Greek Texts & Translations

We informed Diocleides, or so he alleged, that we had decided to offer him two talents of silver, as against the hundred minae from the Treasury, ^note and promised that he should become one of ourselves, if we achieved our end. ^note Both sides were to give a guarantee of good faith. Diocleides replied that he would think it over; 1.42and we told him to meet us at Callias' house, so that Callias, son of Telocles, might be present as well. This was a similar attempt to bring about the death of my brother-in-law.

Diocleides said that he went to Callias' house, and after terms had been arranged, pledged his word on the Acropolis. ^note we on our side agreed to give him the money the following month; but we broke our promise and did not do so. He had therefore come to reveal the truth.

1.43Such was the impeachment brought by Diocleides, gentlemen. He gave a list of forty-two persons whom he claimed to have recognized, and at the head of the forty-two appeared Mantitheus and Apsephion who were members of the Council and present at that very meeting. Peisander hereupon rose and moved that the decree passed in the archonship of Scamandrius ^note be suspended and all whose names were on the list sent to the wheel, to ensure the discovery of everyone concerned before nightfall. The Council broke into shouts of approval. 1.44At that Mantitheus and Apsephion took sanctuary on the hearth, and appealed to be allowed to furnish sureties and stand trial, instead of being racked. They finally managed to gain their request; but no sooner had they provided their sureties than they leapt on horseback and deserted to the enemy, ^note leaving the sureties to their fate, as they were now liable to the same penalties as the prisoners for whom they had gone bail.

1.45The Council adjourned for a private consultation and in the course of it gave orders for our arrest and close confinement. ^note Then they summoned the Generals and bade them proclaim that citizens resident in Athens proper were to proceed under arms to the Agora; those between the Long Walls to the Theseum; and those in Peiraeus to the Agora of Hippodamus. The Knights were to be mustered at the Anaceum ^note by trumpet before nightfall, while the Council would take up its quarters on the Acropolis for the night, and the Prytanes in the Tholus. ^note

1.46Now first of all I want those of you who witnessed all this to picture it once more and describe it to those who did not. Next I will ask the clerk to call the Prytanes in office at the time, Philocrates and his colleagues. Witnesses

1.47And now I am also going to read you the names of those denounced by Diocleides, so that you may see how many relatives of mine he tried to ruin. First there was my father, and then my brother-in-law; my father he had represented as in the secret, while he had alleged that my brother-in-law's house was the scene of the meeting. The names of the rest you shall hear. Read them out to the court.

Charmides, son of Aristoteles.

That is a cousin of mine; his mother and my father were brother and sister.

Taureas.

That is a cousin of my father's.

Nisaeus.

A son of Taureas.

Callias, son of Alcmaeon.

A cousin of my father's.

Euphemus.

A brother of Callias, son of Telocles.

Phrynichus, son of Orchesamenus. ^note

A cousin.

Eucrates.

The brother of Nicias. ^note He is Callias' brother-in-law.

Critias.

Another cousin of my father's; their mothers were sisters.

All of these appeared among the last forty on Diocleides' list.