Greek Texts & Translations

57.4I should have thought, men of the jury, that it was fitting for Eubulides, and for all those who are now making accusations in cases of disfranchisement, to state only things of which they have accurate knowledge and to bring forward no hearsay evidence in a trial of this sort. Such a procedure has from time immemorial been recognized as so clearly unjust that the laws do not admit the production of hearsay testimony even in the case of the most trifling charges; and with good reason; for when persons who claim to have sure knowledge have ere now been convicted of falsehood, how can it be right to give credence in matters regarding which even the speaker himself has no knowledge? 57.5And when it is not permitted a man, even when he makes himself responsible, to harm another by evidence which he declares he has heard, how can it be right for you to give credence to one who speaks without responsibility? Since,then, this fellow, who knows the laws, and knows them all too well, has made his charges with injustice and with a view to selfish advantage, I must first tell you of the outrageous treatment which I received among my fellow-demesmen. 57.6I beg of you, men of Athens, not until I have been heard, to take my rejection by the demesmen as a proof that I am not entitled to citizenship, for if you thought that the demesmen would be able to decide all cases with perfect justice, you would not have allowed the appeal to yourselves. As it is, however, because you thought that something of this sort might occur through rivalry and malice and enmity or through some other pretexts, you made your court a place of refuge for those who have been wronged, and through this right action on your part, men of Athens, you have saved all those who have suffered wrong. 57.7First, then, I will explain to you how the purging of the list came to be made at the meeting of the demesmen; for I think it is relevant to the case before you if one shows all the wrongs that one has suffered contrary to your decree, when overwhelmed by political rivalry.

57.8This man Eubulides, men of Athens, as many of you know, indicted the sister of Lacedaemonius for impiety, but did not receive a fifth part of the votes. ^note It is because in that trial I gave testimony that was true but unfavorable to him that he hates me and makes me the object of his attacks. Being a member of the senate, men of the jury, with power to administer the oath and being custodian of the documents on the basis of which he convened the demesmen, what does he do? 57.9In the first place, after the demesmen had assembled, he wasted the whole day in making speeches and in drawing up resolutions. This was not done by accident, but was a part of his plot against me, in order that the vote regarding me might take place as late in the day as possible; and he accomplished this end. Those of us members of the deme who took the oath numbered seventy-three, and we began voting late in the evening, with the result that, when my name was called, it was already dark; 57.10for my name was about the sixtieth, and I was the last of all those called on that day, when the older members of the deme had gone back to their farms. For since our deme is distant thirty-five stades ^note from the city and most of the demesmen live there, the majority of them had gone home; those who remained were not more than thirty in number; among them, however, were all those suborned by Eubulides. 57.11When my name was called, the fellow jumped up and immediately began to vilify me, speaking at great length and with a loud voice, as he did just now. He produced no witnesses in support of his charges, either a member of the deme or one of the citizens at large, but urged the demesmen to pass a vote of expulsion. 57.12I demanded that the vote be put off until the following day on account of the lateness of the hour and because I had no one present to speak in my behalf, and because the thing had come upon me so suddenly, and also that Eubulides might have the opportunity of making any charges that he pleased, and of producing any witnesses he might have, while I on my part might be able to defend myself before all my fellow-demesmen and to produce my relatives as witnesses; and I agreed to abide by whatever decision they might reach concerning me. 57.13The fellow, however, paid no heed at all to my proposals, but proceeded at once to give ballots to the members of the deme who were present, without allowing me to make any defence or himself giving any convincing proof of his charges. Those who were in league with him then jumped up and gave their votes. It was dark, and they received from him two or three ballots apiece, and put them in the box. Here is a proof of this. Those who voted were not more than thirty in number, but the ballots, when counted, were more than sixty; so that we were all astounded.