Guardianship

Seeing that the fortune left me was of so great value, as you heard at the beginning, the third part of it bringing in an income of fifty minae, these men, albeit insatiate in their greed, even if they refused to let the property, might out of this income and leaving the principal untouched, have maintained us, paid the taxes to the state, and saved the residue.

The rest of the estate—an amount twice as large—they might have invested profitably, and, if greedy for money, have taken a reasonable amount for themselves, and have increased my estate from the income, besides keeping the principal intact.

They have rendered an account as though the estate were one of five talents only;

But first the clerk shall read to you the depositions which show that they released our father from the charges which they made on the matter of his guardianship;

Now, men of the jury, that you may know that they not only have suffered no wrong in the present case, but that they are bringing suit in defiance of all your laws, I wish to cite to you this statute also, which expressly states that, if five years have elapsed and they have brought no suit, it is no longer permitted to orphans to bring suit regarding claims connected with guardianship.

For our opponents, I take it, did not bring suit for the mere name mal-administration in guardianship, but for the money;

For though guardianships were invented for the benefit of wards, yet the guardian has a right to authority over the ward.

For of these persons he was at the same time the guardian and legal representative and the legal adversary;

Also, though he was receiving an income of seventy minae from the property of our uncle Dicaeogenes (II.