Greek Texts & Translations

33.9In this way, then, Apaturius here got rid of his creditors. Not long after this, the bank having failed, and Heracleides for a time having gone into hiding, the plaintiff schemed to send the slaves from Athens, and to remove the ship from the harbor. This was the cause of my first quarrel with him. For Parmeno, learning of the fact, laid hands on the slaves as they were being taken away, and prevented the sailing of the ship; then he sent for me, and told me of the affair. 33.10When I heard him, thinking this fellow a most impious wretch because of his attempt, I set about considering how I might myself get free from my guaranty to the bank, and how the foreigner ^note might avoid the loss of the money he had lent this fellow through me. After stationing men to guard the ship I told the whole story to the sureties of the bank and turned the security over to them, telling them that the foreigner had a lien of ten minae on the ship. Having arranged this, I attached the slaves, in order that, if any shortage occurred, the deficiency might be made up by the proceeds of their sale. 33.11In this way, when I found that Apaturius was a rascal, I set matters right in my own interest and in the interest of the foreigner. But Apaturius, as though the wrong was on my side, and not on his, made complaint to me, and asked if it were not enough for me to be released from my guaranty to the bank, without also attaching the ship and the slaves to secure his money for Parmeno, and thus making an enemy of himself in the interest of one who was an exile. 33.12I replied that, when a man had put his trust in me, I was all the less inclined to leave him in the lurch, because, while he was an exile and in misfortune, he was being wronged by the plaintiff; and after I had done everything possible, and had incurred the utmost enmity on the part of this fellow, I with difficulty secured the money, the ship being sold for forty minae, the precise amount for which she was mortgaged. The thirty minae then having been paid back to the bank, and the ten minae to Parmeno, in the presence of many witnesses, we cancelled the bond in accordance with which the money had been lent, and mutually released and discharged one another from our engagements so that the plaintiff had nothing more to do with me, nor I with him. In proof that my words are true, hear the depositions.Depositions

33.13Since then I have had no business transaction with the fellow, whether great or small, but Parmeno sued him for damages for the blows which he received from him when he laid hands on the slaves as they were being carried off, and because he had been prevented by him from making the voyage to Sicily. When the action had been instituted, Parmeno tendered an oath to Apaturius regarding some of his charges, and he accepted it, and furthermore made a deposit to be forfeited if he did not swear the oath.

In proof that my words are true, take the deposition.Deposition

33.14Having accepted the oath, since he was aware that many would know that he had perjured himself, he did not present himself for the swearing, but, as though he could get free of the oath by an action, he summoned Parmeno into court. When both actions had been instituted, on the advice of persons present they proceeded to an arbitration, and after drawing up an agreement they submitted the matter to one common arbitrator, Phocritus, a fellow-country-man of theirs; and each one appointed one man to sit with Phocritus, Apaturius choosing Aristocles of Oea, ^note and Parmeno choosing me.