Sycophancy
“bringing baseless charges for profit”
idea · 2 works · 2 mentions · 4 anchored passages
sycophancy · baseless and malicious actions · bringing baseless charges · false informing
in the texts
Against Theocrines
The vice of bringing false or baseless legal charges for personal profit rather than genuine public concern, presented as Theocrines' defining characteristic and a recognized civic danger.
For you have never punished any one of them in the way his wickedness deserves, but you put up with their saying that the safety of the democracy comes from those who bring indictments and baseless actions;
Against all others who in their wrongdoing work harm upon those who come into contact with them men may protect themselves, some by setting a guard over their household effects, others by staying at home at night, so as to suffer no harm, and again, by taking precautions in one way or another men can guard against the plots of those who wish to work them harm;
For my father, men of the jury, whose wishes have guided me in all that I have done, declared to all his acquaintances what a misfortune it would be if I should let slip the time in which, thanks to his being still alive, I have the right to avenge myself on this man, and should make an excuse of my inexperience and my youth, and so look idly on while my father has been deprived of everything, and …
In Defence of Lycophron
The practice of bringing or threatening prosecutions for personal profit, attributed to Ariston as his habitual method of operation.
He gives the money to Theomnestus who takes it and buys slaves, providing Ariston with a livelihood, as is done for pirates, and paying him an obol a day for each slave, to enable him to continue permanently as a false informer.