---
title: "Against Boeotus II · Πρὸς Βοιωτὸν περὶ προικὸς μητρῴας"
author: "Demosthenes"
translator: "Augustus Taber Murray"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
section: 1 of 2
url: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-boeotus-2/1/
cite: "Demosthenes, tr. Augustus Taber Murray, Against Boeotus II · Πρὸς Βοιωτὸν περὶ προικὸς μητρῴας, section 1. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-boeotus-2/1/"
---

# Against Boeotus II · Πρὸς Βοιωτὸν περὶ προικὸς μητρῴας

*Demosthenes, tr. Augustus Taber Murray*

The half-brothers dispute their mothers’ dowries.

> Greek: ed. William Rennie, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0014.tlg040, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Augustus Taber Murray, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0014.tlg040.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.

## 1. Sections 1–31

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

[¶0] 1. Nothing is more painful, men of the jury, than when a man is addressed by name as “brother” of certain persons, whom in fact he regards as enemies, and when he is compelled, on account of the many cruel wrongs which he has suffered at their hands, to come into court; as is my case now.

> Greek: 1. πάντων ἐστὶν ἀνιαρότατον, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅταν τις ὀνόματι μὲν ἀδελφὸς προσαγορευθῇ τινῶν, τῷ δʼ ἔργῳ ἐχθροὺς ἔχῃ τούτους, καὶ ἀναγκάζηται πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ παθὼν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν εἰσιέναι εἰς δικαστήριον, ὃ νῦν ἐμοὶ συμβέβηκεν.

[¶1] 2. For instance, I have not only had the misfortune in the beginning that Plangon, the mother of these men, by deceit and manifest perjury, compelled my father to bring himself to acknowledge them, and that consequently I was robbed of two-thirds of my inheritance; but, in addition to this, I have been driven by these men out of the house of my fathers, in which I was born and brought up, and into which they were admitted, not by my father, but by myself after his death; and I am being robbed of my mother’s dowry, for which I am now bringing suit, although I have myself given them satisfaction in all the matters in which they made claims upon me, except some trifling cross-demands which they have maliciously brought against me on account of this action, as will be perfectly clear to you also; yet in the course of eleven years I have been unable to obtain from them a reasonable settlement, and so at length I have had recourse to you for help.

> Greek: 2. οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀτύχημά μοι ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγένετο, διότι Πλαγγὼν ἡ τούτων μήτηρ ἐξαπατήσασα τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ ἐπιορκήσασα φανερῶς, ἠνάγκασεν αὐτὸν ὑπομεῖναι τούτους ποιήσασθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰ δύο μέρη τῶν πατρῴων ἀπεστερήθην· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τούτοις ἐξελήλαμαι μὲν ἐκ τῆς πατρῴας οἰκίας ὑπὸ τούτων, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἐγενόμην καὶ ἐτράφην, καὶ εἰς ἣν οὐχ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοὺς ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τελευτήσαντος ἐκείνου παρεδεξάμην, ἀποστεροῦμαι δὲ τὴν προῖκα τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ μητρός, περὶ ἧς νυνὶ δικάζομαι, αὐτὸς μὲν τούτοις δίκας ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐνεκάλουν μοι πάντων δεδωκώς, πλὴν εἴ τινα νῦν ἕνεκα τῆς δίκης ταύτης ἀντειλήχασίν μοι συκοφαντοῦντες, ὡς καὶ ὑμῖν ἔσται καταφανές, παρὰ δὲ τούτων ἐν ἕνδεκα ἔτεσιν οὐ δυνάμενος τυχεῖν τῶν μετρίων, ἀλλὰ νῦν εἰς ὑμᾶς [βοηθοὺς] καταπεφευγώς.

[¶2] 4. I beg you all, men of the jury, to listen to me with goodwill, while I speak as best I can; and if I seem to you to have suffered cruel wrongs, to pardon me for seeking to recover what is my own, especially as it is for a marriage-portion for my daughter. For it so happened that I married at my father’s request when I was only eighteen, and that I have a daughter who is already of marriageable age.

> Greek: 4. δέομαι οὖν ἁπάντων ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μετʼ εὐνοίας τέ μου ἀκοῦσαι οὕτως ὅπως ἂν δύνωμαι λέγοντος, κἂν ὑμῖν δοκῶ δεινὰ πεπονθέναι, συγγνώμην ἔχειν μοι ζητοῦντι κομίσασθαι τἀμαυτοῦ, ἄλλως τε καὶ εἰς θυγατρὸς ἔκδοσιν· συνέβη γάρ μοι δεηθέντος τοῦ πατρὸς ὀκτωκαιδεκέτη γῆμαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἶναί μοι θυγατέρα ἤδη ἐπίγαμον.

[¶3] 5. It is, therefore, just on many accounts that you should aid me who am being wronged, and fitting that you should feel indignation against the men, who—O Earth and the Gods—when they need not have come into court at all had they done what is fair, are not ashamed to remind you of any improper acts of my father, or of wrongs which they committed against him, but even force me to go to law with them. To make you understand clearly that it is they, not I, who are to blame for this, I will set forth to you the facts of the case from the beginning with the utmost possible brevity.

> Greek: 5. ὥστʼ ἐμοὶ μὲν δικαίως ἂν ἀδικουμένῳ διὰ πολλὰ βοηθήσαιτε, τούτοις δὲ εἰκότως ἂν ὀργίζοισθε· οἵτινες, ὦ γῆ καὶ θεοί, ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς τὰ δίκαια ποιήσασι μὴ εἰσιέναι εἰς δικαστήριον, οὐκ αἰσχύνονται μὲν ἀναμιμνῄσκοντες ὑμᾶς εἴ τι ἢ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν μὴ ὀρθῶς διεπράξατο ἢ οὗτοι εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἥμαρτον, ἀναγκάζουσι δʼ ἐμὲ δικάζεσθαι αὑτοῖς. ἵνα δὲ ἀκριβῶς εἰδῆτε, ὡς οὐκ ἐγὼ τούτου αἴτιός εἰμι ἀλλʼ οὗτοι, ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑμῖν, ὡς ἂν ἐν βραχυτάτοις δύνωμαι, διηγήσομαι τὰ πραχθέντα.

[¶4] 6. My mother, men of the jury, was the daughter of Polyaratus, of Cholargus, and sister of Menexenus, and Bathyllus and Periander. Her father gave her in marriage to Cleomedon, son of Cleon, adding a talent as her marriage-portion; and at the first she dwelt with him as his wife, and bore him three daughters and one son, Cleon. After this her husband died, and she left his family, receiving back her marriage-portion.

> Greek: 6. ἡ γὰρ μήτηρ ἡ ἐμή, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, θυγάτηρ μὲν ἦν Πολυαράτου Χολαργέως, ἀδελφὴ δὲ Μενεξένου καὶ Βαθύλλου καὶ Περιάνδρου. ἐκδόντος δὲ αὐτὴν τοῦ πατρὸς Κλεομέδοντι τῷ Κλέωνος υἱεῖ, καὶ προῖκα τάλαντον ἐπιδόντος, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τούτῳ συνῴκει· γενομένων δʼ αὐτῇ τριῶν μὲν θυγατέρων, υἱοῦ δʼ ἑνὸς Κλέωνος, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῇ τελευτήσαντος, ἀπολιποῦσα τὸν οἶκον καὶ κομισαμένη τὴν προῖκα, πάλιν ἐκδόντων αὐτὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν Μενεξένου καὶ Βαθύλλου (ὁ γὰρ Περίανδρος ἔτι παῖς ἦν) καὶ τὸ τάλαντον ἐπιδόντων, συνῴκησε τῷ ἐμῷ πατρί.

[¶5] 7. Her brothers, Menexenus and. Bathyllus (for Periander was still a boy) then gave her again in marriage with the talent for her dowry, and she dwelt with my father as his wife. There were born to them myself and another brother, younger than I, who died while still a child. To prove that I am speaking the truth, I will first bring forward witnesses to establish these facts. The Witnesses My father, then, having thus married my mother, maintained her as his wife in his own house; and he brought me up and showed me a father’s affection such as you also all show to your children. But with Plangon, the mother of these men, he formed a connection of some sort or other (it is not for me to say what it was);

> Greek: 7. καὶ γίγνομαι αὐτοῖς ἐγώ τε καὶ ἄλλος ἀδελφὸς νεώτερος ἐμοῦ, ὃς ἔτι παῖς ὢν ἐτελεύτησεν. ὡς δʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, περὶ τούτων ὑμῖν πρῶτον τοὺς μάρτυρας παρέξομαι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ. τὴν μὲν τοίνυν μητέρα τὴν ἐμὴν οὕτως ὁ πατήρ μου γήμας εἶχε γυναῖκα ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐμέ τε ἐπαίδευεν καὶ ἠγάπα, ὥσπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἅπαντες τοὺς ὑμετέρους παῖδας ἀγαπᾶτε. τῇ δὲ τούτων μητρὶ Πλαγγόνι ἐπλησίασεν ὅντινα δή ποτʼ οὖν τρόπον· οὐ γὰρ ἐμὸν τοῦτο λέγειν ἐστίν.

[¶6] 9. however, he was not so wholly the slave of his passion as to deem it right even after my mother’s death to receive the woman into his own house, or to admit that the defendants were his children. No, for all the rest of the time they lived as not being sons of my father, as most of you know; but after Boeotus had grown up and had associated with himself a gang of blackmailers, whose leaders were Mnesicles and that Menecles who secured the conviction of Ninus, in connection with these men he brought suit against my father, claiming that he was his son. Many meetings took place about these matters, and my father declared that he would never be convinced that these men were his children, and finally Plangon, men of the jury (for the whole truth shall be told you), having in conjunction with Menecles laid a snare for my father, and deceived him by an oath that among all mankind is held to be the greatest and most awful, agreed that, if she were paid thirty minae, she would get her brothers to adopt these men, and that, on her own part, if my father should challenge her before the arbitrator to swear that the children were in very truth his sons, she would decline the challenge. For if this were done, she said, the defendants would not be deprived of their civic rights, but they would no longer be able to make trouble for my father, seeing that their mother had refused the oath.

> Greek: 9. καὶ οὕτως οὐ πάντα γε ἦν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας κεκρατημένος, ὥστε οὐδὲ τῆς μητρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀποθανούσης ἠξίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν παρʼ ἑαυτὸν εἰσδέξασθαι, οὐδὲ τούτους, ὡς υἱεῖς εἰσιν αὑτοῦ, πεισθῆναι· ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἄλλον χρόνον οὗτοι διῆγον οὐκ ὄντες τοῦ ἐμοῦ πατρός, ὡς καὶ ὑμῶν οἱ πολλοὶ ἴσασιν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὗτος αὐξηθεὶς καὶ μεθʼ αὑτοῦ παρασκευασάμενος ἐργαστήριον συκοφαντῶν, ὧν ἡγεμὼν ἦν Μνησικλῆς καὶ Μενεκλῆς ἐκεῖνος ὁ τὴν Νῖνον ἑλών, μεθʼ ὧν οὗτος ἐδικάζετό μου τῷ πατρὶ φάσκων υἱὸς εἶναι ἐκείνου—συνόδων δὲ γιγνομένων πολλῶν ὑπὲρ τούτων, καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς οὐκ ἂν φάσκοντος πεισθῆναι, ὡς οὗτοι γεγόνασιν ἐξ αὑτοῦ, τελευτῶσα ἡ Πλαγγών, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί (πάντα γὰρ εἰρήσεται τἀληθῆ πρὸς ὑμᾶς), μετὰ τοῦ Μενεκλέους ἐνεδρεύσασα τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ ἐξαπατήσασα ὅρκῳ, ὃς μέγιστος δοκεῖ καὶ δεινότατος παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις εἶναι, ὡμολόγησεν τριάκοντα μνᾶς λαβοῦσα τούτους μὲν τοῖς αὑτῆς ἀδελφοῖς εἰσποιήσειν υἱεῖς, αὐτὴ δέ, ἂν πρὸς τῷ διαιτητῇ προκαλῆται αὐτὴν ὁ πατήρ μου ὀμόσαι ἦ μὴν τοὺς παῖδας ἐξ αὑτοῦ γεγονέναι, οὐ δέξεσθαι τὴν πρόκλησιν· τούτων γὰρ γενομένων οὔτε τούτους ἀποστερήσεσθαι τῆς πολιτείας, τῷ τε πατρί μου οὐκέτι δυνήσεσθαι αὐτοὺς πράγματα παρέχειν, τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν οὐ δεξαμένης τὸν ὅρκον.

[¶7] 11. When these terms had been accepted—for why should I make my story a long one?—he went to meet her before the arbitrator, and Plangon, contrary to all that she had agreed to do, accepted the challenge, and swore in the Delphinium an oath which was the very opposite of her former one, as most of you know well; for the transaction became a notorious one. Thus, my father was compelled on account of his own challenge to abide by the arbitrator’s award, but he was indignant at what had been done, and took the matter heavily to heart, and did not even so consent to admit these men into his house; but he was compelled to introduce them to the clansmen. The defendant he enrolled as Boeotus, and the other as Pamphilus.

> Greek: 11. συγχωρηθέντων δὲ τούτων—τί ἂν ὑμῖν μακρολογοίην; ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τὸν διαιτητὴν ἀπήντησεν, παραβᾶσα πάντα τὰ ὡμολογημένα ἡ Πλαγγὼν δέχεταί τε τὴν πρόκλησιν καὶ ὄμνυσιν ἐν τῷ Δελφινίῳ ἄλλον ὅρκον ἐναντίον τῷ προτέρῳ, ὡς καὶ ὑμῶν οἱ πολλοὶ ἴσασιν· περιβόητος γὰρ ἡ πρᾶξις ἐγένετο. καὶ οὕτως ὁ πατήρ μου διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πρόκλησιν ἀναγκασθεὶς ἐμμεῖναι τῇ διαίτῃ, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς γεγενημένοις ἠγανάκτει καὶ βαρέως ἔφερεν, καὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐδʼ ὣς εἰσδέξασθαι τούτους ἠξίωσεν, εἰς δὲ τοὺς φράτερας ἠναγκάσθη εἰσαγαγεῖν. καὶ τοῦτον μὲν ἐνέγραψε Βοιωτόν, τὸν δʼ ἕτερον Πάμφιλον.

[¶8] 12. As for me, he forthwith persuaded me, for I was about eighteen years of age, to marry the daughter of Euphemus, wishing to live to see children born to me. I, men of the jury, as before, so especially then, when these men were beginning to annoy him with lawsuits and were proving troublesome, thought that I, on the contrary, ought to strive to gladden him by doing everything whereby I could give him pleasure, and so obeyed him.

> Greek: 12. ἐμὲ δʼ εὐθὺς ἔπειθε περὶ ὀκτωκαίδεκʼ ἔτη γεγενημένον τὴν Εὐφήμου γῆμαι θυγατέρα, βουλόμενος παῖδας ἐξ ἐμοῦ γενομένους ἐπιδεῖν. ἐγὼ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, νομίζων δεῖν καὶ πρότερον καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὗτοι ἐλύπουν αὐτὸν δικαζόμενοι καὶ πράγματα παρέχοντε, ἐμὲ τοὐναντίον εὐφραίνειν ἅπαντα ποιοῦντα ὅσα ἐκείνῳ χαριεῖσθαι μέλλοιμι, ἐπείσθην αὐτῷ.

[¶9] 13. When I had married in this way, and he had lived to see my little daughter born, not many years later he fell sick and died. Then, although during my father’s lifetime, men of the jury, I had thought it my duty to oppose him in nothing, yet after his death I received these men into the house, and gave them a share of all the property, not as being really my brothers (for most of you are well aware of the manner in which they became such), but thinking that, as my father had been beguiled, it was my duty to obey your laws.

> Greek: 13. γήμαντος δέ μου τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον, ἐκεῖνος μὲν τὸ θυγάτριόν μοι ἐπιδὼν γενόμενον, οὐ πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ὕστερον ἀρρωστήσας ἐτελεύτησεν· ἐγὼ δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ζῶντος μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς οὐδὲν ᾤμην δεῖν ἐναντιοῦσθαι αὐτῷ, τελευτήσαντος δὲ ἐκείνου εἰσεδεξάμην τε τούτους εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων μετέδωκα, οὐχ ὡς ἀδελφοῖς οὖσιν (οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑμῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς λελήθασιν ὃν τρόπον οὗτοι γεγόνασιν), νομίζων δʼ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναί μοι, ἐπειδὴ ὁ πατὴρ ἐξηπατήθη, πείθεσθαι τοῖς νόμοις τοῖς ὑμετέροις.

[¶10] 14. And when they had thus been received by me into the house, we proceeded to divide the inheritance; and upon my demanding that my mother’s marriage-portion be repaid to me, these men put in a counter-claim, and alleged that a portion of like amount was owing to their mother. On the advice of friends who were present we divided all the rest of the property but kept apart the house and the domestic servants of my father, in order that whichever party of us might establish his claim to the dowry should recover it from the value of the house; and from the slaves, who were common property, the defendants, should they wish to search out any of my father’s effects, might make inquiry by torturing them, or by prosecuting their search in any other way they might please.

> Greek: 14. καὶ οὕτως ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσδεχθέντες, ὡς ἐνεμόμεθα τὰ πατρῷα, ἀξιοῦντος ἐμοῦ ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν τῆς μητρὸς προῖκα ἀντενεκάλουν καὶ οὗτοι, καὶ ἔφασαν ὀφείλεσθαι καὶ τῇ αὑτῶν μητρὶ τὴν ἴσην προῖκα. συμβουλευσάντων δʼ ἡμῖν τῶν παρόντων, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ἐνειμάμεθα, τὴν δὲ οἰκίαν καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς διακόνους τοῦ πατρὸς ἐξαιρέτους ἐποιησάμεθα, ἵνʼ ἐκ μὲν τῆς οἰκίας, ὁποτέροις ἂν ἡμῶν φαίνηται ὀφειλομένη ἡ προίξ, οὗτοι αὐτὴν κομίσωνται, ἐκ δὲ τῶν παίδων κοινῶν ὄντων, ἐάν τι οὗτοι τῶν πατρῴων ἐπιζητῶσιν, πυνθάνωνται, καὶ βασανίζοντες αὐτοὺς καὶ ἄλλῳ ὅτῳ ἂν τρόπῳ βούλωνται ζητοῦντες.

[¶11] 15. That I am speaking the truth in this also you will know from these depositions. The Depositions After this these men brought action against me to establish their claims, and I sued them for the marriage-portion.

> Greek: 15. ὅτι δὲ καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, ἐκ τούτων τῶν μαρτυριῶν εἴσεσθε. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν οὗτοί τε ἐμοὶ δίκας ἔλαχον ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐνεκάλουν κἀγὼ τούτοις ὑπὲρ τῆς προικός.

[¶12] 16. At the first we had Solon, of Erchia, registered as arbitrator, and submitted to him for decision the claims we advanced against each other. These men, however, did not appear, but avoided the hearing; and thus considerable time was wasted, and it came about that Solon died. These men then instituted their suit against me afresh, and I my suit against the defendant, summoning him under the name of Boeotus, and inscribing that name on the complaint; for that was the name my father gave him.

> Greek: 16. καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον παραγραψάμενοι Σόλωνα Ἑρχιέα διαιτητὴν τούτῳ ἐπετρέψαμεν δικάσαι περὶ ὧν ἐνεκαλοῦμεν ἀλλήλοις· ὡς δʼ οὐκ ἀπήντων οὗτοι, ἀλλʼ ἐφυγοδίκουν καὶ χρόνος διετρίβετο συχνός, τῷ μὲν Σόλωνι συνέβη τελευτῆσαι τὸν βίον, οὗτοι δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς λαγχάνουσί μοι τὰς δίκας, καὶ ἐγὼ τούτῳ, προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπιγραψάμενος ἐπὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα Βοιωτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο τοὔνομα.

[¶13] 17. In the suit which these men brought against me, Boeotus appeared and fought the case, but, since he was unable to establish any of their claims, the arbitrator decided in my favor; and Boeotus, conscious that he was making charges without any just basis, did not appeal to a jury, and has not now entered any suit against me in regard to these matters, but in regard to some others, thinking to break down this suit of mine by these counter-charges. In the suit which at that time I was carrying on against Boeotus in regard to the marriage-portion, since he was here in Athens and did not appear before the arbitrator, the latter gave judgement against him by default.

> Greek: 17. περὶ μὲν οὖν ὧν οὗτοί μοι ἐδικάζοντο, παρόντος τούτου καὶ ἀντιδικοῦντος καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντος ἐπιδεῖξαι οὐδὲν ὧν ἐνεκάλουν, ἀπεδιῄτησέν μου ὁ διαιτητής· καὶ οὗτος συνειδὼς αὑτῷ ἀδίκως ἐγκαλοῦντι οὔτε ἐφῆκεν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον, οὔτε νῦν περὶ ἐκείνων εἴληχέ μοι δίκην οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἄλλων τινῶν, λύσειν τοῖς ἐγκλήμασι τούτοις τὴν δίκην ταύτην οἰόμενος. ἣν δʼ ἐγὼ τοῦτον ἐδίωκον τότε περὶ τῆς προικός, ἐπιδημοῦντος τούτου ἐνθάδε καὶ οὐκ ἀπαντήσαντος πρὸς τὸν διαιτητήν, ἐρήμην κατεδιῄτησεν αὐτοῦ.

[¶14] 18. And Boeotus, men of the jury, though he was here at the time would not contest the suit, but declared that I had not received the arbitrator’s verdict against him, for his name was not Boeotus, but Mantitheus; and thus, by quibbling about a name, he is in fact depriving me of my mother’s portion. As I was at a loss to know how one should deal with a matter like this, I instituted the same suit afresh against him as Mantitheus, and now in the eleventh year I have come to you for help. To prove that I am speaking the truth in this also, the clerk will read the depositions dealing with these matters. The Depositions That my mother, therefore, men of the jury, bringing a talent as her dowry, and given in marriage by her brothers, as the laws command, lived with my father as his wife; the manner, too, in which I received these men into the house after my father’s death; and the fact that I obtained a verdict in the suits which they brought against me;—all this has been established for you by proofs and by testimony.

> Greek: 18. οὑτοσὶ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὔτε ἠντεδίκει τότε παρὼν οὔτε ἔφη με καταδιαιτήσασθαι τὴν δίκην αὑτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ εἶναι Βοιωτὸν αὑτῷ ὄνομα, ἀλλὰ Μαντίθεον, καὶ οὕτως ὀνόματι ἀμφισβητῶν ἔργῳ τὴν προῖκά με τῆς μητρὸς ἀποστερεῖ. ἀπορῶν δʼ ἐγὼ τί ἄν τις χρήσαιτο τῷ πράγματι, οὕτω πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην δίκην λαχὼν αὐτῷ Μαντιθέῳ ἑνδεκάτῳ ἔτει νῦν εἰς ὑμᾶς καταπέφευγα. ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, ἀναγνώσεται ὑμῖν ⟨τὰς⟩ περὶ τούτων μαρτυρίας. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ.

[¶15] 19. Come now, take also this law concerning the marriage-portion. The Law Such being the law, I fancy that this man—call him Boeotus or Mantitheus, or any other name by which he likes to be addressed—will have no valid or genuine defence to offer, but, relying upon his own audaciousness and effrontery, will endeavor to attach to me the misfortunes of his own family, as he is wont to do also in private life; and will allege that when the property of Pamphilus, who was the father of Plangon, was confiscated, my father took from out the council-chamber the surplus proceeds and he will thus try to show that his own mother brought a dowry of more than one hundred minae, while my mother (he will claim) brought my father no portion whatever.

> Greek: 19. ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἥ τε μήτηρ μου τάλαντον ἐπενεγκαμένη προῖκα, ἐκδοθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν αὑτῆς, ὥσπερ οἱ νόμοι κελεύουσιν, συνῴκησεν τῷ πατρί, καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐγὼ τούτους εἰσεδεξάμην εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήσαντος, καὶ ὅτι ἀπέφυγον αὐτοὺς τὰς δίκας ἅς μοι ἐνεκάλουν, ταῦτα μὲν πάντα καὶ μεμαρτύρηται ὑμῖν καὶ ἐπιδέδεικται. ἴθι δὴ λαβὲ καὶ τὸν περὶ τῆς προικὸς νόμον τουτονί. ΝΟΜΟΣ. οὕτω τοίνυν τοῦ νόμου ἔχοντος, οἶμαι τουτονὶ Βοιωτὸν ἢ Μαντίθεον ἢ ὅ τι ποτʼ ἄλλο χαίρει προσαγορευόμενος, δικαίαν μὲν ἀπολογίαν καὶ ἀληθινὴν οὐδεμίαν ἕξειν εἰπεῖν, ἐπιχειρήσειν δὲ τῇ τόλμῃ καὶ τῇ θρασύτητι τῇ ἑαυτοῦ πιστεύοντα περιιστάναι τὰς αὑτῶν συμφορὰς εἰς ἐμέ, ἅπερ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ποιεῖν εἴωθεν, λέγων ὡς δημευθείσης τῆς [τοῦ] Παμφίλου οὐσίας, ὃς ἦν πατὴρ τῆς Πλαγγόνος, τὰ περιγενόμενα χρήματα ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς ἔλαβεν ἐκ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου, καὶ οὕτως ἀποφαίνειν πειρώμενος τὴν μὲν αὑτοῦ μητέρα ἐπενεγκαμένην προῖκα πλέον ἢ ἑκατὸν μνᾶς, τὴν δʼ ἐμὴν ἄπροικον φάσκων συνοικῆσαι.

[¶16] 21. These things he will state at length to you, men of the jury, although he has not put a single deposition in the box to substantiate them, and knows very well that there is not a word of truth in what he says; for he is fully conscious that in your court no man who confessed his guilt was ever acquitted, whereas by lying and advancing arguments to lead you astray many a man ere now has avoided paying the penalty for his deeds. In order, then, that you may not be deceived by him, I think it is better to speak to you briefly about this matter also.

> Greek: 21. ταῦτα διέξεισιν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὔτε μαρτυρίαν οὐδεμίαν ἐμβεβλημένος ὑπὲρ τούτων οὔτʼ ἀγνοῶν ὡς οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς λέγει, ἀλλʼ ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι ὁμολογῶν μὲν ἀδικεῖν ἐν ὑμῖν οὐδείς πω ἀπέφυγεν, ψευδόμενος δὲ καὶ παραγωγὰς λέγων ἤδη τις δίκην οὐκ ἔδωκεν. ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἐξαπατηθῆτε ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, βέλτιον εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ βραχέα καὶ περὶ τούτου πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν.

[¶17] 22. For if he shall say that my mother did not bring with her a marriage-portion, while their mother did, bear in mind that he is manifestly lying. To begin with, Pamphilus, the father of this man’s mother, died owing five talents to the public treasury, and so far from there being any surplus proceeds for his children after his property had been scheduled and confiscated, even his indebtedness has not been paid in full, but to this day Pamphilus stands inscribed as a debtor to the treasury. How, then, can it be that my father received money from the estate of Pamphilus, which proved inadequate to pay in full even the debt due to the city?

> Greek: 22. ἐὰν γὰρ λέγῃ ὡς ἡ μὲν ἐμὴ μήτηρ οὐκ ἐπηνέγκατο προῖκα, ἡ δὲ τούτων ἐπηνέγκατο, ἐνθυμεῖσθε ὅτι περιφανῶς ψεύδεται. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὁ Πάμφιλος ὁ πατὴρ τῆς τούτου μητρὸς πέντε τάλαντα τῷ δημοσίῳ ὀφείλων ἐτελεύτησεν, καὶ τοσούτου ἐδέησεν περιγενέσθαι τι τοῖς ἐκείνου παισὶν τῆς οὐσίας ἀπογραφείσης καὶ δημευθείσης, ὥστε οὐδὲ τὸ ὄφλημα πᾶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἐκτέτεισται, ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν ὁ Πάμφιλος ὀφείλων τῷ δημοσίῳ ἐγγέγραπται. πῶς οὖν οἷόν τε τὸν ἐμὸν πατέρα χρήματα λαβεῖν ἐκ τῆς Παμφίλου οὐσίας, ἣ οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τὸ ὄφλημα ἱκανὴ ἐγένετο τῇ πόλει ἐκτεῖσαι;

[¶18] 23. Furthermore, men of the jury, bear this in mind, that were it never so true that this surplus money did accrue as these men pretend, it was not my father who would have received it, but the sons of Pamphilus, Boeotus and Hedylus and Euthydemus; and, I fancy, they are not men who would go to all lengths to get hold of the property of others, as you all know, and yet at the same time quietly have allowed my father to take possession of what was theirs.

> Greek: 23. ἔπειτα, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἐνθυμεῖσθε ὅτι, εἰ τὰ μάλιστα περιεγένετο τὰ χρήματα ταῦτα, ὥσπερ οὗτοί φασιν, οὐκ ἂν ὁ ἐμὸς πατὴρ αὐτὰ ἔλαβεν, ἀλλʼ οἱ τοῦ Παμφίλου υἱεῖς, Βοιωτὸς καὶ Ἡδύλος καὶ Εὐθύδημος, οἳ οὐκ ἂν δήπου ἐπὶ μὲν τῷ τἀλλότρια λαμβάνειν ὅτι ἂν οὖν ἐποίουν, ὡς καὶ ὑμεῖς ἅπαντες ἴστε, τὰ δʼ αὑτῶν τὸν ἐμὸν πατέρα περιεῖδον κομισάμενον.

[¶19] 24. That the mother of these men did not bring with her a marriage-portion, but that they are lying in regard to this, I think has been proved to you quite adequately; but that my mother did bring one, I shall easily show. In the first place, she was the daughter of Polyaratus, who was both honored by you citizens, and had acquired a large estate. Secondly, it has been proved to you by witnesses that her sister brought a dowry of the like amount when she married Eryximachus, the brother-in-law of Chabrias.

> Greek: 24. ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν ἥ γε τούτων μήτηρ οὐκ ἐπηνέγκατο προῖκα, ἀλλʼ οὗτοι τοῦτο ψεύδονται, ἱκανῶς ὑμᾶς μεμαθηκέναι νομίζω· ὅτι δὲ ἡ ἐμὴ μήτηρ ἐπηνέγκατο, ῥᾳδίως ἐγὼ δείξω. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ Πολυαράτου θυγάτηρ ἦν, ὃς καὶ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἐτιμᾶτο καὶ πολλὴν οὐσίαν ἐκέκτητο· ἔπειτα μεμαρτύρηται ὑμῖν ὡς καὶ ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς τοσαύτην προῖκα ἐπενεγκαμένη Ἐρυξιμάχῳ συνῴκησεν, τῷ Χαβρίου κηδεστῇ.

[¶20] 25. Besides all this, my mother is shown to have been first given in marriage to Cleomedon, whose father Cleon, we are told, commanded troops among whom were your ancestors, and captured alive a large number of Lacedaemonians in Pylos, and won greater renown than any other man in the state; so it was not fitting that the son of that famous man should wed my mother without a dowry, nor is it likely that Menexenus and Bathyllus, who had large fortunes themselves, and who, after Cleomedon’s death, received back the dowry, defrauded their own sister; rather, they would themselves have added to her portion, when they gave her in marriage to my father, as they themselves and the others have testified before you.

> Greek: 25. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις φαίνεταί μου ἡ μήτηρ τὸ πρῶτον ἐκδοθεῖσα Κλεομέδοντι, οὗ φασι τὸν πατέρα Κλέωνα τῶν ὑμετέρων προγόνων στρατηγοῦντα, Λακεδαιμονίων πολλοὺς ἐν Πύλῳ ζῶντας λαβόντα, μάλιστα πάντων ἐν τῇ πόλει εὐδοκιμῆσαι· ὥστε οὔτε τὸν ἐκείνου προσῆκεν υἱὸν ἄπροικον αὐτὴν γῆμαι, οὔτε Μενέξενον καὶ Βάθυλλον εἰκός ἐστιν, αὐτούς τε οὐσίαν πολλὴν κεκτημένους καὶ Κλεομέδοντος τελευτήσαντος κομισαμένους τὴν προῖκα, ἀποστερῆσαι τὴν ἀδελφὴν τὴν ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ προσθέντας αὐτοὺς ἐκδοῦναι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ πατρί, καθάπερ καὶ αὐτοὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι μεμαρτυρήκασιν.

[¶21] 26. And besides this, just consider why in the world, if my mother had not been a lawfully espoused wife, and had brought no dowry, while the mother of these men did, should my father have denied that they were his sons, and have acknowledged me, and brought me up? Because, forsooth, as these men will claim, he dishonored them in order to show favor to me and my mother.

> Greek: 26. χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἐνθυμήθητε, διὰ τί ἄν ποτε ὁ πατήρ, εἴπερ ἡ μὲν ἐμὴ μήτηρ μὴ ἦν ἐγγυητὴ μηδὲ ἠνέγκατο προῖκα, ἡ δὲ τούτων ἠνέγκατο, τοὺς μὲν οὐκ ἔφη αὑτοῦ υἱεῖς εἶναι, ἐμὲ δὲ καὶ ἐποιεῖτο καὶ ἐπαίδευεν; ὅτι νὴ Δία, ὡς οὗτοι φήσουσιν, ἐμοὶ χαριζόμενος καὶ τῇ ἐμῇ μητρὶ τούτους ἠτίμαζεν.

[¶22] 27. But my mother died, leaving me still a little boy, whereas the mother of these men, Plangon, who was a handsome woman, maintained her connection with him both before and after that; so that it was much more likely that for the sake of the living woman, with whom he was in love all this time, he would dishonor the son of her who was dead, than that for my sake and my dead mother’s he would refuse to acknowledge the children of her who was living and maintaining her connection with him.

> Greek: 27. ἀλλʼ ἐκείνη μὲν ἔτι παῖδα μικρὸν ἐμὲ καταλιποῦσα αὐτὴ τὸν βίον ἐτελεύτησεν, ἡ δὲ τούτων μήτηρ Πλαγγὼν καὶ πρότερον καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα εὐπρεπὴς τὴν ὄψιν οὖσα ἐπλησίαζεν αὐτῷ· ὥστε πολὺ μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὸν διὰ τὴν ζῶσαν γυναῖκα, ἧς ἐρῶν ἐτύγχανε, τὸν τῆς τεθνεώσης υἱὸν ἀτιμάζειν, ἢ διʼ ἐμὲ καὶ τὴν τετελευτηκυῖαν τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ζώσης καὶ πλησιαζούσης αὐτῷ παῖδας μὴ ποιεῖσθαι.

[¶23] 28. My opponent, however, has come to such a pitch of audacity as to declare that my father made feast for him on the tenth day. And in regard to this he has put in depositions of Timocrates and Promachus alone, who are in no way related to my father, and were not friends of his. The testimony they have borne is so patently false, that, whereas you all know that Boeotus by instituting proceedings forced my father against his will to acknowledge him these men, like witnesses to a summons—and only two of them—depose that he made a feast for this fellow on the tenth day!

> Greek: 28. καίτοι οὗτός γε εἰς τοῦτο τόλμης ἥκει, ὥστε φησὶ τὸν πατέρα μου δεκάτην ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ ἑστιᾶσαι. καὶ περὶ τούτου μόνον Τιμοκράτους καὶ Προμάχου ἐμβέβληται μαρτυρίας, οἳ οὔτε γένει προσήκουσί μου τῷ πατρὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε φίλοι ἦσαν ἐκείνῳ. οὕτω δὲ φανερῶς τὰ ψευδῆ μεμαρτυρήκασιν, ὥστε ὃν πάντων ὑμῶν εἰδότων οὑτοσὶ δίκην λαχὼν ἄκοντα ἠνάγκασε ποιήσασθαι αὑτόν, τοῦτον οὗτοι, ὥσπερ κλητῆρες, δύο μόνοι ὄντες μαρτυροῦσιν δεκάτην ὑπὲρ τούτου ἑστιᾶσαι.

[¶24] 29. Is there anyone of you who can believe that? And assuredly it is not open to him to say this, either—that when he was a little child my father acknowledged him, but that when he was grown he scorned him because of some quarrel with the mother of these men; for surely man and wife are much more apt, in cases where they are at variance with one another, to become reconciled for the sake of their children than, because of their enmity toward each other, to hate their common children as well. If, therefore, he attempts to say this, do not permit him to brazen it out.

> Greek: 29. οἷς τίς ἂν ὑμῶν πιστεύσειεν; καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐκεῖνό γε εἰπεῖν αὐτῷ ἐνδέχεται, ὡς μικρὸν μὲν ὄντα ἐποιεῖτο αὐτὸν ὁ πατήρ, μείζω δὲ γενόμενον τῇ μητρὶ ὀργισθείς τι τῇ τούτων ἠτίμαζεν· πολὺ γὰρ δήπου μᾶλλον εἰώθασιν, ὧν ἂν ἐν αὑτοῖς διενεχθῶσιν γυνὴ καὶ ἀνήρ, διαλλάττεσθαι διὰ τοὺς παῖδας ἢ διὰ τὰς πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ὀργὰς τοὺς κοινοὺς παῖδας πρὸς μισεῖν. ὥστε ἐὰν μὲν ἐπιχειρῇ ταῦτα λέγειν, μὴ ἐπιτρέπετε ἀναισχυντεῖν.

[¶25] 30. And should he go on to talk about the actions brought by them, which the arbitrator decided in my favor, and claim that he was caught by me unprepared, remember, first, that it was not a short time that he had in which to prepare himself, but a great many years, and secondly, that it was he who brought the suit, so that it was much more likely that I should be taken unprepared by him than he by me.

> Greek: 30. ἂν δὲ λέγῃ περὶ τῶν δικῶν ἃς ἀπεδιῄτησέν μου ὁ διαιτητής, καὶ φάσκῃ ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ ἀπαράσκευος ληφθῆναι, πρῶτον μὲν μέμνησθε ὅτι οὐκ ὀλίγος χρόνος ἐγένετο, ἐν ᾧ ἔδει παρασκευάσασθαι αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ἔτη πολλά, ἔπειθʼ ὅτι οὗτος ἦν ὁ διώκων, ὥστε πολὺ μᾶλλον ἦν εἰκὸς ἐμὲ ὑπὸ τούτου ἀπαράσκευον ληφθῆναι ἢ τοῦτον ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ.

[¶26] 31. And further, all those who were present before the arbitrator have given testimony that Boeotus was present when the arbitrator gave his decision in my favor and that he did not appeal to the court, but acquiesced in the decision. And yet it seems to me a strange thing that, whereas other men, who consider that they are being wronged, bring before you on appeal cases even of the slightest import, this fellow, who had brought suit against me to recover a talent as the marriage-portion, and had this suit decided against him by the arbitrator, unjustly, as he claims, should acquiesce in the decision.

> Greek: 31. ἔτι δὲ πάντες ὑμῖν οἱ πρὸς τῷ διαιτητῇ παρόντες μεμαρτυρήκασιν ὡς οὗτος παρὼν αὐτός, ὅτε ἀπεδιῄτησέ μου ὁ διαιτητής, οὔτε ἐφῆκεν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον ἐνέμεινέ τε τῇ διαίτῃ. καίτοι ἄτοπον δοκεῖ μοι εἶναι, εἰ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι, ὅταν οἴωνται ἀδικεῖσθαι, καὶ τὰς πάνυ μικρὰς δίκας εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐφιᾶσιν, οὗτος δέ μοι περὶ προικὸς δίκην ταλάντου λαχών, ταύτης, ὡς αὐτός φησιν, ἀδίκως ἀποδιαιτηθείσης ἐνέμεινεν.