Men of Athens

Read to the jury the statute that follows.

You will be well advised, men of Athens, to grant me your attention, and give a favorable hearing to what I have to say.

I beg that none of you, men of Athens, taking a partisan view, because you have been deceived in Charidemus and look on him as a benefactor, will give an unfriendly hearing to my remarks on the point of law.

Surely, men of Athens, you ought to feel indignation rather toward those who are rascals in wealth than toward those who are such in poverty.

For you have sworn to give a verdict, not in regard to matters upon which the defendant asks your decision, but in regard to those only which are raised by the prosecution.

Having been overwhelmed by false testimony, men of Athens, and having been outrageously and cruelly treated by Phormio, I have come to win in your court a verdict against those responsible for the wrong.

Moreover, men of Athens, the law shatters our financial system, both sacred and civil;

I do not think that any other man, when introducing a law for the use of his fellow-citizens, ever ventured upon an attempt to rescind judgements passed under earlier statutes.

Men of Athens, we may well be satisfied if, with everything in good order, and with no such law as this, we hold advantage over our enemies, keep pace with the swift emergencies and sudden chances of warfare, and are never behindhand.

First of all, men of Athens, to require the man who comes forward to confine himself to the matters you are considering.

My second, which to some of you will perhaps be inconsistent with cutting the speeches shorter, is that you listen in silence.

Whatever measure is going to benefit the whole State, men of Athens, I pray that all speakers will propose and you will adopt.

Come, men of Athens, what do you think?

Among many advantages which Aeschines holds over me in this contention, there are two, men of Athens, of great moment.

You must all be agreed, men of Athens, that in these proceedings I am concerned equally with Ctesiphon, and that they require from me no less serious consideration.

The Allies to the Athenian People for valor and righteousness, or The Allies to the Goddess of Athens, a prize of victory;

But you, men of Athens, have grown so extremely good-natured and pliable, that, with those examples ever before you, you do not imitate them, and Androtion is the repairer of your processional plate.

Athenians, he is an unclean beast;

The sequel too, men of Athens, is worth hearing.

Men of Athens, I shall certainly tell you the truth with the utmost frankness.

Yet the former vote, Aristogeiton, was far more lawful and equitable than the vote which you now require the jurors to cast in your favour.

but if it was useful and advantageous to the majority, why, pray, do you now insist on the jury giving a verdict which is contrary to your indictment?

I can see that you, men of Athens, are of this opinion in your own behalf, for you have ere now decided many such informations laid against private men.

A single plea, men of Athens, I bring before you to answer all the arguments of these men, a just one.

There is after all, men of Athens, nothing more vexatious than to have a neighbor who is base and covetous;

That the land is our private property is admitted by these men themselves, and this being the case, men of Athens, if you could see the place, you would know at once that their suit is groundless.

I took this course, therefore, and, in deference to their advice, have instituted a private suit, although I should have been very glad, men of Athens, to prosecute the defendant on a capital charge.

Phormio’s inexperience in speaking, and his utter helplessness, you all see for yourselves, men of Athens.

You hear the award, men of the jury, which was rendered by Deinias, whose daughter the plaintiff has married, and Nicias, who is husband to her sister.

But if, for want of proofs, he goes on uttering charges and calumnies and abuse, do not heed him, nor let his noisy talk and shamelessness lead you astray. Nay, keep in mind, and remember all that you have heard. If you do this you will be faithful to your oaths, and will save the defendant, as justice bids. By Zeus and all the gods he deserves it.

Men of Athens, I solemnly assure you that I am not prompted by private friendship or enmity for either party, but have said what I consider expedient for you;

for, just as though they had come from one or other of those states and were not citizens of Athens, to which both embassies are addressed, they are indulging in mutual abuse and recrimination.

As it is, apart from the fact that they were known persons and spoke Attic, I think myself that many would have taken them for Arcadians or Laconians. But I see how difficult it is to recommend the wisest course, because, when you share the delusions of your advisers, some wanting this and others that, anyone who attempts to suggest a middle course and finds you too impatient to be instructed, wil …

No, I think we ought so to act as to do nothing unworthy of Athens and yet avoid war;

While deliberation is naturally a vexatious and difficult task, you, Athenians, have enhanced its difficulties;

Hence today the Thebans have been partially successful in recovering territory, but have failed lamentably to win honor and glory;

For the wrongdoing and insolence of these men nobody is more to blame than yourselves;

When a man who has taken the trierarchy for hire sets sail, he plunders and pillages everybody;

Surely, men of Athens, you would all say that leniency in regard to such offences merely trains up others to commit them.

but I do not understand them, men of Athens.

Do these listeners make them better, or not?

and I fear them more than Anytus and the rest, though these also are dangerous;

Men of Athens, I have never yet studied medicine, nor sought to find a teacher among our physicians;

Some time afterwards, meeting Euthydemus again, he saw that he was reluctant to join the circle and anxious not to betray any admiration for the wisdom of Socrates:

Men of Athens, I have never yet learnt anything from anyone, nor when I have been told of any man’s ability in speech and in action, have I sought to meet him, nor have I been at pains to find a teacher among the men who know.