- Source
- Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. III. Rennie, W., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1931.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0014.tlg044.humanitext-grc2:34-43
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
The speaker exposes a series of illegal actions by his opponent Leostratus, who plotted to occupy the inheritance unjustly by adopting either himself or his son Leochares to the deceased Archiades.
γενομένης οὖν τῆς ἐξαγωγῆς, ἵνα τὰ πλεῖστα παραλίπω, ἐλάχομεν πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ κλήρου, οὔτε γόνῳ, ὥσπερ εἶπον, υἱέος οὐδενὸς ὄντος τῷ τετελευτηκότι, οὔτʼ εἰσποιητοῦ γεγενημένου κατὰ τοὺς νόμους. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Λεώστρατος οὑτοσὶ παρακαταβάλλει ὡς υἱὸς Ἀρχιάδου ἐκείνου, οὐκ ἐπιλογισάμενος οὔθʼ ὅτι ἐπανεληλύθει εἰς τοὺς Ἐλευσινίους, οὔθʼ ὅτι οἱ εἰσποιητοὶ οὐκ αὐτοὶ ὑφʼ αὑτῶν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τῶν εἰσποιουμένων καθίστανται·
So, after the expulsion had taken place, to omit most details, we registered our claim to the inheritance before the archon, since, as I said, the deceased had no natural son, nor had any son been adopted according to the laws. After this, Leostratus here deposited the fee as a son of the famous Archiades, without considering either that he had returned to the Eleusinians, or that adopted sons are not established by themselves, but by those who adopt them.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ οἶμαι ἁπλοῦν τι διελογίσατο, δεῖν αὑτὸν καὶ δικαίως καὶ ἀδίκως ἀμφισβητεῖν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐλθὼν οἷος ἦν1 εἰς τὸν Ὀτρυνέων πίνακα τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν ἐγγράφειν αὑτὸν Ἐλευσίνιος ὤν, καὶ τοῦτο διῳκεῖτο, ἔπειτα, πρὶν ἐγγραφῆναι καὶ ἐν τῷ ληξιαρχικῷ γραμματείῳ τῷ τῶν Ὀτρυνέων, μετέχειν τῶν κοινῶν, τηλικαύτην παρανομίαν προαιρούμενος παρανομεῖν ἕνεκα πλεονεξίας.
But indeed, I think he reasoned in a simple way, that he ought to contest the property of others, whether justly or unjustly. And first, he went, aiming to register himself in the assembly list of the Otrynians, although he was an Eleusinian, and he was arranging this; then, before he was registered even in the civic register of the Otrynians, he sought to share in their public affairs, choosing to commit such a great illegality for the sake of greed.
αἰσθόμενοι δʼ ἡμεῖς μαρτύρων ἐναντίον ἐκωλύσαμεν τὸ γιγνόμενον, καὶ ᾠόμεθα δεῖν κριθῆναι πρῶτον τὴν κληρονομίαν παρʼ ὑμῖν, πρὶν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄνομά τινα τὸ τοῦ Ἀρχιάδου εἰσποιηθῆναι. κωλυθεὶς δὲ καὶ ἐξελεγχθεὶς πρὸς τῷ πίνακι καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἀγορᾷ ὅτι ἠδίκει πολλῶν ἐναντίον, ᾤετο δεῖν μηδὲν ἧττον βιάζεσθαι καὶ κρείττων ταῖς παρασκευαῖς τῶν ὑμετέρων νόμων γενέσθαι.
But we, having perceived this, prevented what was happening in the presence of witnesses, and thought that the inheritance ought first to be decided before you, before anyone was adopted into the name of Archiades. But though he was prevented and exposed at the register and in the assembly of the archons in the presence of many, showing that he was acting unjustly, he thought he ought nonetheless to use force and to become superior to your laws by his preparations.
τί τούτου τεκμήριον; συναγαγών τινας τῶν Ὀτρυνέων ὀλίγους καὶ τὸν δήμαρχον πείθει, ἐπειδὰν ἀνοιχθῇ τὸ γραμματεῖον, ἐγγράψαι αὑτόν. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἧκε Παναθηναίων ὄντων τῶν μεγάλων τῇ διαδόσει πρὸς τὸ θεωρικόν, καὶ ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἄλλοι δημόται ἐλάμβανον, ἠξίου καὶ αὑτῷ δίδοσθαι καὶ ἐγγραφῆναι εἰς τὸ γραμματεῖον ἐπὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἀρχιάδου ὄνομα. διαμαρτυρομένων δὲ ἡμῶν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δεινὸν φασκόντων εἶναι τὸ γιγνόμενον, ἀπῆλθεν οὔτʼ ἐγγραφεὶς οὔτε τὸ θεωρικὸν λαβών.
What is the proof of this? Having gathered a few of the Otrynians, he persuaded the demarch, whenever the register should be opened, to enroll him. And after this, he came when the Great Panathenaia was being celebrated, to the distribution for the festival-money, and when the other demesmen were receiving it, he demanded that it be given to him too, and that he be enrolled in the register under the name of Archiades. But since we protested, and the others said that what was happening was outrageous, he departed without being enrolled or receiving the festival-money.
τὸν δὲ παρὰ τὸ ψήφισμα τὸ ὑμέτερον ἀξιοῦντα τὸ θεωρικὸν λαμβάνειν πρὶν ἐγγραφῆναι εἰς τοὺς Ὀτρυνέας, ὄντα ἐξ ἑτέρου δήμου, τοῦτον οὐκ οἴεσθε τοῦ κλήρου παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἀμφισβητεῖν; ἢ τὸν πρὸ τῆς τοῦ δικαστηρίου γνώσεως οὕτως ἀδίκους πλεονεξίας διοικούμενον, τοῦτον πῶς εἰκὸς τῷ πράγματι πιστεύειν; ὁ γὰρ τὸ θεωρικὸν ἀδίκως ἀξιώσας λαμβάνειν καὶ περὶ τοῦ κλήρου τῇ αὐτῇ διανοίᾳ δῆλον ὅτι κέχρηται νυνί.
Do you not think that this man, who demanded to receive the festival-money contrary to your decree before he was enrolled among the Otrynians, although he belonged to another deme, is contesting the inheritance contrary to the laws? Or, how is it reasonable that this man, who manages such unjust gains before the decision of the court, trusts in his case? For he who demanded to receive the festival-money unjustly, is clearly using the same intention now concerning the inheritance also.
ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντά γε ἐξηπάτησεν παρακαταβάλλων καὶ ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἀντεγράψατο Ὀτρυνεὺς εἶναι ἐν Ἐλευσινίοις δημοτευόμενος. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τούτων πάντων ἀπετύγχανεν, ταῖς παρελθούσαις ἀρχαιρεσίαις ταύταις παρασκευασάμενός τινας τῶν δημοτῶν ἠξίου οὗτος ἐγγράφεσθαι ποιητὸς υἱὸς τῷ Ἀρχιάδῃ.
Moreover, he deceived both the archon and us when he deposited the fee, and registered his counter-claim as being an Otrynian, although his deme-membership was among the Eleusinians. Therefore, when he failed in all of these attempts, at these recent elections, having suborned some of the demesmen, he demanded to be enrolled as the adopted son of Archiades.
ἀντιλεγόντων δʼ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀξιούντων, ἐπειδὰν τοῦ κλήρου ἡ διαδικασία γένηται, τηνικαῦτα τοὺς δημότας τὴν ψῆφον φέρειν, πρότερον δὲ μή, τοῦτο μὲν ἐπείσθησαν2 οὐ διʼ αὑτούς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς νόμους· δεινὸν γὰρ ἐδόκει εἶναι τὸν παρακαταβεβληκότα τοῦ κλήρου εἰσποιεῖν αὑτὸν ἔτι τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκρίτων ὄντων· ὃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα διοικεῖται Λεώστρατος οὑτοσί, τοῦτο πάντων δεινότατόν ἐστιν.
But since we opposed this and demanded that whenever the adjudication of the inheritance should take place, then and not before should the demesmen cast their vote, on this point they were persuaded, not because of themselves, but because of the laws; for it seemed outrageous that one who had deposited the fee for the inheritance should adopt himself while the matter was still undecided; but what Leostratus here managed after this, this is the most outrageous of all.
ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἀπετύγχανεν τοῦ ἐγγραφῆναι, εἰσποιεῖ Λεωχάρην τὸν αὑτοῦ υἱὸν Ἀρχιάδῃ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς νόμους, πρὶν τοῦ δήμου τὴν δοκιμασίαν γενέσθαι· οὐκ εἰσηγμένου δʼ εἰς τοὺς φράτεράς πω τοὺς Ἀρχιάδου, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ἐνεγράφη, τηνικαῦτα πείσας ἕνα τινὰ τῶν φρατέρων ἐνέγραψεν εἰς τὸ φρατερικὸν γραμματεῖον.
For when he himself failed to be enrolled, he adopted Leochares, his own son, to Archiades, contrary to all the laws, before the scrutiny of the deme took place; and although he had not yet been introduced to the phratry-members of Archiades, but as soon as he was enrolled, then, having persuaded some one of the phratry-members, he enrolled him in the phratry register.
καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τῇ διαμαρτυρίᾳ πρὸς τῷ ἄρχοντι τοῦτον ἐπιγράφεται ὡς υἱὸν ὄντα γνήσιον τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ἔτη πολλά, τὸν πρῴην καὶ χθὲς ἐγγραφέντα. καὶ συμβαίνει ἀμφοτέρους αὐτοὺς τῆς κληρονομίας ἀμφισβητεῖν· ὅ τε γὰρ Λεώστρατος οὑτοσὶ παρακατέβαλε τοῦ κλήρου ὡς υἱὸς γνήσιος Ἀρχιάδῃ, ὅ τε Λεωχάρης οὑτοσὶ διαμεμαρτύρηκεν ὡς υἱὸς ὢν γνήσιος τοῦ αὐτοῦ πατρός, οὐδέτερος δʼ αὐτῶν ζῶντι, ἀλλὰ τετελευτηκότι εἰσποιεῖ αὑτόν.3 ἡμεῖς δὲ οἰόμεθα δεῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἐπειδὰν περὶ τούτου τοῦ ἀγῶνος ὑμεῖς τὴν ψῆφον ἐνέγκητε, τηνικαῦτα ἐκ τῶν κατὰ γένος ἐγγυτάτω ἡμῶν εἰσποιεῖν υἱὸν τῷ τετελευτηκότι, ὅπως ἂν ὁ οἶκος μὴ ἐξερημωθῇ.
And after this, in the protest before the archon, he recorded him as being the legitimate son of the deceased for many years, this man who was enrolled only the day before yesterday or yesterday. And it happens that both of them are contesting the inheritance; for Leostratus here deposited the fee for the inheritance as being a legitimate son to Archiades, and Leochares here has entered a protest as being a legitimate son of the same father, and neither of them adopted himself to a living man, but to a deceased one. But we think, gentlemen of the jury, that whenever you have cast your vote concerning this suit, then, from among us who are the nearest of kin, we ought to adopt a son to the deceased, so that the house may not be left desolate.
- 35οἷος ἦν
The manuscript reading οἷος ἦν presents interpretive difficulties. While often emended to οἷός τ' ἦν ("he was able"), it can also be interpreted as οἷος ἦν with an infinitive, expressing a subjective disposition or readiness ("being of such a character as to" or "ready to"). Here it is translated as "aiming to register" to capture this sense of immediate, unscrupulous intent.
- 40τοῦτο μὲν ἐπείσθησαν
The phrase τοῦτο μὲν ("on the one hand, as to this") is used adverbially to point to the matter on which the demesmen were persuaded. Although a corresponding τοῦτο δέ clause is grammatically expected, the text transitions directly into the main narrative with ὃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα... ("but what he managed after this..."), leaving the antithesis incomplete.
- 43οὐδέτερος δʼ αὐτῶν ζῶντι, ἀλλὰ τετελευτηκότι εἰσποιεῖ αὑτόν
The subject οὐδέτερος ("neither") is singular, but practically refers to the illegal actions of both Leostratus (registering himself) and Leochares (being registered by Leostratus). Combined with the reflexive pronoun αὑτόν ("himself") and the singular verb εἰσποιεῖ, it claims that "neither of them adopted himself to a living man." Although strictly Leostratus adopted his son Leochares, the speaker rhetorically treats both as having fraudulently adopted themselves to the deceased.