---
title: "Against Pancleon · Κατὰ Παγκλέωνος ὅτι οὐκ ἦν Πλαταιεύς"
author: "Lysias"
translator: "W. R. M. Lamb"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Classical Greek"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/lysias-against-pancleon/
cite: "Lysias, tr. W. R. M. Lamb, Against Pancleon · Κατὰ Παγκλέωνος ὅτι οὐκ ἦν Πλαταιεύς. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/lysias-against-pancleon/"
---

# Against Pancleon · Κατὰ Παγκλέωνος ὅτι οὐκ ἦν Πλαταιεύς

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

Is Pancleon a citizen of Plataea or a runaway slave?

> Greek: ed. W.R.M. Lamb, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0540.tlg023, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: W. R. M. Lamb, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0540.tlg023.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 1–16](https://scriptura.si/works/lysias-against-pancleon/1.md)

## 1. Sections 1–16

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

[¶0] 1. To speak at length upon this matter, gentlemen of the jury, is both beyond my powers and, to my mind, unnecessary; but that I am correct in obtaining leave for my suit against this man Pancleon as being no Plataean, I will attempt to prove to you.

> Greek: 1. πολλὰ μὲν λέγειν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, περὶ τουτουὶ τοῦ πράγματος οὔτʼ ἂν δυναίμην οὔτε μοι δοκεῖ δεῖν· ὡς δὲ ὀρθῶς τὴν δίκην ἔλαχον τουτῳὶ Παγκλέωνι οὐκ ὄντι Πλαταιεῖ, τοῦτο ὑμῖν πειράσομαι ἀποδεῖξαι.

[¶1] 2. As he continued to injure me for a long time, I went to the fuller’s where he was working and summoned him before the Polemarch, supposing him to be a resident alien. On his stating that he was a Plataean, I asked to what township he belonged, since one of my witnesses there advised me to summon him also before the court of the tribe of which he might pretend to be a member. When he replied “to Decelea,” I summoned him before the court of tribe Hippothontis;

> Greek: 2. ὡς γὰρ ἀδικῶν με πολὺν χρόνον οὐκ ἐπαύετο, ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ γναφεῖον, ἐν ᾧ εἰργάζετο, προσεκαλεσάμην αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον, νομίζων μέτοικον εἶναι. εἰπόντος δὲ τούτου ὅτι Πλαταιεὺς εἴη, ἠρόμην ὁπόθεν δημοτεύοιτο, παραινέσαντός τινος τῶν παρόντων προσκαλέσασθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν φυλήν, ἧστινος εἶναι σκήπτοιτο. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο ὅτι Δεκελειόθεν, προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τῇ Ἱπποθωντίδι δικάζοντας, ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ κουρεῖον τὸ παρὰ τοὺς Ἑρμᾶς, οἷ Δεκελειεῖς προσφοιτῶσιν, ἠρώτων, οὕς τε ἐξευρίσκοιμι Δεκελειέων ἐπυνθανόμην εἴ τινα γιγνώσκοιεν Δεκελειόθεν δημοτευόμενον Παγκλέωνα.

[¶2] 3. I then went and asked at barber’s in the street of the Hermae, where the Deceleans resort, and I inquired of such Deceleans as I could discover if they knew a certain Pancleon belonging to the township of Decelea. As nobody spoke to knowing him, and I learnt that he was then a defendant in some other suits before the Polemarch, and had been cast in some, I took proceedings on my own part.

> Greek: 3. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐδεὶς ἔφασκεν γιγνώσκειν αὐτόν, πυθόμενος ὅτι καὶ ἑτέρας δίκας τὰς μὲν φεύγοι τὰς δʼ ὠφλήκοι παρὰ τῷ πολεμάρχῳ ἔλαχον καὶ ἐγώ.

[¶3] 4. So now, in the first place, I will produce to you as witnesses some Deceleans whom I questioned, and after them the other persons who have taken proceedings against him before the Polemarch and have obtained a conviction,—as many as chance to be present. Please stop the water.

> Greek: 4. πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὑμῖν Δεκελειέων οὓς ἠρόμην μάρτυρας παρέξομαι, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν λαχόντων τε δίκας αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον καὶ καταδικασαμένων, ὅσοι τυγχάνουσι παρόντες. καί μοι ἐπίλαβε τὸ ὕδωρ.

[¶4] 5. Witnesses Relying on this evidence I took proceedings against him before the Polemarch: but he then put in a demurrer against the admissibility of my suit; and as I felt it important to avoid any imputation of oppressive aims, instead of a desire to get satisfaction for my wrongs, I first asked Euthycritus, whom I knew as the oldest citizen of Plataea and whom I supposed to be best informed, whether he knew a certain Pancleon, son of Hipparmodorus, a Plataean.

> Greek: 5. Μάρτυρες ἐκ μὲν τούτων πεισθεὶς πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον αὐτῶ· τὴν δίκην ἔλαχον· ἐπειδὴ δέ μοι αὐτὴν ἀντεγράψατο μὴ εἰσαγώγιμον εἶναι, περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενος μηδενὶ δόξαι ὑβρίζειν βούλεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ δίκην λαβεῖν ὧν ἠδικήθην, πρῶτον μὲν Εὐθύκριτον, ὃν πρεσβύτατόν τε Πλαταιέων ἐγίγνωσκον καὶ μάλιστα ὠόμην εἰδέναι, ἠρόμην εἴ τινα γιγνώσκοι Ἱππαρμοδώρου ὑὸν Παγκλέωνα Πλαταιέα·

[¶5] 6. Then, on his answering me that he knew Hipparmodorus, but was not aware of his having any son, either Pancleon or any other, I went on to ask all the other persons whom I knew as Plataeans. Well, they were all ignorant of his name; but they told me that I should get the most definite information if I went to the fresh-cheese market on the last day of the month: for on that day in each month the Plataeans collected there.

> Greek: 6. ἔπειτα δέ, ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος ἀπεκρίνατό μοι ὅτι τὸν Ἱππαρμόδωρον μὲν γιγνώσκοι, ὑὸν δὲ ἐκείνῳ οὐδένα οὔτε Παγκλέωνα οὔτε ἄλλον οὐδένα εἰδείη ὄντα, ἠρώτων δὴ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσους ᾔδη Πλαταιέας ὄντας. πάντες οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ἀκριβέστατα ἂν ἔφασάν με πυθέσθαι ἐλθόντα εἰς τὸν χλωρὸν τυρὸν τῇ ἕνῃ καὶ νέα· ταύτῃ γὰρ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς ἑκάστου ἐκεῖσε συλλέγεσθαι τοὺς Πλαταιέας.

[¶6] 7. So I went on that day to the cheese market and inquired of the people if they knew a certain Pancleon, their fellow-citizen. They all denied knowledge of him, except one who said that, although he knew no citizen of that name, there was a slave of his own called Pancleon, who had deserted, and he told me his age and his business, which is that of this man.

> Greek: 7. ἐλθὼν οὖν εἰς τὸν τυρὸν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπυνθανόμην αὐτῶν, εἴ τινα γιγνώσκοιεν Παγκλέωνα πολίτην σφέτερον. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι οὐκ ἔφασαν γιγνώσκειν, εἷς δέ τις εἶπεν ὅτι τῶν μὲν πολιτῶν οὐδενὶ εἰδείη τοῦτο ὂν τὸ ὄνομα, δοῦλον μέντοι ἔφη ἑαυτοῦ ἀφεστῶτα εἶναι Παγκλέωνα, τήν τε ἡλικίαν λέγων τὴν τούτου καὶ τὴν τέχνην ᾗ οὗτος χρῆται.

[¶7] 8. To show the truth of all this, I will produce as witnesses Euthycritus whom I questioned first, all the other Plataeans to whom I applied, and the man who said he was this person’s master. So please stop the water.

> Greek: 8. ταῦτʼ οὖν ὡς ἀληθῆ ἐστι, τόν τε Εὐθύκριτον, ὃν πρῶτον ἠρόμην, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Πλαταιέων ὅσοις προσῆλθον, καὶ τὸν ὃς ἔφη δεσπότης τούτου εἶναι, μάρτυρας παρέξομαι. καί μοι ἐπίλαβε τὸ ὕδωρ.

[¶8] 9. Witnesses Well then, not many days later, I saw this man Pancleon being arrested by Nicomedes, who has testified to being his master; and I went up to them, desiring to know what it could be that was going to done with him. So, when they had ceased fighting some of his witnesses said that he had a brother who would vindicate him as a freeman:

> Greek: 9. Μάρτυρες ἡμέραις τοίνυν μετὰ ταῦτα οὐ πολλαῖς ὕστερον ἰδὼν ἀγόμενον τουτονὶ Παγκλέωνα ὑπὸ Νικομήδους, ὃς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῦ δεσπότης εἶναι, προσῆλθον βουλόμενος εἰδέναι ὁποῖόν τι περὶ αὐτοῦ πραχθήσοιτο. τότε μὲν οὖν ἐπειδὴ ἐπαύσαντο μαχόμενοι, εἶπόν τινες τῶν τούτων παρόντων ὅτι εἴη αὐτῷ ἀδελφὸς ὃς ἐξαιρήσοιτο αὐτὸν εἰς ἐλευθερίαν·

[¶9] 10. on this understanding they gave security for producing him the morrow, and departed and went their way. On the following day, in view of the present demurrer and the suit itself, I decided that I ought to appear there with witnesses, in order that I might know the man who was to vindicate him, and what plea he would urge for his discharge. Now, as regards the condition on which security was taken for his release, neither a brother nor anyone else appeared; but a woman asserted that he was her slave, in dispute of Nicomedes’ claim, and she said that she would not allow him to be arrested.

> Greek: 10. ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐγγυησάμενοι παρέξειν εἰς αὔριον ᾤχοντο ἀπιόντες. τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ τῆς τε ἀντιγραφῆς ἕνεκα ταυτησὶ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς δίκης ἔδοξέ μοι χρῆναι μάρτυρας λαβόντι παραγενέσθαι, ἵνʼ εἰδείην τόν τʼ ἐξαιρησόμενον αὐτὸν καὶ ὅ τι λέγων ἀφαιρήσοιτο. ἐφʼ οἷς μὲν οὖν ἐξηγγυήθη, οὔτε ἀδελφὸς οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς ἦλθε, γυνὴ δὲ φάσκουσα αὑτῆς αὐτὸν εἶναι δοῦλον, ἀμφισβητοῦσα τῷ Νικομήδει, καὶ οὐκ ἔφη ἐάσειν αὐτὸν ἄγειν.

[¶10] 11. Well, to recount all that was spoken in that place would make this a long story; but with such violence did his supporters and the man himself behave that, while Nicomedes on his part, and the woman on hers, were both willing to let him go if somebody should either vindicate him as a freeman or arrest him on the claim of owning him as a slave, they did nothing of the sort, but carried him off and departed. Now, to prove that security was taken for him on that condition the day before, and that they then carried him off with them by force, I will produce to you witnesses. So please stop the water.

> Greek: 11. ὅσα μὲν οὖν αὐτόθι ἐρρήθη, πολὺς ἂν εἴη μοι λόγος διηγεῖσθαι· εἰς τοῦτο δὲ βιαιότητος ἦλθον οἵ τε παρόντες τούτῳ καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος, ὥστε ἐθέλοντος μὲν τοῦ Νικομήδους ἐθελούσης δὲ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀφιέναι, εἴ τις ἢ εἰς ἐλευθερίαν τοῦτον ⟨ἀφαιροῖτο⟩ ἢ ἄγοι φάσκων ἑαυτοῦ δοῦλον εἶναι, τούτων οὐδὲν ποιήσαντες ἀφελόμενοι ᾤχοντο. ὡς οὖν τῇ τε προτεραίᾳ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐξηγγυήθη καὶ τότε βίᾳ ᾤχοντο ἀφελόμενοι αὐτόν, μάρτυρας παρέξομαι ὑμῖν. καί μοι ἐπίλαβε τὸ ὕδωρ.

[¶11] 12. Witnesses It is easy, then, to make sure that even Pancleon himself, far from regarding himself as a Plataean, does not suppose himself to be even a freeman. For when a man has chosen, on being carried off by force, to make his own associates liable to action for assault rather than to be vindicated as a freeman by legal process and to get damages from those who were arresting him, nobody can have difficulty in perceiving that he was so conscious of his being a slave that he was afraid to provide guarantors and to face a trial concerning his civil status.

> Greek: 12. Μάρτυρες ῥᾴδιον τοίνυν εἰδέναι ὅτι οὐδʼ αὐτὸς Παγκλέων νομίζει ἑαυτὸν μὴ ὅτι Πλαταιέα εἶναι, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐλεύθερον. ὅστις γὰρ ἐβουλήθη βίᾳ ἀφαιρεθεὶς ἐνόχους καταστῆσαι τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιτηδείους τοῖς βιαίοις μᾶλλον ἢ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἐξαιρεθεὶς δίκην λαβεῖν παρὰ τῶν ἀγόντων αὐτόν, οὐδενὶ χαλεπὸν γνῶναι ὅτι εὖ εἰδὼς ἑαυτὸν ὄντα δοῦλον ἔδεισεν ἐγγυητὰς καταστήσας περὶ τοῦ σώματος ἀγωνίσασθαι.

[¶12] 13. Now, that he is far from being a Plataean, I think you perceive pretty clearly from these statements; and that even the man himself, who is most fully aware of his own position, did not expect you to believe that he was a Plataean, will be readily impressed on you by his own conduct. For in his counter-deposition at the proceedings brought against him by Aristodicus, here present, when he contended that his case did not lie before the Polemarch, he was declared on evidence not to be a Plataean.

> Greek: 13. ὅτι μὲν οὖν Πλαταιεὺς εἶναι πολλοῦ δεῖ, οἶμαι ὑμᾶς ἐκ τούτων σχεδόν τι γιγνώσκειν· ὅτι δὲ οὐδʼ ⟨αὐτὸς⟩ οὗτος, ὃς ἄριστα οἶδε τὰ αὑτοῦ, ἡγήσατο δόξαι ἂν ὑμῖν Πλαταιεὺς εἶναι, ἐξ ὧν ἔραξε ῥαδίως μαθήσεσθε. ἐν τῇ ἀντωμοσία γὰρ τῆς δίκης ἣν αὐτῷ ἔλαχεν Ἀριστόδικος οὑτοσί, ἀμφισβητῶν μὴ πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον εἶναί οἱ τὰς δίκας διεμαρτυρήθη μὴ Πλαταιεὺς εἶναι.

[¶13] 14. But although he denounced this witness, he did not pursue the matter, but allowed Aristodicus to obtain a verdict against him. And when he failed to pay on the appointed date, he discharged the debt on such terms as he could arrange. To prove the truth of all this, I will produce to you witnesses. So please stop the water.

> Greek: 14. ἐπισκηψάμενος δὲ τῷ μάρτυρι οὐκ ἐπεξῆλθεν, ἀλλʼ εἴασε καταδικάσασθαι αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἀριστόδικον. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὑπερήμερος ἐγένετο, ἐξέτισε τὴν δίκην, καθʼ ὅτι ἔπειθε. καὶ τούτων, ὡς ἀληθῆ ἐστι, μάρτυρας ἐγὼ παρέξομαι ὑμῖν. καί μοι ἐπίλαβε τὸ ὕδωρ.

[¶14] 15. Witnesses Now, before making this agreement with him, he had removed from the city through fear of Aristodicus, and was living as an alien in Thebes. But I think you understand that, if he was a Plataean, he might be expected to live as an alien anywhere rather than in Thebes. Well, to prove that he lived there a long time, I will produce to you witnesses. So please stop the water.

> Greek: 15. Μάρτυρες πρὶν τοίνυν ταῦτα ὁμολογηθῆναι αὐτῶ, δεδιὼς τὸν Ἀριστόδικον μεταστὰς ἐντεῦθεν Θήβησι μετῴκει. καίτοι οἶμαι εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς ὅτι εἴπερ ἦν Πλαταιεύς, πανταχοῦ μᾶλλον ἢ Θήβησιν εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὸν μετοικῆσαι. ὡς οὖν ᾤκει ⟨ἐκεῖ⟩ πολὺν χρόνον, τούτων ὑμῖν μάρτυρας παρέξομαι. καί μοι ἐπίλαβε τὸ ὕδωρ.

[¶15] 16. Witnesses I consider, gentlemen of the jury, that the statements I have made are sufficient. For if you will bear the whole of them in mind, I know that you will give the just and true decision, which is all I ask of you.

> Greek: 16. Μάρτυρες ἐξαρκεῖν μοι νομίζω τὰ εἰρημένα, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί· ἐὰν γὰρ διαμνημονεύητε, οἶδʼ ὅτι τά τε δίκαια καὶ τἀληθῆ ψηφιεῖσθε, ἃ καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῶν δέομαι.