Greek Texts & Translations

43.79Now this is not the only thing, men of the jury. There is a place of burial common to all those descended from Buselus (it is called the burial-place of the Buselidae, a large area, enclosed, after the manner of the men of old). In this burial-place lie all the other descendants of Buselus and Hagnias and Eubulides and Polemon, and all the rest of the host of those descended from Buselus, all these hold in common this place of burial. 43.80But the father of the defendant Macartatus and the grandfather have no share in it, but they made for themselves a tomb apart, at a distance from that of the Buselidae. Do they appear to you, men of the jury, to belong in any sense to the house of Hagnias, except that they have seized and hold what does not belong to them? Whether the house of Hagnias and of Eubulides, the cousin of Hagnias, is to become extinct and have no name, has never in the least degree been an object of concern to them.

43.81I for my part, men of the jury, am defending to the full extent of my power the interest of those dead relatives, but it is not an easy task to contend against the intrigues of these men. I therefore deliver over to you this boy to be the object of your care in whatever way you may deem most just. He has been adopted into the house of Eubulides, and has been introduced to the clansmen, not mine, but those of Eubulides and Hagnias and the defendant, Macartatus. 43.82And when he was being introduced, the rest of the clansmen cast their votes secretly, but the defendant Macartatus by an open vote declared that this boy was being rightly introduced as a son to Eubulides; for he did not wish to lay his hand upon the victim or to remove it from the altar, and thus make himself responsible; nay, he even received his portion of the flesh from the hand of this boy, and took it away with him, as did the rest of the clansmen. 43.83Consider, men of the jury, that this boy is set before you as though he were the suppliant's wand, on behalf of the deceased Hagnias and Eubulides and the other descendants of Hagnias, and that they supplicate you jurymen not to allow their house to be brought to extinction by these loathsome monsters, who are of the house of Stratius, and never belonged to that of Hagnias. Do not suffer them to keep what is not their own, but compel them to give it back into the house of Hagnias for those who are his relatives. 43.84I verily am defending the interests of those relatives who are dead, and the laws established to protect them, and I beg of you also, men of the jury, I beseech you, I implore you, do not shut your eyes to the outrage done to this boy by the defendants, nor suffer his ancestors to be treated with even greater indignity than before, as will be the case, if these men accomplish what they desire. No; rally to the defence of the laws, and take thought for the dead, that their house be not brought to extinction. By doing this you will render a verdict which is just and consonant with your oaths, and in the interest of your own selves.