Trapeziticus

​But perhaps, in these matters alone, and not also in other matters, he is obviously contradicting himself in both speech and action; he who, regarding the slave whom he himself made to disappear, asserted that he had been kidnapped by us, but registered this same person among his tax assessments as a slave with the other servants, yet when Menexenus demanded to examine him by torture, he claimed him as being a free man.

​In addition to this, while himself withholding the deposit, he dared to accuse us of having six talents from his bank. And yet, how is it necessary to believe him concerning the things he transacted alone with a single person, when he attempted to lie about such obvious matters?

​Finally, then, gentlemen of the jury, having agreed to sail to Satyrus and to do whatever he should decide, he broke this promise as well; and while he himself did not wish to sail although I repeatedly challenged him, he sent Cittus. Who, having arrived there, said that he was a free man and a Milesian by birth, and that Pasion had sent him to give information about the money.

​And Satyrus, having heard both of us, did not think fit to judge concerning contracts made here, especially since this man was not present nor was he about to do whatever Satyrus might decide; but he so strongly believed that I was being wronged that, having called together the shipowners, he begged them to help me and not to overlook my being wronged, and having written a letter to the city, he gave it to Thenotimus, the son of Carcinus, to carry. Read it to them, please.

​Thus, gentlemen of the jury, while many points of justice are on my side, I think the greatest proof that Pasion is withholding my money from me is this: that he did not wish to hand over for torture the slave who knew about the deposit. And yet, what stronger proof could there be concerning contracts with bankers than this? For we surely do not make witnesses of them.

​And I see that you also consider nothing more trustworthy or more true than torture, both in private and public matters, and that you believe that while it is possible to procure witnesses even for things that did not happen, torture clearly shows which side speaks the truth. Knowing this, Pasion wished you to guess about the matter rather than to know it clearly. For he certainly could not say that he was going to have less of an advantage in the torture, and that for this reason it was not likely for him to hand him over.

​For you all know that if he spoke against Pasion, he was going to be utterly destroyed by this man for the rest of his life, but if he held out, he would be free and would share in what this man withheld from me. But nevertheless, though he was going to have so much of an advantage, being conscious of what had been done, he endured both fleeing lawsuits and bearing the other accusations so that no torture should take place concerning this matter.

​Therefore, I beg of you, remembering these things, to vote against Pasion, and not to condemn me of such great wickedness, as if, living in the Pontus and possessing so much wealth that I am able to do good to others, I came to play the sycophant to Pasion and falsely accuse him of deposits.

​And it is also right to consider Satyrus and my father, who always hold you in the highest esteem among the Greeks, and often already, because of a grain shortage, while sending away the ships of other merchants empty, have given you the right of export; and in your private contracts, of which they become judges, you depart having not only an equal share but even more.

​So that you would not reasonably make little of their letters. Therefore, I beg of you, both on my own behalf and on theirs, to vote what is just, and not to consider Pasion’s words, false as they are, more trustworthy than mine.