---
title: "Against Ergocles · Κατὰ Ἐργοκλέους ἐπίλογος"
author: "Lysias"
translator: "W. R. M. Lamb"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/lysias-against-ergocles/
cite: "Lysias, tr. W. R. M. Lamb, Against Ergocles · Κατὰ Ἐργοκλέους ἐπίλογος. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/lysias-against-ergocles/"
---

# Against Ergocles · Κατὰ Ἐργοκλέους ἐπίλογος

*Lysias, tr. W. R. M. Lamb*

A general accused of embezzling war funds.

> Greek: ed. W.R.M. Lamb, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0540.tlg028, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: W. R. M. Lamb, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0540.tlg028.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 1–17](https://scriptura.si/works/lysias-against-ergocles/1.md)

## 1. Sections 1–17

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

[¶0] 1. The counts of the accusation are so many and so grave, men of Athens, that not even were he put to death a number of times for each one of his acts would Ergocles be able, in my opinion, to give your people due satisfaction. For it is evident that he has betrayed cities, wronged your representatives and your citizens, and advanced himself from poverty to wealth at your expense.

> Greek: 1. τὰ μὲν κατηγορημένα οὕτως ἐστὶ πολλὰ καὶ δεινά, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὥστε οὐκ ἄν μοι δοκεῖ δύνασθαι Ἐργοκλῆς ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τῶν πεπραγμένων αὐτῷ πολλάκις ἀποθανὼν δοῦναι δίκην ἀξίαν τῷ ὑμετέρῳ πλήθει. καὶ γὰρ πόλεις προδεδωκὼς φαίνεται, καὶ προξένους καὶ πολίτας ὑμετέρους ἠδικηκώς, καὶ ἐκ πένητος ἐκ τῶν ὑμετέρων πλούσιος γεγενημένος.

[¶1] 2. Now tell me, how can you forgive these persons, when you see the fleet that they commanded breaking up for want of money and dwindling in numbers, while these men, who were poor and needy on sailing out, have so quickly acquired the largest fortune in the city? It is your duty, therefore, men of Athens, to show indignation at such conduct.

> Greek: 2. καίτοι πῶς αὐτοῖς χρὴ συγγνώμην ἔχειν, ὅταν ὁρᾶτε τὰς μὲν ναῦς, ὧν ἦρχον οὗτοι, διʼ ἀπορίαν χρημάτων καταλυομένας καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν ὀλίγας γιγνομένας, τούτους δὲ πένητας καὶ ἀπόρους ἐκπλεύσαντας οὕτως ταχέως πλείστην τῶν πολιτῶν οὐσίαν κεκτημένους; ὑμέτερον τοίνυν ἔργον ἐστίν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ὀργίζεσθαι·

[¶2] 3. And indeed it would be strange if now, when you are yourselves thus oppressed by the special levies, you should forgive men who embezzle and take bribes; and yet heretofore, when your estates were ample and the public revenue was ample too, those who coveted your property you punished with death.

> Greek: 3. καὶ γὰρ δὴ δεινὸν ἂν εἴη, εἰ νῦν μὲν οὕτως αὐτοὶ πιεζόμενοι ταῖς εἰσφοραῖς συγγνώμην τοῖς κλέπτουσι καὶ τοῖς δωροδοκοῦσιν ἔχοιτε, ἐν δὲ τῷ τέως χρόνῳ, καὶ τῶν οἴκων τῶν ὑμετέρων μεγάλων ὄντων καὶ τῶν δημοσίων προσόδων μεγάλων οὐσῶν, θανάτῳ ἐκολάζετε τοὺς τῶν ὑμετέρων ἐπιθυμοῦντας.

[¶3] 4. I think you will all agree that, if Thrasybulus had proposed to you that he should sail out with warships which he was to deliver up worn out instead of new; that the dangers were to be yours, while the benefits would accrue to his own friends; and that he would reduce you to worse poverty owing to the levies, but would make Ergocles and his other adulators the wealthiest men in the city,—not one of you would have given the man permission to sail out with your ships. And to make matters worse, as soon as you had decreed that an inventory be made of the sums obtained from the cities, and that his fellow-commanders should sail home to undergo their audit, Ergocles said that there you were at your slander-mongering and hankering after the ancient laws, and he advised Thrasybulus to occupy Byzantium, keep the ships, and marry Seuthes’ daughter:

> Greek: 4. οἶμαι δʼ ἔγωγε πάντας ⟨ἂν⟩ ὑμᾶς ὁμολογῆσαι, εἰ ὑμῖν Θρασύβουλος ἐπηγγέλλετο τριήρεις ἔχων ἐκπλεύσεσθαι καὶ ταύτας παλαιὰς ἀντὶ καινῶν παραδώσειν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν κινδύνους ὑμετέρους ἔσεσθαι, τὰς δʼ ὠφελείας τῶν αὑτοῦ φίλων, καὶ ὑμᾶς μὲν διὰ τὰς εἰσφορὰς πενεστέρους ἀποδείξειν, Ἐργοκλέα δὲ καὶ τοὺς κόλακας τοὺς αὑτοῦ πλουσιωτάτους τῶν πολιτῶν ποιήσειν, οὐδένα ἂν ὑμῶν ἐπιτρέψαι τὰς ναῦς ἐκεῖνον ἔχοντα ἐκπλεῦσαι, ἄλλως τε ἐπειδή, ὡς τάχιστα ὑμεῖς ἐψηφίσασθε τὰ χρήματα ὑπογράψαι τὰ ἐκ τῶν πόλεων εἰλημμένα καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοὺς μετʼ ἐκείνου καταπλεῖν εὐθύνας δώσοντας, Ἐργοκλῆς ἔλεγεν ὡς ἤδη συκοφαντεῖτε καὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων νόμων ἐπιθυμεῖτε, καὶ Θρασυβούλῳ συνεβούλευε Βυζάντιον καταλαβεῖν καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἔχειν καὶ τὴν Σεύθου θυγατέρα γαμεῖν·

[¶4] 6. “by this means,” he told him, “you will cut short their slander-mongering; for you will make them sit still, contriving no harm against you and your friends, but full of fear for themselves.” So far did they go, men of Athens,—as soon as they had gorged themselves and were regaled with your possessions,—in regarding themselves as alien to the city.

> Greek: 6. ἵνα αὐτῶν ἐκκόψῃς ἔφη τὰς συκοφαντίας· ποιήσεις γὰρ αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐπιβουλεύοντας σοὶ καθῆσθαι καὶ τοῖς σοῖς φίλοις, ἀλλὰ περὶ αὑτῶν δεδιέναι. οὕτως, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα ἐνεπέπληντο καὶ ⟨τῶν⟩ ὑμετέρων ἀπέλαυσαν, ἀλλοτρίους τῆς πόλεως αὑτοὺς ἡγήσαντο.

[¶5] 7. No sooner are they rich than they hate you; they plan thenceforth, not to be your subjects, but to be your rulers, and, apprehensive for the fruits of their depredations, they are ready to occupy strongholds, establish an oligarchy, and seek every means of exposing you, day after day, to the most awful dangers. The result will be, they expect, that you will cease paying attention to their particular offences and, in terror for yourselves and for the city, will leave them in peace.

> Greek: 7. ἅμα γὰρ πλουτοῦσι καὶ ὑμᾶς μισοῦσι, καὶ οὐκέτι ὡς ἀρξόμενοι παρασκευάζονται ἀλλʼ ὡς ὑμῶν ἄρξοντες, καὶ δεδιότες ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀφῄρηνται ἕτοιμοί εἰσι καὶ χωρία καταλαμβάνειν καὶ ὀλιγαρχίαν καθιστάναι καὶ πάντα πράττειν ὅπως ὑμεῖς ἐν τοῖς δεινοτάτοις κινδύνοις καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἔσεσθε· οὕτως γὰρ ἡγοῦνται οὐκέτι τοῖς σφετέροις αὐτῶν ἁμαρτήμασι τὸν νοῦν ὑμᾶς προσέξειν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς πόλεως ὀρρωδοῦντας ἡσυχίαν πρὸς τούτους ἕξειν.

[¶6] 8. Now, as for Thrasybulus, men of Athens,—for there is no need to say more about him,—he did well to end his life as he did: for it was not right for him either to live in the prosecution of such schemes or to suffer death at your hands with his repute of having served you well in the past, but rather to settle his account with the city in that sort of way.

> Greek: 8. Θρασύβουλος μὲν οὖν ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, (οὐδὲν γὰρ δεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ πλείω λέγειν) καλῶς ἐποίησεν οὕτως τελευτήσας τὸν βίον· οὐ γὰρ ἔδει αὐτὸν οὔτε ζῆν τοιούτοις ἔργοις ἐπιβουλεύοντα, οὔθʼ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖν ἤδη τι δοκοῦντα ὑμᾶς ἀγαθὸν πεποιηκέναι, ἀλλὰ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τῆς πόλεως ἀπαλλαγῆναι.

[¶7] 9. But the others, I see, in consequence of the Assembly that was held two days ago, are no longer sparing their money, but are purchasing their lives from the speakers, from their enemies, and from the Committee, and are corrupting numerous Athenians with hard cash. It is your duty to clear yourselves of that suspicion by punishing this man today, and to make it plain to all people that there is no sum large enough to overcome you in your purpose of exacting requital from the guilty.

> Greek: 9. ὁρῶ δʼ αὐτοὺς διὰ τὴν πρῴην ἐκκλησίαν οὐκέτι φειδομένους τῶν χρημάτων, ἀλλʼ ὠνουμένους τὰς αὑτῶν ψυχὰς καὶ παρὰ τῶν λεγόντων καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ παρὰ τῶν πρυτάνεων, καὶ πολλοὺς Ἀθηναίων ἀργυρίῳ διαφθείροντας. ὑπὲρ ὧν ὑμῖν ἄξιόν ἀπολογήσασθαι παρὰ τούτου νῦν δίκην λαβοῦσι, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδεῖξαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τοσαῦτα χρήματα, ὧν ὑμεῖς ἡττήσεσθε ὥστε μὴ τιμωρεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας.

[¶8] 10. For you must reflect, men of Athens, that it is not Ergocles alone, but the whole city as well, that is on trial. Today you are to demonstrate to your officers whether they ought to be upright or, after abstracting as much of your property as they can, to compass their salvation by the same means as these men are now applying.

> Greek: 10. ἐνθυμεῖσθε γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅτι οὐκ Ἐργοκλῆς μόνος κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ πόλις ὅλη. νυνὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἄρχουσι τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἐπιδείξετε πότερον χρὴ δικαίους εἶναι, ἢ ὡς πλεῖστα τῶν ὑμετέρων ὑφελομένους τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ τὴν σωτηρίαν παρασκευάζεσθαι, ᾧπερ οὗτοι νυνὶ πειρῶνται. καίτοι εὖ εἰδέναι χρή, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι.

[¶9] 11. Well, of one thing you may be assured, men of Athens: whoever in this serious stringency of your affairs either betrays your cities or decides to steal your money or receive bribes, is the very man to surrender your walls and your ships to the enemy, and to establish oligarchy in place of democracy. It is not right, then, that you should be mastered by their devices: you should rather make an example for all men to see, and regard neither profit nor pity nor aught else as more important than the punishment of these men.

> Greek: 11. ὅστις ἐν τοσαύτῃ ἀπορίᾳ τῶν ὑμετέρων πραγμάτων ἢ πόλεις προδίδωσιν ἢ χρήματα κλέπτειν ἢ δωροδοκεῖν ἀξιοῖ, οὗτος καὶ τὰ τείχη καὶ τὰς ναῦς τοῖς πολεμίοις παραδίδωσι καὶ ὀλιγαρχίαν ἐκ δημοκρατίας καθίστησιν· ὥστʼ οὐκ ἄξιον ὑμῖν τῆς τούτων παρασκευῆς ἡττᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ παράδειγμα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ποιῆσαι καὶ μήτε κέρδος μήτε ἔλεον μήτʼ ἄλλο μηδὲν περὶ πλείονος ποιήσασθαι τῆς τούτων τιμωρίας.

[¶10] 12. I do not suppose, men of Athens, that in regard to Halicarnassus and his command and his own proceedings Ergocles will attempt any justification, but that he will state that he returned from Phyle, that he is a democrat, and that he bore his share in your dangers. But I, men of Athens, do not view the position in that sort of way.

> Greek: 12. οἶμαι δʼ Ἐργοκλέα, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, περὶ μὲν Ἁλικαρνασσοῦ καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ περὶ τῶν αὑτῷ πεπραγμένων οὐκ ἐπιχειρήσειν ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ἐρεῖν δὲ ὡς ἀπὸ Φυλῆς κατῆλθε καὶ ὡς δημοτικός ἐστι καὶ ὡς τῶν κινδύνων τῶν ὑμετέρων μετέσχεν. ἐγὼ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ⟨οὐ⟩ τοιαύτην γνώμην ἔχω περὶ τῶν τοιούτων·

[¶11] 13. Those who, longing for liberty and justice, desiring the maintenance of the laws and hating wrongdoers, shared in your dangers, I do not regard as bad citizens, nor would it be unfair, I say, that the exile of that party should be reckoned into their account. But those who, after their return, do injury to your people under a democracy, and enlarge their private properties at your expense, deserve to feel your wrath far more than the Thirty.

> Greek: 13. ἀλλʼ ὅσοι μὲν ἐλευθερίας καὶ τοῦ δικαίου ἐπιθυμοῦντες καὶ τοὺς νόμους ἰσχύειν βουλόμενοι καὶ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας μισοῦντες τῶν ὑμετέρων κινδύνων μετέσχον, οὐ πονηροὺς εἶναι πολίτας, οὐδὲ ἀδίκως τούτοις φημι ἂν εἶναι ὑπόλογον τὴν ἐκείνων φυγήν· ὅσοι δὲ κατελθόντες ἐν δημοκρατία τὸ μὲν ὑμέτερον πλῆθος ἀδικοῦσι, τοὺς δὲ ἰδίους οἴκους ἐκ τῶν ὑμετέρων μεγάλους ποιοῦσι, πολὺ μᾶλλον αὐτοῖς προσήκει ὀργίζεσθαι ἤ τοῖς τριάκοντα.

[¶12] 14. The latter were elected for the very purpose of doing you harm by any available means, whereas you have entrusted yourselves to these men in order that they may promote the greatness and freedom of the city. Nothing of the sort have you secured: so far as they could, they have involved you in the most awful dangers; and hence you would be far more justified in pitying yourselves, your children and your wives than these men, when you think of the ravages that you suffer at such hands as theirs.

> Greek: 14. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦτʼ ἐχειροτονήθησαν, ἵνα κακῶς, εἴ πῃ δύναιντο, ὑμᾶς ποιήσειαν· τούτοις δʼ ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐπετρέψατε, ὡς μεγάλην καὶ ἐλευθέραν τὴν πόλιν ποιήσωσιν· ὧν ὑμῖν οὐδὲν ἀποβέβηκεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐπὶ τούτοις εἶναι ἐν τοῖς δεινοτάτοις κινδύνοις καθεστήκατε, ὥστε πολὺ ἂν δικαιότερον ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἢ τούτους ἐλεοῖτε, καὶ τοὺς ὑμετέρους παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν λυμαίνεσθε.

[¶13] 15. For, just when we are convinced that we have salvation in our grasp, we meet with more terrible treatment from our officers than from the enemy. Of course you all understand that you have no hope of salvation if you undergo a reverse. You ought therefore to exhort yourselves to impose on these men today the extreme penalty, and to make it evident to the rest of Greece that you punish the guilty and mean to reform your officers.

> Greek: 15. ὅταν γὰρ ἡγησώμεθα σωτηρίας ἀντειλῆφθαι, δεινότερα ὑπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀρχόντων πάσχομεν ἢ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων. καίτοι πάντες ἐπίστασθε ὅτι οὐδεμία ἐλπὶς σωτηρίας ὑμῖν δυστυχήσασιν. ὥστε ἄξιον ὑμᾶς παρακελευσαμένους ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς παρὰ τούτων νυνὶ τὴν μεγίστην δίκην λαβεῖν, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησιν ἐπιδεῖξαι ὡς τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας τιμωρεῖσθε, καὶ τοὺς ὑμετέρους ἄρχοντας βελτίους ποιήσετε.

[¶14] 16. This, at least, is my own exhortation to you; and you should know that, if you take my advice, you will decide wisely for yourselves, but if not, you will find the rest of the citizens more unruly. Besides, men of Athens, if you acquit them, they will not be thankful to you, but to their expenditure and to the funds that they have embezzled; so that, while you endow yourselves with their enmity, they will thank those means for their salvation.

> Greek: 16. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν παρακελεύομαι· ὑμᾶς δὲ χρὴ εἰδέναι ὅτι, ἐὰν μὲν ἐμοὶ πεισθῆτε, εὖ περὶ αὑτῶν βουλεύσεσθε, εἰ δὲ μή, χείροσι τοῖς ἄλλοις πολίταις χρήσεσθε. ἔτι δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐὰν αὐτῶν ἀποψηφίσησθε, οὐδεμίαν ὑμῖν εἴσονται χάριν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀνηλωμένοις καὶ τοῖς χρήμασιν οἷς ὑφῄρηνται· ὥστε τὴν μὲν ἔχθραν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς καταλείψετε, τῆς δὲ σωτηρίας ἐκείνοις εἴσονται χάριν.

[¶15] 17. Furthermore, men of Athens, both the people of Halicarnassus and the other victims of these men, if you inflict the extreme penalty upon them, will feel that, although they have been ruined by these persons, they have been vindicated by you; but if you save their lives, they will suppose that you have put yourselves in accord with their betrayers. So, bearing all these points in mind, you ought by the same act to show your gratitude to your friends and to do justice upon the guilty.

> Greek: 17. καὶ μὲν δή, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ Ἁλικαρνασσεῖς καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι οἱ ὑπὸ τούτων ἠδικημένοι, ἐὰν μὲν παρὰ τούτων τὴν μεγίστην δίκην λάβητε, νομιοῦσιν ὑπὸ τούτων μὲν ἀπολωλέναι, ὑμᾶς δὲ αὑτοῖς βεβοηθηκέναι· ἐὰν δὲ τούτους σώσητε, ἡγήσονται καὶ ὑμᾶς ὁμογνώμονας γεγονέναι τοῖς αὑτοὺς προδεδωκόσιν. ὥστʼ ἄξιον τούτων ἁπάντων ἐνθυμηθέντας ἅμα τοῖς τε φίλοις τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἀποδοῦναι χάριν καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων τὴν δίκην λαβεῖν.