---
title: "Against Meidias · Κατὰ Μειδίου περὶ τοῦ Κονδύλου"
author: "Demosthenes"
translator: "James Herbert Vince"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/
cite: "Demosthenes, tr. James Herbert Vince, Against Meidias · Κατὰ Μειδίου περὶ τοῦ Κονδύλου. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/"
---

# Against Meidias · Κατὰ Μειδίου περὶ τοῦ Κονδύλου

*Demosthenes, tr. James Herbert Vince*

A rich enemy punched Demosthenes in the theatre while he was serving as chorus-producer at the Dionysia.

> Greek: ed. Samuel Henry Butcher, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0014.tlg021, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: James Herbert Vince, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0014.tlg021.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 1–45](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/1.md)
2. [Sections 46–90](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/2.md)
3. [Sections 91–132](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/3.md)
4. [Sections 133–180](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/4.md)
5. [Sections 181–227](https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/5.md)

## 1. Sections 1–45

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

[¶0] 1. The brutality and insolence with which Meidias treats everyone alike are, I suppose, as well known to you, gentlemen of the jury, as to all other citizens. For myself, I have simply taken the course which anyone of you would have adopted, had he been the victim of a similar outrage. I lodged a plaint in the Assembly against him as an offender in connection with the festival, not only for his assault on my person at the Dionysia, but for many other acts of violence during the whole period when I served as chorus-master.

> Greek: 1. τὴν μὲν ἀσέλγειαν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ τὴν ὕβριν, ᾗ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀεὶ χρῆται Μειδίας, οὐδένʼ οὔθʼ ὑμῶν οὔτε τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν ἀγνοεῖν οἴομαι. ἐγὼ δʼ, ὅπερ ἂν καὶ ὑμῶν ἕκαστος ὑβρισθεὶς προείλετο πρᾶξαι, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐποίησα, καὶ προὐβαλόμην ἀδικεῖν τοῦτον περὶ τὴν ἑορτήν, οὐ μόνον πληγὰς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λαβὼν τοῖς Διονυσίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ καὶ βίαια παθὼν παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν χορηγίαν.

[¶1] 2. But when the whole people, acting honorably and rightly, evinced such anger, such exasperation, such deep concern at the wrongs which they knew I had suffered, that, in spite of the frantic efforts of the defendant and a few supporters, they were deaf to their arguments, shut their eyes to their wealth and their promises, and condemned him by an unanimous show of hands, thereupon, gentlemen of the jury, many citizens, including some of you who are here in court, came to me and demanded and even implored that I should take the further step of bringing Meidias under your jurisdiction; and they did so, I think, for two reasons, men of Athens, because, so help me heaven! they thought that my own wrongs were serious, and they also wished to punish Meidias for conduct which they had witnessed on other occasions, as a scoundrel and a ruffian who could no longer be tolerated.

> Greek: 2. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καλῶς καὶ τὰ δίκαια ποιῶν ὁ δῆμος ἅπας οὕτως ὠργίσθη καὶ παρωξύνθη καὶ σφόδρʼ ἐσπούδασεν ἐφʼ οἷς ἠδικημένῳ μοι συνῄδει, ὥστε πάντα ποιοῦντος τούτου καί τινων ἄλλων ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐπείσθη οὐδʼ ἀπέβλεψεν εἰς τὰς οὐσίας τὰς τούτων οὐδὲ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, ἀλλὰ μιᾷ γνώμῃ κατεχειροτόνησεν αὐτοῦ, πολλοί μοι προσιόντες, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ νῦν ὄντων ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν ἠξίουν καὶ παρεκελεύοντʼ ἐπεξελθεῖν καὶ παραδοῦναι τοῦτον εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὡς μὲν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, διʼ ἀμφότερʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, νὴ τοὺς θεούς, καὶ δεινὰ πεπονθέναι νομίζοντες ἐμὲ καὶ δίκην ἅμα βουλόμενοι λαβεῖν ὧν ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐτεθέαντο θρασὺν ὄντα καὶ βδελυρὸν καὶ οὐδὲ καθεκτὸν ἔτι.

[¶2] 3. This being so, I have in your interests taken all due precautions, and now that the case is before the court, I am here, as you see, to accuse him, having refused large sums of money, men of Athens, which I might have accepted on condition of dropping the prosecution, and having had to steel myself against many appeals and favorable offers-yes, and even menaces.

> Greek: 3. οὕτω δὲ τούτων ἐχόντων, ὅσα μὲν παρʼ ἐμοῦ προσῆκε φυλαχθῆναι, πάντα δικαίως ὑμῖν τετήρηται, καὶ κατηγορήσων, ἐπειδή τις εἰσάγει, πάρειμι, ὡς ὁρᾶτε, πολλὰ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, χρήματα, ἐξόν μοι λαβεῖν ὥστε μὴ κατηγορεῖν, οὐ λαβών, πολλὰς δὲ δεήσεις καὶ χάριτας καὶ νὴ Δίʼ ἀπειλὰς ὑπομείνας.

[¶3] 4. What yet remains to do is in your hands; but my hope is that the more the defendant has pestered you with his solicitations—I observed just now what he was up to in front of the courthouse-more likely I am to obtain justice. For I would not insult any of you by imagining that you will be indifferent to the cause in which you so heartily supported me before, or that, in order to grant Meidias immunity for future outrages, any juryman remembering his oath will give other than what he considers a righteous verdict.

> Greek: 4. ἃ δʼ ἐν ὑμῖν μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἔσθʼ ὑπόλοιπα, ὅσῳ πλείοσιν οὗτος ἠνώχληκε καὶ παρήγγελκεν (ἑώρων γὰρ αὐτὸν ἄρτι πρὸ τῶν δικαστηρίων οἷʼ ἐποίει), τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἐλπίζω τὸ δίκαιον ἕξειν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν καταγνοίην ὑμῶν οὐδενὸς οὔθʼ ὡς περὶ ὧν πρὸς ἔμʼ ἐσπουδάσατʼ αὐτοί, τούτων ἀμελήσετε, οὔθʼ ὡς, ἵνα Μειδίας ἀδεῶς τὸ λοιπὸν ὑβρίζῃ, ψηφιεῖταί τις ὑμῶν ὀμωμοκὼς ἄλλο τι πλὴν ὅ τι ἂν δίκαιον ἡγῆται.

[¶4] 5. Now if, men of Athens, I were going to accuse Meidias of unconstitutional proposals or of misconduct on an embassy or of any offence of that sort, I should not feel justified in appealing for your sympathy, for I consider that in such cases the plaintiff ought to confine himself to proving his case, though the defendant may have recourse to prayers. But since Meidias bribed the umpires and so robbed my tribe unfairly of the prize, since I in person was struck by him and insulted as perhaps no chorus-master was ever insulted before, and since I am here to follow up the verdict which the Assembly pronounced in indignation and anger at such conduct, for these reasons I shall not shrink even from an appeal to you.

> Greek: 5. εἰ μὲν οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, παρανόμων ἢ παραπρεσβείας ἤ τινος ἄλλης αἰτίας ἔμελλον αὐτοῦ κατηγορεῖν τοιαύτης, οὐδὲν ἂν ὑμῶν ἠξίουν δεῖσθαι, νομίζων τῷ μὲν κατηγόρῳ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων προσήκειν ἐλέγχειν μόνον, τῷ δὲ φεύγοντι καὶ παραιτεῖσθαι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τούς τε κριτὰς διαφθείραντος τούτου καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς φυλῆς ἀδίκως ἀφαιρεθείσης τὸν τρίποδα, καὶ αὐτὸς πληγὰς εἰληφὼς καὶ ὑβρισμένος οἷʼ οὐκ οἶδʼ εἴ τις ἄλλος πώποτε χορηγὸς ὑβρίσθη, ἣν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀγανακτήσας καὶ συνοργισθεὶς καταχειροτονίαν ὁ δῆμος ἐποιήσατο, ταύτην εἰσέρχομαι, οὐκ ὀκνήσω καὶ δεῖσθαι.

[¶5] 6. For, if I may say so, it is now I who am in the position of a defendant, if indeed to obtain no redress for an insult is the real calamity.

> Greek: 6. εἰ γὰρ οἷόν τε τοῦτʼ εἰπεῖν, ἐγὼ νῦν φεύγω, εἴπερ ὑβρισθέντα μηδεμιᾶς δίκης τυχεῖν ἐστί τις συμφορά.

[¶6] 7. Therefore, gentlemen of the jury, I appeal to you all, and implore you first to grant me a favorable hearing, and secondly, if I prove that the insults of Meidias touch, not me only, but you and the laws and the whole body of citizens, to come at once to any rescue and to your own. For the case stands thus, Athenians. I was the victim and it was my person that was then outraged; but now the question to be fought out and decided is whether Meidias is to be allowed to repeat his performances and insult anyone and everyone of you with impunity.

> Greek: 7. δέομαι οὖν ὑμῶν ἁπάντων, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ ἱκετεύω, πρῶτον μὲν εὐνοϊκῶς ἀκοῦσαί μου λέγοντος, ἔπειτʼ, ἐὰν ἐπιδείξω Μειδίαν τουτονὶ μὴ μόνον εἰς ἐμὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ εἰς τοὺς νόμους καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ὑβρικότα, βοηθῆσαι καὶ ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς. καὶ γὰρ οὕτω πως ἔχει, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι· ὕβρισμαι μὲν ἐγὼ καὶ προπεπηλάκισται τὸ σῶμα τοὐμὸν τότε, ἀγωνιεῖται δὲ καὶ κριθήσεται τὸ πρᾶγμα νυνί, πότερον ἐξεῖναι δεῖ τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖν καὶ εἰς τὸν τυχόνθʼ ὑμῶν ἀδεῶς ὑβρίζειν ἢ μή.

[¶7] 8. Therefore if perhaps anyone of you hitherto assumed that this action was brought from private motives, when he now reflects that this is a matter of general concern, and that public interest demands that no one shall be allowed to act in this way, let him grant me an attentive hearing, and then let him give what seems to him the fairest verdict. But first the clerk shall read you the law which provides for the lodging of plaints in the Assembly; after that I will try to enlighten you on other points. Recite the law. The Law “The Prytanes shall call a meeting of the Assembly in the temple of Dionysus on the day next after the Pandia. At this meeting they shall first deal with religious matters; next they shall lay before it the plaints lodged concerning the procession or the contests at the Dionysia, namely such as have not been satisfied.”

> Greek: 8. εἴ τις οὖν ὑμῶν ἄρα καὶ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον τῶν ἰδίων τινὸς εἵνεκα γίγνεσθαι τὸν ἀγῶνα τόνδʼ ὑπελάμβανεν, ἐνθυμηθεὶς νῦν ὅτι δημοσίᾳ συμφέρει μηδενὶ μηδὲν ἐξεῖναι τοιοῦτο ποιεῖν, ὡς ὑπὲρ κοινοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ὄντος καὶ προσέχων ἀκουσάτω, καὶ τὰ φαινόμενʼ αὑτῷ δικαιότερʼ εἶναι, ταῦτα ψηφισάσθω. ἀναγνώσεται δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον καθʼ ὃν εἰσὶν αἱ προβολαί· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων πειράσομαι διδάσκειν. λέγε τὸν νόμον. ΝΟΜΟΣ Τοὺς πρυτάνεις ποιεῖν ἐκκλησίαν ἐν Διονύσου τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ τῶν Πανδίων. ἐν δὲ ταύτῃ χρηματίζειν πρῶτον μὲν περὶ ἱερῶν, ἔπειτα τὰς προβολὰς παραδιδότωσαν τὰς γεγενημένας ἕνεκα τῆς πομπῆς ἢ τῶν ἀγώνων τῶν ἐν τοῖς Διονυσίοις, ὅσαι ἂν μὴ ἐκτετισμέναι ὦσιν.

[¶8] 9. This is the law, Athenians, which provides for the lodging of a plaint. It directs, as you have heard, that a meeting of the Assembly shall be held in the temple of Dionysus after the Pandia, and that at this meeting, when the chairmen for the day have dealt with the official acts of the chief Archon, they shall also deal with any offences or illegal acts in connection with the festival—a sound and expedient law, Athenians, as the facts of the present case attest. For when it appears that certain persons, with this threat overhanging them, can be as insolent as ever, how should we expect that such men would behave, if there were no risk and no trial to be faced?

> Greek: 9. ὁ μὲν νόμος οὗτός ἐστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καθʼ ὃν αἱ προβολαὶ γίγνονται, λέγων, ὥσπερ ἠκούσατε, ποιεῖν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐν Διονύσου μετὰ τὰ Πάνδια, ἐν δὲ ταύτῃ ἐπειδὰν χρηματίσωσιν οἱ πρόεδροι περὶ ὧν διῴκηκεν ὁ ἄρχων, χρηματίζειν καὶ περὶ ὧν ἄν τις ἠδικηκὼς ᾖ περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἢ παρανενομηκώς, καλῶς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ συμφερόντως ἔχων ὁ νόμος, ὡς τὸ πρᾶγμʼ αὐτὸ μαρτυρεῖ. ὅπου γὰρ ἐπόντος τοῦ φόβου τούτου φαίνονταί τινες οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑβρισταί, τί χρὴ τοὺς τοιούτους προσδοκᾶν ἂν ποιεῖν, εἰ μηδεὶς ἐπῆν ἀγὼν μηδὲ κίνδυνος;

[¶9] 10. Now I want to read to you the next law as well, because it will illustrate to all of you the self-restraint of the citizens in general and the hardihood of the defendant. Read the law. The Law “Evegorus proposed that, on the occasion of the procession in honor of Dionysus in Peiraeus with the comedies and tragedies, the procession at the Lenaeum with the comedies and tragedies, the procession at the City Dionysia with the boys’ contests and the revel and the comedies and tragedies. and also at the procession and contest of the Thargelia, it shall not be lawful on those days to distrain or to seize any debtors’ property, even if they are defaulters. If anyone transgresses any of these regulations, he shall be liable to prosecution by the aggrieved party, and public plaints against him as an offender may be lodged at the meeting of the Assembly in the temple of Dionysus, as is provided by statute in the case of other offenders.”

> Greek: 10. βούλομαι τοίνυν ὑμῖν καὶ τὸν ἑξῆς ἀναγνῶναι νόμον τούτῳ· καὶ γὰρ ἐκ τούτου φανερὰ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ἥ τε τῶν ἄλλων ὑμῶν εὐλάβεια γενήσεται καὶ τὸ τούτου θράσος. λέγε τὸν νόμον. ΝΟΜΟΣ Εὐήγορος εἶπεν· ὅταν ἡ πομπὴ ᾖ τῷ Διονύσῳ ἐν Πειραιεῖ καὶ οἱ κωμῳδοὶ καὶ οἱ τραγῳδοί, καὶ ⟨ἡ⟩ ἐπὶ Ληναίῳ πομπὴ καὶ οἱ τραγῳδοὶ καὶ οἱ κωμῳδοί, καὶ τοῖς ἐν ἄστει Διονυσίοις ἡ πομπὴ καὶ οἱ παῖδες καὶ ὁ κῶμος καὶ οἱ κωμῳδοὶ καὶ οἱ τραγῳδοί, καὶ Θαργηλίων τῇ πομπῇ καὶ τῷ ἀγῶνι, μὴ ἐξεῖναι μήτε ἐνεχυράσαι μήτε λαμβάνειν ἕτερον ἑτέρου, μηδὲ τῶν ὑπερημέρων, ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις. ἐὰν δέ τις τούτων τι παραβαίνῃ, ὑπόδικος ἔστω τῷ παθόντι, καὶ προβολαὶ αὐτοῦ ἔστωσαν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἐν Διονύσου ὡς ἀδικοῦντος, καθὰ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀδικούντων γέγραπται.

[¶10] 11. You will observe, gentlemen of the jury, that whereas in the first law the public plaint may be lodged against those who violate the laws of the festival, in the latter law you have sanctioned plaints against those who exact money from defaulting debtors or seize any property or use violence to that end. So far from thinking it right that any man’s person should be outraged on those days, or that any equipment should be damaged which a citizen provides out of his private means for a public service, you have even conceded that what by law and by verdict belongs to the winner of a suit should remain the property of the loser and original owner, at any rate during the festival.

> Greek: 11. ἐνθυμεῖσθʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅτι ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ νόμῳ κατὰ τῶν περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀδικούντων οὔσης τῆς προβολῆς, ἐν τούτῳ καὶ κατὰ τῶν τοὺς ὑπερημέρους εἰσπραττόντων ἢ καὶ ἄλλʼ ὁτιοῦν τινὸς λαμβανόντων ἢ βιαζομένων ἐποιήσατε τὰς προβολάς. οὐ γὰρ ὅπως τὸ σῶμʼ ὑβρίζεσθαί τινος ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις, ἢ τὴν παρασκευὴν ἣν ἂν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων πορίσαιτό τις εἰς λῃτουργίαν, ᾤεσθε χρῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ δίκῃ καὶ ψήφῳ τῶν ἑλόντων γιγνόμενα τῶν ἑαλωκότων καὶ κεκτημένων ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν γοῦν ἑορτὴν ἀπεδώκατʼ εἶναι.

[¶11] 12. You therefore, Athenians, have all risen to such a height of benevolence and piety that during those days you have even suspended the exaction of penalties due for past offences; but Meidias, as I shall prove, chose those very same days to commit offences that call for the severest punishment. I intend to describe in order each outrage of which I have been the victim, before I speak of the blows in which his attacks culminated, for there is not a single one of those attacks for which he will not be shown to have deserved death.

> Greek: 12. ὑμεῖς μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πάντες εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀφῖχθε φιλανθρωπίας καὶ εὐσεβείας ὥστε καὶ τῶν πρότερον γεγενημένων ἀδικημάτων τὸ λαμβάνειν δίκην ἐπέσχετε ταύτας τὰς ἡμέρας· Μειδίας δʼ ἐν αὐταῖς ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἄξια τοῦ δοῦναι τὴν ἐσχάτην δίκην ποιῶν δειχθήσεται. βούλομαι δʼ ἕκαστον ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ὧν πέπονθʼ ἐπιδείξας καὶ περὶ τῶν πληγῶν εἰπεῖν ἃς τὸ τελευταῖον προσενέτεινέ μοι· ἓν γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐφʼ ᾧ τῶν πεπραγμένων οὐ δίκαιος ὢν ἀπολωλέναι φανήσεται.

[¶12] 13. Two years ago the tribe of Pandionis had failed to appoint a chorus-master, and when the Assembly met at which the law directs the Archons to assign the flute-players by lot to the choruses, there was a heated discussion and mutual recrimination between the Archon and the overseers of the tribe. Thereupon I came forward and volunteered to act as chorus-master, and at the drawing of the lots I was fortunate enough to get first choice of a flute-player. You, Athenians, all of you, welcomed with the utmost cordiality both these incidents—my voluntary offer and my stroke of luck; and your cheers and applause expressed your approval of my conduct and your sympathy with my good fortune. But there seems to have been one solitary exception, Meidias, who in his chagrin kept up a constant fire of insults, trifling or serious, during the whole period of my service.

> Greek: 13. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐ καθεστηκότος χορηγοῦ τῇ Πανδιονίδι φυλῇ, τρίτον ἔτος τουτί, παρούσης δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἄρχοντʼ ἐπικληροῦν ὁ νόμος τοῖς χοροῖς τοὺς αὐλητὰς κελεύει, λόγων καὶ λοιδορίας γιγνομένης, καὶ κατηγοροῦντος τοῦ μὲν ἄρχοντος τῶν ἐπιμελητῶν τῆς φυλῆς, τῶν δʼ ἐπιμελητῶν τοῦ ἄρχοντος, παρελθὼν ὑπεσχόμην ἐγὼ χορηγήσειν ἐθελοντής, καὶ κληρουμένων πρῶτος αἱρεῖσθαι τὸν αὐλητὴν ἔλαχον, ὑμεῖς μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πάντες ἀμφότερʼ ὡς οἷόν τε μάλιστʼ ἀπεδέξασθε, τήν τʼ ἐπαγγελίαν τὴν ἐμὴν καὶ τὸ συμβὰν ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης, καὶ θόρυβον καὶ κρότον τοιοῦτον ὡς ἂν ἐπαινοῦντές τε καὶ συνησθέντες ἐποιήσατε, Μειδίας δʼ οὑτοσὶ μόνος τῶν πάντων, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἠχθέσθη, καὶ παρηκολούθησε παρʼ ὅλην τὴν λῃτουργίαν ἐπηρεάζων μοι συνεχῶς καὶ μικρὰ καὶ μείζω.

[¶13] 15. Now the trouble that he caused by opposing the exemption of our chorus from military service, or by putting himself forward as overseer at the Dionysia and demanding election, these and other similar annoyances I will pass over in silence; for I am not unaware that although to myself, the victim of his persecution and insolence, each of these acts caused as much irritation as any really serious offence, yet to the rest of you, who were not directly concerned, these things in themselves would hardly seem to call for litigation. I shall therefore confine myself to what will excite indignation in all of you alike.

> Greek: 15. ὅσα μὲν οὖν τοὺς χορευτὰς ἐναντιούμενος ἡμῖν ἀφεθῆναι τῆς στρατείας ἠνώχλησεν, ἢ προβαλλόμενος καὶ κελεύων ἑαυτὸν εἰς Διονύσια χειροτονεῖν ἐπιμελητήν, ἢ τἄλλα πάνθʼ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἐάσω· οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοῶ τοῦθʼ ὅτι τῷ μὲν ἐπηρεαζομένῳ τότʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑβριζομένῳ τὴν αὐτὴν ὀργὴν ἕκαστον τούτων ἥνπερ ἄλλʼ ὁτιοῦν τῶν δεινοτάτων παρίστη, ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἔξω τοῦ πράγματος οὖσιν, οὐκ ἂν ἴσως ἄξια ταῦτα καθʼ αὕτʼ ἀγῶνος φανείη· ἀλλʼ ἃ πάντες ὁμοίως ἀγανακτήσετε, ταῦτʼ ἐρῶ.

[¶14] 16. His subsequent conduct, which I am now going to describe, passes all limits; and indeed I should never have ventured to arraign him today, had I not previously secured his immediate conviction in the Assembly. The sacred apparel—for all apparel provided for use at a festival I regard as being sacred until after it has been used—and the golden crowns, which I ordered for the decoration of the chorus, he plotted to destroy, men of Athens, by a nocturnal raid on the premises of my goldsmith. And he did destroy them, though not completely, for that was beyond his power. And no one can say that he ever yet heard of anyone daring or perpetrating such an outrage in this city.

> Greek: 16. ἔστι δʼ ὑπερβολὴ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα, ἃ μέλλω λέγειν, καὶ οὐδʼ ἂν ἐπεχείρησʼ ἔγωγε κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ νῦν, εἰ μὴ καὶ τότʼ ἐν τῷ δήμῳ παραχρῆμʼ ἐξήλεγξα. τὴν γὰρ ἐσθῆτα τὴν ἱεράν (ἱερὰν γὰρ ἔγωγε νομίζω πᾶσαν ὅσην ἄν τις εἵνεκα τῆς ἑορτῆς παρασκευάσηται, τέως ἂν χρησθῇ) καὶ τοὺς στεφάνους τοὺς χρυσοῦς, οὓς ἐποιησάμην ἐγὼ κόσμον τῷ χορῷ, ἐπεβούλευσεν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, διαφθεῖραί μοι νύκτωρ ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν τοῦ χρυσοχόου. καὶ διέφθειρεν, οὐ μέντοι πᾶσάν γε· οὐ γὰρ ἐδυνήθη. καίτοι τοῦτό γʼ οὐδεὶς πώποτʼ οὐδένα φησὶν ἀκηκοέναι τολμήσαντʼ οὐδὲ ποιήσαντʼ ἐν τῇ πόλει.

[¶15] 17. But not content with this, men of Athens, he actually corrupted the trainer of my chorus; and if Telephanes, the flute-player, had not proved the staunchest friend to me, if he had not seen through the fellow’s game and sent him about his business, if he had not felt it his duty to train the chorus and weld them into shape himself, we could not have taken part in the competition, Athenians; the chorus would have come in untrained and we should have been covered with ignominy. Nor did his insolence stop even there. It was so unrestrained that he bribed the crowned Archon himself; he banded the choristers against me; he bawled and threatened, standing beside the umpires as they took the oath he blocked the gangways from the wings, nailing up those public thoroughfares without public authority; he never ceased to cause me untold damage and annoyance.

> Greek: 17. οὐκ ἀπέχρησε δʼ αὐτῷ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, διέφθειρέ μου τοῦ χοροῦ· καὶ εἰ μὴ Τηλεφάνης ὁ αὐλητὴς ἀνδρῶν βέλτιστος περὶ ἐμὲ τότʼ ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ αἰσθόμενος τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπελάσας αὐτὸς συγκροτεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν ᾤετο δεῖν τὸν χορόν, οὐδʼ ἂν ἠγωνισάμεθʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἀλλʼ ἀδίδακτος ἂν εἰσῆλθεν ὁ χορὸς καὶ πράγματʼ αἴσχιστʼ ἂν ἐπάθομεν. καὶ οὐδʼ ἐνταῦθʼ ἔστη τῆς ὕβρεως, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ περιῆν ὥστε τὸν ἐστεφανωμένον ἄρχοντα διέφθειρεν, τοὺς χορηγοὺς συνῆγεν ἐπʼ ἐμέ, βοῶν, ἀπειλῶν, ὀμνύουσι παρεστηκὼς τοῖς κριταῖς, τὰ παρασκήνια φράττων, προσηλῶν, ἰδιώτης ὢν τὰ δημόσια, κακὰ καὶ πράγματʼ ἀμύθητά μοι παρέχων διετέλεσεν.

[¶16] 18. Of those outrages which were committed in public or before the umpires in the theater, you are yourselves my witnesses, all of you, gentlemen of the jury. And surely the statements on which most reliance should be placed are those of which the jury can themselves attest the truth. So after he had already corrupted the umpires in the men’s contest, he put the cap, as it were, on all his previous acts of wantonness by two outrages: he assaulted my person, and he was chiefly responsible for preventing my tribe, which was winning, from gaining the prize.

> Greek: 18. καὶ τούτων, ὅσα γʼ ἐν τῷ δήμῳ γέγονʼ ἢ πρὸς τοῖς κριταῖς ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ, ὑμεῖς ἐστέ μοι μάρτυρες πάντες, ἄνδρες δικασταί. καίτοι τῶν λόγων τούτους χρὴ δικαιοτάτους ἡγεῖσθαι, οὓς ἂν οἱ καθήμενοι τῷ λέγοντι μαρτυρῶσιν ἀληθεῖς εἶναι. προδιαφθείρας τοίνυν τοὺς κριτὰς τῷ ἀγῶνι τῶν ἀνδρῶν, δύο ταῦθʼ ὡσπερεὶ κεφάλαιʼ ἐφʼ ἅπασι τοῖς ἑαυτῷ νενεανιευμένοις ἐπέθηκεν, ἐμοῦ μὲν ὕβρισεν τὸ σῶμα, τῇ φυλῇ δὲ κρατούσῃ τὸν ἀγῶνʼ αἰτιώτατος τοῦ μὴ νικῆσαι κατέστη.

[¶17] 19. These were the crimes and brutalities which Meidias committed in connection with the festival against my fellow-tribesmen and myself. It was for these, men of Athens, that I lodged my public plaint; and there are many besides, of which I will describe to you immediately as many as I can. But I have to tell of many other acts of unmitigated rascality and insolence, directed against many of yourselves, and many daring crimes of this blackguard.

> Greek: 19. τὰ μὲν οὖν εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ τοὺς φυλέτας ἠσελγημένα καὶ περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀδικήματα τούτῳ πεπραγμένα, ἐφʼ οἷς αὐτὸν προὐβαλόμην, ταῦτʼ ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ πόλλʼ ἕτερα, ὧν ὅσʼ ἂν οἷός τʼ ὦ διέξειμι πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα. ἔχω δὲ λέγειν καὶ πονηρίας ἑτέρας παμπληθεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὕβρεις εἰς πολλοὺς ὑμῶν καὶ τολμήματα τοῦ μιαροῦ τούτου πολλὰ καὶ δεινά, ἐφʼ οἷς τῶν πεπονθότων οἱ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καταδείσαντες τοῦτον καὶ τὸ τούτου θράσος καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν ἑταίρους καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ τἄλλʼ ὅσα δὴ πρόσεστι τούτῳ, ἡσυχίαν ἔσχον, οἱ δʼ ἐπιχειρήσαντες δίκην λαμβάνειν οὐκ ἐδυνήθησαν, εἰσὶ δʼ οἳ διελύσαντο, ἴσως λυσιτελεῖν ἡγούμενοι.

[¶18] 20. Some of his victims, gentlemen of the jury, suffered in silence, because they were cowed by him and his self-confidence, or by his gang of bullies, his wealth and all his other resources; others tried to obtain redress and failed; others again made terms with him, perhaps because they thought that the best policy. Those, then, who were induced to do so have obtained the satisfaction due to themselves; but of the satisfaction due to the laws, by breaking which Meidias wronged them and is wronging me now and every other citizen—of that satisfaction you are the dispensers. Therefore include all the offences in one sweeping penalty, whatever you consider just.I will first, then, adduce proofs of the outrages against myself, next of those against you. After that, Athenians, I will examine all the rest of his life and will show that he deserves not one death, but a thousand. First please take and read the deposition of the goldsmith. The Deposition “I, Pammenes, son of Pammenes, of Erchia, have a goldsmith’s shop in the Agora, where I reside and carry on my business.

> Greek: 20. τὴν μὲν οὖν ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν δίκην ἔχουσιν οἵ γε πεισθέντες· τῆς δʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν νόμων, οὓς παραβὰς οὗτος κἀκείνους ἠδίκει καὶ νῦν ἐμὲ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄλλους, ὑμεῖς ἐστὲ κληρονόμοι. πάντων οὖν ἁθρόων ἓν τίμημα ποιήσασθε, ὅ τι ἂν δίκαιον ἡγῆσθε. ἐξελέγξω δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ὅσʼ αὐτὸς ὑβρίσθην, ἔπειθʼ ὅσʼ ὑμεῖς· μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, βίον αὐτοῦ πάντʼ ἐξετάσω, καὶ δείξω πολλῶν θανάτων, οὐχ ἑνὸς ὄντʼ ἄξιον. λέγε μοι τὴν τοῦ χρυσοχόου πρώτην λαβὼν μαρτυρίαν. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑ Παμμένης Παμμένους Ἑρχιεὺς ἔχω χρυσοχοεῖον ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ, ἐν ᾧ καταγίγνομαι καὶ ἐργάζομαι τὴν χρυσοχοϊκὴν τέχνην.

[¶19] 22. When Demosthenes, for whom I am a witness, commissioned me to fashion a golden crown, and to make a gold-embroidered robe, that he might wear them at the procession in honor of Dionysus; and when I had completed them and had them ready by me, Meidias, who is being prosecuted by Demosthenes, broke into my premises by night, having also others with him, and tried to destroy the crown and the robe, and a part of them he injured, but was not able to destroy them completely, because I appeared and prevented him.”

> Greek: 22. ἐκδόντος δέ μοι Δημοσθένους, ᾧ μαρτυρῶ, στέφανον χρυσοῦν ὥστε κατασκευάσαι καὶ ἱμάτιον διάχρυσον ποιῆσαι, ὅπως πομπεύσαι ἐν αὐτοῖς τὴν τοῦ Διονύσου πομπήν, καὶ ἐμοῦ συντελέσαντος αὐτὰ καὶ ἔχοντος παρʼ ἐμαυτῷ ἕτοιμα, εἰσπηδήσας πρός με νύκτωρ Μειδίας ὁ κρινόμενος ὑπὸ Δημοσθένους, ἔχων μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἄλλους, ἐπεχείρησε διαφθείρειν τὸν στέφανον καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον, καὶ τινὰ μὲν αὐτῶν ἐλυμήνατο, οὐ μέντοι πάντα γε ἠδυνήθη διὰ τὸ ἐπιφανέντα με κωλῦσαι.

[¶20] 23. Now I have much to say also, men of Athens, about the wrongs which he inflicted on others, as I told you at the beginning of my speech, and I have made a collection of his outrageous and insulting acts, which you shall hear in a moment. The collection was indeed an easy matter, for the victims themselves applied to me.

> Greek: 23. πολλὰ μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ περὶ ὧν τοὺς ἄλλους ἠδίκηκεν ἔχω λέγειν, ὥσπερ εἶπον ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ συνείλοχʼ ὕβρεις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀτιμίας τοσαύτας ὅσας ἀκούσεσθʼ αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα. ἦν δʼ ἡ συλλογὴ ῥᾳδία· αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἱ πεπονθότες προσῇσάν μοι.

[¶21] 24. But before I come to that, I want to speak about the tricks by which I am told he will try to deceive you; for I think it very necessary for me to put my remarks on that subject before you, and very important for you to hear them. Why so? Because the same argument that prevents your deception will help you to cast your votes in accordance with justice and your oath. You must pay attention to this argument above all others and bear it in mind, so as to meet each separate point in his speech.

> Greek: 24. βούλομαι δὲ πρὸ τούτων εἰπεῖν οἷς ἐπιχειρήσειν αὐτὸν ἀκήκοʼ ἐξαπατᾶν ὑμᾶς· τοὺς γὰρ ὑπὲρ τούτων λόγους ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀναγκαιοτάτους προειπεῖν ἡγοῦμαι, ὑμῖν δὲ χρησιμωτάτους ἀκοῦσαι. διὰ τί; ὅτι τοῦ δικαίαν καὶ εὔορκον θέσθαι τὴν ψῆφον ὁ κωλύσας ἐξαπατηθῆναι λόγος ὑμᾶς οὗτος αἴτιος ἔσται. πολὺ δὴ μάλιστα πάντων τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ προσέχειν ὑμᾶς δεῖ, καὶ μνημονεῦσαι τοῦτον, καὶ πρὸς ἕκαστον ἀπαντᾶν, ὅταν οὗτος λέγῃ.

[¶22] 25. And first, it is pretty evident from his private conversation as reported to me that he will say that, if I had really suffered from him as I assert, I ought to have brought various personal suits against him, one for willful damage, arising out of the destruction of the robes and golden crowns, and another for assault, arising out of his alleged attack on my person; but that I ought most emphatically not to have brought him to a public trial and proposed a penalty or a fine which he must pay.

> Greek: 25. ἔστι δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἐκεῖνʼ οὐκ ἄδηλος ἐρῶν, ἐξ ὧν ἰδίᾳ πρός τινας αὐτὸς διεξιὼν ἀπηγγέλλετό μοι, ὡς εἴπερ ἀληθῶς ἐπεπόνθειν ταῦθʼ ἃ λέγω, δίκας ἰδίας μοι προσῆκεν αὐτῷ λαχεῖν, τῶν μὲν ἱματίων καὶ τῶν χρυσῶν στεφάνων τῆς διαφθορᾶς καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸν χορὸν πάσης ἐπηρείας, βλάβης, ὧς δʼ εἰς τὸ σῶμʼ ὑβρίσθαι φημί, ὕβρεως, οὐ μὰ Δίʼ οὐχὶ δημοσίᾳ κρίνειν αὐτὸν καὶ τίμημʼ ἐπάγειν ὅ τι χρὴ παθεῖν ἢ ἀποτεῖσαι.

[¶23] 26. But of one thing I am perfectly certain, and you should be equally so-that if I had not lodged the public plaint but had brought a civil action, the opposite argument would have been used against me, that if there was any truth in my statements, I ought to have lodged a public plaint and claimed redress at the time when the offences were committed; for the chorus was a state-chorus, the apparel was being prepared entirely for a public festival, and I, the aggrieved party, was official chorus-master. Who then would dream of any other form of redress than that which the law provides against those who profane a festival?

> Greek: 26. ἐγὼ δʼ ἓν μὲν ἐκεῖνʼ εὖ οἶδα, καὶ ὑμᾶς δʼ εἰδέναι χρή, ὅτι εἰ μὴ προὐβαλόμην αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ἐδικαζόμην, οὑναντίος ἧκεν ἂν εὐθύς μοι λόγος, ὡς εἴπερ ἦν τι τούτων ἀληθές, προβάλλεσθαί μʼ ἔδει καὶ παρʼ αὐτὰ τἀδικήματα τὴν τιμωρίαν ποιεῖσθαι· ὅ τε γὰρ χορὸς ἦν τῆς πόλεως, ἥ τʼ ἐσθὴς τῆς ἑορτῆς εἵνεκα πᾶσα παρεσκευάζετο, ἐγώ θʼ ὁ πεπονθὼς ταῦτα χορηγὸς ἦν· τίς ἂν οὖν ἑτέραν εἵλετο τιμωρίαν ἢ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου κατὰ τῶν περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀδικούντων οὖσαν;

[¶24] 27. I am sure that he would have said all that in those circumstances. For it is, I believe, the cue for the defendant, the man who has done a wrong, to try and shuffle out of the method actually adopted to bring him to punishment and to say that a different method should have been employed; but it is the duty of sensible jurymen to ignore such evasions and to chastise anyone whom they convict of an outrage.

> Greek: 27. ταῦτʼ εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι πάντʼ ἂν ἔλεγεν οὗτος τότε. φεύγοντος μὲν γάρ, οἶμαι, καὶ ἠδικηκότος ἐστὶ τὸ τὸν παρόντα τρόπον τοῦ δοῦναι δίκην διακρουόμενον τὸν οὐκ ὄνθʼ ὡς ἔδει γενέσθαι λέγειν, δικαστῶν δέ γε σωφρόνων τούτοις τε μὴ προσέχειν καὶ ὃν ἂν λάβωσιν ἀσελγαίνοντα κολάζειν.

[¶25] 28. Do not allow him to say that the law affords me a choice of personal suits or an indictment for assault. That is true; but he has to prove that he has not done what I have charged him with, or that in doing it he has not profaned the festival, for that is the ground on which I based my public plaint against him, and that is the question on which you must presently cast your votes. But if I, waiving the profit which a private suit would bring, entrust his punishment to the State, and if I have chosen this particular form of action from which I can receive no benefit myself, then surely it ought to win me your favour and not prejudice my case.

> Greek: 28. μὴ δὴ τοῦτο λέγειν αὐτὸν ἐᾶτε, ὅτι καὶ δίκας ἰδίας δίδωσʼ ὁ νόμος μοι καὶ γραφὴν ὕβρεως· δίδωσι γάρ· ἀλλʼ ὡς οὐ πεποίηκεν ἃ κατηγόρηκα, ἢ πεποιηκὼς οὐ περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀδικεῖ, τοῦτο δεικνύτω· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐγὼ προὐβαλόμην, καὶ περὶ τούτου τὴν ψῆφον οἴσετε νῦν ὑμεῖς. εἰ δʼ ἐγὼ τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἰδίων δικῶν πλεονεξίαν ἀφεὶς τῇ πόλει παραχωρῶ τῆς τιμωρίας, καὶ τοῦτον εἱλόμην τὸν ἀγῶνʼ ἀφʼ οὗ μηδὲν ἔστι λῆμμα λαβεῖν ἐμοί, χάριν, οὐ βλάβην δήπου τοῦτʼ ἂν εἰκότως ἐνέγκοι μοι παρʼ ὑμῶν.

[¶26] 29. Now I know that he will also make great use of this argument: “Do not deliver me into Demosthenes’ hands; do not ruin me to oblige Demosthenes. Because I am at war with him, will you ruin me?” That is the sort of language that he will, I am sure, use again and again, with the object of exciting prejudice against me.

> Greek: 29. οἶδα τοίνυν ὅτι καὶ τούτῳ πολλῷ χρήσεται τῷ λόγῳ μή με Δημοσθένει παραδῶτε, μηδὲ διὰ Δημοσθένην μʼ ἀνέλητε. ὅτι τούτῳ πολεμῶ, διὰ τοῦτό μʼ ἀναιρήσετε; τὰ τοιαῦτα πολλάκις οἶδʼ ὅτι φθέγξεται, βουλόμενος φθόνον τινʼ ἐμοὶ διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων συνάγειν.

[¶27] 30. But the truth is quite otherwise. You never “deliver” a malefactor to his accuser; for when someone has been wronged, you do not exact the penalty in such a form as the injured party urges upon you in each case. On the contrary, laws were laid down by you before the particular offences were committed, when the future wrongdoer and his victim were equally unknown. What is the effect of these laws? They ensure for every citizen the opportunity of obtaining redress if he is wronged. Therefore when you punish a man who breaks the laws, you are not delivering him over to his accusers; you are strengthening the arm of the law in your own interests.

> Greek: 30. ἔχει δʼ οὐχ οὕτω ταῦτα, οὐδʼ ἐγγύς. οὐδένα γὰρ τῶν ἀδικούντων ὑμεῖς οὐδενὶ τῶν κατηγόρων ἐκδίδοτε· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὰν ἀδικηθῇ τις, ὡς ἂν ἕκαστος ὑμᾶς ὁ παθὼν πείσῃ, ποιεῖσθε τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον νόμους ἔθεσθε πρὸ τῶν ἀδικημάτων, ἐπʼ ἀδήλοις μὲν τοῖς ἀδικήσουσιν, ἀδήλοις δὲ τοῖς ἀδικησομένοις. οὗτοι δὲ τί ποιοῦσιν οἱ νόμοι; πᾶσιν ὑπισχνοῦνται τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, δίκην, ἂν ἀδικηθῇ τις, ἔσεσθαι διʼ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν. ὅταν τοίνυν τῶν παραβαινόντων τινὰ τοὺς νόμους κολάζητε, οὐ τοῖς κατηγόροις τοῦτον ἐκδίδοτε, ἀλλὰ τοὺς νόμους ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς βεβαιοῦτε.

[¶28] 31. But surely when he says, “Demosthenes was insulted,” he is met by an argument that is just and impartial and in the interests of all. It was not against the individual named Demosthenes that his brutality was directed on that occasion, but also against your chorus-master; and what that implies you may realize from the following considerations.

> Greek: 31. ἀλλὰ μὴν πρός γε τὸ τοιοῦτον, ὅτι Δημοσθένης φησὶν ὕβρισται, δίκαιος καὶ κοινὸς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἔσθʼ ὁ λόγος. οὐ γὰρ εἰς Δημοσθένην ὄντα μʼ ἠσέλγαινε μόνον ταύτην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς χορηγὸν ὑμέτερον· τοῦτο δʼ ὅσον δύναται γνοίητʼ ἂν ἐκ τωνδί.

[¶29] 32. You know of course that of the judges who sit in this court none has the name of Judge, but each has some name of his own. Therefore if a man is guilty of assault or slander against anyone of them in his private capacity, he will stand his trial on an indictment for assault or in a suit for slander; but if he assails him as judge, he will incur total disfranchisement. Why so? Because at once by the mere act he is outraging your laws, your public crown of office, and the name that belongs to the State, for Judge is not a private name but a state-title.

> Greek: 32. ἴστε δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι τῶν θεσμοθετῶν τούτων οὐδενὶ θεσμοθέτης ἔστʼ ὄνομα, ἀλλʼ ὁτιδήποθʼ ἑκάστῳ. ἂν μὲν τοίνυν ἰδιώτην ὄντα τινʼ αὐτῶν ὑβρίσῃ τις ἢ κακῶς εἴπῃ, γραφὴν ὕβρεως καὶ δίκην κακηγορίας ἰδίαν φεύξεται, ἐὰν δὲ θεσμοθέτην, ἄτιμος ἔσται καθάπαξ. διὰ τί; ὅτι τοὺς νόμους ἤδη ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν προσυβρίζει καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον κοινὸν στέφανον καὶ τὸ τῆς πόλεως ὄνομα· ὁ γὰρ θεσμοθέτης οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων ἔστʼ ὄνομα, ἀλλὰ τῆς πόλεως.

[¶30] 33. In the same way again, if you strike or abuse the Archon when wearing his crown, you are disfranchised; but if you assault him as a private citizen, you are liable to a private suit. Moreover, this is true not only of these officials, but of everyone to whom the State grants the inviolability of a crowned office or of any other honor. Therefore in my case also, if on any other day in the year Meidias had wronged me as a private citizen, he would have had to give me private satisfaction;

> Greek: 33. καὶ πάλιν γε τὸν ἄρχοντα, ταὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἐὰν μὲν ἐστεφανωμένον πατάξῃ τις ἢ κακῶς εἴπῃ, ἄτιμος, ἐὰν δʼ ἰδιώτην, ἰδίᾳ ὑπόδικος. καὶ οὐ μόνον περὶ τούτων οὕτω ταῦτʼ ἔχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ πάντων οἷς ἂν ἡ πόλις τινʼ ἄδειαν ἢ στεφανηφορίαν ἤ τινα τιμὴν δῷ. οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἐμέ, εἰ μὲν ἐν ἄλλαις τισὶν ἡμέραις ἠδίκησέ τι τούτων Μειδίας ἰδιώτην ὄντα, ἰδίᾳ καὶ δίκην προσῆκεν αὐτῷ διδόναι·

[¶31] 34. but if all his outrages are shown to have been aimed at your chorus-master during the holy days of the festival, it is right that he should face public resentment and pay a public penalty. For the chorus master was insulted as well as Demosthenes, and that is a concern of the State, as well as the fact that this occurred on the very days on which the laws expressly forbid it. When you are framing your laws, you must scrutinize their purport; but when you have passed them, you must uphold them and put them in force, for that is required by your oath and by justice as well.

> Greek: 34. εἰ δὲ χορηγὸν ὄνθʼ ὑμέτερον ἱερομηνίας οὔσης πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἠδίκηκεν ὑβρίσας φαίνεται, δημοσίας ὀργῆς καὶ τιμωρίας δίκαιός ἐστι τυγχάνειν· ἅμα γὰρ τῷ Δημοσθένει καὶ ὁ χορηγὸς ὑβρίζετο, τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τὸ ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις, αἷς οὐκ ἐῶσιν οἱ νόμοι. χρὴ δʼ, ὅταν μὲν τιθῆσθε τοὺς νόμους, ὁποῖοί τινές εἰσι σκοπεῖν, ἐπειδὰν δὲ θῆσθε, φυλάττειν καὶ χρῆσθαι· καὶ γὰρ εὔορκα ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν ἐστι καὶ ἄλλως δίκαια.

[¶32] 35. You had the law—an ancient one—of damage; you had the law of battery and the law of assault. Now if it had been sufficient that those guilty at the Dionysia of any of these offences should be punished according to these laws, there would have been no need for this further law. But it was not sufficient, and the proof of this is that you made a law to protect the sanctity of the god during the Holy Month. If, then, anyone is liable both under those pre-existing laws and under this subsequent one as well as all the rest of the laws, is he for that reason to escape punishment, or should he in fairness suffer a heavier one? I think that it should be the heavier punishment.

> Greek: 35. ἦν ὁ τῆς βλάβης ὑμῖν νόμος πάλαι, ἦν ὁ τῆς αἰκείας, ἦν ὁ τῆς ὕβρεως. εἰ τοίνυν ἀπέχρη τοὺς τοῖς Διονυσίοις τι ποιοῦντας τούτων κατὰ τούτους τοὺς νόμους δίκην διδόναι, οὐδὲν ἂν προσέδει τοῦδε τοῦ νόμου. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀπέχρη. σημεῖον δέ· ἔθεσθʼ ἱερὸν νόμον αὐτῷ τῷ θεῷ περὶ τῆς ἱερομηνίας. εἴ τις οὖν κἀκείνοις τοῖς προϋπάρχουσι νόμοις καὶ τούτῳ τῷ μετʼ ἐκείνους τεθέντι καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔστʼ ἔνοχος, ὁ τοιοῦτος πότερα μὴ δῷ διὰ τοῦτο δίκην ἢ ⟨κἂν⟩ μείζω δοίη δικαίως; ἐγὼ μὲν οἴομαι μέζω.

[¶33] 36. I have been told that Meidias goes about inquiring and collecting examples of people who have at any time been assaulted, and that these people are going to give evidence and describe their experiences to you; for instance, men of Athens, the Chairman for the day who is said to have been struck by Polyzelus in your court, the judge who was lately struck when trying to rescue the flute-girl, and similar cases. He imagines that if he can point to many other victims of serious assault, you will be less indignant at the assault committed upon me!

> Greek: 36. ἀπήγγελλε τοίνυν τίς μοι περιιόντʼ αὐτὸν συλλέγειν καὶ πυνθάνεσθαι τίσι πώποτε συμβέβηκεν ὑβρισθῆναι, καὶ λέγειν τούτους καὶ διηγεῖσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς μέλλειν, οἷον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸν πρόεδρον ὅν ποτέ φασιν ἐν ὑμῖν ὑπὸ Πολυζήλου πληγῆναι, καὶ τὸν θεσμοθέτην ὃς ἔναγχος ἐπλήγη τὴν αὐλητρίδʼ ἀφαιρούμενος, καὶ τοιούτους τινάς, ὡς, ἐὰν πολλοὺς ἑτέρους δεινὰ καὶ πολλὰ πεπονθότας ἐπιδείξῃ, ἧττον ὑμᾶς ἐφʼ οἷς ἐγὼ πέπονθʼ ὀργιουμένους. ἐμοὶ δʼ αὖ τοὐναντίον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δοκεῖτε ποιεῖν ἂν εἰκότως, εἴπερ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινῇ βελτίστου δεῖ μέλειν ὑμῖν.

[¶34] 37. But it seems to me, Athenians, that it would be reasonable for you to do just the reverse, since your duty is to be solicitous for the common good of all. For who of you is unaware that the reason for the frequency of these assaults is the failure to punish the offenders, and that the only way to prevent such assaults in the future is adequately to punish every offender who is caught? Therefore, if it is to your interest to deter others, those cases are an additional reason for punishing Meidias, and punishing him the more severely in proportion to their number and their seriousness; but if you want to encourage him and everybody, you must let him off.

> Greek: 37. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὑμῶν τοῦ μὲν πολλὰ τοιαῦτα γίγνεσθαι τὸ μὴ κολάζεσθαι τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας αἴτιον ὄν, τοῦ δὲ μηδένʼ ὑβρίζειν τὸ λοιπὸν τὸ δίκην τὸν ἀεὶ ληφθένθʼ ἣν προσήκει διδόναι μόνον αἴτιον ἂν γενόμενον; εἰ μὲν τοίνυν ἀποτρέψαι συμφέρει τοὺς ἄλλους, τοῦτον καὶ διʼ ἐκεῖνα κολαστέον, καὶ μᾶλλόν γʼ ὅσῳπερ ἂν ᾖ πλείω καὶ μείζω· εἰ δὲ παροξῦναι καὶ τοῦτον καὶ πάντας, ἐατέον.

[¶35] 38. Then again we shall find that he has not the same claim to consideration as these others. For in the first case the man who struck the judge had three excuses: he was drunk, he was in love, and he did not know what he was doing in the darkness and the night. Polyzelus again explained that owing to his ungovernable temper he had lost his head when he committed the offence; there was no hostility behind the act and no intention to insult. But Meidias cannot plead any of these excuses, for he was my enemy, and he assaulted me willfully by daylight, and not only on that, but on every occasion he has shown a deliberate intention to insult me.

> Greek: 38. ἔτι τοίνυν οὐδʼ ὁμοίαν οὖσαν τούτῳ κἀκείνοις συγγνώμην εὑρήσομεν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὁ τὸν θεσμοθέτην πατάξας τρεῖς εἶχεν προφάσεις, μέθην, ἔρωτα, ἄγνοιαν διὰ τὸ σκότους καὶ νυκτὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα γενέσθαι. ἔπειθʼ ὁ Πολύζηλος ὀργῇ καὶ τρόπου προπετείᾳ φθάσας τὸν λογισμὸν ἁμαρτὼν ἔπαισεν· οὐ γὰρ ἐχθρός γʼ ὑπῆρχεν ὤν, οὐδʼ ἐφʼ ὕβρει τοῦτʼ ἐποίησεν. ἀλλʼ οὐ Μειδίᾳ τούτων οὐδὲν ἔστʼ εἰπεῖν· καὶ γὰρ ἐχθρὸς ἦν, καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν εἰδὼς ὕβριζεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτου μόνον, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πάντων φαίνεται προῃρημένος μʼ ὑβρίζειν.

[¶36] 39. And indeed I can see no comparison between my own conduct and that of those others. In the first case it will be proved that the judge took no thought or concern for you or for the laws, but was privately induced by a sum of money—I cannot say how much—to drop his action. In the same way the man who was struck by Polyzelus was privately squared, laughed in his sleeve at you and your laws, and never even prosecuted his assailant.

> Greek: 39. καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐμοὶ καὶ τούτοις οὐδὲν ὅμοιον ὁρῶ. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὁ θεσμοθέτης οὐχ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν οὐδὲ τῶν νόμων φροντίσας οὐδʼ ἀγανακτήσας φανήσεται, ἀλλʼ ἰδίᾳ πεισθεὶς ὁπόσῳ δήποτʼ ἀργυρίῳ καθυφεὶς τὸν ἀγῶνα· ἔπειθʼ ὁ πληγεὶς ἐκεῖνος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πολυζήλου, ταὐτὸ τοῦτο, ἰδίᾳ διαλυσάμενος, ἐρρῶσθαι πολλὰ τοῖς νόμοις εἰπὼν καὶ ὑμῖν, οὐδʼ εἰσήγαγε τὸν Πολύζηλον.

[¶37] 40. Such statements, then, are quite in point if one wishes to accuse those men today, but as a defence of Meidias against my indictments they are the very last pleas that should be urged. For my conduct was clean contrary to theirs. It will be proved that I never got, or tried to get, any advantage for myself, but religiously observed, and have now restored to your keeping, the task of avenging the laws, the god, and your interests. Do not then allow him to make these statements, or if he persists, do not give him credence as if his plea were just. If he finds that this is your fixed determination, he will have nothing to say, not a word.

> Greek: 40. εἰ μὲν τοίνυν ἐκείνων κατηγορεῖν βούλεταί τις ἐν τῷ παρόντι, δεῖ λέγειν ταῦτα· εἰ δʼ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγὼ τούτου κατηγόρηκʼ ἀπολογεῖσθαι, πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ ταῦτα λεκτέα. πᾶν γὰρ τοὐναντίον ἐκείνοις αὐτὸς μὲν οὔτε λαβὼν οὐδὲν οὔτʼ ἐπιχειρήσας λαβεῖν φανήσομαι, τὴν δʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν νόμων καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τιμωρίαν δικαίως φυλάξας καὶ νῦν ἀποδεδωκὼς ὑμῖν. μὴ τοίνυν ἐᾶτε ταῦτʼ αὐτὸν λέγειν, μηδʼ, ἂν βιάζηται, πείθεσθʼ ὡς δίκαιόν τι λέγοντι.

[¶38] 41. For what sort of pretext, what decent and moderate excuse, can he show for his conduct? Anger? Possibly that will be his plea. But whereas in cases where a sudden loss of self-control has impelled a man even to inflict a wanton insult, it is open to him to say that he has acted in anger; if, on the other hand, he is detected in a continuous course of law-breaking, spread over many days, surely this is far from a mere fit of anger and he stands convicted of a deliberate policy of insult.

> Greek: 41. ἂν γὰρ ταῦθʼ οὕτως ἐγνωσμένʼ ὑπάρχῃ παρʼ ὑμῖν, οὐκ ἐνέσται αὐτῷ λόγος οὐδὲ εἷς. ποία γὰρ πρόφασις, τίς ἀνθρωπίνη καὶ μετρία σκῆψις φανεῖται τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ; ὀργὴ νὴ Δία· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο τυχὸν λέξει. ἀλλʼ ἃ μὲν ἄν τις ἄφνω τὸν λογισμὸν φθάσας ἐξαχθῇ πρᾶξαι, κἂν ὑβριστικῶς ποιήσῃ, διʼ ὀργήν γʼ ἔνι φῆσαι πεποιηκέναι· ἃ δʼ ἂν ἐκ πολλοῦ συνεχῶς ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας παρὰ τοὺς νόμους πράττων τις φωρᾶται, οὐ μόνον δήπου τοῦ μὴ μετʼ ὀργῆς ἀπέχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ βεβουλευμένως ὁ τοιοῦτος ὑβρίζων ἐστὶν ἤδη φανερός.

[¶39] 42. Very well; since he has clearly done what I accuse him of, and has done it by way of insult, we must now consider the laws, gentlemen of the jury, for it is in accordance with the laws that you have sworn to give your verdict. Observe, moreover, that the laws treat the willful and insolent transgressors as deserving more resentment and a heavier punishment than other classes of offenders.

> Greek: 42. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὁπηνίκα καὶ πεποιηκὼς ἃ κατηγορῶ καὶ ὕβρει πεποιηκὼς φαίνεται, τοὺς νόμους ἤδη δεῖ σκοπεῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί· κατὰ γὰρ τούτους δικάσειν ὀμωμόκατε. καὶ θεωρεῖθʼ ὅσῳ μείζονος ὀργῆς καὶ ζημίας ἀξιοῦσι τοὺς ἑκουσίως καὶ διʼ ὕβριν πλημμελοῦντας τῶν ἄλλως πως ἐξαμαρτανόντων.

[¶40] 43. First then, all the laws of damage—to take these first—order the offender to pay the amount twice over if the damage is willful, but only once if it is involuntary. This is reasonable, because, while the injured party is in any case entitled to relief, the law does not ordain that the resentment against the aggressor should be the same, whether his act is voluntary or involuntary. Again, the laws of homicide punish willful murder with death, perpetual exile, and confiscation of goods, but accidental homicide they treat with much consideration and charity.

> Greek: 43. πρῶτον μὲν τοίνυν οἱ περὶ τῆς βλάβης οὗτοι νόμοι πάντες, ἵνʼ ἐκ τούτων ἄρξωμαι, ἂν μὲν ἑκὼν βλάψῃ, διπλοῦν, ἂν δʼ ἄκων, ἁπλοῦν τὸ βλάβος κελεύουσιν ἐκτίνειν. εἰκότως· ὁ μὲν γὰρ παθὼν πανταχοῦ βοηθείας δίκαιος τυγχάνειν, τῷ δράσαντι δʼ οὐκ ἴσην τὴν ὀργήν, ἄν θʼ ἑκὼν ἄν τʼ ἄκων, ἔταξʼ ὁ νόμος. ἔπειθʼ οἱ φονικοὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐκ προνοίας ἀποκτιννύντας θανάτῳ καὶ ἀειφυγίᾳ καὶ δημεύσει τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ζημιοῦσι, τοὺς δʼ ἀκουσίως αἰδέσεως καὶ φιλανθρωπίας πολλῆς ἠξίωσαν.

[¶41] 44. It is not only in these, but in all cases, that the laws may be seen to be severe against premeditated outrages. For how is it that if a man who has lost his case fails to pay, the law thereupon is not content with a private suit for ejectment, but directs the imposition of a further fine to the treasury? Or again, how is it that if a man takes from another by mutual consent a sum of one, two, or ten talents, and then fraudulently withholds it, the State has no concern with him; but if a man, taking something that would merit only a trifling fine, keeps it back by force, then the laws direct the jury to impose an additional fine for the treasury equal to that paid to the private owner?

> Greek: 44. οὐ μόνον δʼ ἐπὶ τούτων τοῖς ἐκ προαιρέσεως ὑβρισταῖς χαλεποὺς ὄντας ἰδεῖν ἔστι τοὺς νόμους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφʼ ἁπάντων. τί γὰρ δή ποτʼ, ἄν τις ὀφλὼν δίκην μὴ ἐκτίνῃ, οὐκέτʼ ἐποίησʼ ὁ νόμος τὴν ἐξούλην ἰδίαν, ἀλλὰ προστιμᾶν ἐπέταξε τῷ δημοσίῳ; καὶ πάλιν τί δή ποτʼ, ἂν μὲν ἑκὼν παρʼ ἑκόντος τις λάβῃ τάλαντον ἓν ἢ δύʼ ἢ δέκα καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀποστερήσῃ, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἐστίν, ἂν δὲ μικροῦ πάνυ τιμήματος ἄξιόν τις λάβῃ, βίᾳ δὲ τοῦτʼ ἀφέληται, τὸ ἴσον τῷ δημοσίῳ προστιμᾶν οἱ νόμοι κελεύουσιν ὅσον περ δὴ τῷ ἰδιώτῃ;

[¶42] 45. The answer is that the legislator regarded every deed of violence as a public offence, committed against those also who are not directly concerned. For force belongs to the few, but the laws to all alike; and the man who agreed to the transaction can right himself privately, but the victim of violence needs relief at the hands of the State. On this principle, for the actual assault the law grants everyone the right to prosecute, but makes over the whole of the fine to the State. The legislator considered that the State, as well as the injured party, was wronged by the author of the outrage, and that his punishment was sufficient compensation for the victim, who ought not to make money for himself out of such wrongs.

> Greek: 45. ὅτι πάνθʼ ὅσα τις βιαζόμενος πράττει κοίνʼ ἀδικήματα καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἔξω τοῦ πράγματος ὄντων ἡγεῖθʼ ὁ νομοθέτης· τὴν μὲν γὰρ ἰσχὺν ὀλίγων, τοὺς δὲ νόμους ἁπάντων εἶναι, καὶ τὸν μὲν πεισθέντʼ ἰδίας, τὸν δὲ βιασθέντα δημοσίας δεῖσθαι βοηθείας. διόπερ καὶ τῆς ὕβρεως αὐτῆς τὰς μὲν γραφὰς ἔδωκεν ἅπαντι τῷ βουλομένῳ, τὸ δὲ τίμημʼ ἐποίησεν ὅλον δημόσιον· τὴν γὰρ πόλιν ἡγεῖτʼ ἀδικεῖν, οὐ τὸν παθόντα μόνον, τὸν ὑβρίζειν ἐπιχειροῦντα, καὶ δίκην ἱκανὴν τὴν τιμωρίαν εἶναι τῷ παθόντι, χρήματα δʼ οὐ προσήκειν τῶν τοιούτων ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ λαμβάνειν.

## 2. Sections 46–90

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

[¶0] 46. Indeed he went to such extreme lengths that even if a slave was assaulted, he granted him the same right of bringing a public action. He thought that he ought to look, not at the rank of the sufferer, but at the nature of the act, and when he found the act unjustifiable, he would not give it his sanction either in regard to a slave or in any other case. For nothing, men of Athens, nothing in the world is more intolerable than a personal outrage, nor is there anything that more deserves your resentment. Read me the actual law with regard to it. There is nothing like hearing the law’s own words. The Law “If anyone assaults any child or woman or man, whether free or slave, or commits any unlawful act against anyone of these, any Athenian citizen who desires so to do, being qualified, may indict him before the Judges; and the Judges shall bring the case before the Heliastic Court within thirty days from the date of the indictment, unless some public business prevents, in which case it shall be brought on the earliest possible date.

> Greek: 46. καὶ τοσαύτῃ γʼ ἐχρήσαθʼ ὑπερβολῇ, ὥστε κἂν εἰς δοῦλον ὑβρίζῃ τις, ὁμοίως ἔδωκεν ὑπὲρ τούτου γραφήν. οὐ γὰρ ὅστις ὁ πάσχων ᾤετο δεῖν σκοπεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ὁποῖόν τι τὸ γιγνόμενον· ἐπειδὴ δʼ εὗρεν οὐκ ἐπιτήδειον, μήτε πρὸς δοῦλον μήθʼ ὅλως ἐξεῖναι πράττειν ἐπέτρεψεν. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τῶν πάντων οὐδὲν ὕβρεως ἀφορητότερον, οὐδʼ ἐφʼ ὅτῳ μᾶλλον ὑμῖν ὀργίζεσθαι προσήκει. ἀνάγνωθι δʼ αὐτόν μοι λαβὼν τὸν τῆς ὕβρεως νόμον· οὐδὲν γὰρ οἷον ἀκούειν αὐτοῦ τοῦ νόμου. ΝΟΜΟΣ ἐάν τις ὑβρίζῃ εἴς τινα, ἢ παῖδα ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ ἄνδρα, τῶν ἐλευθέρων ἢ τῶν δούλων, ἢ παράνομόν τι ποιήσῃ εἰς τούτων τινά, γραφέσθω πρὸς τοὺς θεσμοθέτας ὁ βουλόμενος Ἀθηναίων οἷς ἔξεστιν, οἱ δὲ θεσμοθέται εἰσαγόντων εἰς τὴν ἡλιαίαν τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν ἀφʼ ἧς ἂν γραφῇ, ἐὰν μή τι δημόσιον κωλύῃ, εἰ δὲ μή, ὅταν ᾖ πρῶτον οἷόν τε.

[¶1] 47. Whomsoever the Court shall condemn, it shall at once assess the punishment or the fine which he is considered to deserve. In all cases where an indictment is entered, as the law directs, if anyone fails to prosecute, or after prosecution fails to obtain one fifth of the votes of the jury, he shall pay a thousand drachmas to the Treasury. If he is fined for the assault, he shall be imprisoned until the fine is paid, provided that the offence was committed against a freeman.”

> Greek: 47. ὅτου δʼ ἂν καταγνῷ ἡ ἡλιαία, τιμάτω περὶ αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα, ὅτου ἂν δοκῇ ἄξιος εἶναι παθεῖν ἢ ἀποτεῖσαι. ὅσοι δʼ ἂν γράφωνται γραφὰς ἰδίας κατὰ τὸν νόμον, ἐάν τις μὴ ἐπεξέλθῃ ἢ ἐπεξιὼν μὴ μεταλάβῃ τὸ πέμπτον μέρος τῶν ψήφων, ἀποτεισάτω χιλίας δραχμὰς τῷ δημοσίῳ. ἐὰν δὲ ἀργυρίου τιμηθῇ τῆς ὕβρεως, δεδέσθω, ἐὰν ἐλεύθερον ὑβρίσῃ, μέχρι ἂν ἐκτείσῃ.

[¶2] 48. Athenians, you hear the humanity of the law, which does not permit even slaves to be assaulted. In heaven’s name, think what this means. Suppose someone carried this law to the barbarous nations from whom we import our slaves; suppose he praised you and described your city to them in these words: “There are in Greece men so mild and humane in disposition that though they have often been wronged by you, and though they have inherited a natural hostility towards you, yet they permit no insult to be offered even to the men whom they have bought for a price and keep as their slaves. Nay, they have publicly established this law forbidding such insult, and they have already punished many of the transgressors with death.”

> Greek: 48. ἀκούετʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῦ νόμου τῆς φιλανθρωπίας, ὃς οὐδὲ τοὺς δούλους ὑβρίζεσθαι ἀξιοῖ. τί οὖν πρὸς θεῶν; εἴ τις εἰς τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐνεγκὼν τὸν νόμον τοῦτον, παρʼ ὧν τὰ ἀνδράποδʼ εἰς τοὺς Ἕλληνας κομίζεται, ἐπαινῶν ὑμᾶς καὶ διεξιὼν περὶ τῆς πόλεως εἴποι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι εἰσὶν Ἕλληνές τινες ἄνθρωποι οὕτως ἥμεροι καὶ φιλάνθρωποι τοὺς τρόπους ὥστε πόλλʼ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἠδικημένοι, καὶ φύσει τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔχθρας αὐτοῖς ὑπαρχούσης πατρικῆς, ὅμως οὐδʼ ὅσων ἂν τιμὴν καταθέντες δούλους κτήσωνται, οὐδὲ τούτους ὑβρίζειν ἀξιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ νόμον δημοσίᾳ τὸν ταῦτα κωλύσοντα τέθεινται τουτονὶ καὶ πολλοὺς ἤδη παραβάντας τὸν νόμον τοῦτον ἐζημιώκασιν θανάτῳ,

[¶3] 50. If the barbarians heard these words and understood their import, do you not think that they would unanimously appoint you their protectors? As regards this law then, which is so well esteemed among the Greeks and would be well esteemed among the barbarians also, consider what penalty he who transgresses it will have to pay before he has paid his deserts.

> Greek: 50. εἰ ταῦτʼ ἀκούσειαν καὶ συνεῖεν οἱ βάρβαροι, οὐκ ἂν οἴεσθε δημοσίᾳ πάντας ὑμᾶς προξένους αὑτῶν ποιήσασθαι; τὸν τοίνυν οὐ παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν μόνον εὐδοκιμοῦντα νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς βαρβάροις εὖ δόξαντʼ ἂν ἔχειν, σκοπεῖσθʼ ὁ παραβὰς ἥντινα δοὺς δίκην ἀξίαν ἔσται δεδωκώς.

[¶4] 51. Now if I had not been chorus-master, men of Athens, when I was thus maltreated by Meidias, it is only the personal insult that one would have condemned; but under the circumstances I think one would be justified in condemning also the impiety of the act. You surely realize that all your choruses and hymns to the god are sanctioned, not only by the regulations of the Dionysia, but also by the oracles, in all of which, whether given at Delphi or at Dodona, you will find a solemn injunction to the State to set up dances after the ancestral custom, to fill the streets with the savour of sacrifice, and to wear garlands.

> Greek: 51. εἰ μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μὴ χορηγὸς ὢν ταῦτʼ ἐπεπόνθειν ὑπὸ Μειδίου, ὕβριν ἄν τις μόνον κατέγνω τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ· νῦν δέ μοι δοκεῖ, κἂν ἀσέβειαν εἰ καταγιγνώσκοι, τὰ προσήκοντα ποιεῖν. ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι τοὺς χοροὺς ὑμεῖς ἅπαντας τούτους καὶ τοὺς ὕμνους τῷ θεῷ ποιεῖτε, οὐ μόνον κατὰ τοὺς νόμους τοὺς περὶ τῶν Διονυσίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὰς μαντείας, ἐν αἷς ἁπάσαις ἀνῃρημένον εὑρήσετε τῇ πόλει, ὁμοίως ἐκ Δελφῶν καὶ ἐκ Δωδώνης, χοροὺς ἱστάναι κατὰ τὰ πάτρια καὶ κνισᾶν ἀγυιὰς καὶ στεφανηφορεῖν.

[¶5] 52. Please take and read the actual oracles. The Oracles You I address, Pandion’s townsmen and sons of Erechtheus,
who appoint your feasts by the ancient rites of your fathers.
See you forget not Bacchus, and joining all in the dances
Down your broad-spaced streets, in thanks for the gifts of the season,
Crown each head with a wreath, while incense reeks on the altars. For health sacrifice and pray to Zeus Most High, to Heracles, and to Apollo the Protector; for good fortune to Apollo, god of the streets, to Leto, and to Artemis; and along the streets set wine-bowls and dances, and wear garlands after the manner of your fathers in honor of all gods and all goddesses of Olympus, raising right hands and left in supplication, and remember your gifts.

> Greek: 52. ἀνάγνωθι δέ μοι λαβὼν αὐτὰς τὰς μαντείας. ΜΑΝΤΕΙΑ αὐδῶ Ἐρεχθείδῃσιν, ὅσοι Πανδίονος ἄστυ
ναίετε καὶ πατρίοισι νόμοις ἰθύνεθʼ ἑορτάς,
μεμνῆσθαι Βάκχοιο, καὶ εὐρυχόρους κατʼ ἀγυιὰς
ἱστάναι ὡραίων Βρομίῳ χάριν ἄμμιγα πάντας,
καὶ κνισᾶν βωμοῖσι κάρη στεφάνοις πυκάσαντας. περὶ ὑγιείας θύειν καὶ εὔχεσθαι Διὶ ὑπάτῳ, Ἡρακλεῖ, Ἀπόλλωνι προστατηρίῳ· περὶ τύχας ἀγαθᾶς Ἀπόλλωνι ἀγυιεῖ, Λατοῖ, Ἀρτέμιδι, καὶ κατʼ ἀγυιὰς κρατῆρας ἱστάμεν καὶ χοροὺς καὶ στεφαναφορεῖν καττὰ πάτρια θεοῖς Ὀλυμπίοις πάντεσσι καὶ πάσαις, ἰδίας δεξιὰς καὶ ἀριστερὰς ἀνίσχοντας, καὶ μνασιδωρεῖν. ΕΚ ΔΩΔΩΝΗΣ ΜΑΝΤΕΙΑΙ τῷ δήμῳ τῷ Ἀθηναίων ὁ τοῦ Διὸς σημαίνει.

[¶6] 53. Oracles from Dodona To the people of the Athenians the prophet of Zeus announces. Whereas ye have let pass the seasons of the sacrifice and of the sacred embassy, he bids you send nine chosen envoys, and that right soon. To Zeus of the Ship sacrifice three oxen and with each ox three sheep; to Dione one ox and a brazen table for the offering which the people of the Athenians have offered. The prophet of Zeus in Dodona announces. To Dionysus pay public sacrifices and mix a bowl of wine and set up dances; to Apollo the Averter sacrifice an ox and wear garlands, both free men and slaves, and observe one day of rest; to Zeus, the giver of wealth, a white bull.

> Greek: 53. ὅτι τὰς ὥρας παρηνέγκατε τῆς θυσίας καὶ τῆς θεωρίας, αἱρετοὺς πέμπειν κελεύει θεωροὺς ἕνεκα τούτου διὰ ταχέων, ⟨καὶ⟩ τῷ Διὶ τῷ Ναΐῳ τρεῖς βοῦς καὶ πρὸς ἑκάστῳ βοῒ δύο οἶς, τῇ Διώνῃ βοῦν καλλιερεῖν, καὶ τράπεζαν χαλκῆν [καὶ] πρὸς τὸ ἀνάθημα ὃ ἀνέθηκεν ὁ δῆμος ὁ Ἀθηναίων. ὁ τοῦ Διὸς σημαίνει ἐν Δωδώνῃ, Διονύσῳ δημοτελῆ ἱερὰ τελεῖν καὶ κρατῆρα κεράσαι καὶ χοροὺς ἱστάναι, Ἀπόλλωνι ἀποτροπαίῳ βοῦν θῦσαι, καὶ στεφανηφορεῖν ἐλευθέρους καὶ δούλους, καὶ ἐλινύειν μίαν ἡμέραν. Διὶ κτησίῳ βοῦν λευκόν.

[¶7] 54. Besides these oracles, men of Athens, there are many others addressed to our city, and excellent oracles they are. Now what conclusion ought you to draw from them? That while they prescribe the sacrifices to the gods indicated in each oracle, to every oracle that is published they add the injunction to set up dances and to wear garlands after the manner of our ancestors.

> Greek: 54. εἰσίν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ αὗται καὶ ἄλλαι πολλαὶ μαντεῖαι τῇ πόλει κἀγαθαί. τί οὖν ἐκ τούτων ὑμᾶς ἐνθυμεῖσθαι δεῖ; ὅτι τὰς μὲν ἄλλας θυσίας τοῖς ἐφʼ ἑκάστης μαντείας προφαινομένοις θεοῖς προστάττουσι θύειν, ἱστάναι δὲ χοροὺς καὶ στεφανηφορεῖν κατὰ τὰ πάτρια πρὸς ἁπάσαις ταῖς ἀφικνουμέναις μαντείαις προσαναιροῦσιν ὑμῖν.

[¶8] 55. Therefore in the case of all the choruses that are constituted, together with their chorus-masters, during the days on which we meet in competition, these oracles make it clear that we wear our crowns as your representatives, the winner as well as the one destined to be last of all; it is not until the day of the prize-giving that the victor receives his own special crown. If, then, a man commits a malicious assault on any member or master of these choruses, especially during the actual contest in the sacred precinct of the god, can we deny that he is guilty of impiety?

> Greek: 55. οἱ τοίνυν χοροὶ πάντες οἱ γιγνόμενοι καὶ οἱ χορηγοὶ δῆλον ὅτι τὰς μὲν ἡμέρας ἐκείνας ἃς συνερχόμεθʼ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα, κατὰ τὰς μαντείας ταύτας ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐστεφανώμεθα, ὁμοίως ὅ τε μέλλων νικᾶν καὶ ὁ πάντων ὕστατος γενήσεσθαι, τῇ δὲ τῶν ἐπινικίων ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ τότʼ ἤδη στεφανοῦται ὁ νικῶν. τὸν οὖν εἴς τινα τούτων τῶν χορευτῶν ἢ τῶν χορηγῶν ὑβρίζοντʼ ἐπʼ ἔχθρᾳ, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἀγῶνι καὶ ἐν τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ἱερῷ, τοῦτον ἄλλο τι πλὴν ἀσεβεῖν φήσομεν;

[¶9] 56. Moreover, you are aware that, although anxious to exclude aliens from the contest, you do not grant unlimited right to any chorus-master to summon for scrutiny any member of a chorus; if he summons him, he is fined fifty drachmas, and a thousand drachmas if he orders him to sit among the spectators. What is the object? To protect the crowned official, who is doing public service to the god, from being maliciously summoned or annoyed or insulted on that day.

> Greek: 56. καὶ μὴν ἴστε γε τοῦθʼ ὅτι βουλόμενοι μηδένʼ ἀγωνίζεσθαι ξένον οὐκ ἐδώκαθʼ ἁπλῶς τῶν χορηγῶν οὐδενὶ προσκαλέσαντι τοὺς χορευτὰς σκοπεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μὲν καλέσῃ, πεντήκοντα δραχμάς, ἐὰν δὲ καθέζεσθαι καθέζεσθαι κελεύσῃ, χιλίας ἀποτίνειν ἐτάξατε. τίνος εἵνεκα; ὅπως μὴ τὸν ἐστεφανωμένον καὶ λῃτουργοῦντα τῷ θεῷ ταύτην τὴν ἡμέραν καλῇ μηδʼ ἐπηρεάζῃ μηδʼ ὑβρίζῃ μηδεὶς ἐξεπίτηδες.

[¶10] 57. So even the man who in due course of law summons a member of a chorus will not escape a fine. And shall not he be punished who in contempt of all the laws thus publicly strikes the master of a chorus? Surely it is useless for your laws to be thus well and humanely framed for the protection of the humbler citizen, if those who disobey and flout them are not to incur the resentment of you who are, for the time being, entrusted with their administration.

> Greek: 57. εἶτα τὸν μὲν χορευτὴν οὐδʼ ὁ προσκαλέσας κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἀζήμιος ἔσται, τὸν δὲ χορηγὸν οὐδʼ ὁ συγκόψας παρὰ πάντας τοὺς νόμους οὕτω φανερῶς δώσει δίκην; ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδέν ἐστʼ ὄφελος καλῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως τοὺς νόμους ὑπὲρ τῶν πολλῶν κεῖσθαι, εἰ τοῖς ἀπειθοῦσι καὶ βιαζομένοις αὐτοὺς ἡ παρʼ ὑμῶν ὀργὴ τῶν ἀεὶ κυρίων μὴ γενήσεται.

[¶11] 58. And now I solemnly call your attention to another point. I shall beg you not to be offended if I mention by name some persons who have fallen into misfortune; for I swear to you that in doing so I have no intention of casting reproach upon any man; I only want to show you how carefully all the rest of you avoid anything like violent or insulting behavior. There is, for instance, Sannio, the trainer of the tragic choruses, who was convicted of shirking military service and so found himself in trouble.

> Greek: 58. φέρε δὴ πρὸς θεῶν κἀκεῖνο σκέψασθε. παραιτήσομαι δʼ ὑμᾶς μηδὲν ἀχθεσθῆναί μοι, ἐὰν ἐπὶ συμφορᾶς τινῶν γεγονότων ὀνομαστὶ μνησθῶ· οὐ γὰρ ὀνειδίσαι μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς οὐδενὶ δυσχερὲς οὐδὲν βουλόμενος τοῦτο ποιήσω, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι τὸ βιάζεσθαι καὶ ὑβρίζειν καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖν ὡς ἅπαντες ὑμεῖς οἱ ἄλλοι φεύγετε. Σαννίων ἐστὶ δήπου τις ὁ τοὺς τραγικοὺς χοροὺς διδάσκων· οὗτος ἀστρατείας ἑάλω καὶ κέχρηται συμφορᾷ.

[¶12] 59. After that misfortune he was hired by a chorus-master—Theozotides, if I am not mistaken—who was keen to win a victory in the tragedies. Well, at first the rival masters were indignant and threatened to debar him, but when they saw that the theater was full and the crowd assembled for the contest, they hesitated, they gave way, and no one laid a finger on him. One can see that the forbearance which piety inspires in every one of you is such that Sannio has been training choruses ever since, not hindered even by his private enemies, much less by any of the chorus-masters.

> Greek: 59. τοῦτον μετὰ τὴν ἀτυχίαν ταύτην ἐμισθώσατό τις φιλονικῶν χορηγὸς τραγῳδῶν, οἶμαι, Θεοζοτίδης. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἠγανάκτουν οἱ ἀντιχορηγοὶ καὶ κωλύσειν ἔφασαν, ὡς δʼ ἐπληρώθη τὸ θέατρον καὶ τὸν ὄχλον συνειλεγμένον εἶδον ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα, ὤκνησαν, εἴασαν, οὐδεὶς ἥψατο, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐν ἑκάστῳ τις ἂν ὑμῶν ἴδοι τὸ συγκεχωρηκὸς ὥστε πάντα τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνον διδάσκει τοὺς χοροὺς καὶ οὐδὲ τῶν ἰδίων ἐχθρῶν οὐδεὶς κωλύει· τοσοῦτʼ ἀπέχει τῶν χορηγῶν.

[¶13] 60. Then again there is Aristeides of the tribe of Oeneis, who has had a similar misfortune. He is now an old man and perhaps less useful in a chorus, but he was once chorus-leader for his tribe. You know, of course, that if the leader is withdrawn, the rest of the chorus is done for. But in spite of the keen rivalry of many of the chorus-masters, not one of them looked at the possible advantage or ventured to remove him or prevent him from performing. Since this involved laying hands on him, and since he could not be cited before the Archon as if he were an alien whom it was desired to eject, every man shrank from being seen as the personal author of such an outrage.

> Greek: 60. ἄλλος ἐστὶν Ἀριστείδης Οἰνῇδος φυλῆς, ἠτυχηκώς τι καὶ οὗτος τοιοῦτον, ὃς νῦν μὲν καὶ γέρων ἐστὶν ἤδη καὶ ἴσως ἥττων χορευτής, ἦν δέ ποθʼ ἡγεμὼν τῆς φυλῆς [κορυφαῖος]. ἴστε δὲ δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι τὸν ἡγεμόνʼ ἂν ἀφέλῃ τις, οἴχεται ὁ λοιπὸς χορός. ἀλλʼ ὅμως πολλῶν χορηγῶν φιλονικησάντων, οὐδεὶς πώποτε τοῦτʼ εἶδε τὸ πλεονέκτημα, οὐδʼ ἐτόλμησε τοῦτον ἐξαγαγεῖν οὐδὲ κωλῦσαι· διὰ γὰρ τὸ δεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπιλαβόμενον τῇ χειρὶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι καὶ μὴ προσκαλέσασθαι πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντʼ ἐξεῖναι, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ξένον τις ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐβούλετο, ἅπας τις ὤκνει τῆς ἀσελγείας ταύτης αὐτόχειρ ὀφθῆναι γιγνόμενος.

[¶14] 61. Then is not this, gentlemen of the jury, a shocking and intolerable position? On the one hand, chorus-masters, who think that such a course might bring them victory and who have in many cases spent all their substance on their public services, have never dared to lay hands even on one whom the law permits them to touch, but show such caution, such piety, such moderation that, in spite of their expenditure and their eager competition, they restrain themselves and respect your wishes and your zeal for the festival. Meidias, on the other hand, a private individual who has been put to no expense, just because he has fallen foul of a man whom he hates—a man, remember, who is spending his money as chorus-master and who has full rights of citizenship—insults him and strikes him and cares nothing for the festival, for the laws, for your opinion, or for the god’s honor.

> Greek: 61. οὔκουν δεινόν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ σχέτλιον τῶν μὲν νικᾶν ἂν παρὰ τοῦτʼ οἰομένων χορηγῶν, τῶν ἀνηλωκότων πολλάκις πάντα τὰ ὄντʼ εἰς τὰς λῃτουργίας, μηδένα τολμῆσαι πώποτε μηδʼ ὧν οἱ νόμοι διδόασιν ἅψασθαι, ἀλλʼ οὕτως εὐλαβῶς, οὕτως εὐσεβῶς, οὕτω μετρίως διακεῖσθαι ὥστʼ ἀναλίσκοντας, ἀγωνιῶντας ὅμως ἀπέχεσθαι καὶ προορᾶσθαι τὰς ὑμετέρας βουλήσεις καὶ τὴν περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν σπουδήν, Μειδίαν δʼ ἰδιώτην ὄντα, μηδὲν ἀνηλωκότα, ὅτι τῳ προσέκρουσεν καὶ ἐχθρὸς ὑπῆρχεν, τοῦτον ἀναλίσκοντα, χορηγοῦντα, ἐπίτιμον ὄντα προπηλακίζειν καὶ τύπτειν, καὶ μήτε τῆς ἑορτῆς μήτε τῶν νόμων μήτε τί ὑμεῖς ἐρεῖτε μήτε τοῦ θεοῦ φροντίζειν;

[¶15] 62. Now although men have quarrelled often enough, whether on private or on public grounds, no one has ever been so lost to shame as to venture on such conduct as this. Yet it is said that the famous Iphicrates once had a serious quarrel with Diocles of the Pitthean deme, and, to make matters worse, Iphicrates’ brother Teisias happened to be a chorus-master in competition with Diocles. Iphicrates was a wealthy man with many friends and had a high opinion of himself, as a man would naturally have who had earned so many honors and distinctions at your hands;

> Greek: 62. πολλῶν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, γεγενημένων ἐχθρῶν ἀλλήλοις, οὐ μόνον ἐξ ἰδίων ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ κοινῶν πραγμάτων, οὐδεὶς πώποτʼ εἰς τοσοῦτʼ ἀναιδείας ἀφίκεθʼ ὥστε τοιοῦτόν τι τολμῆσαι ποιεῖν. καίτοι φασὶν Ἰφικράτην ποτʼ ἐκεῖνον Διοκλεῖ τῷ Πιθεῖ τὰ μάλιστʼ ἐλθεῖν εἰς ἔχθραν, καὶ ἔτι πρὸς τούτῳ συμβῆναι Τεισίαν τὸν Ἰφικράτους ἀδελφὸν ἀντιχορηγῆσαι τῷ Διοκλεῖ. ἀλλʼ ὅμως πολλοὺς μὲν ἔχων φίλους Ἰφικράτης, πολλὰ δὲ χρήματα κεκτημένος, φρονῶν δʼ ἐφʼ αὑτῷ τηλικοῦτον ἡλίκον εἰκὸς ἄνδρα καὶ δόξης καὶ τιμῶν τετυχηκόθʼ ὧν ἐκεῖνος ἠξίωτο παρʼ ὑμῶν, οὐκ ἐβάδιζʼ ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν χρυσοχόων οἰκίας νύκτωρ, οὐδὲ κατερρήγνυεν τὰ παρασκευαζόμενʼ ἱμάτιʼ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, οὐδὲ διέφθειρε διδάσκαλον, οὐδὲ χορὸν μανθάνειν ἐκώλυεν, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδὲν ὧν οὗτος διεπράττετʼ ἐποίει, ἀλλὰ τοῖς νόμοις καὶ τῇ τῶν ἄλλων βουλήσει συγχωρῶν ἠνείχετο καὶ νικῶντα καὶ στεφανούμενον τὸν ἐχθρὸν ὁρῶν, εἰκότως·

[¶16] 63. but Iphicrates never went under cover of night to the goldsmiths’ shops, he never ripped up the costumes intended for the festival, he never bribed the instructor and hindered the training of the chorus, he never played any of the tricks that Meidias repeatedly practised. No, he submitted to the laws and to the wishes of his fellow-citizens, and patiently witnessed the victory and the crowning of his enemy. And he was right; for he felt that such submission was due to the constitution under which he himself had enjoyed such prosperity. Take another instance. We all know that Philostratus of Colonus was one of the accusers when Chabrias was tried for his life on charges relating to Oropus, and that he showed himself the bitterest of them all, and that afterwards he won the prize at the Dionysia with a chorus of boys. Yet Chabrias neither struck him nor snatched the crown off his head nor in any way intruded where he had no right.

> Greek: 63. ἐν ᾗ γὰρ αὐτὸς εὐδαίμων ᾔδει γεγονὼς πολιτείᾳ, ταύτῃ συγχωρεῖν τὰ τοιαῦτʼ ἠξίου. πάλιν Φιλόστρατον πάντες ἴσμεν τὸν Κολωνῆθεν Χαβρίου κατηγοροῦντα, ὅτʼ ἐκρίνετο τὴν περὶ Ὠρωποῦ κρίσιν θανάτου, καὶ πάντων τῶν κατηγόρων πικρότατον γενόμενον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα χορηγοῦντα παισὶν Διονύσια καὶ νικῶντα, καὶ Χαβρίαν οὔτε τύπτοντα οὔτʼ ἀφαρπάζοντα τὸν στέφανον οὔθʼ ὅλως προσιόνθʼ ὅποι μὴ προσῆκεν αὐτῷ.

[¶17] 65. I could mention many others who on various grounds have quarrelled with their neighbors, but I have never seen or heard of anyone who carried his insolence so far as to behave like this. And I am quite sure that no one here can recall any case where a man, involved in a public or private dispute, has taken his stand beside the umpires while they were being named, or dictated the oath when they were being sworn, or paraded his hostility on any such occasion.

> Greek: 65. πολλοὺς δʼ ἂν ἔχων εἰπεῖν ἔτι καὶ διὰ πολλὰς προφάσεις ἐχθροὺς γεγενημένους ἀλλήλοις, οὐδένα πώποτʼ οὔτʼ ἀκήκοα οὔθʼ ἑόρακα ὅστις εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐλήλυθεν ὕβρεως ὥστε τοιοῦτόν τι ποιεῖν. οὐδέ γʼ ἐκεῖνʼ οὐδεὶς ὑμῶν οἶδʼ ὅτι μνημονεύει πρότερον, τῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἢ καὶ τοῖς κοινοῖς ἐχθρῶν ἀλλήλοις οὐδένʼ οὔτε καλουμένων τῶν κριτῶν παρεστηκότα, οὔθʼ ὅταν ὀμνύωσιν ἐξορκοῦντα, οὔθʼ ὅλως ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐχθρὸν ἐξεταζόμενον.

[¶18] 66. These and all similar acts, Athenians, are partly excusable in a chorus-master who is carried away by emulation; but to harass a man with one’s hostility, deliberately and on every occasion, and to boast one’s own power as superior to the laws, that, by Heaven! is cruel and unjust and contrary to your interests. For if each man when he becomes chorus-master could foresee this result: “If So-and-so is my enemy—Meidias for example or anyone else equally rich and unscrupulous—first I shall be robbed of my victory, even if I make a better show than any of my competitors next I shall be worsted at every point and exposed to repeated insults:” who is so irrational or such a poor creature that he would voluntarily consent to spend a single drachma?

> Greek: 66. ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, φιλονικίᾳ μὲν ὑπαχθέντα χορηγὸν ὄντα ποιεῖν ἔχει τινὰ συγγνώμην· ἔχθρᾳ δʼ ἐλαύνοντά τινα, ἐκ προαιρέσεως, ἐφʼ ἅπασι, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν κρείττω τῶν νόμων οὖσαν ἐνδεικνύμενον, Ἡράκλεις, βαρὺ κοὐχὶ δίκαιόν ἐστιν οὐδὲ συμφέρον ὑμῖν. εἰ γὰρ ἑκάστῳ τῶν χορηγούντων τοῦτο πρόδηλον γένοιτο, ὅτι ἂν ὁ δεῖνʼ ἐχθρὸς ᾖ μοι, Μειδίας ἤ τις ἄλλος θρασὺς οὕτω καὶ πλούσιος, πρῶτον μὲν ἀφαιρεθήσομαι τὴν νίκην, κἂν ἄμεινον ἀγωνίσωμαί τινος, ἔπειτʼ ἐφʼ ἅπασιν ἐλαττωθήσομαι καὶ προπηλακιζόμενος διατελῶ, τίς οὕτως ἀλόγιστος ἢ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιός ἐστιν, ὅστις ἑκὼν ἂν μίαν δραχμὴν ἐθελήσειεν ἀναλῶσαι; οὐδεὶς δήπου.

[¶19] 67. I suppose what tends to make everyone public-spirited and liberal with his money is the reflection that under a democracy each man has his share of just and equal rights. Now I, men of Athens, was deprived of those rights through this man’s acts, and, quite apart from the insults I endured, I was robbed of my victory. Yet I shall prove to all of you beyond a doubt that Meidias, without committing any outrageous offence, without insulting or striking me, had it in his power both to cause me trouble and to display his public spirit to you in a legitimate way, so that I should not be able to open my lips against him.

> Greek: 67. ἀλλʼ, οἶμαι, τὸ πάντας ποιοῦν καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι καὶ ἀναλίσκειν ἐθέλειν ἐκεῖνʼ ἐστίν, ὅτι τῶν ἴσων καὶ τῶν δικαίων ἕκαστος ἡγεῖται ἑαυτῷ μετεῖναι ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ. ἐγὼ τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τούτων οὐκ ἔτυχον διὰ τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ὧν ὑβρίσθην, καὶ τῆς νίκης προσαπεστερήθην. καίτοι πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ἐγὼ τοῦτο δείξω σαφῶς, ὅτι μηδὲν ἀσελγὲς ἐξῆν ποιοῦντι Μειδίᾳ μηδʼ ὑβρίζοντι μηδὲ τύπτοντι καὶ λυπεῖν ἐμὲ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους αὐτῷ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ μηδὲ διᾶραι περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ στόμʼ ἔχειν ἐμέ.

[¶20] 68. This is what he ought to have done, Athenians. When I offered myself to the Assembly as chorus-master for the tribe of Pandionis, he should have got up and offered himself as a rival master for his own tribe of Erechtheis he should have put himself on equal terms with me and spent his money as I was spending mine and tried in that way to wrest the victory from me; but not even as my rival should he have thus insulted and struck me.

> Greek: 68. ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅτʼ ἐγὼ τῆς Πανδιονίδος χορηγὸς ὑπέστην ἐν τῷ δήμῳ, τότε τῆς Ἐρεχθῇδος ἀναστάντα, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φυλῆς, ἀνθυποστῆναι, καὶ καταστήσανθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐξ ἴσου καὶ τὰ ὄντʼ ἀναλίσκονθʼ ὥσπερ ἐγώ, οὕτω μʼ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὴν νίκην, ὑβρίζειν δὲ τοιαῦτα καὶ τύπτειν μηδὲ τότε.

[¶21] 69. As it was, he did not adopt this course, by which he might have done honor to the people, nor did he work off his high spirits in this way. No; I was his target, I who in my madness, men of Athens,—for it may be madness to engage in something beyond one’s power perhaps in my ambition, volunteered for chorus-master. He harassed me with a persecution so undisguised and so brutal that neither the sacred costumes nor the chorus nor at last even my own person was safe from his hands.

> Greek: 69. νῦν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἐν ᾧ τὸν δῆμον ἐτίμησεν ἄν, οὐδʼ ἐνεανιεύσατο τοιοῦτον οὐδέν· ἐμοὶ δʼ, ὃς εἴτε τις, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, βούλεται νομίσαι μανίαν (μανία γὰρ ἴσως ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ δύναμίν τι ποιεῖν), εἴτε καὶ φιλοτιμίᾳ χορηγὸς ὑπέστην, οὕτω φανερῶς καὶ μιαρῶς ἐπηρεάζων παρηκολούθησεν ὥστε μηδὲ τῶν ἱερῶν ἱματίων μηδὲ τοῦ χοροῦ μηδὲ τοῦ σώματος τὼ χεῖρε τελευτῶν ἀποσχέσθαι μου.

[¶22] 70. Now if there is anyone of you, Athenians, whose anger against Meidias falls short of a demand for his death, he is wrong. For it is neither just nor proper that the forbearance of the victim should contribute to the acquittal of a man who has put no check on his insolence. The latter you should punish as if the results of his conduct had been utterly irremediable; to the former you should show your goodwill by favouring his cause.

> Greek: 70. εἰ τοίνυν τις ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἄλλως πως ἔχει τὴν ὀργὴν ἐπὶ Μειδίαν ἢ ὡς δέον αὐτὸν τεθνάναι, οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἔχει. οὐ γάρ ἐστι δίκαιον οὐδὲ προσῆκον τὴν τοῦ παθόντος εὐλάβειαν τῷ μηδὲν ὑποστειλαμένῳ πρὸς ὕβριν μερίδʼ εἰς σωτηρίαν ὑπάρχειν, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ὡς ἁπάντων τῶν ἀνηκέστων αἴτιον κολάζειν προσήκει, τῷ δʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ βοηθεῖν ἀποδιδόναι τὴν χάριν.

[¶23] 71. You cannot retort that such acts have never had any serious consequences, but that I am now exaggerating the incident and representing it as formidable. That is wide of the mark. But all, or at least many, know what Euthynus, the once famous wrestler, a youngster, did to Sophilus the prize-fighter. He was a dark, brawny fellow. I am sure some of you know the man I mean. He met him in Samos at a gathering—just a private pleasure-party-and because he imagined he was insulting him, took such summary vengeance that he actually killed him. It is a matter of common knowledge that Euaeon, the brother of Leodamas, killed Boeotus at a public banquet and entertainment in revenge for a single blow.

> Greek: 71. οὐδὲ γὰρ αὖ τοῦτʼ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὡς οὐ γεγενημένου πώποτʼ οὐδενὸς ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων δεινοῦ τῷ λόγῳ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ἐγὼ νῦν αἴρω καὶ φοβερὸν ποιῶ. πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ. ἀλλʼ ἴσασιν ἅπαντες, εἰ δὲ μή, πολλοί γε, Εὔθυνον τὸν παλαίσαντά ποτʼ ἐκεῖνον, τὸν νεανίσκον, [καὶ] Σώφιλον τὸν παγκρατιαστήν (ἰσχυρός τις ἦν, μέλας, εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι γιγνώσκουσίν τινες ὑμῶν ὃν λέγω,) τοῦτον ἐν Σάμῳ ἐν συνουσίᾳ τινὶ καὶ διατριβῇ οὕτως ἰδίᾳ, ὅτι [ὁ τύπτων] αὐτὸν ὑβρίζειν ᾤετο, ἀμυνάμενον οὕτως ὥστε καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι. ἴσασιν Εὐαίωνα πολλοὶ τὸν Λεωδάμαντος ἀδελφόν, ἀποκτείναντα Βοιωτὸν ἐν δείπνῳ καὶ συνόδῳ κοινῇ διὰ πληγὴν μίαν.

[¶24] 72. For it was not the blow but the indignity that roused the anger. To be struck is not the serious thing for a free man, serious though it is, but to be struck in wanton insolence. Many things, Athenians, some of which the victim would find it difficult to put into words, may be done by the striker—by gesture, by look, by tone; when he strikes in wantonness or out of enmity; with the fist or on the cheek. These are the things that provoke men and make them beside themselves, if they are unused to insult. No description, men of Athens, can bring the outrage as vividly before the hearers as it appears in truth and reality to the victim and to the spectators.

> Greek: 72. οὐ γὰρ ἡ πληγὴ παρέστησε τὴν ὀργήν, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἀτιμία· οὐδὲ τὸ τύπτεσθαι τοῖς ἐλευθέροις ἐστὶ δεινόν, καίπερ ὂν δεινόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐφʼ ὕβρει. πολλὰ γὰρ ἂν ποιήσειεν ὁ τύπτων, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὧν ὁ παθὼν ἔνιʼ οὐδʼ ἂν ἀπαγγεῖλαι δύναιθʼ ἑτέρῳ, τῷ σχήματι, τῷ βλέμματι, τῇ φωνῇ, ὅταν ὡς ὑβρίζων, ὅταν ὡς ἐχθρὸς ὑπάρχων, ὅταν κονδύλοις, ὅταν ἐπὶ κόρρης. ταῦτα κινεῖ, ταῦτʼ ἐξίστησιν ἀνθρώπους αὑτῶν, ἀήθεις ὄντας τοῦ προπηλακίζεσθαι. οὐδεὶς ἄν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ταῦτʼ ἀπαγγέλλων δύναιτο τὸ δεινὸν παραστῆσαι τοῖς ἀκούουσιν οὕτως ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τοῦ πράγματος τῷ πάσχοντι καὶ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐναργὴς ἡ ὕβρις φαίνεται.

[¶25] 73. In the name of all the gods, Athenians, I ask you to reflect and calculate in your own minds how much more reason I had to be angry when I suffered so at the hands of Meidias, than Euaeon when he killed Boeotus. Euaeon was struck by an acquaintance, who was drunk at the time, in the presence of six or seven witnesses, who were also acquaintances and might be depended upon to denounce the one for his offence and commend the other if he had patiently restrained his feelings after such an affront, especially as Euaeon had gone to sup at a house which he need never have entered at all.

> Greek: 73. σκέψασθε δὴ πρὸς Διὸς καὶ θεῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ λογίσασθε παρʼ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ὅσῳ πλείονʼ ὀργὴν ἐμοὶ προσῆκε παραστῆναι πάσχοντι τοιαῦθʼ ὑπὸ Μειδίου ἢ τότʼ ἐκείνῳ τῷ Εὐαίωνι τῷ τὸν Βοιωτὸν ἀποκτείναντι. ὁ μέν γʼ ὑπὸ γνωρίμου, καὶ τούτου μεθύοντος, ἐναντίον ἓξ ἢ ἕπτʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐπλήγη, καὶ τούτων γνωρίμων, οἳ τὸν μὲν κακιεῖν οἷς ἔπραξε, τὸν δʼ ἐπαινέσεσθαι μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀνασχόμενον καὶ κατασχόνθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἔμελλον, καὶ ταῦτʼ εἰς οἰκίαν ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, οἷ μηδὲ βαδίζειν ἐξῆν αὐτῷ·

[¶26] 74. But I was assaulted by a personal enemy early in the day, when he was sober, prompted by insolence, not by wine, in the presence of many foreigners as well as citizens, and above all in a temple which I was strictly obliged to enter by virtue of my office. And, Athenians, I consider that I was prudent, or rather happily inspired, when I submitted at the time and was not impelled to any irremediable action; though I fully sympathize with Euaeon and anyone else who, when provoked, takes the law into his own hands.

> Greek: 74. ἐγὼ δʼ ὑπʼ ἐχθροῦ, νήφοντος, ἕωθεν, ὕβρει καὶ οὐκ οἴνῳ τοῦτο ποιοῦντος, ἐναντίον πολλῶν καὶ ξένων καὶ πολιτῶν ὑβριζόμην, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν ἱερῷ καὶ οἷ πολλή μοι ἦν ἀνάγκη βαδίζειν χορηγοῦντι. καὶ ἐμαυτὸν μέν γʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, σωφρόνως, μᾶλλον δʼ εὐτυχῶς οἶμαι βεβουλεῦσθαι, ἀνασχόμενον τότε καὶ οὐδὲν ἀνήκεστον ἐξαχθέντα πρᾶξαι· τῷ δʼ Εὐαίωνι καὶ πᾶσιν, εἴ τις αὑτῷ βεβοήθηκεν ἀτιμαζόμενος, πολλὴν συγγνώμην ἔχω.

[¶27] 75. My views were, I think, shared at that trial by many of the jury; for I am told that he was only condemned by a single vote, and yet he had no recourse to tears or supplications and made no effort, small or great, to win the favour of his judges. Let us assume, then, that the judges who condemned him did so, not because he retaliated, but because he did it in such a way as to kill the aggressor, while the judges who acquitted him allowed even this licence of revenge to a man who had suffered an outrage on his person.

> Greek: 75. δοκοῦσι δέ μοι καὶ τῶν δικασάντων τότε πολλοί· ἀκούω γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔγωγε μιᾷ μόνον ἁλῶναι ψήφῳ, καὶ ταῦτʼ οὔτε κλαύσαντʼ οὔτε δεηθέντα τῶν δικαστῶν οὐδενός, οὔτε φιλάνθρωπον οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μέγʼ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν πρὸς τοὺς δικαστὰς ποιήσαντα. θῶμεν τοίνυν οὑτωσί, τοὺς μὲν καταγνόντας αὐτοῦ μὴ ὅτι ἠμύνατο, διὰ τοῦτο καταψηφίσασθαι, ἀλλʼ ὅτι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ὥστε καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι, τοὺς δʼ ἀπογνόντας καὶ ταύτην τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς τιμωρίας τῷ γε τὸ σῶμʼ ὑβρισμένῳ δεδωκέναι.

[¶28] 76. What follows? I who was so careful not to cause any irremediable mischief that I never retaliated—from whom am I to seek redress for my sufferings? I think it should be from you and from the laws. I think that you should set up a precedent for all to follow, that no one who wantonly assaults and outrages another should be punished by the victim himself in hot blood, but must be brought into your court, because it is you who confirm and uphold the protection granted by the laws to those who are injured.

> Greek: 76. τί οὖν; ἐμοὶ τῷ τοσαύτῃ κεχρημένῳ προνοίᾳ τοῦ μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον γενέσθαι, ὥστε μηδʼ ἀμύνασθαι, παρὰ τοῦ τὴν τιμωρίαν ὧν πέπονθʼ ἀποδοθῆναι προσήκει; ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι παρʼ ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων, καὶ παράδειγμά γε πᾶσι γενέσθαι τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅτι τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας ἅπαντας καὶ τοὺς ἀσελγεῖς οὐκ αὐτὸν ἀμύνεσθαι μετὰ τῆς ὀργῆς, ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς ἄγειν δεῖ, ὡς βεβαιούντων ὑμῶν καὶ φυλαττόντων τὰς ἐν τοῖς νόμοις τοῖς παθοῦσι βοηθείας.

[¶29] 77. Now I expect, gentlemen of the jury, that some of you are anxious to hear about the quarrel between Meidias and myself; for you must suppose that no human being could treat a fellow-countryman with such violence and brutality, unless he had a long account to settle with him. Well, I am quite willing to give you a detailed account of this quarrel from its inception, so that you may understand that on this score too, as I shall prove, he owes me reparation. The narrative shall be brief, though I may seem to go a long way back for the start.

> Greek: 77. οἶμαι τοίνυν τινὰς ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ποθεῖν ἀκοῦσαι τὴν ἔχθραν, ἥτις ἦν ἡμῖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους· νομίζειν γὰρ οὐδένʼ ἂν ἀνθρώπων οὕτως ἀσελγῶς καὶ βιαίως οὐδενὶ τῶν πολιτῶν χρήσασθαι, μὴ μεγάλου τινὸς ὄντος ὃ αὐτῷ προωφείλετο. βούλομαι δὴ καὶ περὶ ταύτης ὑμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰπεῖν καὶ διηγήσασθαι, ἵνʼ εἰδῆθʼ ὅτι καὶ τούτων ὀφείλων δίκην φανήσεται. ἔσται δὲ βραχὺς περὶ αὐτῶν ὁ λόγος, κἂν ἄνωθεν ἄρχεσθαι δοκῶ.

[¶30] 78. When I brought my action against my guardians for the recovery of my patrimony, being a mere lad, neither acquainted with Meidias nor even aware of his existence—would that I were not acquainted with him now!—when my suit was due to come on in three or four days, Meidias and his brother suddenly burst into my house and challenged me to take over their trierarchy. It was the brother, Thrasylochus, who submitted his name and made the challenge; but the real author of all these proceedings was Meidias.

> Greek: 78. ἡνίκα τὰς δίκας ἔλαχον τῶν πατρῴων τοῖς ἐπιτρόποις, μειρακύλλιον ὢν κομιδῇ καὶ τοῦτον οὐδʼ εἰ γέγονʼ εἰδὼς οὐδὲ γιγνώσκων ὡς μηδὲ νῦν ὤφελον, τότε μοι μελλουσῶν εἰσιέναι τῶν δικῶν εἰς ἡμέραν ὡσπερεὶ τετάρτην ἢ πέμπτην εἰσεπήδησαν ἁδελφὸς ὁ τούτου καὶ οὗτος εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀντιδιδόντες τριηραρχίαν. τοὔνομα μὲν δὴ παρέσχεν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀντιδιδοὺς Θρασύλοχος· τὰ δʼ ἔργα πάντʼ ἦν καὶ τὰ πραττόμενα ὑπὸ τούτου.

[¶31] 79. And first they forced the doors of the apartments, assuming that these became their property by the terms of the challenge; next in the presence of my sister, who was a young girl still living at home, they used foul language such as only men of their stamp would use—nothing would induce me to repeat to you some of their expressions—and they uttered unrestrained abuse of my mother and myself and all my family. But, what was more shocking still, from words they proceeded to deeds, and they were going to drop the lawsuits, claiming them as their own, to oblige my guardians.

> Greek: 79. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν κατέσχισαν τὰς θύρας τῶν οἰκημάτων, ὡς αὐτῶν ἤδη γιγνομένας κατὰ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν· εἶτα τῆς ἀδελφῆς, ἔτʼ ἔνδον [οὔσης] τότε καὶ παιδὸς οὔσης κόρης, ἐναντίον ἐφθέγγοντʼ αἰσχρὰ καὶ τοιαῦθʼ οἷʼ ἂν ἄνθρωποι τοιοῦτοι φθέγξαιντο (οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε προαχθείην ἂν εἰπεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς τῶν τότε ῥηθέντων οὐδέν), καὶ τὴν μητέρα κἀμὲ καὶ πάντας ἡμᾶς ῥητὰ καὶ ἄρρητα κάκʼ ἐξεῖπον· ὃ δʼ οὖν δεινότατον καὶ οὐ λόγος, ἀλλʼ ἔργον ἤδη· τὰς δίκας ὡς αὐτῶν οὔσας ἀφίεσαν τοῖς ἐπιτρόποις.

[¶32] 80. All this is ancient history, though I expect some of you remember it, for all Athens heard of the challenge and of the plot they then hatched and of their brutal behavior. As for me, being quite alone in the world and a mere lad, I did not want to lose the property that was still in the hands of my guardians, and I expected to obtain, not the trifle that I was actually able to recover, but all that I knew I had been robbed of; so I gave them twenty minas, the sum which they had paid for the performance of their trierarchy by deputy. Such was the scandalous treatment that I received at their hands.

> Greek: 80. καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐστὶ μὲν παλαιά, ὅμως δέ τινας μνημονεύειν ὑμῶν οἴομαι· ὅλη γὰρ ἡ πόλις τὴν ἀντίδοσιν καὶ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τότε ταύτην καὶ τὴν ἀσέλγειαν ᾔσθετο. κἀγὼ τότε παντάπασιν ἔρημος ὢν καὶ νέος κομιδῇ, ἵνα μὴ τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἐπιτρόποις ἀποστερηθείην, οὐχ ὅσʼ ἐδυνήθην ἀνακομίσασθαι προσδοκῶν εἰσπράξειν, ἀλλʼ ὅσων ἐμαυτῷ συνῄδειν ἀπεστερημένῳ, δίδωμʼ εἴκοσι μνᾶς τούτοις, ὅσου τὴν τριηραρχίαν ἦσαν μεμισθωκότες. τὰ μὲν δὴ τόθʼ ὑβρίσματα τούτων εἰς ἐμὲ ταῦτʼ ἐστίν.

[¶33] 81. Next I brought an action against Meidias for slander and gained the verdict by default, for he did not appear. He had put himself into my power by failing to pay the fine, but I did not lay hands on his property. Instead I obtained leave to bring an action for ejectment, but to this day I have never been able to commence it, such shifts and quibbles does he find to thwart me. While I think it my duty to proceed thus with caution, legally and constitutionally, Meidias, as you learn, thought fit to treat with brutal insolence not only me and mine, but also my fellow-tribesmen through me.

> Greek: 81. δίκην δὲ τούτῳ λαχὼν ὕστερον τῆς κακηγορίας εἷλον ἐρήμην· οὐ γὰρ ἀπήντα. λαβὼν δʼ ὑπερήμερον καὶ ἔχων, οὐδενὸς ἡψάμην πώποτε τῶν τούτου, ἀλλὰ λαχὼν ἐξούλης πάλιν οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον εἰσελθεῖν δεδύνημαι· τοσαύτας τέχνας καὶ σκήψεις οὗτος εὑρίσκων ἐκκρούει. κἀγὼ μὲν οὕτως εὐλαβῶς τῇ δίκῃ, τοῖς νόμοις ἅπαντα πράττειν ἀξιῶ· ὁ δʼ, ὡς ὑμεῖς ἀκούετε, ἀσελγῶς οὐ μόνον εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς ᾤετο δεῖν ὑβρίζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὺς φυλέτας διʼ ἐμέ.

[¶34] 82. To prove the truth of this, please call my witnesses, so that you may know that, before obtaining legal redress for my former injuries, I have again been insulted in the way that you have heard. The Deposition “We, Callisthenes of Sphettus, Diognetus of Thoricus, Mnesitheus of Alopece, know that Demosthenes, for whom we appear, has brought an action for ejectment against Meidias, who is now also being publicly prosecuted by him, and that eight years have now passed since that action, and that Meidias has been the cause of all the delay by repeated excuses and procrastinations.”

> Greek: 82. ὡς οὖν ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, κάλει μοι τούτων τοὺς μάρτυρας, ἵνʼ εἰδῆθʼ ὅτι, πρὶν κατὰ τοὺς νόμους δίκην ὧν πρότερον ἠδικήθην λαβεῖν, πάλιν τοιαῦθʼ οἷʼ ἀκηκόαθʼ ὕβρισμαι. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑ Καλλισθένης Σφήττιος, Διόγνητος Θορίκιος, Μνησίθεος Ἀλωπεκῆθεν, οἴδαμεν Δημοσθένην, ᾧ μαρτυροῦμεν, κρίσιν λελογχότα Μειδίᾳ ἐξούλης, τῷ καὶ νῦν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ κρινομένῳ δημοσίᾳ, καὶ ἤδη τῇ κρίσει ἐκείνῃ διαγεγονότα ἔτη ὀκτώ, καὶ τοῦ χρόνου γεγενημένον παντὸς αἴτιον Μειδίαν ἀεὶ προφασιζόμενον καὶ ἀναβαλλόμενον.

[¶35] 83. Hear now what he has done, men of Athens, in the matter of the legal action and observe his insolent and overbearing conduct on each occasion. In that action—I mean the one in which I obtained a verdict against him—the arbitrator assigned to me was Strato of Phalerum, a man of small means and no experience, but in other respects quite a good fellow; but his appointment proved the unhappy man’s ruin—a ruin undeserved, unjust, and in every way scandalous.

> Greek: 83. ὃ τοίνυν πεποίηκεν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, περὶ τῆς δίκης, ἀκούσατε, καὶ θεωρεῖτʼ ἐφʼ ἑκάστου τὴν ὕβριν καὶ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν αὐτοῦ. τῆς γὰρ δίκης, ταύτης λέγω ἧς εἷλον αὐτόν, γίγνεταί μοι διαιτητὴς Στράτων Φαληρεύς, ἄνθρωπος πένης μέν τις καὶ ἀπράγμων, ἄλλως δʼ οὐ πονηρός, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ χρηστός· ὅπερ τὸν ταλαίπωρον οὐκ ὀρθῶς οὐδὲ δικαίως, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ αἰσχρῶς ἀπολώλεκεν.

[¶36] 84. This Strato, acting as arbitrator, when the appointed day arrived and all the legal delays had been exhausted—counter-pleas, demurrers, and the rest of them—and there was not a trick left, at first begged me to abandon the arbitration, and then to postpone it till the next day, and at the last, as I continued to refuse and Meidias did not appear in court, and it was getting late, he gave his decision against him.

> Greek: 84. οὗτος διαιτῶν ἡμῖν ὁ Στράτων, ἐπειδή ποθʼ ἧκεν ἡ κυρία, πάντα δʼ ἤδη διεξεληλύθει ταῦτα τἀκ τῶν νόμων, ὑπωμοσίαι καὶ παραγραφαί, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔτʼ ἦν ὑπόλοιπον, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπισχεῖν ἐδεῖτό μου τὴν δίαιταν, ἔπειτʼ εἰς τὴν ὑστεραίαν ἀναβαλέσθαι· τὸ τελευταῖον δʼ, ὡς οὔτʼ ἐγὼ συνεχώρουν οὔθʼ οὗτος ἀπήντα, τῆς δʼ ὥρας ἐγίγνετʼ ὀψέ, κατεδιῄτησεν.

[¶37] 85. It was now evening and growing dark. Up comes this fellow Meidias to the office of the Archons, and finds them just leaving and Strato already making his way home after having handed to them his judgement of guilty by default. This I learned from one of the bystanders. Well, at first he had the impudence to try and persuade Strato to report a judgement for the defendant instead of one for the plaintiff, and he wanted the Archons to alter the record and offered them fifty drachmas.

> Greek: 85. ἤδη δʼ ἑσπέρας οὔσης καὶ σκότους ἔρχεται Μειδίας οὑτοσὶ πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων οἴκημα, καὶ καταλαμβάνει τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐξιόντας καὶ τὸν Στράτωνʼ ἀπιόντʼ ἤδη, τὴν ἔρημον δεδωκότα, ὡς ἐγὼ τῶν παραγενομένων τινὸς ἐπυνθανόμην. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον οἷός τʼ ἦν πείθειν αὐτόν, ἣν κατεδεδιῃτήκει, ταύτην ἀποδεδιῃτημένην ἀποφαίνειν, καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας μεταγράφειν, καὶ πεντήκοντα δραχμὰς αὐτοῖς ἐδίδου·

[¶38] 86. But finding that they resented the offer and that he could persuade neither Archons nor arbitrator, he threatened them and blackguarded them and went off and—what do you think he did? Just observe his malignity. [He appealed against the arbitration but omitted the oath, thus allowing the verdict against him to be made absolute, and he was recorded as unsworn. Then, wishing to conceal his real object,] he waited for the last day for appeal against the arbitrators, which falls in Thargelion or Scirophorion, a day on which some of the arbitrators turned up but others did not;

> Greek: 86. ὡς δʼ ἐδυσχέραινον οὗτοι τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ οὐδετέρους ἔπειθεν, ἀπειλήσας καὶ διαλοιδορηθεὶς ἀπελθὼν τί ποιεῖ; καὶ θεάσασθε τὴν κακοήθειαν. τὴν μὲν δίαιταν ἀντιλαχὼν οὐκ ὤμοσεν, ἀλλʼ εἴασε καθʼ αὑτοῦ κυρίαν γενέσθαι, καὶ ἀνώμοτος ἀπηνέχθη· βουλόμενος δὲ τὸ μέλλον λαθεῖν, φυλάξας τὴν τελευταίαν ἡμέραν τῶν διαιτητῶν, τὴν τοῦ θαργηλιῶνος ἢ τοῦ σκιροφοριῶνος γιγνομένην, εἰς ἣν ὁ μὲν ἦλθε τῶν διαιτητῶν, ὁ δʼ οὐκ ἦλθε, πείσας τὸν πρυτανεύοντα δοῦναι τὴν ψῆφον παρὰ πάντας τοὺς νόμους, κλητῆρʼ οὐδʼ ὁντινοῦν ἐπιγραψάμενος, κατηγορῶν ἔρημον, οὐδενὸς παρόντος, ἐκβάλλει καὶ ἀτιμοῖ τὸν διαιτητήν·

[¶39] 87. he induced the presiding arbitrator to put it to the vote contrary to all the laws, because Meidias had not appended the name of a single witness to the summons; he denounces Strato in his absence and in the absence of witnesses, and gets him struck off the roll of arbitrators and disfranchised. And so a citizen of Athens, because Meidias lost his suit by default, has been deprived of all his civic rights, and has been irrevocably disfranchised; and it is unsafe for him to bring an action against Meidias when wronged, or to act as arbitrator for him, or even, it seems, to walk the same street with him.

> Greek: 87. καὶ νῦν εἷς Ἀθηναίων, ὅτι Μειδίας ἔρημον ὦφλε δίκην, ἁπάντων ἀπεστέρηται τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ καθάπαξ ἄτιμος γέγονεν· καὶ οὔτε λαχεῖν ἀδικηθέντα οὔτε διαιτητὴν γενέσθαι Μειδίᾳ οὔθʼ ὅλως τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν βαδίζειν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἔστʼ ἀσφαλές.

[¶40] 88. Now you must consider the transaction from this point of view. Estimate what loss Meidias must have suffered before he could plan such a dire revenge against a fellow-citizen; and if it was something really terrible and overwhelming, he may be forgiven, but if it was nothing of the sort, mark the insolent brutality with which he treats all whom he comes across. Well, what loss has he suffered? He was cast, you reply, in a big lawsuit, so big that he has lost all his property.

> Greek: 88. δεῖ δὴ τοῦτο τὸ πρᾶγμʼ ὑμᾶς οὑτωσὶ σκέψασθαι, καὶ λογίσασθαι τί ποτʼ ἔσθʼ ὃ παθὼν Μειδίας οὕτως ὠμὸν τηλικαύτην ἐπεβούλευσε λαβεῖν τῶν πεπραγμένων παρʼ ἀνδρὸς πολίτου δίκην, κἂν μὲν ᾖ τι δεινὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ ὑπερφυές, συγγνώμην ἔχειν, ἐὰν δὲ μηδέν, θεάσασθε τὴν ἀσέλγειαν καὶ τὴν ὠμότητα, ᾗ καθʼ ἁπάντων χρῆται τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων. τί οὖν ἔσθʼ ὃ πέπονθεν; μεγάλην νὴ Δίʼ ὦφλε δίκην καὶ τοσαύτην ὥστʼ ἀποστερεῖσθαι τῶν ὄντων. ἀλλὰ χιλίων ἡ δίκη μόνον ἦν δραχμῶν.

[¶41] 89. But the lawsuit only involved a thousand drachmas. True, you will say; but the galling thing is to be made to pay unfairly, and it was the unfairness of it that caused him to let the day of payment pass unnoticed. But he noticed his mistake the same day, which is the strongest possible proof that Strato had done him no wrong; and he has not yet paid a single drachma. But of that later.

> Greek: 89. πάνυ γε, ἀλλὰ δάκνει καὶ τοῦτο, φαίη τις ἄν, ὅταν ἐκτίνειν ἀδίκως δέῃ, συνέβη δʼ ὑπερημέρῳ γενομένῳ λαθεῖν αὐτῷ διὰ τὸ ἀδικηθῆναι. ἀλλʼ αὐθημερὸν μὲν ᾔσθετο, ὃ καὶ μέγιστόν ἐστι τεκμήριον τοῦ μηδὲν ἠδικηκέναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, δραχμὴν δʼ οὐδέπω μίαν ἐκτέτεικεν.

[¶42] 90. But of course he could have moved for a fresh trial on the ground of nullity, and so made me the object of his litigation as at the first. But no; that was not his game. To save him from defending a suit in which the penalty was fixed by law at ten minas—the suit in which he neglected to apppear—to save him from paying the penalty if guilty or if innocent, a citizen of Athens must needs be disfranchised, and must obtain neither pardon nor right of defence nor any sort of equitable treatment, privileges extended even to those whose guilt is established.

> Greek: 90. ἀλλὰ μή πω τοῦτο. ἀλλὰ τὴν μὴ οὖσαν ἀντιλαχεῖν ἐξῆν αὐτῷ δήπου, καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα καταστήσασθαι, πρὸς ὅνπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἦν ἡ δίκη. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐβούλετο· ἀλλʼ ἵνα μὴ Μειδίας ἀτίμητον ἀγωνίσηται δέκα μνῶν δίκην, πρὸς ἣν οὐκ ἀπήντα δέον, καὶ εἰ μὲν ἠδίκηκε, δίκην δῷ, εἰ δὲ μή, ἀποφύγῃ, ἄτιμον Ἀθηναίων ἕνʼ εἶναι δεῖ καὶ μήτε συγγνώμης μήτε λόγου μήτε ἐπιεικείας μηδεμιᾶς τυχεῖν, ἃ καὶ τοῖς ὄντως ἀδικοῦσιν ἅπανθʼ ὑπάρχει.

## 3. Sections 91–132

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/3/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/3/#p-N

[¶0] 91. But now that he has disfranchised the man he wanted to, and you have indulged him in this; now that he has sated that shameless temper that prompted him to this course, has he finished the business? Has he paid the fine, to escape which he ruined the poor fellow? Not a brass farthing of it to this day! He submits rather to be the defendant in an action for ejectment. So the one man is disfranchised and ruined on a side issue; the other is unscathed and is playing havoc with the laws, the arbitrators, and everything else that he pleases.

> Greek: 91. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδή γʼ ἠτίμωσεν ὃν ἐβουλήθη, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐχαρίσασθʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν ἀναιδῆ γνώμην, ᾗ ταῦτα προαιρεῖται ποιεῖν, ἐνέπλησεν αὑτοῦ, ἐκεῖνʼ ἐποίησε, τὴν καταδίκην ἐκτέτεικε, διʼ ἣν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπώλεσεν; οὐδὲ χαλκοῦν οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον, ἀλλὰ δίκην ἐξούλης ὑπομένει φεύγειν. οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν ἠτίμωται καὶ παραπόλωλεν, ὁ δʼ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν πέπονθεν, ἀλλʼ ἄνω κάτω τοὺς νόμους, τοὺς διαιτητάς, πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἂν βούληται στρέφει.

[¶1] 92. Moreover, he has secured the validity of the award against the arbitrator, which he maneuvered to get without serving a summons, while the suit which he lost to me, wittingly and after due summons, this he renders invalid. Yet if such is the vengeance that he claims from arbitrators who have given judgement against him by default, what vengeance ought you to wreak on a man who openly and wantonly transgresses your laws? [For if disfranchisement and loss of all legal and civil rights is a fitting punishment for that other offence, death seems an inadequate one for this reckless outrage.]

> Greek: 92. καὶ τὴν μὲν κατὰ τοῦ διαιτητοῦ γνῶσιν, ἣν ἀπρόσκλητον κατεσκεύασεν, αὐτὸς κυρίαν αὑτῷ πεποίηται· ἣν δʼ αὐτὸς ὦφλεν ἐμοὶ προσκληθείς, εἰδώς, οὐκ ἀπαντῶν, ἄκυρον ποιεῖ. καίτοι εἰ παρὰ τῶν ἔρημον καταδιαιτησάντων αὐτοῦ τηλικαύτην δίκην οὗτος ἀξιοῖ λαμβάνειν, τίνʼ ὑμῖν προσήκει παρὰ τούτου λαβεῖν, τοῦ φανερῶς τοὺς ὑμετέρους νόμους ἐφʼ ὕβρει παραβαίνοντος; εἰ γὰρ ἀτιμία καὶ νόμων καὶ δικῶν καὶ πάντων στέρησις ἐκείνου τἀδικήματος προσήκουσʼ ἐστὶν δίκη, τῆς γʼ ὕβρεως μικρὰ θάνατος φαίνεται.

[¶2] 93. However, to prove the truth of my statements, please call the witnesses, and also read the law concerning arbitrators. The Witnesses “We, Nicostratus of Myrrhinus and Phanias of Aphidna, know that Demosthenes, for whom we appear, and Meidias, who is being prosecuted by Demosthenes, when Demosthenes brought his action against him for slander, chose Strato as arbitrator; and when the statutory day arrived, Meidias did not appear in court but abandoned the case. Judgement having gone by default against Meidias, we know that Meidias tried to induce Strato, the arbitrator, and us, who were at that time Archons, to reverse the judgement against him, and he offered us fifty drachmas, and, when we resented his offer, he threatened us and so departed. Also we know that on this account Strato was victimized by Meidias and was disfranchised contrary to all justice.”

> Greek: 93. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω, κάλει μοι τούτων τοὺς μάρτυρας, καὶ τὸν τῶν διαιτητῶν ἀνάγνωθι νόμον. Μάρτυρες Νικόστρατος Μυρρινούσιος, Φανίας Ἀφιδναῖος οἴδαμεν Δημοσθένην, ᾧ μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ Μειδίαν τὸν κρινόμενον ὑπὸ Δημοσθένους, ὅτʼ αὐτῷ Δημοσθένης ἔλαχε τὴν τοῦ κακηγορίου δίκην, ἑλομένους διαιτητὴν Στράτωνα, καὶ ἐπεὶ ἧκεν ἡ κυρία τοῦ νόμου, οὐκ ἀπαντήσαντα Μειδίαν ἐπὶ τὴν δίαιταν, ἀλλὰ καταλιπόντα. γενομένης δὲ ἐρήμου κατὰ Μειδίου, ἐπιστάμεθα Μειδίαν πείθοντα τόν τε Στράτωνα τὸν διαιτητὴν καὶ ἡμᾶς, ὄντας ἐκείνοις τοῖς χρόνοις ἄρχοντας, ὅπως τὴν δίαιταν αὐτῷ ἀποδιαιτήσομεν, καὶ διδόντα δραχμὰς πεντήκοντα. καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐχ ὑπεμείναμεν, προσαπειλήσαντα ἡμῖν καὶ οὕτως ἀπαλλαγέντα. καὶ διὰ ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιστάμεθα Στράτωνα ὑπὸ Μειδίου καταβραβευθέντα καὶ παρὰ πάντα τὰ δίκαια ἀτιμωθέντα.

[¶3] 94. Read also the law concerning arbitrators. The Law “If any parties are in dispute concerning private contracts and wish to choose any arbitrator, it shall be lawful for them to choose whomsoever they wish. But when they have chosen by mutual agreement, they shall abide by his decisions and shall not transfer the same charges from him to another court, but the judgements of the arbitrator shall be final.”

> Greek: 94. λέγε δὴ καὶ τὸν τῶν διαιτητῶν νόμον. ΝΟΜΟΣ Ἐὰν δέ τινες περὶ συμβολαίων ἰδίων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀμφισβητῶσι καὶ βούλωνται διαιτητὴν ἑλέσθαι ὁντινοῦν, ἐξέστω αὐτοῖς αἱρεῖσθαι ὃν ἂν βούλωνται [διαιτητὴν ἑλέσθαι]. ἐπειδὰν δʼ ἕλωνται κατὰ κοινόν, μενέτωσαν ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ τούτου διαγνωσθεῖσι, καὶ μηκέτι μεταφερέτωσαν ἀπὸ τούτου ἐφʼ ἕτερον δικαστήριον ταὐτὰ ἐγκλήματα, ἀλλʼ ἔστω τὰ κριθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ διαιτητοῦ κύρια.

[¶4] 95. Call also Strato, the victim of this persecution, for no doubt he will be allowed to stand up in court. This man, Athenians, is a poor man perhaps, but certainly not a bad man. He was once a citizen and served at the proper age in all the campaigns; he has done nothing reprehensible, yet now there he stands silent, stripped not only of all our common privileges, but also of the right to speak or complain; he is not even allowed to tell you whether he has suffered justly or unjustly.

> Greek: 95. κάλει δὴ καὶ τὸν Στράτωνʼ αὐτὸν τὸν τὰ τοιαῦτα πεπονθότα· ἑστάναι γὰρ ἐξέσται δήπουθεν αὐτῷ. οὗτος, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πένης μὲν ἴσως ἐστίν, οὐ πονηρὸς δέ γε. οὗτος μέντοι πολίτης ὤν, ἐστρατευμένος ἁπάσας τὰς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ στρατείας καὶ δεινὸν οὐδὲν εἰργασμένος, ἕστηκε νυνὶ σιωπῇ, οὐ μόνον τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθῶν τῶν κοινῶν ἀπεστερημένος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ φθέγξασθαι ἢ ὀδύρασθαι· καὶ οὐδʼ εἰ δίκαιʼ ἢ ἄδικα πέπονθεν, οὐδὲ ταῦτʼ ἔξεστιν αὐτῷ πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν.

[¶5] 96. All this he has endured at the hands of Meidias, and from the wealth and pride of Meidias, because he himself is poor and friendless and just one of the multitude. If in violation of the laws he had accepted the fifty drachmas and changed his verdict from a condemnation to an acquittal, he would now be a full citizen, untouched by harm and sharing with the rest of us in our common rights; but because he disregarded Meidias in comparison with justice and feared the laws more than his threats, therefore he has met with this great and terrible misfortune through the act of this man.

> Greek: 96. καὶ ταῦτα πέπονθʼ ὑπὸ Μειδίου καὶ τοῦ Μειδίου πλούτου καὶ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας παρὰ τὴν πενίαν καὶ ἐρημίαν καὶ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς εἶναι. καὶ εἰ μὲν παραβὰς τοὺς νόμους ἔλαβεν τὰς πεντήκοντα δραχμὰς παρʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν δίκην ἣν κατεδιῄτησεν ἀποδεδιῃτημένην ἀπέφηνεν, ἐπίτιμος ἂν ἦν καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχων κακὸν τῶν ἴσων μετεῖχε τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡμῖν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρεῖδε πρὸς τὰ δίκαια Μειδίαν, καὶ τοὺς νόμους μᾶλλον ἔδεισε τῶν ἀπειλῶν τῶν τούτου, τηνικαῦτα τηλικαύτῃ καὶ τοιαύτῃ συμφορᾷ περιπέπτωκεν ὑπὸ τούτου.

[¶6] 97. And then this same man, so cruel, so heartless, who has taken such dire vengeance for his wrongs—you have only his word for them, for he really suffered none—will you acquit him when you have detected him in a wanton outrage on one of the citizens? [If he regards neither festivals nor temples nor law nor anything else, will you not condemn him? Will you not make an example of him?]

> Greek: 97. εἶθʼ ὑμεῖς τὸν οὕτως ὠμόν, τὸν οὕτως ἀγνώμονα, τὸν τηλικαύτας δίκας λαμβάνονθʼ ὧν αὐτὸς ἠδικῆσθαι φησὶ μόνον (οὐ γὰρ ἠδίκητό γε), τοῦτον ὑβρίζοντα λαβόντες εἴς τινα τῶν πολιτῶν [ἀφήσετε], καὶ μήθʼ ἑορτῆς μήθʼ ἱερῶν μήτε νόμου μήτʼ ἄλλου μηδενὸς πρόνοιαν ποιούμενον, οὐ καταψηφιεῖσθε;

[¶7] 98. If not, what have you to say, gentlemen of the jury? What fair and honorable excuse, in heaven’s name, can you find for him? Is it because he is a ruffian and a blackguard? That is true enough, but surely, men of Athens, your duty is to hate such creatures, not to screen them. Is it because he is wealthy? But you will find that his wealth was the main cause of his insolence, so that your duty is to cut off the resources from which his insolence springs, rather than spare him for the sake of those resources; for to allow such a reckless and abominable creature to have such wealth at his command is to supply him with resources to use against yourselves.

> Greek: 98. οὐ παράδειγμα ποιήσετε; καὶ τί φήσετʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί; καὶ τίνʼ, ὢ πρὸς τῶν θεῶν, ἕξετʼ εἰπεῖν πρόφασιν δικαίαν ἢ καλήν; ὅτι νὴ Δίʼ ἀσελγής ἐστι καὶ βδελυρός· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι τἀληθῆ· ἀλλὰ μισεῖν ὀφείλετʼ, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, δήπου τοὺς τοιούτους μᾶλλον ἢ σῴζειν. ἀλλʼ ὅτι πλούσιός ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε τῆς ὕβρεως αὐτοῦ σχεδὸν αἴτιον εὑρήσετʼ ὄν, ὥστʼ ἀφελεῖν τὴν ἀφορμήν, διʼ ἣν ὑβρίζει, προσήκει μᾶλλον ἢ σῶσαι διὰ ταύτην· τὸ γὰρ χρημάτων πολλῶν θρασὺν καὶ βδελυρὸν καὶ τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον ἐᾶν εἶναι κύριον, ἀφορμήν ἐστιν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς δεδωκέναι.

[¶8] 99. What plea, then, is left? Pity, forsooth! He will group his children round him and weep and beg you to pardon him for their sakes. That is his last move. [But I need not remind you that pity is the due of those who unjustly suffer more than they can endure, not of those who are paying the penalty for the misdeeds they have committed.] And who could justly pity his children, when he sees that Meidias had no pity for Strato’s children, whose distress is enhanced by the reflection that for their father’s calamity no relief is possible? For it is not a question of paying a fixed fine and regaining his civil rights; he has been disfranchised absolutely, at one stroke, by the wanton resentment of Meidias.

> Greek: 99. τί οὖν ὑπόλοιπον; ἐλεῆσαι νὴ Δία· παιδία γὰρ παραστήσεται καὶ κλαήσει καὶ τούτοις αὑτὸν ἐξαιτήσεται· τοῦτο γὰρ λοιπόν. ἀλλʼ ἴστε δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι τοὺς ἀδίκως τι πάσχοντας, ὃ μὴ δυνήσονται φέρειν, ἐλεεῖν προσήκει, οὐ τοὺς ὧν πεποιήκασι δεινῶν δίκην διδόντας. καὶ τίς ἂν ταῦτʼ ἐλεήσειε δικαίως, ὁρῶν τὰ τοῦδʼ οὐκ ἐλεηθένθʼ ὑπὸ τούτου, ἃ τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς συμφορᾷ χωρὶς τῶν ἄλλων κακῶν οὐδʼ ἐπικουρίαν ἐνοῦσαν ὁρᾷ. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὄφλημʼ ὅ τι χρὴ καταθέντʼ ἐπίτιμον γενέσθαι τουτονί, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς οὕτως ἠτίμωται τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ τῆς ὕβρεως τῆς Μειδίου.

[¶9] 100. Whose insolence then will be checked, and who will be deprived of the wealth that makes such outrages possible, if you are prepared to pity Meidias as though he were an innocent victim, while, if a poor man, who has done no wrong, has through him become unjustly involved in utmost ruin, you fail even to share in his indignation? It must not be. No one deserves pity who shows no pity; no one deserves pardon who grants no pardon.

> Greek: 100. τίς οὖν ὑβρίζων παύσεται καὶ διʼ ἃ ταῦτα ποιεῖ χρήματʼ ἀφαιρεθήσεται, εἰ τοῦτον ὥσπερ δεινὰ πάσχοντʼ ἐλεήσετε; εἰ δέ τις πένης μηδὲν ἠδικηκὼς ταῖς ἐσχάταις συμφοραῖς ἀδίκως ὑπὸ τούτου περιπέπτωκε, τούτῳ δʼ οὐδὲ συνοργισθήσεσθε; μηδαμῶς· οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστι δίκαιος τυγχάνειν ἐλέου τῶν μηδένʼ ἐλεούντων, οὐδὲ συγγνώμης τῶν ἀσυγγνωμόνων.

[¶10] 101. For I think that all men, in all that they do, feel bound to make a contribution out of their own pockets for the benefit of their own life. Here am I, let us suppose; moderate and merciful towards all, and a benefactor of many. To such a man all men ought to make an equivalent return, if occasion offers or need demands. Here again is a very different man; violent, showing no pity to his neighbor, nor even treating him as a fellow-man. Such a man deserves to be paid in his own coin. And such, Meidias, was the contribution that you paid for your own benefit; such is the return that you deserve.

> Greek: 101. ἐγὼ γὰρ οἶμαι πάντας ἀνθρώπους φέρειν ἀξιοῦν παρʼ ἑαυτῶν εἰς τὸν βίον αὑτοῖς ἔρανον παρὰ πάνθʼ ὅσα πράττουσιν· οἷον ἐγώ τις οὑτοσὶ μέτριος πρὸς ἅπαντάς εἰμʼ, ἐλεήμων, εὖ ποιῶν πολλούς· ἅπασι προσήκει τῷ τοιούτῳ ταὔτʼ εἰσφέρειν, ἐάν του καιρὸς ἢ χρεία παραστῇ. ἕτερος οὑτοσί τις βίαιος, οὐδένʼ οὔτʼ ἐλεῶν οὔθʼ ὅλως ἄνθρωπον ἡγούμενος· τούτῳ τὰς ὁμοίας φορὰς παρʼ ἑκάστου δίκαιον ὑπάρχειν. σὺ δή, πληρωτὴς τοιούτου γεγονὼς ἐράνου σεαυτῷ, τοῦτον δίκαιος εἶ συλλέξασθαι.

[¶11] 102. Therefore, men of Athens, I think that even if I had no other charge to bring against Meidias, and even if what I shall allege hereafter were not more serious than what I have already said, you would be justified, in view of my statements, in condemning him and imposing the utmost penalty of the law. Yet the tale is not complete, and I think I shall not be at a loss what to say next, so lavishly has he furnished me with matter for indictment.

> Greek: 102. ἡγοῦμαι μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ἔτʼ ἄλλʼ εἶχον κατηγορεῖν Μειδίου, μηδὲ δεινότερʼ ἦν ἃ μέλλω λέγειν ὧν εἴρηκα, δικαίως ἂν ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων καὶ καταψηφίσασθαι καὶ τιμᾶν αὐτῷ τῶν ἐσχάτων. οὐ μὴν ἐνταῦθʼ ἕστηκε τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὐδʼ ἀπορήσειν μοι δοκῶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα· τοσαύτην ἀφθονίαν οὗτος πεποίηκε κατηγοριῶν.

[¶12] 103. How he trumped up a charge of desertion against me and bribed another to bring the action—a scoundrel ready for any dirty job, the filthy Euctemon—that I shall pass over; for that blackmailer never moved for a trial, nor had Meidias hired him for any other purpose than to have this notice posted up before the Tribal Heroes for all men to read, “Euctemon of the Lusian deme has indicted Demosthenes of the Paeanian deme for desertion of his post.” Indeed I think he would have been delighted, if it had been in order, to add that Meidias had hired him to indict me. But I pass that over, because Euctemon, having disfranchised himself by failing to follow up the charge, has given me all the satisfaction that I require.

> Greek: 103. ὅτι μὲν δὴ λιποταξίου γραφὴν κατεσκεύασεν κατʼ ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸν τοῦτο ποιήσοντʼ ἐμισθώσατο, τὸν μιαρὸν καὶ λίαν εὐχερῆ, τὸν κονιορτὸν Εὐκτήμονα, ἐάσω. καὶ γὰρ οὔτʼ ἀνεκρίνατο ταύτην ὁ συκοφάντης ἐκεῖνος, οὔθʼ οὗτος οὐδενὸς εἵνεκʼ αὐτὸν ἐμισθώσατο πλὴν ἵνʼ ἐκκέοιτο πρὸ τῶν ἐπωνύμων καὶ πάντες ὁρῷεν Εὐκτήμων Λουσιεὺς ἐγράψατο Δημοσθένην Παιανιέα λιποταξίου· καί μοι δοκεῖ κἂν προσγράψαι τοῦθʼ ἡδέως, εἴ πως ἐνῆν, ὅτι Μειδίου μισθωσαμένου γέγραπται. ἀλλʼ ἐῶ τοῦτο· ἐφʼ ᾗ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἠτίμωκεν αὑτὸν οὐκ ἐπεξελθών, οὐδεμιᾶς ἔγωγʼ ἔτι προσδέομαι δίκης, ἀλλʼ ἱκανὴν ἔχω.

[¶13] 104. But I will now relate a serious act of cruelty committed by him, men of Athens, which I at least regard as not merely a personal wrong but a public sacrilege. For when a grave criminal charge was hanging over that unlucky wretch, Aristarchus, the son of Moschus, at first, Athenians, Meidias went round the Market-place and ventured to spread impious and atrocious statements about me to the effect that I was the author of the deed; next, when this device failed, he went to the relations of the dead man, who were bringing the charge of murder against Aristarchus, and offered them money if they would accuse me of the crime. He let neither religion nor piety nor any other consideration stand in the way of this wild proposal: he shrank from nothing.

> Greek: 104. ἀλλʼ ὃ καὶ δεινόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ σχέτλιον καὶ κοινὸν ἔμοιγʼ ἀσέβημα, οὐκ ἀδίκημα μόνον, τούτῳ πεπρᾶχθαι δοκεῖ, τοῦτʼ ἐρῶ. τῷ γὰρ ἀθλίῳ καὶ ταλαιπώρῳ κακῆς καὶ χαλεπῆς συμβάσης αἰτίας Ἀριστάρχῳ τῷ Μόσχου, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν περιιὼν ἀσεβεῖς καὶ δεινοὺς λόγους ἐτόλμα περὶ ἐμοῦ λέγειν, ὡς ἐγὼ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ εἰμὶ τοῦτο δεδρακώς· ὡς δʼ οὐδὲν ἤνυε τούτοις, προσελθὼν τοῖς ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνον ἄγουσι τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ φόνου, τοῖς τοῦ τετελευτηκότος οἰκείοις, χρήμαθʼ ὑπισχνεῖτο δώσειν εἰ τοῦ πράγματος αἰτιῷντʼ ἐμέ, καὶ οὔτε θεοὺς οὔθʼ ὁσίαν οὔτʼ ἄλλʼ οὐδὲν ἐποιήσατʼ ἐμποδὼν τοιούτῳ λόγῳ, οὐδʼ ὤκνησεν.

[¶14] 105. Nay, he was not ashamed to look even that audience in the face and bring such a terrible calamity upon an innocent man; but having set one goal before him, to ruin me by every means in his power, he thought himself bound to leave no stone unturned, as if it were only right that when any man, having been insulted by him, claimed redress and refused to keep silence, he should be removed by banishment without a chance of escape, should even find himself convicted of desertion, should defend himself on a capital charge, and should be in imminent danger of crucifixion. Yet when Meidias is proved guilty of all this, as well as of his insults when I was chorus-master, what leniency, what compassion shall he deserve at your hands?

> Greek: 105. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ πρὸς οὓς ἔλεγεν αὐτοὺς ᾐσχύνθη, εἰ τοιοῦτο κακὸν καὶ τηλικοῦτον ἀδίκως ἐπάγει τῳ, ἀλλʼ ἕνʼ ὅρον θέμενος παντὶ τρόπῳ μʼ ἀνελεῖν, οὐδὲν ἐλλείπειν ᾤετο δεῖν, ὡς δέον, εἴ τις ὑβρισθεὶς ὑπὸ τούτου δίκης ἀξιοῖ τυχεῖν καὶ μὴ σιωπᾷ, τοῦτον ἐξόριστον ἀνῃρῆσθαι καὶ μηδαμῇ παρεθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ λιποταξίου γραφὴν ἑαλωκέναι καὶ ἐφʼ αἵματι φεύγειν καὶ μόνον οὐ προσηλῶσθαι. καίτοι ταῦθʼ ὅταν ἐξελεγχθῇ ποιῶν πρὸς οἷς ὕβριζέν με χορηγοῦντα, τίνος συγγνώμης ἢ τίνος ἐλέου δικαίως τεύξεται παρʼ ὑμῶν;

[¶15] 106. My own opinion, men of Athens, is that these acts constitute him my murderer; that while at the Dionysia his outrages were confined to my equipment, my person, and my expenditure, his subsequent course of action shows that they were aimed at everything else that is mine, my citizenship, my family, my privileges, my hopes. Had a single one of his machinations succeeded, I should have been robbed of all that I had, even of the right to be buried in the homeland. What does this mean, gentlemen of the jury? It means that if treatment such as I have suffered is to be the fate of any man who tries to right himself when outraged by Meidias in defiance of all the laws, then it will be best for us, as is the way among barbarians, to grovel at the oppressor’s feet and make no attempt at self-defence.

> Greek: 106. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ αὐτόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, νομίζω αὐτόχειρά μου γεγενῆσθαι τούτοις τοῖς ἔργοις, καὶ τότε μὲν τοῖς Διονυσίοις τὴν παρασκευὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα καὶ τἀναλώμαθʼ ὑβρίζειν, νῦν δὲ τούτοις οἷς ἐποίει καὶ διεπράττετʼ ἐκεῖνά τε καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα, τὴν πόλιν, τὸ γένος, τὴν ἐπιτιμίαν, τὰς ἐλπίδας· εἰ γὰρ ἓν ὧν ἐπεβούλευσε κατώρθωσεν, ἁπάντων ἂν ἀπεστερήμην ἐγὼ καὶ μηδὲ ταφῆναι προσυπῆρχεν οἴκοι μοι. διὰ τί, ἄνδρες δικασταί; εἰ γάρ, ἐάν τις παρὰ πάντας τοὺς νόμους ὑβρισθεὶς ὑπὸ Μειδίου βοηθεῖν αὑτῷ πειρᾶται, ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦθʼ ἕτερʼ αὐτῷ παθεῖν ὑπάρξει, προσκυνεῖν τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς βαρβάροις, οὐκ ἀμύνεσθαι κράτιστον ἔσται.

[¶16] 107. However, to prove that my statements are true and that these things have actually been perpetrated by this shameless ruffian, please call the witnesses. The Witnesses “We, Dionysius of Aphidna and Antiphilus of Paeania, when our kinsman Nicodemus had met with a violent death at the hands of Aristarchus, the son of Moschus, prosecuted Aristarchus for murder. Learning this, Meidias, who is now being brought to trial by Demosthenes, for whom we appear, offered us small sums of money to let Aristarchus go unharmed, and to substitute the name of Demosthenes in the indictment for murder.” Now let me have the law concerning bribery.

> Greek: 107. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω καὶ προσεξείργασται ταῦτα τῷ βδελυρῷ τούτῳ καὶ ἀναιδεῖ, κάλει μοι καὶ τούτων τοὺς μάρτυρας. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ Διονύσιος Ἀφιδναῖος, Ἀντίφιλος Παιανιεὺς διαφθαρέντος Νικοδήμου τοῦ οἰκείου ἡμῶν βιαίῳ θανάτῳ ὑπὸ Ἀριστάρχου τοῦ Μόσχου ἐπεξῇμεν τοῦ φόνου τὸν Ἀρίσταρχον. αἰσθόμενος δὲ ταῦτα Μειδίας ὁ νῦν κρινόμενος ὑπὸ Δημοσθένους, ᾧ μαρτυροῦμεν, ἔπειθεν ἡμᾶς διδοὺς κέρματα τὸν μὲν Ἀρίσταρχον ἀθῷον ἀφεῖναι, Δημοσθένει δὲ τὴν γραφὴν τοῦ φόνου παραγράψασθαι. λαβὲ δή μοι τὸν περὶ τῶν δώρων νόμον.

[¶17] 108. While the clerk is finding the statute, men of Athens, I wish to address a few words to you. I appeal to all of you jurymen, in the name of Zeus and all the gods, that whatever you hear in court, you may listen to it with this in your minds: What would one of you do, if he were the victim of this treatment, and what anger would he feel on his own account against the author of it? Seriously distressed as I was at the insults that I endured in the discharge of my public service, I am far more seriously distressed and indignant at what ensued.

> Greek: 108. ἐν ὅσῳ δὲ τὸν νόμον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, λαμβάνει, βούλομαι μικρὰ πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν, δεηθεὶς ὑμῶν ἁπάντων πρὸς Διὸς καὶ θεῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί· περὶ πάντων ὧν ἂν ἀκούητε, τοῦθʼ ὑποθέντες ἀκούετε τῇ γνώμῃ, τί ἄν, εἴ τις ἔπασχε ταῦθʼ ὑμῶν, ἐποίει, καὶ τίνʼ ἂν εἶχεν ὀργὴν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ πρὸς τὸν ποιοῦντα. ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐνηνοχὼς χαλεπῶς ἐφʼ οἷς περὶ τὴν λῃτουργίαν ὑβρίσθην, ἔτι πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τούτοις τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἐνήνοχα καὶ μᾶλλον ἠγανάκτηκα.

[¶18] 109. For in truth, what bounds can be set to wickedness, and how can shamelessness, brutality and insolence go farther, if a man who has committed grave-yes, grave and repeated wrongs against another, instead of making amends and repenting of the evil, should afterwards add more serious outrages and should employ his riches, not to further his own interests without prejudice to others, but for the opposite purpose of driving his victim into exile unjustly and covering him with ignominy, while he gloats over his own superabundance of wealth?

> Greek: 109. τί γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς πέρας ἂν φήσειέ τις εἶναι κακίας καὶ τίνʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἀναιδείας καὶ ὠμότητος καὶ ὕβρεως, ἄνθρωπος εἰ ποιήσας δεινὰ νὴ Δία καὶ πόλλʼ ἀδίκως τινά, ἀντὶ τοῦ ταῦτʼ ἀναλαμβάνειν καὶ μεταγιγνώσκειν, πολλῷ δεινότερʼ ὕστερον ἄλλα προσεξεργάζοιτο, καὶ χρῷτο τῷ πλουτεῖν μὴ ἐπὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν οἷς μηδένα βλάπτων αὐτὸς ἄμεινόν τι τῶν ἰδίων θήσεται, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τἀναντία, ἐν οἷς ἀδίκως ἐκβάλλων τινὰ καὶ προπηλακίσας αὑτὸν εὐδαιμονιεῖ τῆς περιουσίας;

[¶19] 110. All that, men of Athens, is just what has been done by Meidias. He brought against me a false charge of murder, in which, as the facts proved, I was in no way concerned; he indicted me for desertion, having himself on three occasions deserted his post; and as for the troubles in Euboea—why, I nearly forgot to mention them!-troubles for which his bosom-friend Plutarchus was responsible, he contrived to have the blame laid at my door, before it became plain to everyone that Plutarchus was at the bottom of the whole business.

> Greek: 110. ταῦτα τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πάντα τούτῳ πέπρακται κατʼ ἐμοῦ. καὶ γὰρ αἰτίαν ἐπήγαγέ μοι φόνου ψευδῆ καὶ οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ προσήκουσαν, ὡς τὸ πρᾶγμʼ αὔτʼ ἐδήλωσεν, καὶ γραφὴν λιποταξίου μʼ ἐγράψατο τρεῖς αὐτὸς τάξεις λελοιπώς, καὶ τῶν ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ πραγμάτων (τουτὶ γὰρ αὖ μικροῦ παρῆλθέ μʼ εἰπεῖν), ἃ Πλούταρχος ὁ τούτου ξένος καὶ φίλος διεπράξατο, ὡς ἐγὼ αἴτιός εἰμι, κατεσκεύαζε πρὸ τοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα γενέσθαι πᾶσιν φανερὸν διὰ Πλουτάρχου γεγονός.

[¶20] 111. Lastly, when I was made senator by lot, he denounced me at the scrutiny, and the business proved a very real danger for me; for instead of getting compensation for the injuries I had suffered, I was in danger of being punished for acts with which I had no concern. Having such grievances and being persecuted in the way that I have just described to you, but at the same time being neither quite friendless nor exactly a poor man, I am uncertain, men of Athens, what I ought to do.

> Greek: 111. καὶ τελευτῶν βουλεύειν μου λαχόντος δοκιμαζομένου κατηγόρει, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμʼ εἰς ὑπέρδεινόν μοι περιέστη· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ δίκην ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐπεπόνθειν λαβεῖν, δοῦναι πραγμάτων ὧν οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ προσῆκεν ἐκινδύνευον. καὶ ταῦτα πάσχων ἐγὼ καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ὃν διεξέρχομαι νυνὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλαυνόμενος, οὐκ ὢν οὔτε τῶν ἐρημοτάτων οὔτε τῶν ἀπόρων κομιδῇ, οὐκ ἔχω, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τί χρὴ ποιῆσαι.

[¶21] 112. For, if I may add a word on this subject also, where the rich are concerned, Athenians, the rest of us have no share in our just and equal rights. Indeed we have not. The rich can choose their own time for facing a jury, and their crimes are stale and cold when they are dished up before you, but if any of the rest of us is in trouble, he is brought into court while all is fresh. The rich have witnesses and counsel in readiness, all primed against us; but, as you see, my witnesses are some of them unwilling even to bear testimony to the truth.

> Greek: 112. εἰ γὰρ εἰπεῖν τι καὶ περὶ τούτων ἤδη δεῖ, οὐ μέτεστι τῶν ἴσων οὐδὲ τῶν ὁμοίων, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πρὸς τοὺς πλουσίους τοῖς λοιποῖς ἡμῖν, οὐ μέτεστιν, οὔ· ἀλλὰ καὶ χρόνοι τούτοις τοῦ τὴν δίκην ὑποσχεῖν, οὓς ἂν αὐτοὶ βούλωνται, δίδονται, καὶ τἀδικήμαθʼ ἕωλα τὰ τούτων ὡς ὑμᾶς καὶ ψύχρʼ ἀφικνεῖται, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἡμῶν ἕκαστος, ἄν τι συμβῇ, πρόσφατος κρίνεται. καὶ μάρτυρές εἰσιν ἕτοιμοι τούτοις καὶ συνήγοροι πάντες καθʼ ἡμῶν εὐτρεπεῖς· ἐμοὶ δʼ οὐδὲ τἀληθῆ μαρτυρεῖν ἐθέλοντας ὁρᾶτʼ ἐνίους.

[¶22] 113. One might harp on these grievances till one was weary, I suppose; but now recite in full the law which I began to quote. Read. The Law “If any Athenian accepts a bribe from another, or himself offers it to another, or corrupts anyone by promises, to the detriment of the people in general, or of any individual citizen, by any means or device whatsoever, he shall be disfranchised together with his children, and his property shall be confiscated.”

> Greek: 113. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἀπείποι τις ἄν, οἶμαι, θρηνῶν. τὸν δὲ νόμον μοι λέγʼ ἐφεξῆς, ὥσπερ ἠρξάμην. λέγε. ΝΟΜΟΣ ἐάν τις Ἀθηναίων λαμβάνῃ παρά τινος, ἢ αὐτὸς διδῷ ἑτέρῳ, ἢ διαφθείρῃ τινὰς ἐπαγγελλόμενος, ἐπὶ βλάβῃ τοῦ δήμου ἢ ἰδίᾳ τινὸς τῶν πολιτῶν, τρόπῳ ἢ μηχανῇ ᾑτινιοῦν, ἄτιμος ἔστω καὶ παῖδες καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου.

[¶23] 114. This man, then, is so impious, so abandoned, so ready to say or do anything, without stopping for a moment to ask whether it is true or false, whether it touches an enemy or a friend, or any such question, that after accusing me of murder and bringing that grave charge against me, he suffered me to conduct initiatory rites and sacrifices for the Council, and to inaugurate the victims on behalf of you and all the State;

> Greek: 114. οὕτω τοίνυν οὗτός ἐστʼ ἀσεβὴς καὶ μιαρὸς καὶ πᾶν ἂν ὑποστὰς εἰπεῖν καὶ πρᾶξαι, εἰ δʼ ἀληθὲς ἢ ψεῦδος ἢ πρὸς ἐχθρὸν ἢ φίλον ἢ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν διορίζων, ὥστʼ ἐπαιτιασάμενός με φόνου καὶ τοιοῦτο πρᾶγμʼ ἐπαγαγών, εἴασε μέν μʼ εἰσιτητήριʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς βουλῆς ἱεροποιῆσαι καὶ θῦσαι καὶ κατάρξασθαι τῶν ἱερῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ ὅλης τῆς πόλεως, εἴασε δʼ ἀρχεθεωροῦντʼ ἀγαγεῖν τῷ Διὶ τῷ Νεμείῳ τὴν κοινὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως θεωρίαν, περιεῖδε δὲ ταῖς σεμναῖς θεαῖς ἱεροποιὸν αἱρεθέντʼ ἐξ Ἀθηναίων ἁπάντων τρίτον αὐτὸν καὶ καταρξάμενον τῶν ἱερῶν.

[¶24] 115. he suffered me as head of the Sacred Embassy to lead it in the name of the city to the Nemean shrine of Zeus; he raised no objection when I was chosen with two colleagues to inaugurate the sacrifice to the Dread Goddesses. Would he have allowed all this, if he had had one jot or tittle of proof for the charges that he was trumping up against me? I cannot believe it. So then this is conclusive proof that he was seeking in mere wanton spite to drive me from my native land.

> Greek: 115. ἆρʼ ἄν, εἴ γʼ εἶχε στιγμὴν ἢ σκιὰν τούτων ὧν κατεσκεύαζεν κατʼ ἐμοῦ, ταῦτʼ ἂν εἴασεν; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶμαι. οὐκοῦν ἐξελέγχεται τούτοις ἐναργῶς ὕβρει ζητῶν μʼ ἐκβάλλειν ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος.

[¶25] 116. Then, when for all his desperate shifts he could bring none of these charges home to me, he turned informer against Aristarchus, aiming evidently at me. To pass over other incidents, when the Council was in session and was investigating the murder, Meidias came in and cried, “Don’t you know the facts of the case, Councillors? Are you wasting time and groping blindly for the murderer, when you have him already in your hands?”-meaning Aristarchus. “Won’t you put him to death? Won’t you go to his house and arrest him?”

> Greek: 116. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο τὸ πρᾶγμʼ οὐδὲ καθʼ ἕν, πανταχῇ στρέφων, οἷός τʼ ἦν ἀγαγεῖν ἐπʼ ἐμέ, φανερῶς ἤδη διʼ ἐμὲ τὸν Ἀρίσταρχον ἐσυκοφάντει. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σιωπῶ· τῆς δὲ βουλῆς περὶ τούτων καθημένης καὶ σκοπουμένης, παρελθὼν οὗτος ἀγνοεῖτʼ ἔφη ὦ βουλή, τὸ πρᾶγμα; καὶ τὸν αὐτόχειρʼ ἔχοντες λέγων τὸν Ἀρίσταρχον μέλλετε καὶ ζητεῖτε καὶ τετύφωσθε; οὐκ ἀποκτενεῖτε; οὐκ ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν βαδιεῖσθε;

[¶26] 117. Such was the language of this shameless and abandoned reptile, though only the day before he had stepped out of Aristarchus’s house, though up till then he had been as intimate with him as anyone could be, and though Aristarchus in the day of his prosperity had often importuned me to settle my suit with Meidias out of court. Now if he said this to the Council, believing that Aristarchus had actually committed the crime which has since proved his ruin, and trusting to the tale told by his accusers, yet even so the speech was unpardonable.

> Greek: 117. οὐχὶ συλλήψεσθε; καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔλεγʼ ἡ μιαρὰ καὶ ἀναιδὴς αὕτη κεφαλή, ἐξεληλυθὼς τῇ προτεραίᾳ παρʼ Ἀριστάρχου, καὶ χρώμενος ὥσπερ ἂν ἄλλος τις τὰ πρὸ τούτου, καί, ὅτʼ ηὐτύχει, πλεῖστα παρεσχηκότος ἐκείνου πράγματά μοι περὶ τῶν πρὸς τοῦτον ἀπαλλαγῶν. εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰργάσθαι τι τούτων ἐφʼ οἷς ἀπόλωλεν ἡγούμενος τὸν Ἀρίσταρχον καὶ πεπιστευκὼς τοῖς τῶν αἰτιασαμένων λόγοις ταῦτʼ ἔλεγεν, χρῆν μὲν οὐδʼ οὕτω (μετρία γὰρ δίκη παρὰ τῶν φίλων ἐστίν, ἄν τι δοκῶσι πεποιηκέναι δεινόν, μηκέτι τῆς λοιπῆς φιλίας κοινωνεῖν, τὸ δὲ τιμωρεῖσθαι καὶ ἐπεξιέναι τοῖς πεπονθόσι καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς παραλείπεται)·

[¶27] 118. Upon friends, if they seem to have done something serious, one should impose the moderate penalty of withdrawing from their friendship; vengeance and prosecution should be left to their victims or their enemies. Yet in a man like Meidias this may be condoned. But if it shall appear that he chatted familiarly under the same roof with Aristarchus, as if he were perfectly innocent, and then uttered those damning charges against him in order to involve me in a false accusation, does he not deserve to be put to death ten times—no! ten thousand times over?

> Greek: 118. ὅμως δʼ ἔστω τούτῳ γε συγγνώμη. εἰ δὲ λαλῶν μὲν καὶ ὁμωρόφιος γιγνόμενος ὡς οὐδὲν εἰργασμένῳ φανήσεται, λέγων δὲ καὶ καταιτιώμενος ταῦθʼ εἵνεκα τοῦ συκοφαντεῖν ἐμέ, πῶς οὐ δεκάκις, μᾶλλον δὲ μυριάκις δίκαιός ἐστʼ ἀπολωλέναι;

[¶28] 119. I am going to call the witnesses now present in court to prove that my version of the facts is correct; that on the day before he told that tale to the Council, he had entered Aristarchus’s house and had a conversation with him; that on the next day-and this, men of Athens, this for vileness is impossible to beat—he went into his house and sat as close to him as this, and put his hand in his, in the presence of many witnesses, after that speech in the Council in which he had called Aristarchus a murderer and said the most terrible things of him; that he invoked utter destruction on himself if he had said a word in his disparagement; that he never thought twice about his perjury, though there were people present who knew the truth, and he actually begged him to use his influence to bring about a reconciliation with me.

> Greek: 119. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω καὶ τῇ μὲν προτεραίᾳ ὅτε ταῦτʼ ἔλεγεν, εἰσεληλύθει καὶ διείλεκτʼ ἐκείνῳ, τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ πάλιν (τοῦτο γάρ, τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἔχον ἐστὶν ὑπερβολὴν ἀκαθαρσίας, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι) εἰσελθὼν οἴκαδʼ ὡς ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἐφεξῆς οὑτωσὶ καθεζόμενος, τὴν δεξιὰν ἐμβαλών, παρόντων πολλῶν, μετὰ τοὺς ἐν τῇ βουλῇ τούτους λόγους, ἐν οἷς αὐτόχειρα καὶ τὰ δεινότατʼ εἰρήκει τὸν Ἀρίσταρχον, ὤμνυε μὲν κατʼ ἐξωλείας μηδὲν εἰρηκέναι κατʼ αὐτοῦ φλαῦρον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐφρόντιζʼ ἐπιορκῶν, καὶ ταῦτα παρόντων τῶν συνειδότων, ἠξίου δὲ καὶ πρὸς ἔμʼ αὑτῷ διʼ ἐκείνου γίγνεσθαι τὰς διαλύσεις, τούτων τοὺς παρόντας ὑμῖν καλῶ μάρτυρας.

[¶29] 120. And yet, Athenians, must we not call it a crime, or rather an impiety, to say that a man is a murderer and then swear that one has never said this to reproach a man with murder and then sit in the same room with him? And if I let him off now and so stultify your vote of condemnation, I am an innocent man apparently; but if I proceed with my case, I am a deserter, I am accessory to a murder, I deserve extermination. I am quite of the contrary opinion, men of Athens. If I had let Meidias off, then I should have been a deserter from the cause of justice, and I might reasonably have charged myself with murder, for life would have been impossible for me, had I acted thus.

> Greek: 120. καίτοι πῶς οὐ δεινόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μᾶλλον δʼ ἀσεβές, λέγειν ὡς φονεύς, καὶ πάλιν ὡς οὐκ εἴρηκε ταῦτʼ ἀπομνύναι, καὶ φόνον μὲν ὀνειδίζειν, τούτῳ δʼ ὁμωρόφιον γίγνεσθαι; κἂν μὲν ἀφῶ τοῦτον ἐγὼ καὶ προδῶ τὴν ὑμετέραν καταχειροτονίαν, οὐδέν, ὡς ἔοικʼ, ἀδικῶ· ἂν δʼ ἐπεξίω, λέλοιπα τὴν τάξιν, φόνον κοινωνῶ, δεῖ μʼ ἀνηρπάσθαι. ἐγὼ δʼ αὐτὸ τοὐναντίον οἶμαι, εἰ τοῦτον ἀφῆκα, λελοιπέναι μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὴν τοῦ δικαίου τάξιν, φόνου δʼ ἂν εἰκότως ἐμαυτῷ λαχεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν μοι δήπου βιωτὸν τοῦτο ποιήσαντι.

[¶30] 121. And now please call the witnesses to attest the truth of these statements also. The Witnesses “We, Lysimachus of Alopece, Demeas of Sunium, Chares of Thoricus, Philemon of Sphetta, Moschus of Paeania, know that at the date when the indictment was presented to the Council charging Aristarchus, the son of Moschus, with the murder of Nicodemus, Meidias, who is now being tried at the suit of Demosthenes, for whom we appear, came before the Council and stated that Aristarchus, and no one else, was the murderer of Nicodemus, and he advised the Council to go to the house of Aristarchus and arrest him. This he said to the Council, having dined on the previous day with Aristarchus in our company. We also know that Meidias, when he came from the Council after making this statement, again entered the house of Aristarchus and shook hands with him and, invoking destruction on his own head, swore that he had said nothing in his disparagement before the Council, and he asked Aristarchus to reconcile Demosthenes to him.”

> Greek: 121. ὅτι τοίνυν καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, κάλει μοι καὶ τούτων τοὺς μάρτυρας. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ Λυσίμαχος Ἀλωπεκῆθεν, Δημέας Σουνιεύς, Χάρης Θορίκιος, Φιλήμων Σφήττιος, Μόσχος Παιανιεύς, καθʼ οὓς καιροὺς ἡ εἰσαγγελία ἐδόθη εἰς τὴν βουλὴν ὑπὲρ Ἀριστάρχου τοῦ Μόσχου, ὅτι εἴη Νικόδημον ἀπεκτονώς, οἴδαμεν Μειδίαν τὸν κρινόμενον ὑπὸ Δημοσθένους, ᾧ μαρτυροῦμεν, ἐλθόντα πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν καὶ λέγοντα μηδένα ἕτερον εἶναι τὸν Νικοδήμου φονέα, ἀλλʼ Ἀρίσταρχον, καὶ τοῦτον αὐτοῦ γεγονέναι αὐτόχειρα, καὶ συμβουλεύοντα τῇ βουλῇ βαδίζειν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν Ἀριστάρχου καὶ συλλαμβάνειν αὐτόν. ταῦτα δʼ ἔλεγε πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν τῇ προτεραίᾳ μετʼ Ἀριστάρχου καὶ μεθʼ ἡμῶν συνδεδειπνηκώς. οἴδαμεν δὲ καὶ Μειδίαν, ὡς ἀπῆλθεν ἀπὸ τῆς βουλῆς τούτους τοὺς λόγους εἰρηκώς, εἰσεληλυθότα πάλιν ὡς Ἀρίσταρχον καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν [ὡς] ἐμβεβληκότα καὶ ὀμνύοντα κατʼ ἐξωλείας μηδὲν κατʼ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν βουλὴν εἰρηκέναι φαῦλον, καὶ ἀξιοῦντα Ἀρίσταρχον ὅπως ἂν διαλλάξῃ αὐτῷ Δημοσθένην.

[¶31] 122. Can anything go beyond that? Has there ever been, or could there ever be, baseness to compare with this of Meidias? He felt justified in informing against that unfortunate man, who had done him no wrong—I waive the fact that he was his friend—and at the same time he was begging him to bring about a reconciliation between himself and me; and not content with this, he spent money on an iniquitous attempt to procure my banishment as well as that of Aristarchus.

> Greek: 122. τίς οὖν ὑπερβολή, τίς ὁμοία τῇ τούτου γέγονʼ ἢ γένοιτʼ ἂν πονηρία; ὃς ἄνδρʼ ἀτυχοῦντα, οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ἠδικηκότα (ἐῶ γὰρ εἰ φίλον), ἅμα συκοφαντεῖν ᾤετο δεῖν καὶ πρὸς ἔμʼ αὑτὸν διαλύειν ἠξίου, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔπραττε καὶ χρήματʼ ἀνήλισκεν ἐπὶ τῷ μετʼ ἐκείνου κἀμὲ προσεκβαλεῖν ἀδίκως.

[¶32] 123. Yet this habit of his, Athenians, this scheme of involving in yet greater calamities all who stand up against him in just defence, is not something that might well rouse indignation and resentment in me, but that the rest of you should overlook. Far from it. All citizens alike should be stirred to anger, when they reflect and observe that it is exactly the poorest and weakest of you that run the greatest risk of being thus wantonly wronged, while it is the rich blackguards that find it easiest to oppress others and escape punishment, and even to hire agents to put obstacles in the path of justice.

> Greek: 123. τοῦτο μέντοι τὸ τοιοῦτον ἔθος καὶ τὸ κατασκεύασμʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν ἐπεξιοῦσι δικαίως ἔτι πλείω περιιστάναι κακά, οὐκ ἐμοὶ μὲν ἄξιόν ἐστʼ ἀγανακτεῖν καὶ βαρέως φέρειν, ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις παριδεῖν, πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ, ἀλλὰ πᾶσιν ὁμοίως ὀργιστέον, ἐκλογιζομένοις καὶ θεωροῦσιν ὅτι τοῦ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ῥᾳδίως κακῶς παθεῖν ἐγγύταθʼ ὑμῶν εἰσιν οἱ πενέστατοι καὶ ἀσθενέστατοι, τοῦ δʼ ὑβρίσαι καὶ τοῦ ποιήσαντας μὴ δοῦναι δίκην, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀντιπαρέξοντας πράγματα μισθώσασθαι, οἱ βδελυροὶ καὶ χρήματʼ ἔχοντές [εἰσιν ἐγγυτάτω].

[¶33] 124. Such conduct must not be overlooked. It must not be supposed that the man who by intimidation tries to debar any citizen from obtaining reparation for his wrongs is doing less than robbing us of our liberties and of our right of free speech. Perhaps I and one or two others may have managed to repel a false and calamitous charge and so have escaped destruction; but what will the vast majority of you do, if you do not by a public example make it a dangerous game for anyone to abuse his wealth for such a purpose?

> Greek: 124. οὐ δὴ δεῖ παρορᾶν τὰ τοιαῦτα, οὐδὲ τὸν ἐξείργοντα δέει καὶ φόβῳ τὸ δίκην ὧν ἂν ἡμῶν ἀδικηθῇ τις λαμβάνειν παρʼ αὐτοῦ ἄλλο τι χρὴ νομίζειν ποιεῖν ἢ τὰς τῆς ἰσηγορίας καὶ τὰς τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἡμῶν μετουσίας ἀφαιρεῖσθαι. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἴσως διεωσάμην, καὶ ἄλλος τις ἄν, ψευδῆ λόγον καὶ συκοφαντίαν, καὶ οὐκ ἀνήρπασμαι· οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ τί ποιήσετε, ἂν μὴ δημοσίᾳ πᾶσιν φοβερὸν καταστήσητε τὸ εἰς ταῦτʼ ἀποχρῆσθαι τῷ πλουτεῖν;

[¶34] 125. When the accused man has rendered an account of his actions and has stood his trial on the charges brought against him, then he may retaliate upon unjust assailants; but even then he must not try to spirit away some witness of his ill deeds, nor to escape a trial by bringing false charges; he must not count it a grievance to submit to justice, but must avoid all outrageous conduct from the first.

> Greek: 125. δόντα λόγον καὶ ὑποσχόντα κρίσιν περὶ ὧν ἄν τις ἐγκαλῇ, τότʼ ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς [ἀδίκως] ἐφʼ αὑτὸν ἐλθόντας χρή, καὶ τότʼ, ἂν ἀδικοῦντας ὁρᾷ τις, οὐ προαναρπάζειν, οὐδʼ ἐπάγοντʼ αἰτίας ψευδεῖς ἄκριτον ζητεῖν ἀποφεύγειν, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ τῷ διδόναι δίκην ἀσχάλλειν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ποιεῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀσελγὲς μηδέν.

[¶35] 126. Men of Athens, you have now heard how many outrages I endured, both in my own person and in the performance of my public service, and how many escapes I have had from plots and ill-treatment of every kind. Yet I have omitted much, for it was not easy perhaps to mention everything. But the case is this. By none of his acts was I alone wronged, but in the wrongs inflicted on the chorus my whole tribe, the tenth part of the citizens, shared; by his plots and attacks against me he wronged the laws, to which each of you looks for protection; lastly by all these acts he wronged the god to whose service I had been dedicated and that divine and awful power beyond our ken—the power of Holiness.

> Greek: 126. ὅσα μὲν τοίνυν εἴς τε τὴν λῃτουργίαν καὶ τὸ σῶμʼ ὑβρίσθην, καὶ πάντʼ ἐπιβουλευόμενος τρόπον καὶ πάσχων κακῶς ἐκπέφευγα, ἀκηκόατʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι. καὶ παραλείπω δὲ πολλά· οὐ γὰρ ἴσως ῥᾴδιον πάντʼ εἰπεῖν. ἔχει δʼ οὕτως. οὐκ ἔστʼ ἐφʼ ὅτῳ τῶν πεπραγμένων ἐγὼ μόνος ἠδίκημαι, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς εἰς τὸν χορὸν γεγενημένοις ἀδικήμασιν ἡ φυλή, δέκατον μέρος ὑμῶν, συνηδίκηται, ἐπὶ δʼ οἷς ἔμʼ ὕβρισε καὶ ἐπεβούλευσεν οἱ νόμοι, διʼ οὓς εἷς ἕκαστος ὑμῶν σῶς ἐστιν· ἐφʼ ἅπασι δὲ τούτοις ὁ θεός, ᾧ χορηγὸς ἐγὼ καθειστήκειν, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὁσίας, ὁτιδήποτʼ ἐστί, τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον [συνηδίκηται].

[¶36] 127. Those who would exact from him an adequate punishment for his misdeeds must not let their indignation be checked by the reflection that I alone am concerned, but must base the penalty on the ground that all alike are victims of the same wrong—the laws, the gods, the city of Athens; and they must look upon those who support him and are marshalled in his defence as something more than mere advocates, as men who set the seal of their approval to his acts.

> Greek: 127. δεῖ δὴ τούς γε βουλομένους ὀρθῶς τὴν κατʼ ἀξίαν τῶν πεπραγμένων παρὰ τούτου δίκην λαμβάνειν, οὐχ ὡς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ μόνον ὄντος τοῦ λόγου τὴν ὀργὴν ἔχειν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐν ταὐτῷ τῶν νόμων, τοῦ θεοῦ, τῆς πόλεως, ὁμοῦ πάντων ἠδικημένων, οὕτω ποιεῖσθαι τὴν τιμωρίαν, καὶ τοὺς βοηθοῦντας καὶ τοὺς συνεξεταζομένους μετὰ τούτου μὴ συνηγόρους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δοκιμαστὰς τῶν τούτῳ πεπραγμένων ὑπολαμβάνετʼ εἶναι.

[¶37] 128. Now if, men of Athens, Meidias had in other respects behaved with decency and moderation, if he had never injured any other citizen, but had confined his brutality and violence to me, I might, in the first place, consider this a piece of my own bad luck, and, in the second place, I should be afraid lest, by pointing to the moderation and humanity of the rest of his life, he might so evade punishment for his outrage on me.

> Greek: 128. εἰ μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, σώφρονα καὶ μέτριον πρὸς τἄλλα παρεσχηκὼς αὑτὸν Μειδίας καὶ μηδένα τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν ἠδικηκὼς εἰς ἔμʼ ἀσελγὴς μόνον οὕτω καὶ βίαιος ἐγεγόνει, πρῶτον μὲν ἔγωγʼ ἀτύχημʼ ἂν ἐμαυτοῦ τοῦθʼ ἡγούμην, ἔπειτʼ ἐφοβούμην ἂν μὴ τὸν ἄλλον ἑαυτοῦ βίον οὗτος μέτριον δεικνύων καὶ φιλάνθρωπον διακρούσηται τούτῳ τὸ δίκην ὧν ἔμʼ ὕβρικεν δοῦναι.

[¶38] 129. But as it is, the wrongs that he has done to many of you are so many and so great that I am relieved of this apprehension; my fear is now, on the contrary, that when you hear of the terrible wrongs that others have suffered at his hands, some such argument as this may occur to you. “What have you to complain of? Have you suffered more than each of his other victims?” Now all that he has done, I could not relate to you, nor would you have the patience to listen, even if I were allowed for the rest of my speech all the time assigned to both of us: all my time and all his in addition would not suffice. I will confine myself to the most important and clearest examples.

> Greek: 129. νυνὶ δὲ τοσαῦτʼ ἐστὶ τἄλλʼ ἃ πολλοὺς ὑμῶν ἠδίκησεν καὶ τοιαῦτα, ὥστε τούτου μὲν τοῦ δέους ἀπήλλαγμαι, φοβοῦμαι δὲ πάλιν τοὐναντίον μή, ἐπειδὰν πολλὰ καὶ δείνʼ ἑτέρους ἀκούηθʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεπονθότας, τοιοῦτός τις ὑμῖν λογισμὸς ἐμπέσῃ τί οὖν; σὺ δεινότερʼ ἢ τῶν ἄλλων εἷς ἕκαστος πεπονθὼς ἀγανακτεῖς; πάντα μὲν δὴ τὰ τούτῳ πεπραγμένα οὔτʼ ἂν ἐγὼ δυναίμην πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν, οὔτʼ ἂν ὑμεῖς ὑπομείναιτʼ ἀκούειν, οὐδʼ, εἰ τὸ παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων ἡμῶν ὕδωρ ὑπάρξειε πρὸς τὸ λοιπόν, πᾶν τό τʼ ἐμὸν καὶ τὸ τούτου προστεθέν, οὐκ ἂν ἐξαρκέσειεν· ἃ δʼ ἐστὶ μέγιστα καὶ φανερώτατα, ταῦτʼ ἐρῶ.

[¶39] 130. Or rather, this is what I propose to do. I will read you all my memoranda, just as I wrote them out for my own use. I will take first whatever incident you would like to hear first; next your second choice, and so on, as long as you care to listen. There is no lack of variety; plenty of examples of assault, of kinsmen swindled, and of sacrilege. There is not a single passage where you will not find that he has committed many crimes worthy of death. [
Memoranda of the Crimes of Meidias] That, gentlemen of the jury, is how he has treated everyone that comes across his path.

> Greek: 130. μᾶλλον δʼ ἐκεῖνο ποιήσω· ἀναγνώσομαι μὲν ὑμῖν, ὡς ἐμαυτῷ γέγραμμαι, πάντα τὰ ὑπομνήματα, λέξω δʼ ὅ τι ἂν πρῶτον ἀκούειν βουλομένοις ὑμῖν ᾖ, τοῦτο πρῶτον, εἶθʼ ἕτερον, καὶ τἄλλα τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον, ἕως ἂν ἀκούειν βούλησθε. ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα παντοδαπά, καὶ ὕβρεις πολλαὶ καὶ περὶ τοὺς οἰκείους κακουργήματα καὶ περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀσεβήματα, καὶ τόπος οὐδείς ἐστιν ἐν ᾧ τοῦτον οὐ θανάτου πεποιηκότʼ ἄξια πόλλʼ εὑρήσετε. ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΑ ΤΩ͂Ν ΜΕΙΔΙΟΥ ΑΔΙΚΗΜΑΤΩΝ ὅσα μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τὸν ἀεὶ προστυχόντʼ αὐτῷ πεποίηκεν, ταῦτʼ ἐστίν.

[¶40] 131. I have omitted other instances, for no one could compress into a single narrative the violent acts that he has spent a lifetime in committing. But it is worth while noticing to what a height of audacity he has advanced in consequence of his never having been punished for any of these acts. He seems to have thought that no act that one man can commit against an individual was brilliant or dashing enough or worth risking his life for, and unless he could affront a whole tribe or the Council or some class of citizens and harass vast multitudes of you at once, he felt that life was really not worth living.

> Greek: 131. καὶ παραλέλοιφʼ ἕτερα· οὐ γὰρ ἂν δύναιτʼ οὐδεὶς εἰσάπαξ εἰπεῖν ἃ πολὺν χρόνον οὗτος ὑβρίζων συνεχῶς ἅπαντα τὸν βίον εἴργασται. ἄξιον δʼ ἰδεῖν ἐφʼ ὅσον φρονήματος ἤδη προελήλυθε τῷ τούτων δίκην μηδενὸς δεδωκέναι. οὐ γὰρ ἡγεῖθʼ, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, λαμπρὸν οὐδὲ νεανικὸν οὐδʼ ἄξιον ἑαυτοῦ ὅ τι ἄν τις πρὸς ἕνʼ εἷς διαπράττηται, ἀλλʼ εἰ μὴ φυλὴν ὅλην καὶ βουλὴν καὶ ἔθνος προπηλακιεῖ καὶ πολλοὺς ἁθρόους ὑμῶν ἅμʼ ἐλᾷ, ἀβίωτον ᾤετʼ ἔσεσθαι τὸν βίον αὑτῷ.

[¶41] 132. And as to other instances, innumerable as they are, I say nothing, but as regards the cavalry which was dispatched to Argura, and of which he was one, you all know of course how he harangued you on his return from Chalcis, blaming the troop and saying that its dispatch was a scandal to the city. In connection with that, you remember too the abuse that he heaped on Cratinus, who is, I understand, going to support him in the present case. Now if he provoked such serious but groundless quarrels with so many citizens at once, what degree of wickedness and recklessness may we expect from him now?

> Greek: 132. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σιωπῶ, μυρίʼ εἰπεῖν ἔχων, περὶ δὲ τῶν συστρατευσαμένων ἱππέων εἰς Ἄργουραν ἴστε δήπου πάντες οἷʼ ἐδημηγόρησε παρʼ ὑμῖν, ὅθʼ ἧκεν ἐκ Χαλκίδος, κατηγορῶν καὶ φάσκων ὄνειδος ἐξελθεῖν τὴν στρατιὰν ταύτην τῇ πόλει· καὶ τὴν λοιδορίαν ἣν ἐλοιδορήθη Κρατίνῳ περὶ τούτων, τῷ νῦν, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, μέλλοντι βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ, μέμνησθε. τὸν δὴ τοσούτοις ἁθρόοις τῶν πολιτῶν ἔχθραν ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ τηλικαύτην ἀράμενον πόσῃ πονηρίᾳ καὶ θρασύτητι ταῦτα χρὴ νομίζειν πράττειν;

## 4. Sections 133–180

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/4/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/4/#p-N

[¶0] 133. But I should like to ask you, Meidias, which was the greater scandal to the city—the men who crossed to Chalcis in due order, and with the equipment proper to those who were to take the field against the enemy and to join forces with our allies, or you, who, when lots were drawn for the expedition, prayed that you might draw a blank, who never donned your cuirass, who rode on a saddle with silver trappings, imported from Euboea, taking with you your shawls and goblets and wine-jars, which were confiscated by the customs? We of the infantry learned this by report, for we had not crossed at the same point as the cavalry.

> Greek: 133. καίτοι πότερʼ εἰσὶν ὄνειδος, ὦ Μειδία, τῇ πόλει οἱ διαβάντες ἐν τάξει καὶ τὴν σκευὴν ἔχοντες ἣν προσῆκε τοὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐξιόντας καὶ συμβαλουμένους τοῖς συμμάχοις, ἢ σὺ ὁ μηδὲ λαχεῖν εὐχόμενος τῶν ἐξιόντων ὅτʼ ἐκληροῦ, τὸν θώρακα δʼ οὐδεπώποτʼ ἐνδύς, ἐπʼ ἀστράβης δʼ ὀχούμενος ἀργυρᾶς τῆς ἐξ Εὐβοίας, χλανίδας δὲ καὶ κυμβία καὶ κάδους ἔχων, ὧν ἐπελαμβάνονθʼ οἱ πεντηκοστολόγοι; ταῦτα γὰρ εἰς τοὺς ὁπλίτας ἡμᾶς ἀπηγγέλλετο· οὐ γὰρ εἰς ταὐτὸν ἡμεῖς τούτοις διέβημεν.

[¶1] 134. And then, because Archetion or someone chaffed you on the subject, must you annoy them all? If you did what your fellow-troopers say you did, Meidias, and what you complain of them for saying, then you deserved their reproaches, because you were bringing harm and disgrace both on them and on these jurymen here and on all the city. But if you did not do it and it was all a fabrication, and if the rest of the soldiers, instead of reproving the slanderers, chuckled over you, it only shows that from your general manner of life they thought that such a story exactly fitted you. It was yourself, then, that you ought to have kept more under control, instead of accusing the others.

> Greek: 134. εἶτα, εἴ σʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἔσκωψεν Ἀρχετίων ἤ τις ἄλλος, πάντας ἤλαυνες; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐποίεις ταῦτʼ, ὦ Μειδία, ἃ σέ φασιν οἱ συνιππεῖς καὶ κατηγόρεις ὡς λέγοιεν περὶ σοῦ, δικαίως κακῶς ἤκουες· καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνους καὶ τουτουσὶ καὶ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν ἠδίκεις καὶ κατῄσχυνες. εἰ δὲ μὴ ποιοῦντός σου κατεσκεύαζόν τινες καταψευδόμενοί σου, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν οὐκ ἐκείνοις ἐπετίμων, ἀλλὰ σοὶ ἐπέχαιρον, δῆλον ὅτι ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν ἔζης ἄξιος αὐτοῖς ἐδόκεις εἶναι τοῦ τοιαῦτʼ ἀκούειν· σαυτὸν οὖν μετριώτερον ἐχρῆν παρέχειν, οὐκ ἐκείνους διαβάλλειν.

[¶2] 135. But you threaten all, you bully all. You insist that everyone else shall consult your wishes; you do not your self consult how to avoid annoying others. Yes, and what seems to me the most damning proof of your audacity is this: you come forward, you shameless ruffian, and include all these men in one sweeping accusation. Anyone else would have shuddered at the thought of doing such a thing.

> Greek: 135. σὺ δʼ ἀπειλεῖς πᾶσιν, ἐλαύνεις πάντας· τοὺς ἄλλους ἀξιοῖς ὅ τι σὺ βούλει σκοπεῖν, οὐκ αὐτὸς σκοπεῖς ὅ τι μὴ λυπήσεις τοὺς ἄλλους ποιῶν. καὶ τὸ δὴ σχετλιώτατον καὶ μέγιστον ἔμοιγε δοκοῦν ὕβρεως εἶναι σημεῖον· τοσούτων ἀνθρώπων, ὦ μιαρὰ κεφαλή, σὺ παρελθὼν ἁθρόων κατηγόρεις, ὃ τίς οὐκ ἂν ἔφριξε ποιῆσαι τῶν ἄλλων;

[¶3] 136. I observe, gentlemen, that in all other trials the defendants are charged with one or two offences only, but they can rely on any number of appeals, such as these: “Does anyone in court know me to be capable of this? Who among you has ever seen me commit these offences? No one. The plaintiffs are libelling me out of spite. I am the victim of false testimony,” and so on. But with Meidias the case is just the reverse;

> Greek: 136. τοῖς μὲν τοίνυν ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις ὁρῶ τοῖς κρινομένοις, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἓν μὲν ἢ δύʼ ὄντα τἀδικήμαθʼ ἃ κατηγορεῖται, λόγους δʼ ἀφθόνους τοιούτους ὑπάρχοντας τίς ὑμῶν ἐμοί τι σύνοιδε τοιοῦτον; τίς ὑμῶν ἐμὲ ταῦθʼ ἑόρακε ποιοῦντα; οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ οὗτοι διʼ ἔχθραν καταψεύδονταί μου, καταψευδομαρτυροῦμαι, τὰ τοιαῦτα· τούτῳ δʼ αὖ τἀναντία τούτων.

[¶4] 137. for I suppose you all know his way of life, his arrogance and his superciliousness, and I even suspect that some have long marvelled at things which they know themselves, but have not heard from my lips today. But I note that many of his victims are reluctant to disclose in evidence all that they have suffered, because they realize his violence and his persistence and the extent of those resources which make him so powerful and so dreaded, despicable though he is.

> Greek: 137. πάντας γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι νομίζω τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὴν ἀσέλγειαν καὶ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν τοῦ βίου, καὶ πάλαι θαυμάζειν ἐνίους οἴομαι ὧν αὐτοὶ μὲν ἴσασιν, οὐκ ἀκηκόασι δὲ νῦν ἐμοῦ. πολλοὺς δὲ τῶν πεπονθότων οὐδὲ πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἠδίκηνται μαρτυρεῖν ἐθέλοντας ὁρῶ, τὴν βίαν καὶ τὴν φιλοπραγμοσύνην ὁρῶντας τὴν τούτου καὶ τὴν ἀφορμήν, ἥπερ ἰσχυρὸν ποιεῖ καὶ φοβερὸν τὸν κατάπτυστον τουτονί.

[¶5] 138. For a man whose wickedness and violence are supported by power and wealth is fortified against any sudden attack. So this fellow, if he were deprived of his property, would perhaps discontinue his outrages, or if not, he will be of less account in your courts than the most insignificant criminal; for then he will rail and bluster to deaf ears, and for any act of gross violence he will pay the penalty like the rest of us.

> Greek: 138. τὸ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἐξουσίας καὶ πλούτου πονηρὸν εἶναι καὶ ὑβριστὴν τεῖχός ἐστι πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν ἂν αὐτὸν ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς παθεῖν, ἐπεὶ περιαιρεθεὶς οὗτος τὰ ὄντα ἴσως μὲν οὐκ ἂν ὑβρίζοι, εἰ δʼ ἄρα, ἐλάττονος ἄξιος ἔσται τοῦ μικροτάτου παρʼ ὑμῖν· μάτην γὰρ λοιδορήσεται καὶ βοήσεται, δίκην δʼ, ἂν ἀσελγαίνῃ τι, τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡμῖν ἐξ ἴσου δώσει.

[¶6] 139. But now, I believe, his champions are Polyeuctus and Timocrates and the ragamuffin Euctemon. Such are the mercenaries that he keeps about him; and there are others besides, an organized gang of witnesses, who do not openly force themselves upon you, but readily give a silent nod of assent to his lies. [I do not of course imagine that they make anything out of him, but there are some people, men of Athens, who are strangely prone to abase themselves towards the wealthy, to attend upon them, and to give witness in their favour.]

> Greek: 139. νῦν δʼ, οἶμαι, τούτου προβέβληται Πολύευκτος, Τιμοκράτης, Εὐκτήμων ὁ κονιορτός· τοιοῦτοί τινές εἰσι μισθοφόροι περὶ αὐτόν, καὶ πρὸς ἔθʼ ἕτεροι τούτοις, μαρτύρων συνεστῶσʼ ἑταιρεία, φανερῶς μὲν οὐκ ἐνοχλούντων ὑμῖν, σιγῇ δὲ τὰ ψευδῆ ῥᾷστʼ ἐπινευόντων. οὓς μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖσθαι νομίζω παρὰ τούτου· ἀλλὰ δεινοί τινές εἰσιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, φθείρεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ παρεῖναι καὶ μαρτυρεῖν.

[¶7] 140. All this, I expect, is alarming for the rest of you as individuals, depending each upon his own resources; and that is why you band yourselves together, so that when you find yourselves individually inferior to others, whether in wealth or in friends or in any other respect, you may together prove stronger than any one of your enemies and so check his insolence.

> Greek: 140. πάντα δὲ ταῦτʼ, οἶμαι, φοβέρʼ ἐστὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὑμῶν ἑκάστῳ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ὅπως δύναται ζῶντι. οὗπερ εἵνεκα συλλέγεσθʼ ὑμεῖς, ἵνʼ, ὧν καθʼ ἕνʼ ἐστὶν ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐλάττων ἢ φίλοις ἢ τοῖς οὖσιν ἢ τῶν ἄλλων τινί, τούτων συλλεγέντες ἑκάστου κρείττους τε γίγνησθε καὶ παύητε τὴν ὕβριν.

[¶8] 141. Now, some such ready plea as this will be submitted to you: “Why did not So-and-so, who suffered this or that at my hands, try to obtain redress from me? Or why did not So-and-so?”—naming perhaps another of his victims. But I expect you all know the stock excuses for shirking the duty of self-defence—want of leisure, a distaste for affairs, inability to speak, lack of means, and a thousand such reasons.

> Greek: 141. τάχα τοίνυν καὶ τοιοῦτός τις ἥξει πρὸς ὑμᾶς λόγος, τί δὴ τὰ καὶ τὰ πεπονθὼς ὁ δεῖνʼ οὐκ ἐλάμβανεν δίκην παρʼ ἐμοῦ; ἢ τί δὴ πάλιν ἄλλον ἴσως τινὰ τῶν ἠδικημένων ὀνομάζων. ἐγὼ δὲ διʼ ἃς μὲν προφάσεις ἕκαστος ἀφίσταται τοῦ βοηθεῖν αὑτῷ, πάντας ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι νομίζω· καὶ γὰρ ἀσχολία καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνη καὶ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι λέγειν καὶ ἀπορία καὶ μυρίʼ ἐστὶν αἴτια·

[¶9] 142. I do not, however, think that Meidias has any right to use such language now; his duty is to prove that he has not done what I have accused him of doing, and if he cannot, then he deserves death all the more. For if he is so powerful that he can act like this and yet prevent you individually from obtaining satisfaction from him, you ought all of you, in common and on behalf of all, now that he is in your grasp, to punish him as the common enemy of the State.

> Greek: 142. προσήκειν μέντοι τούτῳ μὴ ταῦτα λέγειν ἡγοῦμαι νυνί, ἀλλʼ ὡς οὐ πεποίηκέ τι τούτων ὧν αὐτοῦ κατηγόρηκα διδάσκειν, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ δύνηται, διὰ ταῦτʼ ἀπολωλέναι πολὺ μᾶλλον, εἰ γὰρ τηλικοῦτός τίς ἐστιν ὥστε τοιαῦτα ποιῶν δύνασθαι καθʼ ἕνʼ ἕκαστον ἡμῶν ἀποστερεῖν τοῦ δίκης παρʼ αὐτοῦ τυχεῖν, κοινῇ νῦν, ἐπειδήπερ εἴληπται, πᾶσιν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἐστὶ τιμωρητέος ὡς κοινὸς ἐχθρὸς τῇ πολιτείᾳ.

[¶10] 143. History tells us that Alcibiades lived at Athens in the good old days of her prosperity, and I want you to consider what great public services stand to his credit and how your ancestors dealt with him when he thought fit to behave like a ruffian and a bully. And assuredly it is not from any desire to compare Meidias with Alcibiades that I mention this story. I am not so foolish or infatuated. My object, men of Athens, is that you may know and feel that there is not, and never will be, anything—not birth, not wealth, not power—that you, the great mass of citizens, ought to tolerate, if it is coupled with insolence.

> Greek: 143. λέγεται τοίνυν ποτʼ ἐν τῇ πόλει κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν ἐκείνην εὐδαιμονίαν Ἀλκιβιάδης γενέσθαι, ᾧ σκέψασθε τίνων ὑπαρχόντων καὶ ποίων τινῶν πρὸς τὸν δῆμον πῶς ἐχρήσανθʼ ὑμῶν οἱ πρόγονοι, ἐπειδὴ βδελυρὸς καὶ ὑβριστὴς ᾤετο δεῖν εἶναι. καὶ οὐκ ἀπεικάσαι δήπου Μειδίαν Ἀλκιβιάδῃ βουλόμενος τούτου μέμνημαι τοῦ λόγου (οὐχ οὕτως εἴμʼ ἄφρων οὐδʼ ἀπόπληκτος ἐγώ), ἀλλʼ ἵνʼ εἰδῆθʼ ὑμεῖς, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ γνῶθʼ ὅτι οὐδὲν οὔτʼ ἔστιν οὔτʼ ἔσται, οὐ γένος, οὐ πλοῦτος, οὐ δύναμις, ὅ τι τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑμῖν, ἂν ὕβρις προσῇ, προσήκει φέρειν.

[¶11] 144. For Alcibiades, Athenians, was on his father’s side one of the Alcmaeonidae, who are said to have been banished by the tyrants because they belonged to the democratic faction, and who, with money borrowed from Delphi, liberated our city, expelling the sons of Peisistratus, and on his mother’s side he claimed descent from Hipponicus and that famous house to which the people are indebted for many eminent services.

> Greek: 144. ἐκεῖνος γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, λέγεται πρὸς πατρὸς μὲν Ἀλκμεωνιδῶν εἶναι (τούτους δέ φασιν ὑπὸ τῶν τυράννων ὑπὲρ τοῦ δήμου στασιάζοντας ἐκπεσεῖν, καὶ δανεισαμένους χρήματʼ ἐκ Δελφῶν ἐλευθερῶσαι τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς Πεισιστράτου παῖδας ἐκβαλεῖν), πρὸς δὲ μητρὸς Ἱππονίκου καὶ ταύτης τῆς οἰκίας ἧς ὑπάρχουσι πολλαὶ καὶ μεγάλαι πρὸς τὸν δῆμον εὐεργεσίαι.

[¶12] 145. But these were not his only claims, for he had also taken arms in the cause of democracy, twice in Samos and a third time in Athens itself, displaying his patriotism, not by gifts of money or by speeches, but by personal service. He had also to his credit for the Olympian chariot-race and victories there, and we are told that he was regarded as the best general and the ablest speaker of the day.

> Greek: 145. οὐ μόνον δὲ ταῦθʼ ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ τοῦ δήμου θέμενος τὰ ὅπλα δὶς μὲν ἐν Σάμῳ, τρίτον δʼ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πόλει, τῷ σώματι τὴν εὔνοιαν, οὐ χρήμασιν οὐδὲ λόγοις ἐνεδείξατο τῇ πατρίδι. ἔτι δʼ ἵππων Ὀλυμπίασιν ἀγῶνες ὑπῆρχον αὐτῷ καὶ νῖκαι καὶ στέφανοι, καὶ στρατηγὸς ἄριστος, καὶ λέγειν ἐδόκει πάντων, ὥς φασιν, εἶναι δεινότατος.

[¶13] 146. But yet your ancestors, for all these services, would not allow him to insult them. They made him a fugitive and an outlaw, and in the day of Lacedaemonian power they endured the fortification of Decelea, the capture of their fleet, and every kind of loss, because they deemed any involuntary suffering more honorable than a voluntary submission to the tyranny of insolence.

> Greek: 146. ἀλλʼ ὅμως οἱ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον ὑμέτεροι πρόγονοι οὐδενὸς τούτων αὐτῷ συνεχώρησαν ὑβρίζειν αὑτούς, ἀλλὰ ποιήσαντες φυγάδʼ ἐξέβαλον· καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων ὄντων ἰσχυρῶν τότε, καὶ Δεκέλειαν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιτειχισθῆναι καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἁλῶναι καὶ πάνθʼ ὑπέμειναν, ὁτιοῦν ἄκοντες παθεῖν κάλλιον εἶναι νομίζοντες ἢ ἑκόντες ὑβρίζεσθαι συγχωρῆσαι.

[¶14] 147. Yet what was his insolence compared with what has been proved of Meidias today? He boxed the ears of Taureas, when the latter was chorus-master. Granted; but it was as chorus-master to chorus-master that he did it, and he did not transgress the present law, for it had not yet been made. Another story is that he imprisoned the painter Agatharchus. Yes, but he had caught him in an act of trespass, or so we are told; so that it is unfair to blame him for that. He was one of the mutilators of the Hermae. All acts of sacrilege, I suppose, ought to excite the same indignation, but is not complete destruction of sacred things just as sacrilegious as their mutilation? Well, that is what Meidias has been convicted of.

> Greek: 147. καίτοι τί τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνος ὕβρισεν, ἡλίκον οὗτος νῦν ἐξελήλεγκται; Ταυρέαν ἐπάταξε χορηγοῦντʼ ἐπὶ κόρρης. ἔστω ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ χορηγῶν γε χορηγοῦντα τοῦτʼ ἐποίησεν, οὔπω τόνδε τὸν νόμον παραβαίνων· οὐ γὰρ ἔκειτό πω. εἷρξεν Ἀγάθαρχον τὸν γραφέα· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα λέγουσιν. λαβὼν γέ τι πλημμελοῦνθʼ ὥς φασιν· ὅπερ οὐδʼ ὀνειδίζειν ἄξιον. τοὺς Ἑρμᾶς περιέκοπτεν. ἅπαντα μέν, οἶμαι, τἀσεβήματα τῆς αὐτῆς ὀργῆς δίκαιον ἀξιοῦν· τὸ δʼ ὅλως ἀφανίζειν ἱερὰ ἔσθʼ ὅ τι τοῦ κόπτειν [τοὺς Ἑρμᾶς] διαφέρει· οὐκοῦν οὗτος ἐξελήλεγκται τοῦτο ποιῶν.

[¶15] 148. To contrast the two men, let us ask who Meidias is and to whom he displayed his qualities. Do not then imagine that for you, gentlemen, being the descendants of such ancestors, it would be in accordance with justice or piety, to say nothing of honor, if, when you have caught a rascally, violent bully, a mere nobody and son of nobody, you should pronounce him deserving of pardon or pity or favour of any kind. For why should you? Because of his services as general? But not even as a private soldier, much less as a leader of others, is he worth anything at all. For his speeches then? In his public speeches he never yet said a good word of anyone, and he speaks ill of everyone in private.

> Greek: 148. ἀντιθῶμεν δὴ τίς ὢν καὶ τίσι ταῦτʼ ἐνδεικνύμενος. μὴ τοίνυν ὑμῖν, πρὸς τῷ μὴ καλόν, μηδὲ θεμιτὸν νομίζετʼ, ἄνδρες δικασταί, μηδʼ ὅσιον εἶναι τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν οὖσιν ἀπογόνοις, πονηρὸν καὶ βίαιον καὶ ὑβριστὴν λαβοῦσιν ἄνθρωπον καὶ μηδένα μηδαμόθεν, συγγνώμης ἢ φιλανθρωπίας ἢ χάριτός τινος ἀξιῶσαι. τίνος γὰρ εἵνεκα; τῶν στρατηγιῶν· ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ καθʼ αὑτὸν στρατιώτης οὗτος οὐδενός ἐστʼ ἄξιος, μή τί γε τῶν ἄλλων ἡγεμών. ἀλλὰ τῶν λόγων· ἐν οἷς κοινῇ μὲν οὐδὲν πώποτʼ εἶπʼ ἀγαθόν, κακῶς δʼ ἰδίᾳ πάντας ἀνθρώπους λέγει.

[¶16] 149. For the sake of his family perhaps? And who of you does not know the mysterious story of his birth—quite like a melodrama? He was the sport of two opposing circumstances. The real mother who bore him was the most sensible of mortals; his reputed mother who adopted him was the silliest woman in the world. Do you ask why? The one sold him as soon as he was born; the other purchased him, when she might have got a better bargain at the same figure.

> Greek: 149. γένους εἵνεκα νὴ Δία· καὶ τίς οὐκ οἶδεν ὑμῶν τὰς ἀπορρήτους, ὥσπερ ἐν τραγῳδίᾳ, τὰς τούτου γονάς; ᾧ δύʼ ἐναντιώτατα συμβέβηκεν εἶναι· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς μήτηρ, ἡ τεκοῦσʼ αὐτόν, πλεῖστον ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων εἶχε νοῦν, ἡ δὲ δοκοῦσα καὶ ὑποβαλομένη πασῶν ἦν ἀνοητοτάτη γυναικῶν. σημεῖον δέ· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀπέδοτʼ εὐθὺς γενόμενον, ἡ δʼ ἐξὸν αὐτῇ βελτίω πρίασθαι τῆς αὐτῆς τιμῆς τοῦτον ἠγόρασεν.

[¶17] 150. And yet, though he has thus become the possessor of privileges to which he has no claim, and has found a fatherland which is reputed to be of all states the most firmly based upon its laws, he seems utterly unable to submit to those laws or abide by them. His true, native barbarism and hatred of religion drive him on by force and betray the fact that he treats his present rights as if they were not his own—as indeed they are not.

> Greek: 150. καὶ γάρ τοι διὰ τοῦτο τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων ἀγαθῶν κύριος γεγονώς, καὶ πατρίδος τετυχηκὼς ἣ νόμοις τῶν ἁπασῶν πόλεων μάλιστʼ οἰκεῖσθαι δοκεῖ, οὐδένʼ οἶμαι τρόπον φέρειν οὐδὲ χρῆσθαι τούτοις δύναται, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὡς ἀληθῶς βάρβαρον καὶ θεοῖς ἐχθρὸν ἕλκει καὶ βιάζεται, καὶ φανερὸν ποιεῖ τοῖς παροῦσιν ὥσπερ ἀλλοτρίοις, ὅπερ ἔστιν, αὐτὸν χρώμενον.

[¶18] 151. Such, then, being the events that make up the life of this shameless blackguard, some of his associates came to me, gentlemen of the jury, urging me to retire and drop this action; but finding me unmoved, they did not venture to assert that he was innocent of all these crimes and would not deserve the severest penalty for his deeds. They took this line of argument. “He has already been convicted and condemned; what fine do you expect the court to impose on him? Do you not see that he is a rich man and will talk about the equipment of war-galleys and other public services? Then take care that he does not beg himself off by such pleas, and make you his laughingstock, when he pays the State a far less sum than he now offers you.”

> Greek: 151. τοσούτων τοίνυν καὶ τοιούτων ὄντων ἃ τῷ βδελυρῷ τούτῳ καὶ ἀναιδεῖ βεβίωται, ἔνιοί μοι προσιόντες, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τῶν χρωμένων αὐτῷ, παραινοῦντες ἀπαλλαγῆναι καὶ καθυφεῖναι τὸν ἀγῶνα τουτονί, ἐπειδή με μὴ πείθοιεν, ὡς μὲν οὐ πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ πεποίηκεν οὗτος καὶ δίκην ἡντινοῦν ἂν δοίη δικαίως τῶν πεπραγμένων, οὐκ ἐτόλμων λέγειν, ἐπὶ ταῦτα δʼ ἀπήντων ὡς ἑάλωκεν ἤδη καὶ κατεψήφισται· τίνος τιμήσειν αὐτῷ προσδοκᾷς τὸ δικαστήριον; οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι πλουτεῖ καὶ τριηραρχίας ἐρεῖ καὶ λῃτουργίας; σκόπει δὴ μὴ τούτοις αὑτὸν ἐξαιτήσηται, καὶ ἐλάττω πολὺ τῇ πόλει καταθεὶς ἢ ὅσα σοι δίδωσι καταγελάσῃ.

[¶19] 152. For myself, in the first place, I do not charge you with anything dishonorable, nor do I suppose that you will lay on him a lighter punishment than will effectually check his insolence; and that means, for choice, death, or failing that, at least the confiscation of all his property. In the next place, my own opinion about his trierarchies and public services and pleas of that sort is this.

> Greek: 152. ἐγὼ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν οὐδὲν ἀγεννὲς ὑμῶν καταγιγνώσκω, οὐδʼ ὑπολαμβάνω τιμήσειν οὐδὲν ἐλάττονος τούτῳ ἢ ὅσον καταθεὶς οὗτος παύσεται τῆς ὕβρεως· τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ μάλιστα μὲν θάνατος, εἰ δὲ μή, πάντα τὰ ὄντʼ ἀφελέσθαι. ἔπειθʼ ὑπὲρ τῶν τούτου λῃτουργιῶν καὶ τῶν τριηραρχιῶν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων λόγων ὡδὶ γιγνώσκω.

[¶20] 153. If, men of Athens, public service consists in saying to you at all the meetings of the Assembly and on every possible occasion, “We are the men who perform the public services; we are those who advance your tax-money; we are the capitalists”—if that is all it means, then I confess that Meidias has shown himself the most distinguished citizen of Athens; for he bores us at every Assembly by these tasteless and tactless boasts.

> Greek: 153. εἰ μέν ἐστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ λῃτουργεῖν τοῦτο, τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν λέγειν ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις καὶ πανταχοῦ ἡμεῖς οἱ λῃτουργοῦντες, ἡμεῖς οἱ προεισφέροντες ὑμῖν, ἡμεῖς οἱ πλούσιοί ἐσμεν, εἰ τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγειν, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν λῃτουργεῖν, ὁμολογῶ Μειδίαν ἁπάντων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει λαμπρότατον γεγενῆσθαι· ἀποκναίει γὰρ ἀηδίᾳ δήπου καὶ ἀναισθησίᾳ καθʼ ἑκάστην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ταῦτα λέγων.

[¶21] 154. But if you want to find out how he really performs his services, I will tell you; and please mark with what fairness I shall test him, for I will compare him with myself. This man, Athenians, who is about fifty years old or only a trifle less, has not performed more public services than I, who am only two and thirty. Moreover I, as soon as I had reached man’s estate, undertook the trierarchy in the days when only two shared the duty, and when we paid all the expenses from our own purses and provided the crews ourselves.

> Greek: 154. εἰ μέντοι τί ποτʼ ἐστὶν ἃ λῃτουργεῖ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ σκοπεῖν, ἐγὼ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐρῶ· καὶ θεάσασθʼ ὡς δικαίως αὐτὸν ἐξετάσω, πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν κρίνων. οὗτος, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, γεγονὼς ἔτη περὶ πεντήκοντʼ ἴσως ἢ μικρὸν ἔλαττον οὐδὲν ἐμοῦ πλείους λῃτουργίας ὑμῖν λελῃτούργηκεν, ὃς δύο καὶ τριάκοντʼ ἔτη γέγονα. κἀγὼ μὲν κατʼ ἐκείνους τοὺς χρόνους ἐτριηράρχουν, εὐθὺς ἐκ παίδων ἐξελθών, ὅτε σύνδυʼ ἦμεν οἱ τριήραρχοι καὶ τἀναλώματα πάντʼ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων [οἴκων] καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐπληρούμεθʼ αὐτοί·

[¶22] 155. Meidias, when he was of my present age, had not yet begun to perform services; he has only put his hand to the task since you made twelve hundred citizens joint contributors, from whom such men as Meidias exact a talent and then contract for the equipment of the war-galley at the same price. After this the State provides the crews and furnishes the tackle; so that some of them succeed in really spending nothing at all and by pretending to have performed one public service enjoy exemption from the rest.

> Greek: 155. οὗτος δέ, ὅτε μὲν κατὰ ταύτην τὴν ἡλικίαν ἦν ἣν ἐγὼ νῦν, οὐδέπω λῃτουργεῖν ἤρχετο, τηνικαῦτα δὲ τοῦ πράγματος ἧπται, ὅτε πρῶτον μὲν διακοσίους καὶ χιλίους πεποιήκατε συντελεῖς ὑμεῖς, παρʼ ὧν εἰσπραττόμενοι τάλαντον ταλάντου μισθοῦσι τὰς τριηραρχίας οὗτοι, εἶτα πληρώμαθʼ ἡ πόλις παρέχει καὶ σκεύη δίδωσιν, ὥστʼ αὐτῶν ἐνίοις τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τὸ μηδὲν ἀναλῶσαι καὶ δοκεῖν λελῃτουργηκέναι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων λῃτουργιῶν ἀτελεῖς γεγενῆσθαι περίεστιν.

[¶23] 156. Well, is there anything else? He has once equipped a tragic chorus; I have furnished a band of male flute-players; and everyone knows that the latter involves much greater expense than the former. Moreover my service is voluntary; his was only undertaken after a challenge to exchange property. Therefore no one could justly allow him any credit for it. What else? I have feasted my tribe and equipped a chorus for the Panathenaea; he has done neither.

> Greek: 156. ἀλλὰ μὴν τί ἄλλο; τραγῳδοῖς κεχορήγηκέ ποθʼ οὗτος, ἐγὼ δʼ αὐληταῖς ἀνδράσιν. καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο τἀνάλωμʼ ἐκείνης τῆς δαπάνης πλέον ἐστὶ πολλῷ, οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ δήπου. κἀγὼ μὲν ἐθελοντὴς νῦν, οὗτος δὲ καταστὰς ἐξ ἀντιδόσεως τότε, οὗ χάριν οὐδεμίαν δήπου δικαίως ἄν τις ἔχοι. τί ἔτι; εἱστίακα τὴν φυλὴν ἐγὼ καὶ Παναθηναίοις κεχορήγηκα, οὗτος δʼ οὐδέτερα.

[¶24] 157. I was chairman of one of the tax-syndicates for ten years, contributing the same share as Phormio, Lysitheides, Callaeschrus, and the richest citizens, not from my actual property, of which my guardians had robbed me, but from the estimated wealth which my father had left and which I was entitled to inherit when I had passed the scrutiny for citizenship. That is how I have borne myself towards you; but how has Meidias? To this day he has never been chairman of a syndicate, though no one has ever robbed him of any part of his inheritance and he has received from his father a large property.

> Greek: 157. ἡγεμὼν συμμορίας ὑμῖν ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ ἔτη δέκα, ἴσον Φορμίωνι καὶ Λυσιθείδῃ καὶ Καλλαίσχρῳ καὶ τοῖς πλουσιωτάτοις, εἰσφέρων οὐκ ἀφʼ ὑπαρχούσης οὐσίας (ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων ἀπεστερήμην), ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης ὧν ὁ πατήρ μοι κατέλιπεν καὶ ὧν δίκαιον ἦν με δοκιμασθέντα κομίσασθαι. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν οὕτως ὑμῖν προσενήνεγμαι, Μειδίας δὲ πῶς; οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον συμμορίας ἡγεμὼν γέγονεν, οὐδὲν τῶν πατρῴων ἀποστερηθεὶς ὑπʼ οὐδενός, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς πολλὴν οὐσίαν παραλαβών.

[¶25] 158. In what, then, consist his splendor, his public services and his lordly expenditure? I cannot for the life of me see, unless one fixes one’s attention on these facts. He has built at Eleusis a mansion huge enough to overshadow his neighbors; he drives his wife to the Mysteries, or anywhere else that he wishes, with a pair of greys from Sicyon; he swaggers about the market-place with three or four henchmen in attendance, describing beakers and drinking-horns and cups loud enough for the passers-by to hear.

> Greek: 158. τίς οὖν ἡ λαμπρότης, ἢ τίνες αἱ λῃτουργίαι καὶ τὰ σέμνʼ ἀναλώματα τούτου; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ὁρῶ, πλὴν εἰ ταῦτά τις θεωρεῖ· οἰκίαν ᾠκοδόμηκεν Ἐλευσῖνι τοσαύτην ὥστε πᾶσιν ἐπισκοτεῖν τοῖς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, καὶ εἰς μυστήρια τὴν γυναῖκʼ ἄγει, κἂν ἄλλοσέ ποι βούληται, ἐπὶ τοῦ λευκοῦ ζεύγους τοῦ ἐκ Σικυῶνος, καὶ τρεῖς ἀκολούθους ἢ τέτταρας αὐτὸς ἔχων διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς σοβεῖ, κυμβία καὶ ῥυτὰ καὶ φιάλας ὀνομάζων οὕτως ὥστε τοὺς παριόντας ἀκούειν.

[¶26] 159. I do not see how the mass of Athenians are benefited by all the wealth that Meidias retains for private luxury and superfluous display; I do see that his insolence, fostered by his wealth, affects many of us ordinary folk. You ought not to show respect and admiration for such things on every occasion, nor judge a man’s public spirit by such tests as these—whether he builds himself a splendid house or keeps many maid-servants or handsome furniture, but whether his splendor and public spirit are displayed in those things in which the majority of you can share. There you will find Meidias absolutely wanting.

> Greek: 159. ἐγὼ δʼ ὅσα μὲν τῆς ἰδίας τρυφῆς εἵνεκα Μειδίας καὶ περιουσίας κτᾶται, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑμῶν ὠφελεῖ· ἃ δʼ ἐπαιρόμενος τούτοις ὑβρίζει, ἐπὶ πολλοὺς καὶ τοὺς τυχόντας ἡμῶν ἀφικνούμενʼ ὁρῶ. οὐ δεῖ δὴ τὰ τοιαῦθʼ ἑκάστοτε τιμᾶν οὐδὲ θαυμάζειν ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲ τὴν φιλοτιμίαν ἐκ τούτων κρίνειν, εἴ τις οἰκοδομεῖ λαμπρῶς ἢ θεραπαίνας κέκτηται πολλὰς ἢ σκεύη [καλά], ἀλλʼ ὃς ἂν ἐν τούτοις λαμπρὸς καὶ φιλότιμος ᾖ, ὧν ἅπασι μέτεστι τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑμῶν· ὧν οὐδὲν εὑρήσετε τούτῳ προσόν.

[¶27] 160. But, mark you, he gave us a war-galley! I am sure he will brag about that vessel. “I,” he will say, “presented you with a trireme.” Now this is how you must deal with him. If, men of Athens, he gave it from patriotic motives, be duly grateful and pay him the thanks that such a gift deserves. But do not give him a chance to air his insolence; that must not be conceded as the price of any act or deed. If, on the other hand, it is proved that his motive was cowardice and malingering, do not be led astray. How then will you know? This too I will explain. I will tell you the story from the start: it is not a long one.

> Greek: 160. ἀλλὰ νὴ Δία τριήρη ἐπέδωκεν· ταύτην γὰρ οἶδʼ ὅτι θρυλήσει, καὶ φήσει ἐγὼ ὑμῖν τριήρη ἐπέδωκα. οὑτωσὶ δὴ ποιήσατε. εἰ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, φιλοτιμίας εἵνεκα ταύτην ἐπέδωκεν, ἣν προσήκει τῶν τοιούτων ἔχειν χάριν, ταύτην ἔχετʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπόδοτε, ὑβρίζειν δὲ μὴ δῶτε· οὐδενὸς γὰρ πράγματος οὐδʼ ἔργου τοῦτο συγχωρητέον. εἰ δὲ δὴ καὶ δειλίας καὶ ἀνανδρίας εἵνεκα δειχθήσεται τοῦτο πεποιηκώς, μὴ παρακρουσθῆτε. πῶς οὖν εἴσεσθε; ἐγὼ καὶ τοῦτο διδάξω· ἄνωθεν δέ, βραχὺς γάρ ἐσθʼ ὁ λόγος, λέξω.

[¶28] 161. Voluntary gifts were first introduced at Athens for the expedition to Euboea. Meidias was not one of those volunteers, but I was, and my colleague was Philinus, the son of Nicostratus. There was a second call subsequently for Olynthus. Meidias was not one of those volunteers either. Yet surely the public-spirited man ought to be found at his post on every occasion. We have now these voluntary gifts for the third time, and this time he did make an offer. But how? Though present in the Council when the gifts were being received, he made no offer then.

> Greek: 161. ἐγένοντʼ εἰς Εὔβοιαν ἐπιδόσεις παρʼ ὑμῖν πρῶται· τούτων οὐκ ἦν Μειδίας, ἀλλʼ ἐγώ, καὶ συντριήραρχος ἦν μοι Φιλῖνος ὁ Νικοστράτου. ἕτεραι δεύτεραι μετὰ ταῦτʼ εἰς Ὄλυνθον· οὐδὲ τούτων ἦν Μειδίας. καίτοι τόν γε δὴ φιλότιμον πανταχοῦ προσῆκεν ἐξετάζεσθαι. τρίται νῦν αὗται γεγόνασιν ἐπιδόσεις· ἐνταῦθʼ ἐπέδωκεν. πῶς; ἐν τῇ βουλῇ γιγνομένων ἐπιδόσεων παρὼν οὐκ ἐπεδίδου τότε·

[¶29] 162. But when it was announced that the troops at Tamynae were blockaded, and when the Council carried a preliminary decree to dispatch the rest of the cavalry, to which he belonged, then, alarmed at the prospect of this campaign, he came forward with a voluntary gift at the next meeting of the Assembly, even before the Committee could take their seats. What makes it clear, beyond all possibility of doubt, that his motive was not public spirit but the desire to shirk the campaign? His subsequent proceedings.

> Greek: 162. ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολιορκεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐν Ταμύναις στρατιώτας ἐξηγγέλλετο, καὶ πάντας ἐξιέναι τοὺς ὑπολοίπους ἱππέας, ὧν εἷς οὗτος ἦν, προεβούλευσεν ἡ βουλή, τηνικαῦτα φοβηθεὶς τὴν στρατείαν ταύτην εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἐκκλησίαν, πρὶν καὶ προέδρους καθέζεσθαι, παρελθὼν ἐπέδωκεν. τῷ δῆλον, ὥστε μηδʼ ἀντειπεῖν αὐτὸν ἔχειν, ὅτι τὴν στρατείαν φεύγων, οὐ φιλοτιμίᾳ, τοῦτʼ ἐποίησεν; τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα πραχθεῖσιν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ.

[¶30] 163. For in the first place, when it appeared, as the meeting proceeded and speeches were made, that the services of the cavalry were not now required, but that the proposed expedition had fallen through, he never set foot on the ship he had presented, but dispatched a resident alien, the Egyptian Pamphilus, while he himself stayed at home and behaved at the Dionysia in the way that is the matter of the present trial.

> Greek: 163. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον, ὡς οὐκ ἐδόκει, προϊούσης τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ λόγων γιγνομένων, τῆς τῶν ἱππέων βοηθείας ἤδη δεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἀνεπεπτώκει τὰ τῆς ἐξόδου, οὐκ ἀνέβαινʼ ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν ἣν ἐπέδωκεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν μέτοικον ἐξέπεμψε τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, Πάμφιλον, αὐτὸς δὲ μένων ἐνθάδε τοῖς Διονυσίοις διεπράττετο ταῦτʼ ἐφʼ οἷς νυνὶ κρίνεται·

[¶31] 164. Next, when the general, Phocion, summoned the cavalry from Argura to take their turn of service, and the trickery of Meidias was exposed, then this damnable coward quitted that post and hurried to his ship and never went out with the cavalry whom he claimed to command here at home. But if there had been any risk at sea, he would certainly have hastened to land.

> Greek: 164. ἐπειδὴ δʼ ὁ στρατηγὸς Φωκίων μετεπέμπετο τοὺς ἐξ Ἀργούρας ἱππέας ἐπὶ τὴν διαδοχὴν καὶ κατείληπτο σοφιζόμενος, τόθʼ ὁ δειλὸς καὶ κατάρατος οὑτοσὶ λιπὼν τὴν τάξιν ταύτην ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν ᾤχετο, καὶ ὧν ἱππαρχεῖν ἠξίωσε παρʼ ὑμῖν ἱππέων, τούτοις οὐ συνεξῆλθεν. εἰ δʼ ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ κίνδυνός τις ἦν, εἰς τὴν γῆν δῆλον ὅτι ᾤχετʼ ἄν.

[¶32] 165. Not so behaved Niceratus, the beloved son of Nicias, though he was himself physically an utter weakling. Not so behaved Euctemon, the son of Aesion, nor Euthydemus, the son of Stratocles. Each of these men had made the gift of a war-galley, yet did not run away from the campaign in this way. Each, as an act of grace and a free gift, supplied the State with a ship ready for sea, and where the law of the State assigned them their posts, there each insisted on giving his personal service.

> Greek: 165. οὐ μὴν Νικήρατός γʼ οὕτως ὁ τοῦ Νικίου, ὁ ἀγαπητός, ὁ ἄπαις, ὁ παντάπασιν ἀσθενὴς τῷ σώματι· οὐδʼ Εὐκτήμων ὁ τοῦ Αἰσίωνος, οὐχ οὕτως· οὐδʼ Εὐθύδημος ὁ τοῦ Στρατοκλέους· ἀλλʼ αὐτῶν ἕκαστος ἑκὼν ἐπιδοὺς τριήρη οὐκ ἀπέδρα ταύτῃ τὴν στρατείαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν [ἐπίδοσιν] ἐν χάριτος μέρει καὶ δωρειᾶς παρεῖχον πλέουσαν τῇ πόλει, οὗ δʼ ὁ νόμος προσέταττεν, ἐνταῦθα τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτοὶ λῃτουργεῖν ἠξίουν.

[¶33] 166. But not so our cavalry-officer Meidias. He deserted the post assigned him by the laws, and this, which is a punishable offence against the State, he is prepared to count as a meritorious service. Yet, good heavens! what name best befits such a trierarchy as his? Shall we call it patriotism, or tax-jobbing, two-per-cent-collecting, desertion, malingering, and everything of that sort? Unable in any other way to get himself exempt from service with the cavalry, Meidias has invented this new-fangled cavalry-collectorship. Another point.

> Greek: 166. ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὁ ἵππαρχος Μειδίας, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν νόμων τάξιν λιπών, οὗ δίκην ὀφείλει τῇ πόλει δοῦναι, τοῦτʼ ἐν εὐεργεσίας ἀριθμήσει μέρει. καίτοι τὴν τοιαύτην τριηραρχίαν, ὢ πρὸς θεῶν, πότερον τελωνίαν καὶ πεντηκοστὴν καὶ λιποτάξιον καὶ στρατείας ἀπόδρασιν καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦθʼ ἁρμόττει καλεῖν, ἢ φιλοτιμίαν; οὐδένα γὰρ τρόπον ἄλλον ἐν τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν αὑτὸν ἀτελῆ ποιῆσαι στρατείας δυνάμενος ταύτην εὕρηκε Μειδίας καινὴν ἱππικήν τινα πεντηκοστήν.

[¶34] 167. All the other donors of war-galleys convoyed you when you sailed back from Styra; Meidias alone took no part in the convoy, but, without a thought for you, he was bringing fences and cattle and door-posts for his own house and pit-props for his silver-mines, and so his command has proved, not a public service, but a lucrative job for this detestable creature. However, to prove to you the truth of my statements, though most of the facts are known to you, I will nevertheless call witnesses. The Witnesses “We, Cleon of Sunium, Aristocles of Paeania, Pamphilus, Niceratus of Acherdus, and Euctemon of Sphetta, on the occasion when we sailed home from Styra with the entire force, were commanders of triremes along with Meidias, who is now being prosecuted by Demosthenes, for whom we appear as witnesses.

> Greek: 167. καὶ γὰρ αὖ τοῦτο. τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τῶν ἐπιδόντων τριηράρχων παραπεμπόντων ὑμᾶς ὅτε δεῦρʼ ἀπεπλεῖτʼ ἐκ Στύρων, μόνος οὗτος οὐ παρέπεμπεν, ἀλλʼ ἀμελήσας ὑμῶν χάρακας καὶ βοσκήματα καὶ θυρώμαθʼ ὡς αὑτὸν καὶ ξύλʼ εἰς τὰ ἔργα τὰ ἀργύρειʼ ἐκόμιζεν, καὶ χρηματισμός, οὐ λῃτουργία γέγονεν ἡ τριηραρχία τῷ καταπτύστῳ τούτῳ. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγω σύνιστε μὲν τὰ πολλὰ τούτων, ὅμως δὲ καὶ μάρτυρας ὑμῖν καλῶ. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ Κλέων Σουνιεύς, Ἀριστοκλῆς Παιανιεύς, Πάμφιλος, Νικήρατος Ἀχερδούσιος, Εὐκτήμων Σφήττιος, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἐκ Στύρων ἀπεπλέομεν δεῦρο τῷ στόλῳ παντί, ἐτύχομεν τριηραρχοῦντες καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ Μειδίας ὁ νῦν κρινόμενος ὑπὸ Δημοσθένους, ᾧ μαρτυροῦμεν.

[¶35] 168. When the whole fleet was sailing in formation and the commanders had instructions not to separate until we landed at Athens, Meidias lagged behind the fleet and loaded his ship with timber and fencing and cattle and other things, and sailed alone into Peiraeus two days later, and did not join with the other commanders in bringing the force to land.”

> Greek: 168. παντὸς δὲ τοῦ στόλου πλεόντων ἐν τάξει, καὶ τῶν τριηράρχων ἐχόντων παράγγελμα μὴ χωρίζεσθαι ἕως ἂν δεῦρο καταπλεύσωμεν, Μειδίας ὑπολειφθεὶς τοῦ στόλου, καὶ γεμίσας τὴν ναῦν ξύλων καὶ χαράκων καὶ βοσκημάτων καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν, κατέπλευσεν εἰς Πειραιᾶ μόνος μεθʼ ἡμέρας δύο, καὶ οὐ συγκατέστησε τὸν στόλον μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων τριηράρχων.

[¶36] 169. Now if, men of Athens, his public services and his conduct were really what he will presently in court allege and boast them to have been and not what I thus prove them to have been, even so surely he has no right, under cover of his services, to escape the punishment due to his insolent acts. For I know that there are many men who have done you great and useful service—though not after the style of Meidias! Some have won naval victories, others have captured cities, others have set up many glorious trophies to the credit of the State.

> Greek: 169. εἰ τοίνυν ὡς ἀληθῶς, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, οἷάπερ φήσει καὶ καταλαζονεύσεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, τοιαῦτʼ ἦν αὐτῷ τὰ λελῃτουργημένα καὶ πεπραγμένα, καὶ μὴ τοιαῦθʼ οἷʼ ἐγὼ δεικνύω, οὐδʼ οὕτω δήπου τό γε δοῦναι δίκην ὧν ὕβρικεν ἐκφυγεῖν ταῖς λῃτουργίαις δίκαιος ἂν ἦν. ἐγὼ γὰρ οἶδʼ ὅτι πολλοὶ πολλὰ κἀγάθʼ ὑμᾶς εἰσιν εἰργασμένοι, οὐ κατὰ τὰς Μειδίου λῃτουργίας, οἱ μὲν ναυμαχίας νενικηκότες, οἱ δὲ πόλεις εἰληφότες, οἱ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ καλὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως στήσαντες τρόπαια·

[¶37] 170. But yet to not one of these men have you ever yet granted, nor are you likely to grant, this reward—licence for each one of them to oppress his private enemies whenever he likes and in whatever way he can. For not even Harmodius and Aristogeiton were so privileged, though indeed they received from you the highest rewards for the noblest services. You would never have tolerated it if any one had added this to the inscription on their monument, “And they shall be licensed to oppress whomsoever they will.” No, they received their other rewards for this very service, that they had restrained those who acted insolently.

> Greek: 170. ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὐδενὶ πώποτε τούτων δεδώκατε τὴν δωρειὰν ταύτην οὐδʼ ἂν δοίητε, ἐξεῖναι τοὺς ἰδίους ἐχθροὺς ὑβρίζειν αὐτῶν ἑκάστῳ, ὁπότʼ ἂν βούληται καὶ ὃν ἂν δύνηται τρόπον. οὐδὲ γὰρ Ἁρμοδίῳ καὶ Ἀριστογείτονι· τούτοις γὰρ δὴ μέγισται δέδονται δωρειαὶ παρʼ ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ μεγίστων. οὐδʼ ἂν ἠνέσχεσθε, εἰ προσέγραψέ τις ἐν τῇ στήλῃ ἐξεῖναι δὲ καὶ ὑβρίζειν αὐτοῖς ὃν ἂν βούλωνται· ὑπὲρ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τούτου τὰς ἄλλας ἔλαβον δωρειάς, ὅτι τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας ἔπαυσαν.

[¶38] 171. I now propose to show you, Athenians, that he has received from you a recompense adequate not only to the public services he has actually performed—for in that case it would be small indeed!—but even to the most distinguished services; so that you may not imagine that you are still in debt to this contemptible fellow. For it was you, men of Athens, who elected him—he being what he is—steward of the Paralus, and also commander of the cavalry, though he could not sit a horse in the processions through the market-place, and superintendent of the Mysteries, and sacrificer on one occasion, and buyer of the victims and all the rest of it.

> Greek: 171. ὅτι τοίνυν καὶ κεκόμισται χάριν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, παρʼ ὑμῶν, οὐ μόνον ὧν αὐτὸς λελῃτούργηκε λῃτουργιῶν ἀξίαν (μικρὰ γὰρ αὕτη γέ τις ἦν), ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μεγίστων, καὶ τοῦτο βούλομαι δεῖξαι, ἵνα μηδʼ ὀφείλειν οἴησθέ τι τῷ καταπτύστῳ τούτῳ. ὑμεῖς γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐχειροτονήσατε τοῦτον τῆς Παράλου ταμίαν, ὄντα τοιοῦτον οἷός ἐστι, καὶ πάλιν ἵππαρχον, ὀχεῖσθαι διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ταῖς πομπαῖς οὐ δυνάμενον, καὶ μυστηρίων ἐπιμελητὴν καὶ ἱεροποιόν ποτε καὶ βοώνην, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα δή.

[¶39] 172. And then, that a man’s innate baseness and cowardice and wickedness should be redeemed by offices and honors and appointments from you—do you, in heaven’s name, regard that as a trivial gift and favour? Take away, indeed, his right to say, “I have been commander of the cavalry; I have been made steward of the Paralus,” and what else is he good for?

> Greek: 172. εἶτα πρὸς τῶν θεῶν τὸ τὴν τῆς φύσεως κακίαν καὶ ἀνανδρίαν καὶ πονηρίαν ταῖς παρʼ ὑμῶν ἀρχαῖς καὶ τιμαῖς καὶ χειροτονίαις ἐπανορθοῦσθαι μικρὰν ὑπολαμβάνετʼ εἶναι δωρειὰν καὶ χάριν; καὶ μὴν εἴ τις αὐτοῦ ταῦτʼ ἀφέλοιτο ἱππάρχηκα, τῆς Παράλου ταμίας γέγονα, τίνος ἔστʼ ἄξιος οὗτος;

[¶40] 173. But at any rate you know this, that when he had been made steward of the Paralus, he plundered the people of Cyzicus of more than five talents, and to avoid punishment he worried and harassed the wretches in every possible way, and by making chaos of the treaties he has alienated their state from ours, while he keeps the money himself. Since he was appointed its commander, he has ruined your cavalry force, getting laws passed which he afterwards disowned.

> Greek: 173. ἀλλὰ μὴν κἀκεῖνό γʼ ἐπίστασθε, ὅτι τῆς μὲν Παράλου ταμιεύσας Κυζικηνῶν ἥρπασε πλεῖν ἢ πέντε τάλαντα, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἵνα μὴ δῷ δίκην, πάντα τρόπον περιωθῶν καὶ ἐλαύνων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ τὰ σύμβολα συγχέων τὴν μὲν πόλιν ἐχθρὰν τῇ πόλει πεποίηκεν, τὰ χρήματα δʼ αὐτὸς ἔχει· ἵππαρχος δὲ χειροτονηθεὶς λελύμανται τὸ ἱππικὸν ὑμῶν, τοιούτους θεὶς νόμους οὓς πάλιν αὐτὸς ἔξαρνος ἦν μὴ τεθεικέναι.

[¶41] 174. When he was steward of the Paralus at the time of your expedition to Euboea against the Thebans, though he was authorized to expend twelve talents of public money and was instructed by you to sail and convoy the troops, he rendered them no assistance and did not arrive until Diocles had already concluded his truce with the Thebans; moreover he was outstripped by one of the privately owned galleys. That shows you how well he had equipped your sacred galley. Then as cavalry-commander-I do not know what you think of his other performances, but this wealthy fine gentleman did not venture to buy a horse—not even a horse! He led the processions on one borrowed from Philomelus of Paeania, and every cavalryman knows it. Please call the witnesses to prove the truth of these statements also. [The Witnesses] Now I propose, men of Athens, to name those who have been condemned by you, after an adverse vote of the Assembly, for violating the festival, and to explain what some of them had done to incur your anger, so that you may compare their guilt with that of Meidias.

> Greek: 174. καὶ τῆς μὲν Παράλου ταμιεύων τότε, ὅτε τὴν ἐπὶ Θηβαίους ἔξοδον εἰς Εὔβοιαν ἐποιεῖσθʼ ὑμεῖς, δώδεκα τῆς πόλεως τάλαντʼ ἀναλίσκειν ταχθείς, ἀξιούντων ὑμῶν πλεῖν καὶ παραπέμπειν τοὺς στρατιώτας οὐκ ἐβοήθησεν, ἀλλʼ ἤδη τῶν σπονδῶν γεγονυιῶν, ἃς Διοκλῆς ἐσπείσατο Θηβαίοις, ἧκεν. καὶ τόθʼ ἡττᾶτο πλέων τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν τριήρων μιᾶς· οὕτως εὖ τὴν ἱερὰν τριήρη παρεσκευάκει. ἱππαρχῶν τοίνυν, τί οἴεσθε τἄλλα; ἀλλʼ ἵππον, ἵππον οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν ὁ λαμπρὸς καὶ πλούσιος οὗτος πρίασθαι, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἀλλοτρίου τὰς πομπὰς ἡγεῖτο, τοῦ Φιλομήλου τοῦ Παιανιέως ἵππου· καὶ ταῦτα πάντες ἴσασιν οἱ ἱππεῖς. καὶ ὅτι ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, κάλει μοι καὶ τούτων τοὺς μάρτυρας. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ βούλομαι τοίνυν ὑμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ ὅσων ἤδη καταχειροτονήσαντος τοῦ δήμου περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀδικεῖν ὑμεῖς κατεγνώκατε, εἰπεῖν, καὶ δεῖξαι τί πεποιηκότες αὐτῶν ἔνιοι τίνος ὀργῆς τετυχήκασι παρʼ ὑμῶν, ἵνα ταῦτα πρὸς τὰ τούτῳ πεπραγμένʼ ἀντιθῆτε.

[¶42] 175. First of all then, to begin with the most recent condemnation, the Assembly gave its verdict against Euandrus of Thespiae for profanation of the Mysteries on the charge of Menippus, a fellow from Caria. The law concerning the Mysteries is identical with that concerning the Dionysia, and it was enacted later.

> Greek: 175. πρῶτον μὲν τοίνυν, ἵνα πρώτης τῆς τελευταίας γεγονυίας μνησθῶ καταγνώσεως, περὶ τὰ μυστήριʼ ἀδικεῖν Εὐάνδρου κατεχειροτόνησεν ὁ δῆμος τοῦ Θεσπιῶς, προβαλλομένου αὐτὸν Μενίππου, Καρός τινος ἀνθρώπου. ἔστι δʼ ὁ αὐτὸς νόμος τῷδε τῷ περὶ τῶν Διονυσίων ὁ περὶ τῶν μυστηρίων, κἀκεῖνος ὕστερος τοῦδʼ ἐτέθη.

[¶43] 176. Well, Athenians, what had Euandrus done to deserve your condemnation? He had won a commercial suit against Menippus, but being, as he alleged, unable to catch him sooner, he had arrested him while he was staying here for the Mysteries. You condemned him for that alone, and there were no aggravating circumstances. When he came before the court, you were inclined to punish him with death, and when his accuser was induced to relent, you compelled Euandrus to refund the damages, amounting to two talents, which he had won in the former action, and you also made him compensate the fellow for the loss that he had sustained, on his own calculation, by staying here in deference to your preliminary verdict.

> Greek: 176. τί οὖν ποιήσαντος, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατεχειροτονήσατε τοῦ Εὐάνδρου; τοῦτʼ ἀκούσατε. ὅτι δίκην ἐμπορικὴν καταδικασάμενος τοῦ Μενίππου, οὐκ ἔχων πρότερον λαβεῖν αὐτόν, ὡς ἔφη, τοῖς μυστηρίοις ἐπιδημοῦντος ἐπελάβετο. κατεχειροτονήσατε μὲν διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο προσῆν, εἰσελθόντα δʼ εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον ἐβούλεσθε μὲν θανάτῳ κολάσαι, τοῦ δὲ προβαλλομένου πεισθέντος τὴν δίκην τε πᾶσαν ἀφεῖναι ἠναγκάσατʼ αὐτόν, ἣν ᾑρήκει πρότερον (ἦν δὲ δυοῖν αὕτη ταλάντοιν), καὶ προσετιμήσατε τὰς βλάβας, ἃς ἐπὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ μένων ἐλογίζεθʼ αὑτῷ γεγενῆσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἅνθρωπος.

[¶44] 177. There you have one case of a man, in a merely private matter, with no added circumstances of insolence, paying so heavy a penalty for a breach of the law. With good reason; because that is what you are here to guard—the laws and your oath. That is what you who serve on any jury hold as a trust from the rest of the citizens, a trust which must be maintained inviolate in the interests of all who appeal to you with justice on their side.

> Greek: 177. εἷς μὲν οὗτος ἐξ ἰδίου πράγματος, οὐδεμιᾶς ὕβρεως προσούσης, ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ παραβῆναι τὸν νόμον τοσαύτην ἔδωκε δίκην. εἰκότως· τοῦτο γάρ ἐσθʼ ὃ φυλάττειν ὑμᾶς δεῖ, τοὺς νόμους, τὸν ὅρκον· ταῦτʼ ἔχεθʼ ὑμεῖς οἱ δικάζοντες ἀεὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὡσπερεὶ παρακαταθήκην, ἣν ἅπασιν, ὅσοι μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔρχονται, σῶν ὑπάρχειν δεῖ.

[¶45] 178. There was another man who in your opinion had profaned the Dionysia, and although he was actually sitting as assessor to his son, who was Archon, you condemned him, because in ejecting from the theater a man who was taking a wrong seat, he laid a hand on him. That man was the father of the highly respected Charicleides, at that time archon.

> Greek: 178. ἕτερος ἀδικεῖν ποτʼ ἔδοξεν ὑμῖν περὶ τὰ Διονύσια, καὶ κατεχειροτονήσατʼ αὐτοῦ παρεδρεύοντος ἄρχοντι τῷ υἱεῖ, ὅτι θέαν τινὸς καταλαμβάνοντος ἥψατο, ἐξείργων ἐκ τοῦ θεάτρου· ἦν δʼ οὗτος ὁ τοῦ βελτίστου πατὴρ Χαρικλείδου, τοῦ ἄρξαντος.

[¶46] 179. Yes, and you thought that his accuser had a strong case when he said, “If I was taking a wrong seat, fellow, if as you assert I was disregarding the notices, what authority do the laws confer on you or even on the archon himself? The authority to bid the attendants remove me, but not to strike me yourself. If I still refuse to go, you may impose a fine; anything rather than touch me with your own hand; for the laws have taken every precaution to save a citizen from being insulted in his own person.” That was his argument. You gave your votes, but the accuser died before he could bring the case before a jury.

> Greek: 179. καὶ μέγα γʼ ὑμῖν τοῦτʼ ἐδόκει δίκαιον ἔχειν ὁ προβαλλόμενος λέγειν, εἰ κατελάμβανον, ἄνθρωπε, θέαν, εἰ μὴ τοῖς κηρύγμασιν, ὡς σύ με φῄς, ἐπειθόμην, τίνος ἐκ τῶν νόμων εἶ κύριος, καὶ ὁ ἄρχων αὐτός; τοῖς ὑπηρέταις ἐξείργειν εἰπεῖν, οὐκ αὐτὸς τύπτειν. οὐδʼ οὕτω πείθομαι· ἐπιβολὴν ἐπιβαλεῖν, πάντα μᾶλλον πλὴν αὐτὸς ἅψασθαι τῇ χειρί· πολλὰ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ μὴ τὸ σῶμʼ ἕκαστον ὑβρίζεσθαι πεποιήκασιν οἱ νόμοι. ταῦτʼ ἔλεγεν μὲν ἐκεῖνος, ἐχειροτονήσατε δʼ ὑμεῖς· οὐ μὴν εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον οὗτος, ἀλλʼ ἐτελεύτησεν πρότερον.

[¶47] 180. Then another man, Ctesicles, was unanimously condemned by the Assembly for profaning the festival, and when he came before you, you sentenced him to death, because he carried a leathern lash in the procession and, being drunk, struck with it a personal enemy of his. It was thought that insolence, not drink, prompted the stroke, and that he seized the excuse of the procession and his own drunkenness to commit the offence of treating freemen like slaves.

> Greek: 180. ἑτέρου τοίνυν ὅ τε δῆμος ἅπας κατεχειροτόνησʼ ἀδικεῖν περὶ τὴν ἑορτήν, καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰσελθόντʼ ἀπεκτείνατε τοῦτον, Κτησικλέα, ὅτι σκῦτος ἔχων ἐπόμπευε, καὶ τούτῳ μεθύων ἐπάταξέ τινʼ ἐχθρὸν ὑπάρχονθʼ ἑαυτῷ· ἐδόκει γὰρ ὕβρει καὶ οὐκ οἴνῳ τύπτειν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς πομπῆς καὶ τοῦ μεθύειν πρόφασιν λαβὼν ἀδικεῖν, ὡς δούλοις χρώμενος τοῖς ἐλευθέροις.

## 5. Sections 181–227

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/5/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/demosthenes-against-meidias/5/#p-N

[¶0] 181. Now I am certain, men of Athens, that everyone would admit that the offences of Meidias were much more serious than those of any of these men, of whom one, as I have shown, forfeited the damages he had already received, while the other was actually punished with death. For Meidias, not being in a procession, not having won a suit, not acting as assessor, having in fact no other motive than insolence, behaved worse than any of them. About them I will say no more;

> Greek: 181. ἁπάντων τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τούτων, ὧν ὁ μὲν ὧν εἷλεν ἀποστάς, ὁ δὲ καὶ θανάτῳ ζημιωθεὶς φαίνεται, πολλῷ δεινότερʼ εὖ οἶδʼ ὅτι πάντες ἂν εἶναι φήσειαν τὰ Μειδίᾳ πεπραγμένα· οὔτε γὰρ πομπεύων οὔτε δίκην ᾑρηκὼς οὔτε παρεδρεύων οὔτʼ ἄλλην σκῆψιν ἔχων οὐδεμίαν πλὴν ὕβριν, τοιαῦτα πεποίηκεν οἷʼ οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων. καὶ τούτους μὲν ἐάσω.

[¶1] 182. but Pyrrhus, men of Athens, one of the Eteobutadae, who was indicted for serving on a jury when he was in debt to the Treasury, was thought by some of you to deserve capital punishment, and he was convicted in your court and put to death. And yet it was from poverty, not from insolence, that he tried to get the juryman’s fee. And I could mention many others who were put to death or disfranchised for far slighter offences than those of Meidias. You yourselves, Athenians, fined Smicrus ten talents and Sciton a similar sum, because he was adjudged to be proposing unconstitutional measures; you had no pity for their children or friends and relations, or for any of those who supported them in court.

> Greek: 182. ἀλλὰ Πύρρον, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸν Ἐτεοβουτάδην, ἐνδειχθέντα δικάζειν ὀφείλοντα τῷ δημοσίῳ, θανάτῳ ζημιῶσαί τινες ὑμῶς ᾤοντο χρῆναι, καὶ τέθνηκεν ἁλοὺς παρʼ ὑμῖν· καίτοι τοῦτο τὸ λῆμμα διʼ ἔνδειαν, οὐ διʼ ὕβριν λαμβάνειν ἐπεχείρησεν ἐκεῖνος. καὶ πολλοὺς ἂν ἑτέρους ἔχοιμι λέγειν, ὧν οἱ μὲν τεθνᾶσιν, οἱ δʼ ἠτιμωμένοι διὰ πολλῷ τούτων εἰσὶν ἐλάττω πράγματα. ὑμεῖς [δʼ], ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Σμίκρῳ δέκα ταλάντων ἐτιμήσατε καὶ Σκίτωνι τοσούτων ἑτέρων, δόξαντι παράνομα γράφειν, καὶ οὔτε παιδίʼ οὔτε φίλους οὔτε συγγενεῖς οὔθʼ ὁντινοῦν ἠλεήσατε τῶν παρόντων ἐκείνοις.

[¶2] 183. Do not, then, display such anger when people make unconstitutional proposals, and such indulgence when not their proposals, but their acts are unconstitutional. For no mere words and terms can be so galling to the great mass of you as the conduct of a man who persistently insults any citizen who crosses his path. Beware, Athenians, of bearing this testimony against yourselves, that if you detect a man of the middle class or a friend of the people committing an offence, you will neither pity nor reprieve him, but will punish him with death or disfranchisement, while you are ready to pardon the insolence of a rich man. Spare us that injustice, and show your indignation impartially against all offenders.

> Greek: 183. μὴ τοίνυν, ἐὰν μὲν εἴπῃ τις παράνομα, οὕτως ὀργιζόμενοι φαίνεσθε, ἐὰν δὲ ποιῇ, μὴ λέγῃ, πράως διάκεισθε. οὐδὲν γὰρ ῥῆμʼ οὐδʼ ὄνομʼ οὕτως ἐστὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑμῶν χαλεπόν, ὡς ὅσʼ ὑβρίζων τις τὸν ἐντυχόνθʼ ὑμῶν διαπράττεται. μὴ τοίνυν αὐτοὶ καθʼ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν δεῖγμα τοιοῦτον ἐξενέγκητʼ, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὡς ἄρʼ ὑμεῖς, ἂν μὲν τῶν μετρίων τινὰ καὶ δημοτικῶν λάβηθʼ ὁτιοῦν ἀδικοῦντα, οὔτʼ ἐλεήσετʼ οὔτʼ ἀφήσετε, ἀλλʼ ἀποκτενεῖτʼ ἢ ἀτιμώσετε, ἂν δὲ πλούσιος ὤν τις ὑβρίζῃ, συγγνώμην ἕξετε. μὴ δῆτα· οὐ γὰρ δίκαιον· ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ πάντων ὁμοίως ὀργιζόμενοι φαίνεσθε.

[¶3] 184. There are some other points that I consider no less necessary to mention than those which I have already put before you. I will mention them and discuss them briefly before I sit down. The leniency of your disposition, men of Athens, is a great asset and advantage to all wrongdoers. Give me, then, your attention while I show that you have no right to admit Meidias to the least share in that advantage. My view is that all men during their lives pay contributions to their own fortunes, not only those which are actually collected and paid in, but others also.

> Greek: 184. ἃ τοίνυν οὐδενὸς τῶν εἰρημένων ἧττον ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι νομίζω πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν, ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν ἔτι καὶ βραχέα περὶ τούτων διαλεχθεὶς καταβήσομαι. ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μεγάλη τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν ἅπασι μερὶς καὶ πλεονεξία ἡ τῶν ὑμετέρων τρόπων πραότης. ὅτι δὴ ταύτης οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν ὑμῖν μεταδοῦναι τούτῳ προσήκει, ταῦτʼ ἀκούσατέ μου. ἐγὼ νομίζω πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐράνους φέρειν παρὰ πάντα τὸν βίον αὑτοῖς, οὐχὶ τούσδε μόνους οὓς συλλέγουσί τινες καὶ ὧν πληρωταὶ γίγνονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλους.

[¶4] 185. For instance, one of us is moderate, kindly disposed and merciful: he deserves to receive an equivalent return from all, if he ever falls into want or distress. Yonder is another, who is shameless and insulting, treating others as if they were beggars, the scum of the earth, mere nobodies: he deserves to be paid with the same measure that he has meted to others. If you will consent to look at it in a true light, you will find that this, and not the former, is the kind of contribution that Meidias has made.

> Greek: 185. οἷον ἔστι μέτριος καὶ φιλάνθρωπός τις ἡμῶν καὶ πολλοὺς ἐλεῶν· τούτῳ ταὐτὸ δίκαιον ὑπάρχειν παρὰ πάντων, ἄν ποτʼ εἰς χρείαν καὶ ἀγῶνʼ ἀφίκηται. ἄλλος οὑτοσί τις ἀναιδὴς καὶ πολλοὺς ὑβρίζων, καὶ τοὺς μὲν πτωχούς, τοὺς δὲ καθάρματα, τοὺς δʼ οὐδʼ ἀνθρώπους ὑπολαμβάνων· τούτῳ τὰς αὐτὰς δίκαιον ὑπάρχειν φοράς, ἅσπερ αὐτὸς εἰσενήνοχε τοῖς ἄλλοις. ἂν τοίνυν ὑμῖν ἐπίῃ σκοπεῖν, τούτου πληρωτὴν εὑρήσετε Μειδίαν ὄντα τοῦ ἐράνου, καὶ οὐκ ἐκείνου.

[¶5] 186. Now I know that he will set up a wail, with his children grouped about him, and will make a long and humble appeal, weeping and making himself as pitiable a figure as he can. But the more he humiliates himself, Athenians, the more he deserves your hatred. Why so? If in his past life he was so brutal and violent because it was impossible for him to be humble, it would be right to abate some of your anger as a concession to his natural temper and to the destiny that made him the man he is; but if he knows how to behave discreetly when he likes, but has deliberately chosen the opposite line of conduct, it is surely obvious that, if he slips through your fingers now, he will once more prove himself the man you know so well.

> Greek: 186. οἶδα τοίνυν ὅτι τὰ παιδίʼ ἔχων ὀδυρεῖται, καὶ πολλοὺς λόγους καὶ ταπεινοὺς ἐρεῖ, δακρύων καὶ ὡς ἐλεινότατον ποιῶν ἑαυτόν. ἔστι δʼ, ὅσῳ περ ἂν αὑτὸν νῦν ταπεινότερον ποιῇ, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἄξιον μισεῖν αὐτόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι. διὰ τί; ὅτι εἰ μὲν μηδαμῶς δυνηθεὶς ταπεινὸς γενέσθαι οὕτως ἀσελγὴς καὶ βίαιος ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρεληλυθότος βίου, τῇ φύσει καὶ τῇ τύχῃ, διʼ ἣν τοιοῦτος ἐγένετο, ἄξιον ἦν ἄν τι τῆς ὀργῆς ἀνεῖναι· εἰ δʼ ἐπιστάμενος μέτριον παρέχειν αὑτὸν ὅταν βούληται τὸν ἐναντίον ἢ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον εἵλετο ζῆν, εὔδηλον δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι καὶ νῦν ἂν διακρούσηται, πάλιν αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ὃν ὑμεῖς ἴστε γενήσεται.

[¶6] 187. Pay no attention to him; do not let the present crisis in his affairs, expressly invented by him, carry more weight and influence with you than the whole course of his life, of which you have direct knowledge. I have no children to pose before you, while I weep and wail over them for the insults I have received. For that reason shall I, the victim, be of less account in your court than the perpetrator of the wrong? It must not be.

> Greek: 187. οὐ δεῖ δὴ προσέχειν, οὐδὲ τὸν παρόντα καιρόν, ὃν οὗτος ἐξεπίτηδες πλάττεται, κυριώτερον οὐδὲ πιστότερον τοῦ παντός, ὃν αὐτοὶ σύνιστε, χρόνου ποιήσασθαι. ἐμοὶ παιδίʼ οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδʼ ἂν ἔχοιμι ταῦτα παραστησάμενος κλάειν καὶ δακρύειν ἐφʼ οἷς ὑβρίσθην. διὰ τοῦτʼ ἄρα τοῦ πεποιηκότος ὁ πεπονθὼς ἔλαττον ἕξω παρʼ ὑμῖν;

[¶7] 188. When Meidias, with his children round him, calls you to cast your votes for them, then you must imagine that I am standing here with the laws by my side and the oath that you have sworn, demanding and imploring each of you to vote for them. It is in every way more just that you should side with the laws than with this man. The laws, Athenians, you have sworn to obey; through the laws you enjoy your equal rights; to the laws you owe every blessing that is yours—not to Meidias nor to the children of Meidias.

> Greek: 188. μὴ δῆτα· ἀλλʼ ὅταν οὗτος ἔχων τὰ παιδία τούτοις ἀξιοῖ δοῦναι τὴν ψῆφον ὑμᾶς, τόθʼ ὑμεῖς τοὺς νόμους ἔχοντά με πλησίον ἡγεῖσθε παρεστάναι [καὶ τὸν ὅρκον ὃν ὀμωμόκατε], τούτοις ἀξιοῦντα καὶ ἀντιβολοῦνθʼ ἕκαστον ὑμῶν ψηφίσασθαι. οἷς ὑμεῖς κατὰ πολλὰ δικαιότερον πρόσθοισθʼ ἂν ἢ τούτῳ· καὶ γὰρ ὀμωμόκατʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς νόμοις πείσεσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἴσων μέτεστιν ὑμῖν διὰ τοὺς νόμους, καὶ πάνθʼ ὅσʼ ἔστʼ ἀγάθʼ ὑμῖν διὰ τοὺς νόμους ἐστίν, οὐ διὰ Μειδίαν οὐδὲ διὰ τοὺς Μειδίου παῖδας.

[¶8] 189. Perhaps he will say of me, “This man is an orator.” If an orator is one who offers you such counsel as he thinks expedient for you, yet stops short of pestering or bullying you, then for my part I would neither shun nor disclaim that title. But if by orator he means one of those speakers such as you and I so often see, men who have shamelessly enriched themselves at your expense, I cannot be one, for I have never received a penny from you and I have spent upon you all but a trifle of my fortune. Yet even if I were the most unscrupulous of that gang, I ought rather to be punished according to the laws than insulted in the performance of a public service.

> Greek: 189. καὶ ῥήτωρ ἐστὶν οὗτος ἴσως ἐμὲ φήσει λέγων. ἐγὼ δʼ, εἰ μὲν ὁ συμβουλεύων ὅ τι ἂν συμφέρειν ὑμῖν ἡγῆται, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἄχρι τοῦ μηδὲν ὑμῖν ἐνοχλεῖν μηδὲ βιάζεσθαι, ῥήτωρ ἐστίν, οὔτε φύγοιμʼ ἂν οὔτʼ ἀπαρνοῦμαι τοῦτο τοὔνομα· εἰ μέντοι ῥήτωρ ἐστὶν οἵους ἐνίους τῶν λεγόντων ἐγὼ καὶ ὑμεῖς δʼ ὁρᾶτε, ἀναιδεῖς καὶ ἀφʼ ὑμῶν πεπλουτηκότας, οὐκ ἂν εἴην οὗτος ἐγώ· εἴληφα μὲν γὰρ οὐδʼ ὁτιοῦν παρʼ ὑμῶν, τὰ δʼ ὄντʼ εἰς ὑμᾶς πλὴν πάνυ μικρῶν ἅπαντʼ ἀνήλωκα. καίτοι καὶ εἰ τούτων ἦν πονηρότατος, κατὰ τοὺς νόμους ἔδει παρʼ ἐμοῦ δίκην λαμβάνειν, οὐκ ἐφʼ οἷς ἐλῃτούργουν ὑβρίζειν.

[¶9] 190. Then again, none of these orators supports me in this trial; nor do I blame them, for I have never said a word in public in support of one of them. I make it a fixed rule to take my own line, speaking and acting in whatever way I believe to be for your advantage. But you will see very soon that Meidias has all the orators in turn ranged on his side. Yet is it fair in him to brand me with the reproach of that title and then to depend on these very men to rescue him?

> Greek: 190. ἔτι τοίνυν οὐδὲ εἷς ἐστιν ὅστις ἐμοὶ τῶν λεγόντων συναγωνίζεται. καὶ οὐδενὶ μέμφομαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς οὐδενὸς εἵνεκα τούτων οὐδὲν ἐν ὑμῖν πώποτʼ εἶπον, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῶς κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν ἔγνων καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν ὅ τι ἂν συμφέρειν ὑμῖν ἡγῶμαι. ἀλλὰ τούτῳ πάντας αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα συνεξεταζομένους τοὺς ῥήτορας ὄψεσθʼ ἐφεξῆς. καίτοι πῶς ἐστι δίκαιον, τοὔνομα μὲν τοῦθʼ ὡς ὄνειδος προφέρειν ἐμοί, διὰ τούτων δʼ αὐτὸν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀξιοῦν σωθῆναι;

[¶10] 191. Perhaps too he will say something of this sort; that my present speech is all carefully thought out and prepared. I admit, Athenians, that I have thought it out, and I should not dream of denying it; yes, and I have spent all possible care on it. I should be a poor creature if all my wrongs, past and present, left me careless of what I was going to say to you about them. Yet the real composer of my speech is Meidias.

> Greek: 191. τάχα τοίνυν ἴσως καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτʼ ἐρεῖ, ὡς ἐσκεμμένα καὶ παρεσκευασμένα πάντα λέγω νῦν. ἐγὼ δʼ ἐσκέφθαι μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, φημὶ καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀρνηθείην, καὶ μεμελετηκέναι γʼ ὡς ἐνῆν μάλιστʼ ἐμοί· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ἄθλιος ἦν, εἰ τοιαῦτα παθὼν καὶ πάσχων ἠμέλουν ὧν περὶ τούτων ἐρεῖν ἔμελλον πρὸς ὑμᾶς·

[¶11] 192. The man who has furnished the facts with which the speeches deal ought in strict justice to bear that responsibility, and not the man who has devoted thought and care to lay an honest case before you today. That is what I am doing, men of Athens; to that I plead guilty. As for Meidias, he has probably never in his life troubled himself about honesty, for if it had entered his head even for a moment to consider such a thing, he would not have missed it so completely in practice.

> Greek: 192. γεγραφέναι μέντοι μοι τὸν λόγον Μειδίαν· ὁ γὰρ τὰ ἔργα παρεσχηκὼς περὶ ὧν εἰσιν οἱ λόγοι δικαιότατʼ ἂν ταύτην ἔχοι τὴν αἰτίαν, οὐχ ὁ ἐσκεμμένος οὐδʼ ὁ μεριμνήσας τὰ δίκαια λέγειν νῦν. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ποιῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμολογῶ· Μειδίαν μέντοι μηδὲν ἐσκέφθαι πώποτʼ ἐν παντὶ τῷ βίῳ δίκαιον εἰκός ἐστιν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐπῄει τὰ τοιαῦτʼ αὐτῷ σκοπεῖν, οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον διημάρτανε τοῦ πράγματος.

[¶12] 193. Again, I expect that he will not shrink from vilifying the people and the Assembly, but will repeat what he had the effrontery to say when the plaint was first brought in: that the meeting was composed of men who had stayed at home when they ought to have gone to the front and who had left their posts unguarded, and that he was condemned by the votes of chorus-men and aliens and the like.

> Greek: 193. οἶμαι τοίνυν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ τοῦ δήμου κατηγορεῖν ὀκνήσειν οὐδὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἀλλʼ ἅπερ τότʼ ἐτόλμα λέγειν ὅτʼ ἦν ἡ προβολή, ταῦτα καὶ νῦν ἐρεῖν, ὡς ὅσοι δέον ἐξιέναι κατέμενον καὶ ὅσοι τὰ φρούριʼ ἦσαν ἔρημα λελοιπότες, ἐξεκλησίασαν, καὶ χορευταὶ καὶ ξένοι καὶ τοιοῦτοί τινες ἦσαν οἳ κατεχειροτόνησαν αὐτοῦ.

[¶13] 194. As those of you who were present know, gentlemen, he had risen on that occasion to such a height of bravado and impudence that, by abusing and threatening and turning his glance to any quarter of the Assembly that was inclined to be obstreperous, he thought he could browbeat the whole body of citizens. That, I think, must surely make his tears today seem ridiculous. Execrable wretch, what have you to say?

> Greek: 194. εἰς γὰρ τοῦτο θράσους καὶ ἀναιδείας τότʼ ἀφίκετʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὡς ἴσασιν ὅσοι παρῆσαν ὑμῶν, ὥστε κακῶς λέγων καὶ ἀπειλῶν καὶ βλέπων εἰς τὸν ἀεὶ θορυβοῦντα τόπον τῆς ἐκκλησίας καταπλήξειν ᾤετο τὸν δῆμον ἅπαντα. ᾗ καὶ γελοῖʼ εἶναι τὰ νῦν, οἶμαι, δάκρυʼ εἰκότως ἂν αὐτοῦ δοκοίη.

[¶14] 195. Will you claim pity for your children and yourself or a kindly interest in your fortunes from these men whom you have already insulted publicly? Are you alone of living men privileged to be in your daily life so notoriously possessed of the demon of arrogance that even those who have no dealings with you are exasperated by your assurance, your tones and gestures, your parasites, your wealth and your insolence; and then, the instant you are put on your trial are you to be pitied?

> Greek: 195. τί λέγεις, ὦ μιαρὰ κεφαλή; σὺ τὰ σαυτοῦ παιδίʼ ἀξιώσεις ἐλεεῖν ἢ σὲ τούσδε, ἢ σπουδάζειν εἰς τὰ σά, τοὺς ὑπὸ σοῦ δημοσίᾳ προπεπηλακισμένους; σὺ μόνος τῶν ὄντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ βίου τοσαύτης ὑπερηφανίας πλήρης ὢν [πάντων ἀνθρώπων] ἔσει φανερώτατος, ὥστε καὶ πρὸς οὓς μηδέν ἐστί σοι πρᾶγμα, λυπεῖσθαι τὴν σὴν θρασύτητα καὶ φωνὴν καὶ [τὸ] σχῆμα καὶ τοὺς σοὺς ἀκολούθους καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ ὕβριν θεωροῦντας, ἐν δὲ τῷ κρίνεσθαι παραχρῆμʼ ἐλεηθήσει;

[¶15] 196. It would be indeed a great method that you have devised, or, rather, a great trick, if you could in so short a time make yourself the object of two contradictory sentiments, rousing resentment by your way of life and compassion by your mummeries. You have no conceivable claim to compassion; no, not for an instant. On the contrary, hatred, resentment and wrath—those are what your conduct calls for. But let me come back to my point, that he intends to arraign the people and the Assembly.

> Greek: 196. μεγάλην μέντἂν ἀρχήν, μᾶλλον δὲ τέχνην, εἴης εὑρηκώς, εἰ δύο τἀναντιώταθʼ ἑαυτοῖς ἐν οὕτω βραχεῖ χρόνῳ περὶ σαυτὸν δύναιο ποιεῖσθαι, φθόνον ἐξ ὧν ζῇς, καὶ ἐφʼ οἷς ἐξαπατᾷς ἔλεον. οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδαμόθεν σοι προσήκων ἔλεος οὐδὲ καθʼ ἕν, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον μῖσος καὶ φθόνος καὶ ὀργή· τούτων γὰρ ἄξια ποιεῖς. ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνʼ ἐπάνειμι, ὅτι τοῦ δήμου κατηγορήσει καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.

[¶16] 197. Now when he does so, just reflect, gentlemen of the jury, that this same man brought accusations against the cavalry who had served with him, coming into the Assembly after they had sailed for Olynthus; and now once more, having stayed at home, he will address his denunciation of the people to the men who were then away on service. Are you, then, prepared to admit that you, whether at home or on service, are what Meidias proclaims you to be, or on the contrary that he is, and always has been, an unhallowed ruffian? That is my own opinion of him; for how else are we to describe a creature whom his own troopers, his brother-officers and his friends cannot stomach?

> Greek: 197. ὅταν οὖν τοῦτο ποιῇ, ἐνθυμεῖσθε παρʼ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅτι οὗτος τῶν μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ στρατευσαμένων ἱππέων, ὅτʼ εἰς Ὄλυνθον διέβησαν, ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κατηγόρει. πάλιν νῦν μείνας πρὸς τοὺς ἐξεληλυθότας τοῦ δήμου κατηγορήσει. πότερον οὖν ὑμεῖς, ἐάν τε μένητε ἐάν τʼ ἐξίητε, ὁμολογήσετʼ εἶναι τοιοῦτοι οἵους Μειδίας ὑμᾶς ἀποφαίνει, ἢ τοὐναντίον τοῦτον ἀεὶ καὶ πανταχοῦ θεοῖς ἐχθρὸν καὶ βδελυρόν; ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι τοῦτον τοιοῦτον· ὃν γὰρ οὐχ ἱππεῖς, οὐ συνάρχοντες, οὐ φίλοι δύνανται φέρειν, τί τοῦτον εἴπῃ τις;

[¶17] 198. I swear solemnly by Zeus, by Apollo, and by Athena—for I will speak out, whatever the result may be—for when this man was going about, trumping up the story that I had abandoned the prosecution, I observed signs of disgust even among his ardent supporters. And by heaven! they had some excuse, for there is no putting up with the fellow; he claims to be the only rich man and the only man who knows how to speak; all others are in his opinion outcasts, beggars, below the rank of men.

> Greek: 198. ἐμοὶ μὲν νὴ τὸν Δία καὶ τὸν Ἀπόλλω καὶ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν (εἰρήσεται γάρ, εἴτʼ ἄμεινον εἴτε μή,) ὅθʼ οὗτος ὡς ἀπήλλαγμαι περιιὼν ἐλογοποίει, ἔνδηλοί τινες ἦσαν ἀχθόμενοι τῶν πάνυ τούτῳ λαλούντων ἡδέως. καὶ νὴ Δίʼ αὐτοῖς πολλὴ συγγνώμη· οὐ γάρ ἐστι φορητὸς ἅνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλουτεῖ μόνος καὶ λέγειν δύναται μόνος, καὶ πάντες εἰσὶ τούτῳ καθάρματα καὶ πτωχοὶ καὶ οὐδʼ ἄνθρωποι.

[¶18] 199. Since he stands on such an eminence of pride, what do you think he will do, if he escapes now? I will tell you how you may know it; you have only to observe the signs that followed the adverse vote. For who is there that, if an adverse vote had been recorded, and that on a charge of profaning the feast, even if there had been no further suit pending and no danger ahead,—who is there, I say, that would not have made that a reason for effacing himself and behaving decently, at any rate until the time of the trial, if not for ever after? Anyone else would have acted so. But not Meidias.

> Greek: 199. τὸν οὖν ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ὄντα, νῦν ἐὰν ἀποφύγῃ, τί ποιήσειν οἴεσθε; ἐξ ὅτου δὲ τοῦτʼ ἂν εἰδείητʼ ἐγὼ φράσω· εἰ τοῖς μετὰ τὴν χειροτονίαν τεκμηρίοις θεωρήσαιτε. τίς γάρ ἐστιν ὅστις καταχειροτονηθὲν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἀσεβεῖν περὶ τὴν ἑορτήν, εἰ καὶ μηδεὶς ἄλλος ἐπῆν ἀγὼν ἔτι μηδὲ κίνδυνος, οὐκ ἂν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τούτῳ κατέδυ καὶ μέτριον παρέσχεν ἑαυτὸν τόν γε δὴ μέχρι τῆς κρίσεως χρόνον, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντα; οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἄν.

[¶19] 200. From that day onwards he has been talking, railing, and bellowing. Is there an election on? Meidias of Anagyrus is a candidate. He is the accredited agent of Plutarchus; he knows all the secrets; the city cannot hold him. His object in all this is obvious; he wants to proclaim that “I am not a pin the worse for the vote of the people: I have no fears or misgivings about the pending action.”

> Greek: 200. ἀλλʼ οὐ Μειδίας, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης λέγει, λοιδορεῖται, βοᾷ. χειροτονεῖταί τις· Μειδίας Ἀναγυράσιος προβέβληται. Πλουτάρχου προξενεῖ, τἀπόρρητʼ οἶδεν, ἡ πόλις αὐτὸν οὐ χωρεῖ. καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ποιεῖ δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλʼ ἐνδεικνύμενος ἢ ὅτι ἐγὼ οὐδὲν πέπονθʼ ὑπὸ τῆς καταχειροτονίας, οὐδὲ δέδοικʼ οὐδὲ φοβοῦμαι τὸν μέλλοντʼ ἀγῶνα.

[¶20] 201. Now a man who thinks it degrading to show any fear of you, Athenians, and a dashing thing to snap his fingers at you, does not such a man deserve death ten times over? [He really believes that you will have no hold over him. Rich, arrogant, haughty, loud-voiced, violent, shameless, where will you catch him if he gives you the slip now?]

> Greek: 201. ὃς οὖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ μὲν ὑμᾶς δεδιέναι δοκεῖν αἰσχρὸν ἡγεῖται, τὸ δὲ μηδὲν φροντίζειν ὑμῶν νεανικόν, τοῦτον οὐκ ἀπολωλέναι δεκάκις προσήκει; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἕξειν ὑμᾶς ὅ τι χρήσεσθʼ αὐτῷ νομίζει. πλούσιος, θρασύς, μέγα φρονῶν, μέγα φθεγγόμενος, βίαιος, ἀναιδής, —ποῦ ληφθήσεται, νῦν ἐὰν διακρούσηται;

[¶21] 202. But in my opinion, if for nothing else, yet for those harangues that he delivers at every opportunity and for the occasions that he chooses for them, he would deserve the severest penalty. For of course you know that if any welcome news is brought to the city, such as we all rejoice to hear, Meidias has never on any of those occasions been found in the ranks of those who share in the public satisfaction or the public rejoicings;

> Greek: 202. ἀλλʼ ἔγωγε, εἰ μηδενὸς εἵνεκα τῶν ἄλλων, τῶν γε δημηγοριῶν ὧν ἑκάστοτε δημηγορεῖ, καὶ ἐν οἷς καιροῖς, τὴν μεγίστην ἂν αὐτὸν δικαίως οἶμαι δίκην δοῦναι. ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι, ἂν μέν τι τῶν δεόντων ἀπαγγελθῇ τῇ πόλει καὶ τοιοῦτον οἷον εὐφρᾶναι πάντας, οὐδαμοῦ πώποτε Μειδίας τῶν συνηδομένων οὐδὲ τῶν συγχαιρόντων ἐξητάσθη τῷ δήμῳ, ἂν δέ τι φλαῦρον, ὃ μηδεὶς ἂν βούλοιτο τῶν ἄλλων, πρῶτος ἀνέστηκεν εὐθέως καὶ δημηγορεῖ, ἐπεμβαίνων τῷ καιρῷ καὶ τῆς σιωπῆς ἀπολαύων ἣν ἐπὶ τῷ περὶ τῶν συμβεβηκότων ἄχθεσθαι ποιεῖσθʼ ὑμεῖς·

[¶22] 203. but if it is something untoward, something that no one else would wish to hear, he is the first to jump up at once and harangue the people, making the utmost of his opportunity and enjoying the silence by which you show your distress at what has happened. “Why, that is the sort of men you Athenians are. You do not serve abroad; you see no need to pay your property-tax. And then do you wonder that your affairs go wrong? Do you think I am going to pay my property-tax and you spend the money? Do you think I am going to fit out war-galleys and you decline to embark in them?”

> Greek: 203. τοιοῦτοι γάρ ἐστʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι· οὐ γὰρ ἐξέρχεσθε, οὐδʼ οἴεσθε δεῖν χρήματʼ εἰσφέρειν. εἶτα θαυμάζετʼ εἰ κακῶς τὰ πράγμαθʼ ὑμῖν ἔχει; ἔμʼ οἴεσθʼ ὑμῖν εἰσοίσειν, ὑμεῖς δὲ νεμεῖσθαι; ἔμʼ οἴεσθε τριηραρχήσειν, ὑμεῖς δʼ οὐκ ἐμβήσεσθαι;

[¶23] 204. That is how he insults you, seizing the chance to void the rancor and venom that he secretes in his heart against the masses, as he moves about among you. Now is the chance for you, men of Athens, now when he comes with his humbug and chicanery, with his lamentations, tears and prayers, to throw this answer in his teeth. “Yes, and that is the sort of man you are, Meidias. You are a bully; you cannot keep your hands to yourself. Then can you wonder if your evil deeds bring you to an evil end? Do you think that we shall submit to you and you shall go on beating us? That we shall acquit you and you shall never desist?”

> Greek: 204. τοιαῦθʼ ὑβρίζων καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς πικρίαν καὶ κακόνοιαν, ἣν κατὰ τῶν πολλῶν ὑμῶν ἔχων ἀφανῆ παρʼ ἑαυτῷ περιέρχεται, φανερὰν ἐπὶ τοῦ καιροῦ καθιστάς. δεῖ τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ ὑμᾶς οὕτω νῦν, ὅταν ἐξαπατῶν καὶ φενακίζων ὀδύρηται καὶ κλάῃ καὶ δέηται, ταῦθʼ ὑποβάλλειν αὐτῷ· τοιοῦτος γὰρ εἶ, Μειδία· ὑβριστὴς γὰρ εἶ, οὐκ ἐθέλεις ἔχειν παρὰ σεαυτῷ τὼ χεῖρε. εἶτα θαυμάζεις εἰ κακὸς κακῶς ἀπολεῖ; ἀλλὰ νομίζεις ἡμᾶς μὲν ἀνέξεσθαί σου, αὐτὸς δὲ τυπτήσειν; καὶ ἡμᾶς μὲν ἀποψηφιεῖσθαί σου, σὺ δʼ οὐ παύσεσθαι;

[¶24] 205. As for the speakers who will support him, their object, I swear, is not so much to oblige him as to insult me, owing to the personal quarrel which that man there says that I have with himself. He insists that it is so, whether I admit it or not; but he is wrong. Too much success is apt sometimes to make people overbearing. For when I, after all that I have suffered, do not admit that he is my enemy, while he will not accept my disclaimer, but even confronts me in another’s quarrel, and is prepared now to mount the platform and demand that I shall even forfeit my claim to that protection which the laws afford to all, is it not clear that he has grown overbearing and is too powerful to suit the interests of each one of us?

> Greek: 205. καὶ βοηθοῦσιν οἱ λέγοντες ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ οὕτω τούτῳ χαρίσασθαι μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς βουλόμενοι, ὡς ἐπηρεάζειν ἐμοὶ διὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ἔχθραν, ἣν οὗτος αὑτῷ πρὸς ἐμέ, ἄν τʼ ἐγὼ φῶ ἄν τε μὴ φῶ, φησὶν εἶναι καὶ βιάζεται, οὐκ ὀρθῶς· ἀλλὰ κινδυνεύει τὸ λίαν εὐτυχεῖν ἐνίοτʼ ἐπαχθεῖς ποιεῖν· ὅπου γὰρ ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδὲ πεπονθὼς κακῶς ἐχθρὸν εἶναί μοι τοῦτον ὁμολογῶ, οὗτος δʼ οὐδʼ ἀφιέντʼ ἀφίησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἀγῶσιν ἀπαντᾷ καὶ νῦν ἀναβήσεται μηδὲ τῆς κοινῆς τῶν νόμων ἐπικουρίας ἀξιῶν ἐμοὶ μετεῖναι, πῶς οὐχ οὗτος ἐπαχθής ἐστιν ἤδη καὶ μείζων ἢ καθʼ ὅσον ἡμῶν ἑκάστῳ συμφέρει;

[¶25] 206. Furthermore, Athenians, Eubulus was in his seat in the theater when the people gave their vote against Meidias, and yet, as you know, he never stood up when called upon by name, though Meidias begged and implored him to do so. Yet if he thought that the plaint had been brought against an innocent man, that was the moment to help him by his testimony, if he was really his friend; but if he withheld his support then, because he had pronounced him guilty, but is now going to ask for his acquittal, because he has fallen foul of me, it is not well that you should humor him.

> Greek: 206. ἔτι τοίνυν παρῆν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ καθῆτʼ Εὔβουλος ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ, ὅθʼ ὁ δῆμος κατεχειροτόνησε Μειδίου, καὶ καλούμενος ὀνομαστὶ καὶ ἀντιβολοῦντος τούτου καὶ λιπαροῦντος, ὡς ὑμεῖς ἴστε, οὐκ ἀνέστη. καὶ μὴν εἰ μὲν μηδὲν ἠδικηκότος ἡγεῖτο τὴν προβολὴν γεγενῆσθαι, τότʼ ἔδει τόν γε φίλον δήπου συνειπεῖν καὶ βοηθῆσαι· εἰ δὲ καταγνοὺς ἀδικεῖν τότε, διὰ ταῦτʼ οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν, νῦν δʼ, ὅτι προσκέκρουκεν ἐμοί, διὰ ταῦτα τοῦτον ἐξαιτήσεται, ὑμῖν οὐχὶ καλῶς ἔχει χαρίσασθαι·

[¶26] 207. In a democracy there must never be a citizen so powerful that his support can ensure that the one party submits to outrages and the other escapes punishment. But if you are anxious to do me an ill turn, Eubulus, though I protest that I know not why you should—you are a man of influence and a statesman; take any legal vengeance you like on me, but do not deprive me of my compensation for illegal outrages. If you find it impossible to harm me in that way, it may be taken as a proof of my innocence that you can readily censure others, but find no ground of censure in me.

> Greek: 207. μὴ γὰρ ἔστω μηδεὶς ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ τηλικοῦτος, ὥστε συνειπὼν τὸν μὲν ὑβρίσθαι, τὸν δὲ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην ποιῆσαι. ἀλλʼ εἰ κακῶς ἐμὲ βούλει ποιεῖν, Εὔβουλε, ὡς ἔγωγε μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς οὐκ οἶδʼ ἀνθʼ ὅτου, δύνασαι μὲν καὶ πολιτεύει, κατὰ τοὺς νόμους δʼ ἥντινα βούλει παρʼ ἐμοῦ δίκην λάμβανε, ὧν δʼ ἐγὼ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ὑβρίσθην, μή μʼ ἀφαιροῦ τὴν τιμωρίαν. εἰ δʼ ἀπορεῖς ἐκείνως με κακῶς ποιῆσαι, εἴη ἂν καὶ τοῦτο σημεῖον τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπιεικείας, εἰ τοὺς ἄλλους ῥᾳδίως κρίνων ἐμὲ μηδὲν ἔχεις ἐφʼ ὅτῳ τοῦτο ποιήσεις.

[¶27] 208. Now I have learned that Philippides and Mnesarchides and Diotimus of Euonymia and some other rich trierarchs will plead with you for his acquittal, claiming it as a favour due to themselves. I would not utter a word in disparagement of these men; I should indeed be mad to do so: but I will tell you how you ought to reflect and consider, when they make their request.

> Greek: 208. πέπυσμαι τοίνυν καὶ Φιλιππίδην καὶ Μνησαρχίδην καὶ Διότιμον τὸν Εὐωνυμέα καὶ τοιούτους τινὰς πλουσίους καὶ τριηράρχους ἐξαιτήσεσθαι καὶ λιπαρήσειν παρʼ ὑμῶν αὐτόν, αὑτοῖς ἀξιοῦντας δοθῆναι τὴν χάριν ταύτην. περὶ ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν εἴποιμι πρὸς ὑμᾶς φλαῦρον ἐγώ (καὶ γὰρ ἂν μαινοίμην)· ἀλλʼ ἃ θεωρεῖν ὑμᾶς, ὅταν οὗτοι δέωνται, δεῖ καὶ λογίζεσθαι, ταῦτʼ ἐρῶ.

[¶28] 209. Suppose, gentlemen of the jury, that these men—never may it so befall, as indeed it never will—made themselves masters of the State, along with Meidias and others like him; and suppose that one of you, who are men of the people and friends to popular government, having offended one of these men,—not so seriously as Meidias offended me, but in some slighter degree—came before a jury packed with men of that class; what pardon, what consideration do you think he would receive? They would be prompt with their favour, would they not? Would they heed the petition of one of the common folk? Would not their first words be, “The knave! The sorry rascal! To think that he should insult us and still draw breath! He ought to be only too happy if he is permitted to exist”?

> Greek: 209. ἐνθυμεῖσθʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἰ γένοιντο (ὃ μὴ γένοιτʼ οὐδʼ ἔσται) οὗτοι κύριοι τῆς πολιτείας μετὰ Μειδίου καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων τούτῳ, καί τις ὑμῶν τῶν πολλῶν καὶ δημοτικῶν ἁμαρτὼν εἴς τινα τούτων, μὴ τοιαῦθʼ οἷα Μειδίας εἰς ἐμέ, ἀλλʼ ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο, εἰς δικαστήριον εἰσίοι πεπληρωμένον ἐκ τούτων, τίνος συγγνώμης ἢ τίνος λόγου τυχεῖν ἂν οἴεσθε; ταχύ γʼ ἂν χαρίσαιντο, οὐ γάρ; ἢ δεηθέντι τῳ τῶν πολλῶν πρόσσχοιεν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εὐθέως εἴποιεν τὸν δὲ βάσκανον, τὸν δʼ ὄλεθρον, τοῦτον δʼ ὑβρίζειν, ἀναπνεῖν δέ; ὃν εἴ τις ἐᾷ ζῆν, ἀγαπᾶν δεῖ;

[¶29] 210. Do not therefore, men of Athens, treat them otherwise than as they would treat you. Keep your respect, not for their wealth or their reputation, but for yourselves. They have many advantages, which no one hinders them from enjoying; then they in their turn must not hinder us from enjoying the security which the laws provide as our common birthright.

> Greek: 210. μὴ τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τούτοις τοῖς οὕτω χρησαμένοις ἂν ὑμῖν ἄλλως πως ἔχεθʼ ὑμεῖς, μηδὲ τὸν πλοῦτον μηδὲ τὴν δόξαν τὴν τούτων θαυμάζετε, ἀλλʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτούς. πολλὰ τούτοις ἀγάθʼ ἐστίν, ἃ τούτους οὐδεὶς κωλύει κεκτῆσθαι· μὴ τοίνυν μηδʼ οὗτοι τὴν ἄδειαν, ἣν ἡμῖν κοινὴν οὐσίαν οἱ νόμοι παρέχουσι, κωλυόντων κεκτῆσθαι.

[¶30] 211. Meidias will suffer no distressing hardship if he shall come to possess just as much as the majority of you, whom he now insults and calls beggars, and if he is stripped of the superfluous wealth that incites him to such insolence. Surely such men have no right to ask of you, “Do not try the case by the laws, gentlemen of the jury; do not help the man who has suffered serious wrongs; do not observe your oaths; grant us your verdict as a favour.” If they plead for Meidias, that is what their plea will come to, though these may not be their actual words.

> Greek: 211. οὐδὲν δεινὸν οὐδʼ ἐλεινὸν Μειδίας πείσεται, ἂν ἴσα κτήσηται τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑμῶν, οὓς νῦν ὑβρίζει καὶ πτωχοὺς ἀποκαλεῖ, ἃ δὲ νῦν περιόντʼ αὐτὸν ὑβρίζειν ἐπαίρει, περιαιρεθῇ. οὐδʼ οὗτοι δήπου ταῦθʼ ὑμῶν εἰσι δίκαιοι δεῖσθαι, μὴ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους δικάσητʼ, ἄνδρες δικασταί· μὴ βοηθήσητε τῷ πεπονθότι δεινά· μὴ εὐορκεῖτε· ἡμῖν δότε τὴν χάριν ταύτην. ταῦτα γάρ, ἄν τι δέωνται περὶ τούτου, δεήσονται, κἂν μὴ ταῦτα λέγωσι τὰ ῥήματα.

[¶31] 212. But if they are his friends and think it hard that he should not be rich, well, they are extremely rich themselves; that is their good fortune. Let them spare him some of their own wealth, that you may give your votes honestly, as you swore to do when you came into court, and that they may be generous to him at their own expense, and not at the expense of your honor. But if these men with all their money are not prepared to sacrifice it, how can it be honorable for you to sacrifice your oath?

> Greek: 212. ἀλλʼ εἴπερ εἰσὶ φίλοι καὶ δεινὸν εἰ μὴ πλουτήσει Μειδίας ἡγοῦνται, εἰσὶ μὲν εἰς τὰ μάλιστʼ αὐτοὶ πλούσιοι, καὶ καλῶς ποιοῦσι, χρήματα δʼ αὐτῷ παρʼ ἑαυτῶν δόντων, ἵνʼ ὑμεῖς μὲν ἐφʼ οἷς εἰσήλθετʼ ὀμωμοκότες δικαίως ψηφίσησθε, οὗτοι δὲ παρʼ αὑτῶν τὰς χάριτας, μὴ μετὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας αἰσχύνης, ποιῶνται. εἰ δʼ οὗτοι χρήματʼ ἔχοντες μὴ πρόοιντʼ ἄν, πῶς ὑμῖν καλὸν τὸν ὅρκον προέσθαι;

[¶32] 213. An imposing muster of wealthy men, whose prosperity has raised them to apparent importance, will come into court to plead with you. Men of Athens, do not sacrifice me to any one of them; but just as each of them will be zealous for his private interests and for the defendant, so be zealous for your own selves and for the laws, as well as for me who have fled to you for refuge, and cleave to the opinion that you already hold.

> Greek: 213. πλούσιοι πολλοὶ συνεστηκότες, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ δοκεῖν τινὲς εἶναι διʼ εὐπορίαν προσειληφότες, ὑμῶν παρίασι δεησόμενοι. τούτων μηδενί μʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, προῆσθε, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἕκαστος τούτων ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίᾳ συμφερόντων καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου σπουδάσεται, οὕτως ὑμεῖς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων καὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς καταπεφευγότος σπουδάσατε, καὶ τηρήσατε τὴν γνώμην ταύτην ἐφʼ ἧς νῦν ἐστέ.

[¶33] 214. If, men of Athens, at the time of the plaint the people, after hearing the facts, had acquitted Meidias, it would not be so hard to bear: one might console oneself with the fancy that the assault had never been made, or that it was not a profanation of the festival, and so on.

> Greek: 214. καὶ γὰρ εἰ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τόθʼ ὅτʼ ἦν ἡ προβολή, τὰ πεπραγμένʼ ὁ δῆμος ἀκούσας ἀπεχειροτόνησε Μειδίου, οὐκ ἂν ὁμοίως ἦν δεινόν· καὶ γὰρ μὴ γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ μὴ περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀδικήματα ταῦτʼ εἶναι, καὶ πόλλʼ ἂν εἶχέ τις αὑτὸν παραμυθήσασθαι.

[¶34] 215. But now this would be the hardest blow for me to bear, if, when the offences were fresh in your memory, you displayed such anger and indignation and bitterness that, when Neoptolemus and Mnesarchides and Philippides and another of these very wealthy men were interceding with you and me, you shouted to me not to let him off, and when Blepaeus the banker came up to me, you raised such an uproar, as if I was going to take a bribe—the old, old story!— that I was startled by your clamor, Athenians, and let my cloak drop so that I was half-naked in my tunic, trying to get away from his grasp, and when you met me afterwards, “Mind you prosecute the blackguard,” you cried; “don’t let him go; the Athenians will watch to see what you are going to do”; and yet when the act has been condemned by vote as an outrage, and those who gave that verdict were sitting in a sacred building, and when I have stuck to my task and not betrayed either you or myself, if after all this you are going to acquit him.

> Greek: 215. νῦν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ πάντων ἄν μοι δεινότατον συμβαίη, εἰ παρʼ αὐτὰ τἀδικήμαθʼ οὕτως ὀργίλως καὶ πικρῶς καὶ χαλεπῶς ἅπαντες ἔχοντες [ἐφαίνεσθε], ὥστε Νεοπτολέμου καὶ Μνησαρχίδου καὶ Φιλιππίδου καί τινος τῶν σφόδρα τούτων πλουσίων δεομένων καὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν, ἐβοᾶτε μὴ ἀφεῖναι, καὶ προσελθόντος μοι Βλεπαίου τοῦ τραπεζίτου, τηλικοῦτʼ ἀνεκράγετε, ὡς, τοῦτʼ ἐκεῖνο, χρήματά μου ληψομένου, ὥστε μʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, φοβηθέντα τὸν ὑμέτερον θόρυβον θοἰμάτιον προέσθαι καὶ μικροῦ γυμνὸν ἐν τῷ χιτωνίσκῳ γενέσθαι, φεύγοντʼ ἐκεῖνον ἕλκοντά με, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀπαντῶντες ὅπως ἐπέξει τῷ μιαρῷ καὶ μὴ διαλύσει· θεάσονταί σε τί ποιήσεις Ἀθηναῖοι τοιαῦτα λέγοντες· ἐπειδὴ κεχειροτόνηται μὲν ὕβρις τὸ πρᾶγμʼ εἶναι, ἐν ἱερῷ δʼ οἱ ταῦτα κρίνοντες καθεζόμενοι διέγνωσαν, διέμεινα δʼ ἐγὼ καὶ οὐ προὔδωκʼ οὔθʼ ὑμᾶς οὔτʼ ἐμαυτόν, τηνικαῦτʼ ἀποψηφιεῖσθʼ ὑμεῖς.

[¶35] 217. Never! Such a result entails all that is most disgraceful. I do not deserve this at your hands, Athenians. How should I, when I am bringing to justice a fellow who is as violent a bully as he is reputed to be, who has offended against decency at a public festival, and who has made not only you, but all the Greeks who were visiting the city, witnesses of his brutality? The people heard what he had done. What was the result? They voted him guilty and passed him on to your court.

> Greek: 217. μηδαμῶς· πάντα γὰρ τὰ αἴσχιστʼ ἔνεστιν ἐν τῷ πράγματι. εἰμὶ δʼ οὐ τούτων ὑμῖν ἄξιος (πῶς γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι;) κρίνων ἄνθρωπον καὶ δοκοῦντα καὶ ὄντα βίαιον καὶ ὑβριστήν, ἡμαρτηκότʼ ἀσελγῶς ἐν πανηγύρει, μάρτυρας τῆς ὕβρεως τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πεποιημένον οὐ μόνον ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐπιδημήσαντας ἅπαντας τῶν Ἑλλήνων. ἤκουσεν ὁ δῆμος τὰ πεπραγμένα τούτῳ. τί οὖν; ὑμῖν καταχειροτονήσας παρέδωκεν.

[¶36] 218. So it is impossible that your decision should be concealed or hushed up, or that the question should not be asked, How did you judge the case when it was brought before you? No; if you punish him, you will be thought men of discretion and honor and haters of iniquity; but if you acquit him, you will seem to have capitulated to some other motive. For this is not a political issue, nor does it resemble the case of Aristophon, who stopped the plaint against him by restoring the crowns. This case arises from the insolence of Meidias and from the impossibility of his undoing any of his acts. [Is it then better, in view of the past, to punish him now or the next time he offends? Now is the time, I think, because the trial is a public one, even as the offences for which he is being tried were public.]

> Greek: 218. οὐ τοίνυν οἷόν τʼ ἀφανῆ τὴν γνῶσιν ὑμῶν γενέσθαι, οὐδὲ λαθεῖν, οὐδʼ ἀνεξέταστον εἶναι τί ποθʼ ὡς ὑμᾶς τοῦ πράγματος ἐλθόντος ἔγνωτε· ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μὲν κολάσητε, δόξετε σώφρονες εἶναι καὶ καλοὶ κἀγαθοὶ καὶ μισοπόνηροι, ἂν δʼ ἀφῆτε, ἄλλου τινὸς ἡττῆσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ἐκ πολιτικῆς αἰτίας, οὐδʼ ὥσπερ Ἀριστοφῶν ἀποδοὺς τοὺς στεφάνους ἔλυσε τὴν προβολήν, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ὕβρεως, ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲν ἂν ὧν πεποίηκʼ ἀναλῦσαι δύνασθαι κρίνεται. πότερʼ οὖν τούτου γενομένου κρεῖττον αὖθις ἢ νυνὶ κολάσαι; ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι νῦν· κοινὴ γὰρ ἡ κρίσις, καὶ τἀδικήματα πάντʼ ἐφʼ οἷς νῦν κρίνεται κοινά.

[¶37] 219. Furthermore, it was not I alone, men of Athens, that he then, in his intention, struck and insulted, when he acted as he did, but all who may be supposed less able than I am to obtain satisfaction for themselves. If you were not all beaten, if you were not all insulted while acting as choir-masters, you realize of course that you cannot all be choir-masters at the same time, and that no one could possibly assault all of you at once with a single fist.

> Greek: 219. ἔτι δʼ οὐκ ἔμʼ ἔτυπτεν, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μόνον οὗτος οὐδʼ ὕβριζε τῇ διανοίᾳ τότε ποιῶν οἷʼ ἐποίει, ἀλλὰ πάντας ὅσους περ ἂν οἴηταί τις ἧττον ἐμοῦ δύνασθαι δίκην ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν λαβεῖν. εἰ δὲ μὴ πάντες ἐπαίεσθε μηδὲ πάντες ἐπηρεάζεσθε χορηγοῦντες, ἴστε δήπου τοῦθʼ ὅτι οὐδʼ ἐχορηγεῖθʼ ἅμα πάντες, οὐδὲ δύναιτʼ ἄν ποθʼ ὑμᾶς οὐδεὶς ἅπαντας μιᾷ χειρὶ προπηλακίσαι.

[¶38] 220. But whenever a solitary victim fails to obtain redress, then each one of you must expect to be the next victim himself, and must not be indifferent to such incidents nor wait for them to come his way, but must rather guard against them as long beforehand as possible. I perhaps am hated by Meidias, and each of you by someone else. Would you, then, allow that enemy, whoever he is, to gain the power of doing to each of you what this man has done to me? I should think not indeed. Then neither must you leave me, Athenians, in this man’s power.

> Greek: 220. ἀλλʼ ὅταν εἷς ὁ παθὼν μὴ λάβῃ δίκην, τόθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτὸν χρὴ προσδοκᾶν τὸν πρῶτον μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀδικησόμενον γενήσεσθαι, καὶ μὴ παρορᾶν τὰ τοιαῦτα, μηδʼ ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐλθεῖν περιμένειν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐκ πλείστου φυλάττεσθαι. μισεῖ Μειδίας ἴσως ἐμέ, ὑμῶν δέ γʼ ἕκαστον ἄλλος τις. ἆρʼ οὖν συγχωρήσαιτʼ ἂν τοῦτον, ὅστις ἐστὶν ἕκαστος ὁ μισῶν, κύριον γενέσθαι τοῦ ταῦθʼ ἅπερ οὗτος ἐμὲ ὑμῶν ἕκαστον ποιῆσαι; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶμαι. μὴ τοίνυν μηδʼ ἔμʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, προῆσθε τούτῳ.

[¶39] 221. Just think. The instant this court rises, each of you will walk home, one quicker, another more leisurely, not anxious, not glancing behind him, not fearing whether he is going to run up against a friend or an enemy, a big man or a little one, a strong man or a weak one, or anything of that sort. And why? Because in his heart he knows, and is confident, and has learned to trust the State, that no one shall seize or insult or strike him.

> Greek: 221. ὁρᾶτε δέ· αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα, ἐπειδὰν ἀναστῇ τὸ δικαστήριον, εἷς ἕκαστος ὑμῶν, ὁ μὲν θᾶττον ἴσως, ὁ δὲ σχολαίτερον, οἴκαδʼ ἄπεισιν οὐδὲν φροντίζων οὐδὲ μεταστρεφόμενος οὐδὲ φοβούμενος, οὔτʼ εἰ φίλος οὔτʼ εἰ μὴ φίλος αὑτῷ συντεύξεταί τις, οὐδέ γʼ εἰ μέγας ἢ μικρός, [ἢ] ἰσχυρὸς ἢ ἀσθενής, οὐδὲ τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν. τί δήποτε; ὅτι τῇ ψυχῇ τοῦτʼ οἶδε καὶ θαρρεῖ καὶ πεπίστευκε τῇ πολιτείᾳ, μηδένʼ ἕλξειν μηδʼ ὑβριεῖν μηδὲ τυπτήσειν.

[¶40] 222. That sense of security, then, with which you walk the streets—will you not guarantee it to me before you set off home? How can I reasonably expect to survive after what I have suffered, if you leave me in the lurch? Perhaps someone will say, “Take heart! You will not be insulted again.” But if I am, will you be angry with him then, after acquitting him now? Do not, gentlemen of the jury, do not betray me or yourselves or the laws.

> Greek: 222. εἶτʼ ἐφʼ ἧς ἀδείας αὐτοὶ πορεύεσθε, ταύτην οὐ βεβαιώσαντες ἐμοὶ βαδιεῖσθε; καὶ τίνι χρή με λογισμῷ περιεῖναι ταῦτα παθόντα, εἰ περιόψεσθέ με νῦν ὑμεῖς; θάρρει νὴ Δία, φήσειέ τις ἄν· οὐ γὰρ ἔτʼ οὐδὲν ὑβρισθήσει. ἐὰν δέ, τότʼ ὀργιεῖσθε, νῦν ἀφέντες; μηδαμῶς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μὴ προδῶτε μήτʼ ἐμὲ μήθʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς μήτε τοὺς νόμους.

[¶41] 223. For if you would only examine and consider the question, what it is that gives you who serve on juries such power and authority in all state-affairs, whether the State empanels two hundred of you or a thousand or any other number, you would find that it is not that you alone of the citizens are drawn up under arms, not that your physical powers are at their best and strongest, not that you are in the earliest prime of manhood; it is due to no cause of that sort but simply to the strength of the laws.

> Greek: 223. καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτʼ εἰ ʼθέλοιτε σκοπεῖν καὶ ζητεῖν, τῷ ποτʼ εἰσὶν ὑμῶν οἱ ἀεὶ δικάζοντες ἰσχυροὶ καὶ κύριοι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει πάντων, ἐάν τε διακοσίους ἐάν τε χιλίους ἐάν θʼ ὁποσουσοῦν ἡ πόλις καθίσῃ, οὔτε τῷ μεθʼ ὅπλων εἶναι συντεταγμένοι μόνοι τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν, εὕροιτʼ ἄν, οὔτε τῷ τὰ σώματʼ ἄριστʼ ἔχειν καὶ μάλιστʼ ἰσχύειν [τοὺς δικάζοντας], οὔτε τῷ τὴν ἡλικίαν εἶναι νεώτατοι, οὔτε τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενί, ἀλλὰ τῷ τοὺς νόμους ἰσχύειν.

[¶42] 224. And what is the strength of the laws? If one of you is wronged and cries aloud, will the laws run up and be at his side to assist him? No; they are only written texts and incapable of such action. Wherein then resides their power? In yourselves, if only you support them and make them all-powerful to help him who needs them. So the laws are strong through you and you through the laws.

> Greek: 224. ἡ δὲ τῶν νόμων ἰσχὺς τίς ἐστιν; ἆρʼ ἐάν τις ὑμῶν ἀδικούμενος ἀνακράγῃ, προσδραμοῦνται καὶ παρέσονται βοηθοῦντες; οὔ· γράμματα γὰρ γεγραμμένʼ ἐστί, καὶ οὐχὶ δύναιντʼ ἂν τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. τίς οὖν ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν ἐστιν; ὑμεῖς ἐὰν βεβαιῶτʼ αὐτοὺς καὶ παρέχητε κυρίους ἀεὶ τῷ δεομένῳ. οὐκοῦν οἱ νόμοι θʼ ὑμῖν εἰσιν ἰσχυροὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς τοῖς νόμοις.

[¶43] 225. Therefore you must help them as readily as any man would help himself if wronged; you must consider that you share in the wrongs done to the laws, by whomsoever they are found to be committed; and no excuse—neither public services, nor pity, nor personal influence, nor forensic skill, nor anything else—must be devised whereby anyone who has transgressed the laws shall escape punishment.

> Greek: 225. δεῖ τοίνυν τούτοις βοηθεῖν ὁμοίως ὥσπερ ἂν αὑτῷ τις ἀδικουμένῳ, καὶ τὰ τῶν νόμων ἀδικήματα κοινὰ νομίζειν, ἐφʼ ὅτου περ ἂν λαμβάνηται, καὶ μήτε λῃτουργίας μήτʼ ἔλεον μήτʼ ἄνδρα μηδένα μήτε τέχνην μηδεμίαν εὑρῆσθαι, διʼ ὅτου παραβάς τις τοὺς νόμους οὐ δώσει δίκην.

[¶44] 226. Those of you who were spectators at the Dionysia hissed and hooted Meidias when he entered the theater; you gave every indication of your abhorrence, though you had not yet heard what I had to say about him. Were you so indignant before the case was investigated, that you urged me to demand vengeance for my wrongs and applauded me when I brought my plaint before the Assembly?

> Greek: 226. ὑμῶν οἱ θεώμενοι τοῖς Διονυσίοις εἰσιόντʼ εἰς τὸ θέατρον τοῦτον ἐσυρίττετε καὶ ἐκλώζετε, καὶ πάνθʼ ἃ μίσους ἐστὶ σημεῖʼ ἐποιεῖτε, οὐδὲν ἀκηκοότες πω περὶ αὐτοῦ παρʼ ἐμοῦ. εἶτα πρὶν μὲν ἐλεγχθῆναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ὠργίζεσθε, προὐκαλεῖσθʼ ἐπὶ τιμωρίαν τὸν παθόντα, ἐκροτεῖθʼ ὅτε προὐβαλόμην αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ·

[¶45] 227. And yet now, when his guilt has been established, when the people, sitting in a sacred building, have anticipated his condemnation, when all the other crimes of this miscreant have been sifted, when it has fallen to your lot to be his judges and it lies in your power to conclude the whole affair by a single vote—now, I say, will you hesitate to succor me, to gratify the people, to give all a lesson in sobriety, and to enjoy perfect safety for the rest of your lives, by making an example of the defendant for the instruction of others? Therefore for all the reasons that I have urged, and above all for the honor of the god whose festival he has been convicted of profaning, punish this man by casting the vote which piety and justice alike demand.

> Greek: 227. ἐπειδὴ δʼ ἐξελήλεγκται, καὶ προκατέγνωκεν ὁ δῆμος τούτου εἰς ἱερὸν καθεζόμενος, καὶ τἄλλα προσεξήτασται τὰ πεπραγμένα τῷ μιαρῷ τούτῳ, καὶ δικάσοντες εἰλήχατε, καὶ πάντʼ ἐστὶν ἐν ὑμῖν μιᾷ ψήφῳ διαπράξασθαι, νῦν ὀκνήσετʼ ἐμοὶ βοηθῆσαι, τῷ δήμῳ χαρίσασθαι, τοὺς ἄλλους σωφρονίσαι, μετὰ πολλῆς ἀσφαλείας αὐτοὶ τὸ λοιπὸν διάγειν, παράδειγμα ποιήσαντες τοῦτον τοῖς ἄλλοις; πάντων οὖν εἵνεκα τῶν εἰρημένων, καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ θεοῦ χάριν περὶ οὗ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἀσεβῶν οὗτος ἑάλωκεν, τὴν ὁσίαν καὶ δικαίαν θέμενοι ψῆφον τιμωρήσασθε τοῦτον.