Greek Texts & Translations

50.53When he had no longer need of ships of war, he put on board my vessel Eucinus of Pallenê, ^note as commander, and, enjoining upon him to give the sailors money every day, ordered me to sail for home. When, then, on our homeward voyage we were in Tenedos, and Lucinus, despite the orders given him by Timomachus, was furnishing no money for sustenance to the sailors (he said he had none, but should get some from Mytilenê), and the men had nothing with which to buy provisions, and without food could not have continued rowing, 50.54again taking some of our citizens as witnesses I approached the defendant in Tenedos, and bade him take over the ship as my successor, and to reimburse me for the expenses I had incurred while I serving as trierarch in his stead beyond my term. I did this in order that he might not make use of the pretext, in his defence before you, that I refused to hand over the ship to him because I was ambitious to sail home in a fast-sailing ship and show off to you my lavish expenditure. 50.55Since he refused to take over the ship, and the sailors were asking for money that they might buy supplies, I came up to him again, having witnesses with me, and asked whether he had come out with money with the purpose of taking over the ship from me, or not. On his replying that he had brought money with him, I urged him to lend me some on the security of the ship's equipment, that I might distribute it among the sailors and bring the ship home, seeing that he refused to take over the ship, although he was my successor. 50.56To this request of mine he replied that he would not lend me a farthing. Accordingly I borrowed from Cleanax and Eperatus, friends of my father in Tenedos, and gave the sailors their provision-money; for on account of my being Pasion's son, and the fact that he was connected by ties of hospitality with many, and was trusted throughout the Greek world, I had no difficulty in borrowing money wherever I needed it.

To prove that the statements I am making to you are true, I shall produce for you the depositions establishing these facts.Depositions

50.57The clerk has read the depositions of all those whom I was able to produce, who were present in person, to prove that I again and again offered to give over the ship to Polycles, and that he refused to take it. More than that, I have shown by convincing circumstantial evidence, why it was that he refused to take over the ship. I desire now to have read to you the law also regarding those appointed to succeed others in the trierarchy, that you may know how severe the penalties are when a man fails to take over a ship from his predecessor within the appointed time, and how Polycles scoffed, not at me only, but at you and at the laws. 50.58So far as he is concerned, all measures undertaken by the state and her allies have failed; for he neither joined his ship, as the law commands, nor, when he did come, was he willing to take over the ship from his predecessor; whereas I served for my own term and that of my associate in the trierarchy, and when my term of service had expired and I was ordered by the general to sail to Hieron, I convoyed the grain for our people, 50.59that they might buy in a plentiful market, and that, so far as depended on me, there should be no lack; and I performed for the general every other service which he desired either of myself or of my trireme, not only spending my property, but risking my life as well through always making the voyage in person, although my domestic affairs were in such a condition at that time that you would pity me, if you heard them. 50.60My mother lay sick, ^note and was at the point of death while I was abroad, so that she was unable any longer to help in the depletion of my resources save to a slight extent. I had been but six days at home, when, after she had seen and greeted me, she breathed her last, being no longer mistress of her property, so as to give me I as much as she wished. She had often sent for me before this, begging me to come to her by myself if I could not come in my ship. 50.61My wife, too, to whom I am deeply attached, was in poor health for a long time during my absence; my children were small and my estate was in debt; my land not only produced no crops, but that year, as you all know, the water even dried up in the wells, so that not a vegetable grew in the garden; and my creditors at the expiration of the year came to collect their interest, unless the principal was paid to them according to the contract. 50.62When I heard these facts from the lips of those who came and also through letters from my relatives, how do you think I must have felt, and how many tears must I have shed, while I reckoned up my present troubles and was longing to see my children and my wife, and my mother whom I had little hope of finding alive? For what is sweeter to a man than these, or why should one wish to live, if deprived of them?