Greek Texts & Translations

Read the depositions.Depositions

58.44It is not right, then, men of the jury, that you any more than we should listen to those who will declare that they are going to speak in the interest of Theocrines because of their enmity to Demosthenes. No; if they are in truth enemies of Demosthenes, you should bid them bring their indictments against him, and not permit him to propose illegal decrees. These people too are clever, and you are more apt to give them credence. They will not, however, take the course which I mention. For what reason? Because they claim to be at war with one another, although they are not at war.

58.45With reference to the enmity of these people you could give me more exact information than I can give you. I should be glad, however, to ask Theocrines in your presence, if only he would give me an honest answer, what he would have done—he who declares that he has been assigned the duty of putting a stop to the proposers of illegal decrees—if anyone, after speaking to the whole body of citizens in the assembly and winning their assent, had proposed a decree, permitting those who had lost their civic rights and those indebted to the public treasury to indict, denounce, and lodge criminal informations—in a word to do all the things which the law now forbids them to do— 58.46would he have indicted for illegality the one who proposed that decree, or would he not? If he says he would not, how can you believe him when he states that he is on the watch for those who propose illegal decrees? And if he would have brought in an indictment, is it not an outrageous thing, that when another proposed the bill, he should prevent its being finally enacted, to the end that all should not have this privilege, and should put a stop to the matter by preferring an indictment, plainly writing by its side the words of the laws; 58.47and yet should now, without having won the people's consent or made the matter public, himself continue to prefer indictments, when the laws forbid him to do so? And he will say presently that he is being abominably treated if he is not to be allowed to continue to do this, and will rehearse the penalties provided by the laws, to which he will be liable, if convicted. Is it not an outrage that he should flout the laws, but claim that there has been granted to him by you a privilege so great that no one else has dared even to ask for it?

58.48That in regard to the criminal information, therefore, neither Theocrines nor anyone of those who speak in his behalf will have any just argument to advance, I take it you are all pretty well assured. I fancy, however, that they will try to maintain that criminal informations may not be lodged against those who are not registered on the Acropolis, ^note and that it is not right to consider those as debtors whose names no one has given over to the collectors, 58.49just as though you were unaware of the law which declares a man a debtor from the day on which the penalty has been imposed or on which he has transgressed the law or the decree; or as if it were not clear to everybody that there are many ways in which people who wish to obey the laws become debtors to the treasury and meet the obligation. This is plain from the law itself.

Take this law again, please.Law

Do you hear, you abominable beast, what the statute says? “From the day on which the penalty shall be imposed or on which he transgresses the law.”

58.50I hear that they are going to produce also that law which ordains that, in the interest of those who are inscribed on the register, whatever portion of the debt be paid shall be erased, and they will ask how men are to make erasures, when the debt has not even been entered on the register; as if you did not know that this statute has to do with debtors who are registered, while to those who are not registered but owe money that other law applies, which declares that one is a debtor from the day on which the penalty is incurred or on which he transgresses the law or the decree. 58.51Why, then, he will ask, do you not indict me for non-insertion in the register, seeing that I am a debtor, and not registered? Because the law ordains that indictments for non-insertion shall be lodged, not against those who are debtors and not registered, but against those who, although they have been registered and have not paid their debt, nevertheless have their names erased.

Take the law, please, and read it.Law