Trapeziticus

​Furthermore, when an extraordinary tax was imposed upon us and others were appointed as registers, I contributed the largest amount among the resident aliens; and having been chosen myself, I registered for myself the largest contribution, while on behalf of Pasion I made a request to my fellow-registers, saying that he happened to be using my money. Please step up, witnesses. “Witnesses”

​I shall, therefore, present Pasion himself testifying to these things by his actions. For a merchant ship, on which I had advanced a large sum of money, was denounced by someone as belonging to a man of Delos. When I disputed this and demanded that it be launched, those who wished to play the informer so influenced the Council that at first I came within a narrow margin of being put to death without trial, but in the end they were persuaded to accept guarantors from me.

​And Philippus, who was a guest-friend of my father, when called upon and having responded, fled and went away, fearing the magnitude of the danger; but Pasion provided Archestratus from his bank as a guarantor for me for seven talents. And yet, if he were withholding only a small amount and knew that I possessed nothing here, he would surely not have stood as guarantor for me for so large a sum of money.

​But it is clear that he brought the charge concerning the three hundred drachmas to curry favor with me, but became my guarantor for the seven talents because he believed that the gold lying in his hands was a sufficient security. That I had, therefore, a large sum of money here and that this was deposited with him at his bank, I have demonstrated to you from Pasion’s own actions, and you have heard it from the others who knew.

​And I think, gentlemen of the jury, that you would judge best concerning the matters of our dispute if you recalled that time and how our affairs stood, when I sent Menexenus and Philomelus to demand the return of the deposit, and Pasion first dared to deny it. For you will find that my father had been arrested and deprived of all his property, and that it was impossible for me, because of my present fortunes, either to remain here or to sail to the Pontus.

​And yet, is it likely that I, being in such great troubles, would make an unjust charge, or that Pasion, emboldened both by the magnitude of our misfortunes and by the abundance of the money, would make the withholding? And who ever reached such a pitch of sycophancy that, while running a risk concerning his own person, he plotted against the property of others? With what hope, or with what in mind, did I unjustly proceed against him? Was it because he, fearing my power, was about to give me money immediately? But neither of us was situated in that way.

​But did I think that, by entering into a lawsuit, I would get the better of Pasion before you even against justice? I, who did not even prepare to remain here, fearing lest Satyrus should demand my surrender from you. Or was it that I might, without achieving anything, become an enemy to this man, whom of all those in the city I happened to use most? And who among you would think fit to condemn me for such madness and ignorance?

​And it is worthwhile, gentlemen of the jury, to consider the absurdity and the incredibility of the things which Pasion attempted to say on each occasion. For when I was in such a state that not even if he confessed that he was depriving me of my money would I have been able to obtain justice from him, at that time he accuses me of attempting to bring an unjust charge; but when I was freed from the slanders to Satyrus, and everyone thought that he would lose the lawsuit, at that very time he says that I released him from all charges. And yet, what could be more irrational than these things?