§6.1Αἰσχίνης Ἀτρομήτου, φυγόντος μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν τριάκοντα συγκαταγαγόντος δὲ τὸν δῆμον, καὶ Γλαυκοθέας· τῶν δὲ δήμων Κοθωκίδης, οὔτε κατὰ γένος τῶν ἐπιφανῶν οὔτε κατὰ περιουσίαν χρημάτων.
Aeschines was the son of Atrometus—who had fled during the rule of the Thirty and later helped restore the democracy—and of Glaucothea; by deme he belonged to Kothokidai, being neither illustrious by descent nor in wealth.
νέος δʼ ὢν καὶ ἐρρωμένος τῷ σώματι περὶ τὰ γυμνάσια ἐπόνει· λαμπρόφωνος δʼ ὢν μετὰ ταῦτα τραγῳδίαν ἤσκησεν ὡς δὲ Δημοσθένης φησίν, ὑπογραμματεύων καὶ τριταγωνιστῶν Ἀριστοδήμῳ ἐν τοῖς Διονυσίοις διετέλει, ἀναλαμβάνων ἐπὶ σχολῆς τὰς παλαιὰς τραγῳδίας καὶ ἔτι παῖς ὢν ἐδίδασκε γράμματα σὺν τῷ πατρί, καὶ μειράκιον ὢν ἐστρατεύετο ἐν τοῖς περιπόλοις.
When he was young and strong of body, he trained in the gymnasia; and having a clear voice, he afterwards practiced tragedy. As Demosthenes says, he continued serving as an under-clerk and playing third parts to Aristodemus at the Dionysia, preparing the old tragedies in his leisure; and while still a boy, he taught letters along with his father, and as a youth, he served in the patrol forces.
ἀκροατὴς δὲ γενόμενος ὡς μέν τινες λέγουσιν Ἰσοκράτους καὶ Πλάτωνος, ὡς δὲ Καικίλιος Λεωδάμαντος, καὶ πολιτευόμενος; οὐκ ἀφανῶς ἐκ τῆς ἐναντίας μερίδος τοῖς περὶ Δημοσθένη, ἐπρέσβευσεν ἄλλας τε πρεσβείας πολλὰς καὶ πρὸς Φίλιππον ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης· ἐφʼ κατηγορήθη ὑπὸ Δημοσθένους ὡς ἀνῃρημένου τοῦ Φωκέων ἔθνους, ἔτι δʼ ὡς πόλεμον ἐξάψας, ἡνίκα πυλαγόρας ᾑρέθη Ἀμφικτύοσι πρὸς Ἀμφισσεῖς τοὺς τὸν λιμένα ἐργαζομένους· ἐξ οὗ συνέβη τοὺς Ἀμφικτύονας Φιλίππῳ προσφυγεῖν, τὸν δʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ Αἰσχίνου συνεργούμενον ἐπιθέσθαι τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ τὴν Φωκίδα λαβεῖν·
Having become a pupil, as some say, of Isocrates and Plato, but as Caecilius says, of Leodamas, and taking an active part in politics not without distinction from the party opposite to Demosthenes and his associates, he served on many other embassies, and especially to Philip for peace; on which account he was prosecuted by Demosthenes on the ground that the Phocian nation had been destroyed, and further on the ground of having kindled war when he was chosen pylagoras to the Amphictyons against the Amphissians who were cultivating the harbor land; from which it happened that the Amphictyons fled to Philip for help, and he, being assisted by Aeschines, set his hand to affairs and took Phocis.
ἀλλὰ συνειπόντος αὐτῷ Εὐβούλου τοῦ Σπινθάρου Προβαλλουσίου δημαγωγοῦντος, τριάκοντα ψήφοις ἀπέφυγεν.
But Eubulus, the son of Spintharus, of the deme Probalinthus, who was then a leading politician, speaking in his defense, Aeschines was acquitted by thirty votes.
εἰσὶ δʼ οἵ φασι συγγράψαι μὲν τοὺς ῥήτορας τοὺς λόγους· ἐμποδὼν δὲ γενομένων τῶν περὶ Χαιρώνειαν, μηκέτι τὴν δίκην εἰσελθεῖν.
There are, however, some who say that though the orators composed their speeches, yet the events around Chaeronea having intervened, the suit never came to trial.
χρόνῳ δʼ ὕστερον, Φιλίππου μὲν τετελευτηκότος Ἀλεξάνδρου δὲ διαβαίνοντος εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν, ἐγράψατο Κτησιφῶντα παρανόμων ἐπὶ ταῖς Δημοσθένους τιμαῖς· οὐ μεταλαβὼν δὲ τὸ πέμπτον μέρος τῶν ψήφων ἔφυγεν εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον, χιλίας δραχμὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἥττης οὐ βουληθεὶς καταθέσθαι.
At a later time, Philip having died and Alexander crossing over into Asia, Aeschines indicted Ctesiphon for unconstitutional proposals regarding the honors of Demosthenes; but not obtaining a fifth part of the votes, he fled to Rhodes, being unwilling to pay the thousand drachmas fine for his defeat.
οἱ δʼ ἀτιμίας αὐτῷ προστιμηθῆναι λέγουσιν οὐ θέλοντι ἐξελθεῖν τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Ἔφεσον ὡς Ἀλέξανδρον.
But others say that disenfranchisement was additionally decreed against him because he was unwilling to leave the city, and that he went to Ephesus to Alexander.
τοῦ δὲ τελευτήσαντος, ταραχῆς οὔσης, ἀπάρας εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον ἐνταῦθα σχολὴν καταστησάμενος ἐδίδασκεν.
But when Alexander died, there being confusion, he sailed away to Rhodes, and there having set up a school, he taught.
ἀνέγνω τε τοῖς Ῥοδίοις τὸν κατὰ Κτησιφῶντος λόγον ἐπιδεικνύμενος· θαυμαζόντων δὲ πάντων εἰ ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν ἡττήθη
οὐκ ἄν
ἔφη
ἐθαυμάζετε, Ῥόδιοι, εἰ πρὸς ταῦτα Δημοσθένους; λέγοντος ἠκούσατε
σχολὴν τʼ ἐκεῖ προσκατέλιπε, τὸ Ῥοδιακὸν διδασκαλεῖον κληθέν.
He also read to the Rhodians his speech against Ctesiphon by way of exhibition; and when all wondered how, after speaking thus, he had been defeated, "You would not wonder, Rhodians," he said, "if you had heard Demosthenes speaking in reply to this." And he left a school there besides, which was called the Rhodian School.
ἔπειτα πλεύσας εἰς Σάμον καὶ διατρίβων ἐπὶ τῆς νήσου ὀλίγον ὕστερον ἐτελεύτησεν.
Then having sailed to Samos and spending time on the island, he died a little later.
ἐγένετο δʼ εὔφωνος, ὡς δῆλον ἔκ τε ὧν φησι Δημοσθένης καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Δημοχάρους λόγου.
He had a fine voice, as is clear both from what Demosthenes says and from the speech of Demochares.
φέρονται δʼ αὐτοῦ λόγοι τέσσαρες, ὅ τε κατὰ Τιμάρχου καὶ ὁ τῆς Παραπρεσβείας καὶ ὁ κατὰ Κτησιφῶντος, οἳ καὶ μόνοι εἰσὶ γνήσιοι.
Four speeches are current under his name: against Timarchus, on the Embassy, and against Ctesiphon, which alone are genuine.
ὁ γὰρ ἐπιγραφόμενος Δηλιακὸς οὐκ ἔστιν Αἰσχίνου· ἀπεδείχθη μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν κρίσιν τὴν περὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ ἐν Δήλῳ συσταθεὶς συνήγορος οὐ μὴν εἶπε τὸν λόγον· ἐχειροτονήθη γὰρ Ὑπερείδης ἀντʼ αὐτοῦ, ὥς φησι Δημοσθένης.
For the one entitled Delian is not Aeschines's; for although he was appointed advocate for the trial concerning the temple in Delos, he did not deliver the speech; for Hypereides was elected in his stead, as Demosthenes says.
ἔσχε δὲ καὶ ἀδελφούς, ὥς φησιν αὐτός, Ἀφόβητον καὶ Φιλοχάρη.
He also had brothers, as he himself says, Aphobetus and Philochares.
ἀπήγγειλε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐν Ταμύναις νίκην πρῶτος Ἀθηναίοις, ἐφʼ ᾧ καὶ ἐστεφανώθη τὸ δεύτερον.
He also first announced the victory at Tamynae to the Athenians, on which account he was also crowned a second time.
οἱ δʼ εἶπον μηδὲ μαθητεῦσαί τισι τὸν Αἰσχίνην, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῆς ὑπογραμματείας ἀρθῆναι ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις τότε διάγοντα· πρῶτον δʼ εἰπεῖν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ κατὰ Φιλίππου, εὐδοκιμήσαντά τε πρεσβευτὴν χειροτονηθῆναι πρὸς Ἀρκάδας πρὸς οὓς ἀφικόμενον συστῆσαι τοὺς μυρίους ἐπὶ Φίλιππον.
But others said that Aeschines had not even been a pupil of anyone, but had risen from his post of under-clerk, passing his time then in the law courts; and that he first spoke in the assembly against Philip, and having gained high repute, was elected ambassador to the Arcadians, and having come to them, he united the Ten Thousand against Philip.
ἐγράψατο δὲ καὶ Τίμαρχον ἑταιρήσεως· ὁ δ’ ἐκλιπὼν τὸν ἀγῶνα αὑτὸν ἀνήρτησεν, ὥς πού φησι Δημοσθένης.
He also indicted Timarchus for prostitution; and the latter, having abandoned the trial, hanged himself, as Demosthenes says somewhere.
ἐχειροτονήθη δὲ πρεσβευτὴς ὡς Φίλιππον μετὰ Κτησιφῶντος καὶ Δημοσθένους περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, ἐν ἄμεινον τοῦ Δημοσθένους ἠνέχθη· τὸ δὲ δεύτερον δέκατος ὤν, κυρώσας ὅρκοις τὴν εἰρήνην, κριθεὶς ἀπέφυγεν, ὡς προείρηται.
He was elected ambassador to Philip with Ctesiphon and Demosthenes concerning the peace, where he conducted himself better than Demosthenes; and the second time, being one of ten, having ratified the peace with oaths, when brought to trial he was acquitted, as was said before.