Greek Texts & Translations

It is for these reasons that I have confidence in my case and have come to you for protection. For I see, men of Athens, that the decisions of your courts are more valid not only than those of the Halimusians who have expelled me, but more valid even than those of the senate and the popular assembly; and justly so; for in all respects the verdicts of your courts are most just.

57.57Reflect upon this also, all you who belong to the large demes, that you are not wont to deprive any man of his right of accusation and defence. And I invoke many blessings upon the heads of all of you who have dealt fairly with this matter, because you did not deprive of the opportunity to prepare their case those who asked for a delay. By taking this course you exposed the pettifoggers and those who were maliciously scheming against others. 57.58You are deserving of praise for this, men of Athens; but those are to be blamed who have misused a procedure that was both admirable and just. In no other of the demes will you find that more outrageous things have been done than in ours. Of brothers born of the same mother and the same father they have expelled some and retained others, and they have expelled elderly men of slender means, while they have left their sons on the list of demesmen; and to prove these things I will call witnesses, if you wish. 57.59But you must hear the most outrageous thing which these conspirators have done (and I beg you in the name of Zeus and the gods, let no one of you be offended if I show the rascality of these men who have wronged me. For I hold that in showing what scoundrels they are I am speaking with precise reference to the experience which has befallen me). For, you must know, men of Athens, that when certain aliens, Anaximenes and Nicostratus, wished to become citizens, these scoundrels admitted them for a sum of money, which they divided among themselves, receiving five drachmae apiece. Eubulides and his clique will not deny on oath that they have knowledge of this; and now in this last revision they did not expel these men. Do you think, then, that there is anything that they would not do in private, seeing that in a public matter they dared this? 57.60There are many people indeed, men of the jury, whom Eubulides and his clique have destroyed or have saved for money. For even at an earlier time (and my words shall bear upon the matter in hand, men of Athens) Antiphilus, the father of Eubulides, when he was prefect of the deme, as I have told you, made use of trickery in his desire to get money from certain persons, and asserted that he had lost the public register; and he thereby induced the Halimusians to revise their list of members, denounced ten of their number, and had them expelled; all of whom with one exception the court of justice restored. These facts all the older ones know. 57.61It is unlikely indeed that they left on the list any who were not Athenians, when they conspired to expel even men who were citizens, whom the court restored. And although he was a personal enemy of my father at the time, Eubulides not only did not denounce him, but did not even cast his vote that he was not an Athenian. How is this proved? Because my father was declared by all the votes to be a member of the deme. But what need is there to speak of our fathers? Eubulides himself, when I was entered on the register and all the demesmen after taking the oath cast their votes regarding me as the law prescribes, neither denounced me nor cast his vote against me; for in this case again they all voted that I was a member of the deme. And, if they say that I am lying about this, let anyone who wishes give evidence to the contrary in the time allotted to me. 57.62If, then, men of Athens, my opponents seem to have a very strong argument in the fact that in the present instance the demesmen have rejected me, I point out to you that on four previous occasions, when they gave their votes in accordance with their oaths without entering into a conspiracy, they voted that both I and my father were their fellow-demesmen—first, when my father passed the scrutiny; secondly, when I did so; then, in the former revision, after these men had made away with the register; and, finally, when they nominated me among the noblest-born and voted that I should draw lots for the priesthood of Heracles. All these facts have been established by testimony.