofs, that he admitted having received the marriage-portion, and that he acknowledged in writing to the guardians that he had it; that he enjoyed the profits of the factory, but makes report of none;

> Greek: 46. οὗτος τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τῇ προικὶ καὶ θεραπαίνας λαβὼν καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν οἰκῶν, ἐπειδὴ δεῖ λόγον αὐτὸν δοῦναι τούτων, τὰ ἑαυτοῦ πράττειν φησίν· καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον αἰσχροκερδίας ἦλθεν, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς διδασκάλους τοὺς μισθοὺς ἀπεστέρηκεν καὶ τῶν εἰσφορῶν ἔστιν ἃς οὐ κατέθηκεν, ἐμοὶ δὲ λογίζεται. λαβὲ δὴ καὶ ταύτας αὐτοῖς τὰς μαρτυρίας καὶ ἀνάγνωθι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ. πῶς οὖν ἄν τις σαφέστερον ἐπιδείξειεν πάντα διηρπακότα καὶ μηδὲ τῶν μικρῶν ἀπεσχημένον, ἢ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐπιδεικνὺς μετὰ τοσούτων μαρτύρων καὶ τεκμηρίων; τὴν μὲν προῖκα λαβεῖν ὁμολογήσαντα καὶ ἔχειν αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιτρόπους ἀπογράψαντα, τὸ δʼ ἐργαστήριον κεκαρπωμένον αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν πρόσοδον οὐκ ἀποφαίνοντα.

[¶10] 48. that of our other effects he has sold some without paying to us the proceeds, while others he has taken to himself and hidden; that according to the account which he has himself rendered, he has embezzled large sums; that in addition to all this he has made away with the will, sold the slaves, and in all other respects has administered the estate as not even the bitterest enemies would have done? I do not see how anyone could prove the matter more clearly.

> Greek: 48. τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τὰ μὲν πεπρακότα καὶ τὰς τιμὰς οὐκ ἀποδεδωκότα, τὰ δʼ ὡς ἑαυτὸν λαβόντα καὶ ταῦτʼ ἠφανικότα, ἔτι δὲ παρὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν αὐτὸς ἀπέδωκε τοσαῦτα κλέπτοντα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὴν διαθήκην ἠφανικότα, τὰ ἀνδράποδα πεπρακότα, τἄλλʼ οὕτω πάντα διῳκηκότα, ὡς οὐδʼ ἂν οἱ ἔχθιστοι διοικήσειαν; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἄν τις σαφέστερον ἐπιδείξειεν.

[¶11] 49. He had the audacity to say before the arbitrator that he had paid many debts for me out of the estate to Demophon and Therippides, his fellow-guardians, and that they received a large part of my property, yet neither of these facts was he able to prove. He did not show by the books that my father left me in debt, nor has he brought forward as witnesses the men whom he says he paid; nor, again, is the amount of money which he charged against his fellow-guardians equal to the amount which he is shown to have received himself. On the contrary, it is much less.

> Greek: 49. ἐτόλμα τοίνυν πρὸς τῷ διαιτητῇ λέγειν, ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν χρημάτων χρέα τε πάμπολλʼ ἐκτέτεικεν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ Δημοφῶντι καὶ Θηριππίδῃ τοῖς συνεπιτρόποις, καὶ ὡς πολλὰ τῶν ἐμῶν λάβοιεν, οὐδέτερʼ ἔχων ἐπιδεικνύναι τούτων. οὔτε γὰρ ὡς ὀφείλοντά με κατέλιπεν ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν ἀπέφηνεν, οὐδʼ οἷς ἀποδεδωκέναι ταῦτʼ ἔφη παρέσχηται μάρτυρας, οὔτʼ αὖ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν χρημάτων εἰς τοὺς συνεπιτρόπους ἐπανέφερεν ὅσον αὐτὸς φαίνεται λαβών, ἀλλὰ πολλοῖς ἐλάττω χρήμασιν.

[¶12] 50. When the arbitrator questioned him about each of these matters, and asked him whether he had managed his own estate from the interest or had spent the principal, and whether, if he had been under guardianship, he would have accepted an account of this sort from his guardians or would have demanded that the money be duly paid to him with the accrued interest, he made no answer to these questions, but tendered me a challenge to the effect that he was ready to show that my property was worth ten talents, and said that, if it fell short of this amount, he would himself make up the difference.

> Greek: 50. ἐρωτηθεὶς δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ διαιτητοῦ ταῦτά τε καθʼ ἕκαστον, καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν τὴν αὑτοῦ πότερον ἐκ τῶν ἐπικαρπιῶν ἢ τἀρχαῖʼ ἀναλίσκων διῴκηκεν, καὶ πότερον ἐπιτροπευθεὶς ἀπεδέξατʼ ἂν τοῦτον τὸν λόγον παρὰ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων ἢ τἀρχαῖʼ ἂν ἀπολαβεῖν ἠξίου σὺν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς γεγενημένοις, πρὸς μὲν ταῦτʼ ἀπεκρίνατʼ οὐδέν, προὐκαλεῖτο δʼ ἐθέλειν ἐπιδεῖξαί μοι τὴν οὐσίαν δέκα ταλάντων οὖσαν· εἰ δέ τι ἐλλείποι, αὐτὸς ἔφη προσθήσειν.

[¶13] 51. When I bade him prove this to the arbitrator, he did not do so, nor did he show that his fellow-guardians had paid me (for if he had, the arbitrator would not have given judgement against him); but he put in a piece of evidence of a sort regarding which he will try to find something to say. If even now he still tries to assert that I am in possession of property, ask him who handed it over to me, and demand that he produce witnesses to prove each statement.

> Greek: 51. κελεύοντος δʼ ἐμοῦ πρὸς τὸν διαιτητὴν ἐπιδεικνύναι ταῦτʼ οὐκ ἐπέδειξεν, οὐδʼ ὡς οἱ συνεπίτροποι παρέδοσαν (οὐ γὰρ ἂν αὐτοῦ κατεδιῄτησεν), μαρτυρίαν δʼ ἐνεβάλετο τοιαύτην, περὶ ἧς πειράσεταί τι λέγειν. ἂν μὲν οὖν καὶ νῦν ἔχειν με φῇ, τίνος παραδόντος ἐρωτᾶτʼ αὐτόν, καὶ καθʼ ἕκαστον παρασχέσθαι μάρτυρας ἀξιοῦτε.

[¶14] 52. If he declares that it is my possession in this sense, that he reckons up what is in the hands of either of the trustees, it will be clear that he accounts for only a third part, and still does not prove that I have possession of it. For as I have convicted the defendant of having in his possession the large amount I have stated, I shall also prove that each of them has not less than he. This statement, therefore, will not help him. No; he must show that either he or his fellow-trustees really handed the money over to me. If he fails to prove this, why should you pay any attention to his challenge? He still does not prove that I have the money.

> Greek: 52. ἐὰν δʼ εἶναί μοι φῇ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον, λογιζόμενος τὰ παρʼ ἑκατέρῳ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων, διπλασίοις ἐλάττω φανήσεται λέγων, ἔχοντα δʼ οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἀποφαίνων. ἐγὼ γὰρ ὥσπερ καὶ τοῦτον τοσαῦτʼ ἔχοντʼ ἐξήλεγξα, οὕτως κἀκείνων ἑκάτερον οὐκ ἐλάττω τούτων ἔχοντʼ ἐπιδείξω. ὥστʼ οὐ τοῦτʼ αὐτῷ λεκτέον, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἢ αὐτὸς ἢ οἱ συνεπίτροποι παρέδοσαν. εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτʼ ἐπιδείξει, πῶς χρὴ ταύτῃ τῇ προκλήσει προσέχειν ὑμᾶς τὸν νοῦν; οὐδὲν γὰρ μᾶλλον ἔχοντά μʼ ἐπιδείκνυσι.

[¶15] 53. Being sorely at a loss to explain any of these matters before the arbitrator, and being convicted on each point, just as he is now before you, he had the audacity to make an outrageously false statement, to the effect that my father left me four talents buried in the ground, and that he had put my mother in charge of them. He made this statement in order that, if I should assume that he would repeat it here, I might waste my time in refuting it, when I ought to be preferring the rest of my charges against him; or if I should pass it over, not expecting him to repeat it, then he himself might now bring it up, in the hope that I, by seeming to be rich, might meet with less compassion from you.

> Greek: 53. πολλὰ τοίνυν ἀπορηθεὶς πρὸς τῷ διαιτητῇ περὶ πάντων τούτων, καὶ καθʼ ἕκαστον ἐξελεγχόμενος ὥσπερ νυνὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν, ἐτόλμησε ψεύσασθαι πάντων δεινότατον, ὡς τέτταρά μοι τάλανθʼ ὁ πατὴρ κατέλιπε κατορωρυγμένα καὶ τούτων κυρίαν τὴν μητέρʼ ἐποίησεν. ταῦτα δʼ εἶπεν, ἵνʼ εἰ μὲν καὶ νῦν προσδοκήσαιμʼ αὐτὸν ἐρεῖν, ἀπολογούμενος περὶ αὐτῶν διατρίβοιμι, δέον ἕτερά μʼ αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς· εἰ δʼ ὡς οὐ ῥηθησομένων παραλίποιμι, νῦν αὐτὸς εἴποι, ἵνα δοκῶν εἶναι πλούσιος ἧττον ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἐλεοίμην.

[¶16] 54. Yet he who dared to make such a statement put in no evidence to prove it, but relied on his bare word, as though you would lightly give him credence. When one asks him upon what he has spent so much of my money, he says he has paid debts for me, and so represents me as poor; yet, when it pleases him, he makes me rich, as it seems, seeing that my father left such a sum of money in the house. It is easy to see, however, from many considerations that he is lying, and that there is no basis of fact in this story.

> Greek: 54. καὶ μαρτυρίαν μὲν οὐδεμίαν ἐνεβάλετο τούτων ὁ ταῦτʼ εἰπεῖν ἀξιώσας, ψιλῷ δὲ λόγῳ χρησάμενος ὡς πιστευθησόμενος διʼ ἐκείνων. καὶ ὅταν μὲν ἔρηταί τις αὐτόν, εἰς τί τῶν ἐμῶν τοσαῦτα χρήματʼ ἀνήλωκεν, χρέα φησὶν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ἐκτετεικέναι καὶ πένητʼ ἐνταυθοῖ ζητεῖ ποιεῖν· ὅταν δὲ βούληται, πλούσιον ὡς ἔοικεν, εἴπερ γε καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνος ἀργύριον οἴκοι κατέλιπεν. ὡς δʼ οὐκ ἀληθῆ λέγειν οἷόν τʼ αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ἀδύνατόν τι γενέσθαι τούτων, ἐκ πολλῶν ῥᾴδιον μαθεῖν.

[¶17] 55. For if my father had no confidence in these men, it is plain that he would neither have entrusted to them the rest of his property, nor, if he had left this money in the way alleged, would he have told them of it. It would have been the height of madness to tell them of hidden treasure, when he was not going to make them trustees even of his visible property. But if he had confidence in them, he would not, I take it, have given into their hands the bulk of his property, and not have put them in control of this. Nor would he have entrusted this remainder to my mother to keep, and then have given her herself in marriage to this man who was one of the guardians. For it is not reasonable that he should seek to secure the money through my mother, and yet to put one of the men whom he distrusted in control both of her and of it.

> Greek: 55. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἠπίστει τούτοις, δῆλον ὅτι οὔτʼ ἂν τἄλλʼ ἐπέτρεπεν οὔτʼ ἂν ταῦθʼ οὕτω καταλείπων αὐτοῖς ἔφραζε· μανία γὰρ δεινὴ τὰ κεκρυμμένʼ εἰπεῖν, μηδὲ τῶν φανερῶν μέλλοντʼ ἐπιτρόπους καταστήσειν. εἰ δʼ ἐπίστευεν, οὐκ ἂν δήπου τὰ μὲν πλεῖστʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν χρημάτων ἐνεχείρισεν, τῶν δʼ οὐκ ἂν κυρίους ἐποίησεν. οὐδʼ ἂν τῇ μὲν μητρί μου ταῦτα φυλάττειν ἔδωκεν, αὐτὴν δʼ ἐκείνην ἑνὶ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων τούτῳ γυναῖκʼ ἔδωκεν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει λόγον, σῴζειν μὲν τὰ χρήματα διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς μητρὸς ζητεῖν, ἕνα δὲ τῶν ἀπιστουμένων καὶ αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν χρημάτων κύριον ποιεῖν.

[¶18] 56. Furthermore, if there were any truth in all this, do you suppose Aphobus would not have taken my mother to wife, bequeathed to him as she was by my father? He had already taken her marriage-portion—the eighty minae—as though he were going to marry her; but he subsequently married the daughter of Philonides of Melite But if there had been four talents in the house and in her custody, as he alleges, don’t you imagine he would have raced to get possession both of her and of them.

> Greek: 56. ἔτι δέ, τούτων εἴ τι ἦν ἀληθές, οἴεσθʼ οὐκ ἂν αὐτὴν λαβεῖν δοθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός; ὃς τὴν μὲν προῖκʼ αὐτῆς ἤδη, τὰς ὀγδοήκοντα μνᾶς, ἔχων ὡς συνοικήσων αὐτῇ, τὴν Φιλωνίδου τοῦ Μελιτέως θυγατέρʼ ἔγημεν· τεττάρων δὲ ταλάντων ἔνδον ὄντων, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐκείνης ἐχούσης, ὡς οὗτός φησιν, οὐκ ἂν ἡγεῖσθʼ αὐτὸν κἂν ἐπιδραμεῖν, ὥστε γενέσθαι μετʼ ἐκείνης αὐτῶν κύριον.

[¶19] 57. Would he have joined with his co-trustees in so shamefully plundering my visible property, which many of you knew had been left me, and have refrained, when he had the chance, from seizing a fund to the evidence of which you would not be able to testify? Who can believe this? It is impossible, men of the jury; it is impossible. No; my father entrusted to these men all the property which he left, and the defendant will tell this story, that I may meet with less compassion from you.

> Greek: 57. ἢ τὴν μὲν φανερὰν οὐσίαν, ἣν καὶ ὑμῶν οἱ πολλοὶ συνῄδεσαν ὅτι κατελείφθη, μετὰ τῶν συνεπιτρόπων οὕτως αἰσχρῶς διήρπασεν, ὧν δʼ οὐκ ἐμέλλεθʼ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθαι μάρτυρες, ἀπέσχετʼ ἂν ἐξὸν αὐτῷ λαβεῖν; καὶ τίς ἂν πιστεύσειεν; οὐκ ἔστιν ταῦτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν χρήματα, ὅσα κατέλιπεν ὁ πατήρ, πάντα τούτοις παρέδωκεν, οὗτος δʼ, ἵνʼ ἧττον ἐλεηθῶ παρʼ ὑμῖν, τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις χρήσεται.

[¶20] 58. I have many other charges to make against him, but summing them all up in one, I will break down every defence of his. He could have avoided all this trouble, had he let the estate in accordance with these laws. Take the laws and read them. The Laws In the case of Antidorus, as a result of his property having been let in accordance with these laws, there was given over to him, at the end of six years, an estate of six talents and more from an original amount of three talents and three thousand drachmae; and this some of you have seen with your own eyes; for Theogenes of Probalinthus, who leased the estate, counted out that sum in the market-place.

> Greek: 58. πολλὰ μὲν οὖν ἔγωγʼ ἔχω καὶ ἄλλα τούτου κατηγορεῖν· ἓν δὲ περὶ πάντων κεφάλαιον εἰπών, πάσας αὐτοῦ διαλύσω τὰς ἀπολογίας. τούτῳ γὰρ ἐξῆν μηδὲν ἔχειν τούτων τῶν πραγμάτων, μισθώσαντι τὸν οἶκον κατὰ τουτουσὶ τοὺς νόμους. λαβὲ τοὺς νόμους καὶ ἀνάγνωθι. ΝΟΜΟΙ. κατὰ τούτους τοὺς νόμους Ἀντιδώρῳ μὲν ἐκ τριῶν ταλάντων καὶ τρισχιλίων ἐν ἓξ ἔτεσιν ἓξ τάλαντα καὶ πλέον ἐκ τοῦ μισθωθῆναι παρεδόθη, καὶ ταῦθʼ ὑμῶν τινὲς εἶδον· Θεογένης γὰρ ὁ Προβαλίσιος, ὁ μισθωσάμενος αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον, ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ταῦτα τὰ χρήματʼ ἐξηρίθμησεν.

[¶21] 59. But in my case, fourteen talents in ten years, when consideration is given to the time and the terms of his lease, ought to have been more than trebled. Ask him why he did not do this. If he declares that it was better not to let the estate, let him show, not that it has been doubled or trebled, but that the mere principal has been paid back to me in full. But if out of fourteen talents they have handed over to me not even seventy minae, and one of them has actually recorded me as in his debt, how can it be right to accept any word they say? It is surely impossible.

> Greek: 59. ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐκ τεττάρων καὶ δέκα ταλάντων ἐν δέκʼ ἔτεσιν πρὸς τὸν χρόνον τε καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου μίσθωσιν πλέον ἢ τριπλάσια κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς προσῆκον γενέσθαι, τοῦτο διὰ τί οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἐρωτᾶτʼ αὐτόν. εἰ μὲν γάρ φησι βέλτιον εἶναι μὴ μισθωθῆναι τὸν οἶκον, δειξάτω μὴ διπλάσια μηδὲ τριπλάσιά μοι γεγενημένα, ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ τὰ ἀρχαῖʼ ἐμοὶ πάντʼ ἀποδεδομένα. εἰ δʼ ἐκ τεττάρων καὶ δέκα ταλάντων ἐμοὶ μὲν μηδʼ ἑβδομήκοντα μνᾶς παραδεδώκασιν, ὁ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ὀφείλοντά μʼ αὑτῷ ἀπέγραψεν, πῶς ἀποδέξασθαί τι προσήκει τούτων λεγόντων; οὐδαμῶς δήπουθεν.

[¶22] 60. Seeing that the fortune left me was of so great value, as you heard at the beginning, the third part of it bringing in an income of fifty minae, these men, albeit insatiate in their greed, even if they refused to let the property, might out of this income and leaving the principal untouched, have maintained us, paid the taxes to the state, and saved the residue.

> Greek: 60. τοσαύτης τοίνυν οὐσίας μοι καταλειφθείσης ὅσην ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε, καὶ τοῦ τρίτου μέρους πρόσοδον αὐτῆς φερούσης πεντήκοντα μνᾶς, ἐξὸν τούτοις τοῖς ἀπληστοτάτοις χρημάτων, καὶ εἰ μὴ μισθοῦν τὸν οἶκον ἐβούλοντο, ἀπὸ μὲν τούτων τῶν προσιόντων, ἐῶντας ὥσπερ εἶχεν κατὰ χώραν, ἡμᾶς τε τρέφειν καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν διοικεῖν, καὶ ὅσʼ ἐξαὐτῶν περιεγίγνετο.

[¶23] 61. The rest of the estate—an amount twice as large—they might have invested profitably, and, if greedy for money, have taken a reasonable amount for themselves, and have increased my estate from the income, besides keeping the principal intact. Yet they did nothing of the sort. Instead, by selling to one another the most valuable of the slaves and by absolutely doing away with the rest, they destroyed the existing source of my income and secured a considerable one for themselves at my cost.

> Greek: 61. ταῦτα προσπεριποιεῖν, τὴν δʼ ἄλλην οὐσίαν ἐνεργὸν ποιήσασιν, οὖσαν ταύτης διπλασίαν, αὑτοῖς τε, εἰ χρημάτων ἐπεθύμουν, μέτριʼ ἐξ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν, ἐμοί τε σὺν τοῖς ἀρχαίοις τὸν οἶκον ἐκ τῶν προσόδων μείζω ποιῆσαι, τούτων μὲν οὐδὲν ἐποίησαν, ἀποδόμενοι δʼ ἀλλήλοις τὰ πλείστου ἄξια τῶν ἀνδραπόδων, τὰ δὲ παντάπασιν ἀφανίσαντες, ἐμοῦ μὲν ἀνεῖλον καὶ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν πρόσοδον, σφίσι δʼ αὐτοῖς οὐ μικρὰν ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν κατεσκευάσαντο.

[¶24] 62. Having taken all the rest thus shamefully, they unite in maintaining that more than half of my property was never left to me at all. They have rendered an account as though the estate were one of five talents only; they do not produce the principal, though reporting no income from it, but have the impudence to tell me that the capital itself has been expended. And for this audacity they feel no shame.

> Greek: 62. λαβόντες δὲ καὶ τἄλλʼ αἰσχρῶς οὑτωσὶ πάντα, πλέον ἢ τὰ ἡμίσεα τῶν χρημάτων μηδὲ καταλειφθῆναι κοινῇ πάντες ἀμφισβητοῦσιν, ὡς πεντεταλάντου δὲ μόνον τῆς οὐσίας οὔσης ἐκ τοσαύτης τοὺς λόγους ἀπενηνόχασιν, οὐ πρόσοδον μὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀποφαίνοντες, τὰ δὲ κεφάλαια φανερὰ ἀποδεικνύντες, ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ τὰ ἀρχαῖʼ οὕτως ἀναιδῶς ἀνηλῶσθαι φάσκοντες. καὶ οὐδʼ αἰσχύνονται ταῦτα τολμῶντες.

[¶25] 63. What, pray, would have been my plight, if I had continued longer as their ward? They would have hard work to tell. For when, after the lapse of ten years, I have recovered so little from two of these men, and by the third am even set down as a debtor, have I not good ground for indignation? Nay, it is wholly clear. If I had been left an orphan of a year old, and had been six years longer under their guardianship, I should never have recovered even the pitiful amounts I now have. For, if the expenditures they have made were justifiable, the sums they have handed over to me would not have lasted six years, but they would either have had to support me themselves or to have let me perish from hunger.

> Greek: 63. καίτοι τί ποτʼ ἂν ἔπαθον ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, εἰ πλείω χρόνον ἐπετροπεύθην; οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιεν εἰπεῖν. ὅπου γὰρ δέκʼ ἐτῶν διαγενομένων παρὰ μὲν τῶν οὕτω μικρὰ κεκόμισμαι, τῷ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ὀφείλων ἐγγέγραμμαι, πῶς οὐκ ἄξιον διαγανακτεῖν; δῆλον δὲ παντάπασιν· εἰ κατελείφθην μὲν ἐνιαύσιος, ἓξ ἔτη δὲ πρὸς ἐπετροπεύθην ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, οὐδʼ ἂν τὰ μικρὰ ταῦτα παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀπέλαβον. εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνʼ ἀνήλωται ὀρθῶς, οὐδὲν ἂν τῶν νῦν παραδοθέντων ἐξήρκεσεν εἰς ἕκτον ἔτος, ἀλλʼ ἢ παρʼ αὑτῶν ἄν μʼ ἔτρεφον ἢ τῷ λιμῷ περιεῖδον ἀπολόμενον.

[¶26] 64. Yet is it not an outrage, if estates left to others of a value of one or two talents have as a result of letting been doubled or trebled, so that the owners have been called upon for state services, while mine, which has been wont to equip triremes and to make large contributions in taxes, will be unable to contribute even small sums thanks to the shameless acts of these men? What words are gross enough to describe their conduct? They have done away with the will, thinking to avoid discovery, their own estates they have administered from the income, and have greatly increased their capital by drawing upon my funds, while, as for my own estate, they have destroyed my entire capital, as if in requital for some grievous wrong we had done them.

> Greek: 64. καίτοι πῶς οὐ δεινόν, εἰ ἕτεροι μὲν οἶκοι ταλαντιαῖοι καὶ διτάλαντοι καταλειφθέντες ἐκ τοῦ μισθωθῆναι διπλάσιοι καὶ τριπλάσιοι γεγόνασιν, ὥστʼ ἀξιοῦσθαι λῃτουργεῖν, ὁ δʼ ἐμὸς τριηραρχεῖν εἰθισμένος καὶ μεγάλας εἰσφορὰς εἰσφέρειν μηδὲ μικρὰς δυνήσεται διὰ τὰς τούτων ἀναισχυντίας; τίνας δʼ οὗτοι λελοίπασιν ὑπερβολὰς εἰπεῖν; οἳ καὶ τὴν διαθήκην ἠφανίκασιν ὡς λήσοντες, καὶ τὰς μὲν σφετέρας αὐτῶν οὐσίας ἐκ τῶν ἐπικαρπιῶν διῳκήκασι καὶ τἀρχαῖα τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν πολλῷ μείζω πεποιήκασι, τῆς δʼ ἐμῆς οὐσίας, ὥσπερ τὰ μέγισθʼ ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ἀδικηθέντες, ὅλον τὸ κεφάλαιον ἀνῃρήκασι.

[¶27] 65. You, on your part, do not act thus even toward those who sin against you: when you give judgement against any of them, you do not take away all that they have, but in pity for their wives and children you leave something even to these. But these men are so different from you that, although they had received legacies from us to make them administer their trust faithfully, they have done us these outrageous wrongs. They felt no touch of shame for their ruthlessness toward my sister, who, though my father left two talents as the dowry due her, will now get no fitting portion. Nay, they have recked nothing of kinship, as though they had been left to us, not as friends and kinsfolk, but as bitterest enemies.

> Greek: 65. καὶ ὑμεῖς μὲν οὐδὲ τῶν εἰς ὑμᾶς ἁμαρτανόντων ὅταν τινὸς καταψηφίσησθε, οὐ πάντα τὰ ὄντʼ ἀφείλεσθε, ἀλλʼ ἢ γυναῖκας ἢ παιδίʼ αὐτῶν ἐλεήσαντες μέρος τι κἀκείνοις ὑπελίπετε· οὗτοι δὲ τοσοῦτον διαφέρουσιν ὑμῶν, ὥστε καὶ δωρεὰς παρʼ ἡμῶν προσλαβόντες ἵνα δικαίως ἐπιτροπεύσωσι, τοιαῦτʼ εἰς ἡμᾶς ὑβρίκασι. καὶ οὐδʼ ᾐσχύνθησαν, εἰ μὴ ἠλέησαν, τὴν ἐμὴν ἀδελφήν, εἰ δυοῖν ταλάντοιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀξιωθεῖσα, μηδενὸς τεύξεται τῶν προσηκόντων, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἔχθιστοί τινες, ἀλλʼ οὐ φίλοι καὶ συγγενεῖς καταλειφθέντες οὐδὲν τῆς οἰκειότητος ἐφρόντισαν.

[¶28] 66. For myself, I am the most wretched of men. I am helpless both to give my sister a portion and to maintain myself. Besides this, the state is pressing me hard, demanding taxes, and with right, for my father left me an estate large enough to pay them; but these men have taken all the money left me.

> Greek: 66. ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ μὲν ὁ πάντων ταλαιπωρότατος πρὸς ἀμφότερʼ ἀπορῶ, ταύτην θʼ ὅπως ἐκδῶ καὶ τἄλλʼ ὁπόθεν διοικῶ. προσεπίκειται δʼ ἡ πόλις ἀξιοῦσʼ εἰσφέρειν, δικαίως· οὐσίαν γὰρ ἱκανὴν πρὸς ταῦτα κατέλιπέν μοι ὁ πατήρ. τὰ δὲ χρήματα τὰ καταλειφθένθʼ οὗτοι πάντʼ εἰλήφασιν.

[¶29] 67. And now, in seeking to recover what is mine, I have come into the greatest peril; for if the defendant is acquitted (which heaven forbid!) I shall have to pay one-sixth of the damages, one hundred minae. The defendant, if you give judgement against him, will be liable for a sum to be determined, and will make payment, not out of his own funds, but out of mine; while in my case the sum is fixed, so that I shall not only have been robbed of my inheritance, but shall also lose my civic rights, unless you now take pity on me.

> Greek: 67. καὶ νῦν κομίσασθαι τἀμαυτοῦ ζητῶν εἰς κίνδυνον καθέστηκα τὸν μέγιστον. ἂν γὰρ ἀποφύγῃ μʼ οὗτος, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, τὴν ἐπωβελίαν ὀφλήσω μνᾶς ἑκατόν. καὶ τούτῳ μέν, ἐὰν καταψηφίσησθε, τιμητόν, κοὐκ ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ χρημάτων, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν ποιήσεται τὴν ἔκτεισιν· ἐμοὶ δʼ ἀτίμητον τοῦτʼ ἔστιν, ὥστʼ οὐ μόνον ἔσομαι τῶν πατρῴων ἀπεστερημένος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἠτιμωμένος, ἂν μὴ νῦν ἡμᾶς ὑμεῖς ἐλεήσητε.

[¶30] 68. I beg you, therefore, men of the jury, I entreat, I implore you, to remember the laws and the oaths which you took as jurors, to render me the aid that is my due, and not to count the pleas of this man of higher worth than mine. It is your duty to show pity, not toward the guilty, but toward those in unmerited misfortune; not upon those who so cruelly rob another of his goods, but upon me, who have for so long a time been deprived of my inheritance and treated with outrage by these men, and who am now in danger of losing my civic rights.

> Greek: 68. δέομαι οὖν ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ ἱκετεύω καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, μνησθέντας καὶ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῶν ὅρκων οὓς ὀμόσαντες δικάζετε, βοηθῆσαι ἡμῖν τὰ δίκαια, καὶ μὴ περὶ πλείονος τὰς τούτου δεήσεις ἢ τὰς ἡμετέρας ποιήσασθαι. δίκαιοι δʼ ἔστʼ ἐλεεῖν οὐ τοὺς ἀδίκους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τοὺς παραλόγως δυστυχοῦντας, οὐδὲ τοὺς ὠμῶς οὕτως τἀλλότριʼ ἀποστεροῦντας, ἀλλʼ ἡμᾶς τοὺς πολὺν χρόνον ὧν ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῖν κατέλιπεν στερομένους καὶ πρὸς ὑπὸ τούτων ὑβριζομένους καὶ νῦν περὶ ἀτιμίας κινδυνεύοντας.

[¶31] 69. Loudly methinks, would my father groan, should he learn that I, his son, am in danger of being forced to pay the sixth part of the marriage-portions and legacies given by himself to these men; and that, while others of our countrymen out of their own funds have dowered the daughters of impoverished kinsfolk and even friends, Aphobus refuses to pay back even the marriage-portion which he took, and that too in the tenth year.

> Greek: 69. μέγα δʼ ἂν οἶμαι στενάξαι τὸν πατέρʼ ἡμῶν, εἰ αἴσθοιτο τῶν προικῶν καὶ τῶν δωρεῶν ὧν αὐτὸς τούτοις ἔδωκεν, ὑπὲρ τούτων τῆς ἐπωβελίας τὸν αὑτοῦ υἱὸν ἐμὲ κινδυνεύοντα, καὶ ἄλλους μέν τινας ἤδη τῶν πολιτῶν οὐ μόνον συγγενῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φίλων ἀνδρῶν ἀπορούντων θυγατέρας παρὰ σφῶν αὐτῶν ἐκδόντας, Ἄφοβον δὲ μηδʼ ἣν ἔλαβεν προῖκʼ ἐθέλοντʼ ἀποδοῦναι, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔτει δεκάτῳ.