§25ὁ γὰρ Πρῶτος, ἕως μὲν ᾤετο τὸν σῖτον κέρδος ἐλθόντα ποιήσειν, ἀντείχετο τούτου, καὶ μᾶλλον ᾑρεῖτʼ αὐτός τε κερδᾶναι καὶ ἡμῖν τὰ δίκαιʼ ἀποδοῦναι, ἢ κατακοινωνήσας τούτοις τῆς μὲν ὠφελίας τούτους ποιῆσαι μερίτας, ἡμᾶς δʼ ἀδικῆσαι· ὡς δὲ δεῦρʼ ἥκοντος αὐτοῦ καὶ περὶ ταῦτα πραγματευομένου, ἐπανῆκεν ὁ σῖτος, ἄλλην εὐθέως ἔλαβεν γνώμην.
For Protos, as long as he expected that the corn would bring him a profit on its arrival, held fast to it, and preferred to make a profit himself and pay us our due, rather than, by sharing with them, to make them partners in the benefit and wrong us; but when, upon his arrival here and busy negotiating about these matters, the price of corn had fallen, he immediately took another view.
§26καὶ ἅμα (εἰρήσεται γάρ, ἄνδρες Ἀθηαῖοι, πᾶσα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἡ ἀλήθεια) καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ δεδανεικότες προσεκρούομεν αὐτῷ καὶ πικρῶς εἴχομεν, τῆς τε ζημίας ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἰούσης τῆς περὶ τὸν σῖτον καὶ συκοφάντην ἀντὶ χρημάτων αἰτιώμενοι τοῦτον ἡμῖν κεκομικέναι.
And at the same time (for the whole truth, men of Athens, shall be told to you) we, the lenders, also clashed with him and were bitter against him, since the loss on the corn was falling upon us, and we accused him of having brought us a sycophant instead of our money.
ἐκ τούτων, οὐδὲ φύσει χρηστὸς ὢν ἅνθρωπος δῆλον ὅτι, ἐπὶ τούτους ἀποκλίνει, καὶ συγχωρεῖ τὴν δίκην ἔρημον ὀφλεῖν, ἣν οὗτος αὐτῷ λαγχάνει τότε, ὅτʼ οὔπω ταὔτʼ ἐφρόνουν.
Consequently, since he was obviously not an honest man by nature, he inclined to these men, and agreed to allow the suit to go by default, which this man had then brought against him, at a time when they were not yet of the same mind.
§27εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀφῆκε τὸν Πρῶτον, ἐξελήλεγκτʼ ἂν εὐθέως ἡμᾶς συκοφαντῶν· ὀφλεῖν δὲ παρὼν ἐκεῖνος οὐ συνεχώρει, ἵνʼ ἐὰν μὲν αὐτῷ ποιῶσιν ἃ ὡμολογήκασιν—, εἰ δὲ μή, τὴν ἔρημον ἀντιλάχῃ.
For if he had released Protos, he would at once have been convicted of slandering us; but Protos, being present, did not consent to lose the suit, so that if they performed what they had agreed to him—, but if not, he might bring a cross-action to set aside the default.
ἀλλὰ τί ταῦτα;
But what of this?
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἃ γέγραφεν οὗτος εἰς τὸ ἔγκλημʼ ἐποίει, οὐκ ὀφλεῖν ἂν δίκην δικαίως, ἀλλʼ ἀποθανεῖν Πρῶτος ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ.
For if he had done what this man has written in the indictment, Protos seems to me to deserve not merely to lose his suit, but to be put to death.
εἰ γὰρ ἐν κακοῖς καὶ χειμῶνι τοσοῦτον οἶνον ἔπινεν ὥσθʼ ὅμοιον εἶναι μανίᾳ, τί οὐκ ἄξιός ἐστι παθεῖν.
For if in the midst of distress and storm he drank so much wine as to be like a madman, what does he not deserve to suffer?
§28ἢ εἰ γράμματʼ ἔκλεπτεν;
Or if he stole the papers?
εἰ ὑπανέῳγεν;
If he opened them secretly?
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν αὐτοὶ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ὑμεῖς ὅπως ποτʼ ἔχει διακρινεῖσθε· τῇ δʼ ἐμῇ δίκῃ μηδὲν ἐκείνης πρόσαγε.
But you yourselves must decide among yourselves how these things stand; do not bring any of that case into my suit.
εἴ τί σʼ ἠδίκηκεν ὁ Πρῶτος ἢ λέγων ἢ ποιῶν, ἔχεις ὡς ἔοικε δίκην· οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν ἐκώλυεν, οὐδὲ νῦν παραιτεῖται.
If Protos has done you any wrong either in word or deed, you have, it seems, your remedy; none of us prevented you, nor does anyone now beg him off.
εἰ σεσυκοφάντηκας, οὐ περιεργαζόμεθα.
If you have played the sycophant, we do not busy ourselves about it.
§29νὴ Δίʼ, ἀλλʼ ἐκποδών ἐστιν ἅνθρωπος. διά γʼ ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τάς τε μαρτυρίας τὰς ἡμετέρας λίπῃ, καὶ νῦν ὑμεῖς ὅ τι ἂν βούλησθε λέγητε κατʼ αὐτοῦ.
"But, by Zeus," you will say, "the man is out of the way." Yes, thanks to you, so that he might leave our depositions behind and that you may now say whatever you please against him.
εἰ γὰρ μὴ διʼ ὑμῶν ἔρημος ἐγίγνεθʼ ἡ δίκη, ἅμʼ ἂν αὐτὸν προσεκαλοῦ καὶ κατηγγύας πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον, καὶ εἰ μὲν κατέστησέ σοι τοὺς ἐγγυητάς, μένειν ἠναγκάζετʼ ἄν, ἢ σὺ παρʼ ὧν λήψει δίκην ἑτοίμους εἶχες, εἰ δὲ μὴ κατέστησεν, εἰς τὸ οἴκημʼ ἂν ᾔει.
For if the judgment had not gone by default through your means, you would at the same time have summoned him and required him to give security before the polemarch, and if he had provided you with guarantors, he would have been compelled to stay, or you would have had ready those from whom you could recover damages; but if he had not provided them, he would have gone to prison.
§30νῦν δὲ κοινωσάμενοι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ὁ μὲν διὰ σοῦ τὴν γεγονυῖαν ἔκδειαν οὐκ ἀποδώσειν ἡμῖν οἴεται, σὺ δʼ ἐκείνου κατηγορῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων κύριος γενήσεσθαι.
But now, having made common cause in this business, he thinks that through you he will not have to pay us the deficiency that has arisen, and you think that by accusing him you will become master of our property.
τεκμήριον δέ· ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν κλητεύσω, σὺ δʼ οὔτε κατηγγύησας οὔτε νῦν κλητεύσεις.
And here is the proof: I shall summon him as a witness, but you neither required security from him nor will you now summon him.
§31ἔτι τοίνυν ἑτέρα τις ἐστὶν ἐλπὶς αὐτοῖς τοῦ παρακρούσεσθαι καὶ φενακιεῖν ὑμᾶς.
Furthermore, they have another hope of misleading and deceiving you.
αἰτιάσονται Δημοσθένην, καὶ ἐκείνῳ ἐμὲ πιστεύοντα φήσουσιν ἐξάγειν τουτονί, ὑπολαμβάνοντες τῷ ῥήτορα καὶ γνώριμον εἶναι ἐκεῖνον πιθανὴν ἔχειν τὴν αἰτίαν.
They will accuse Demosthenes, and will say that I, trusting in him, am ejecting this man, assuming that since he is an orator and well-known, the accusation will carry weight.
ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐστὶ μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Δημοσθένης οἰκεῖος γένει (καὶ πάντας ὑμῖν ὄμνυμι τοὺς θεοὺς ἦ μὴν ἐρεῖν τἀληθῆ).
To me, men of Athens, Demosthenes is a kinsman (and I swear to you by all the gods that I will speak the truth).
§32προσελθόντος δʼ αὐτῷ μου καὶ παρεῖναι καὶ βοηθεῖν ἀξιοῦντος εἴ τι ἔχοι,
δήμων,
ἔφη,
ἐγὼ ποιήσω μὲν ὡς ἂν σὺ κελεύῃς (καὶ γὰρ ἂν δεινὸν εἴη).
When I went to him and asked him to be present and assist me if he could, he said, "Demon, I will do as you bid me (for indeed it would be a hard thing to refuse).
δεῖ μέντοι καὶ τὸ σαυτοῦ καὶ τοὐμὸν λογίσασθαι.
You must, however, consider both your own position and mine.
ἐμοὶ συμβέβηκεν, ἀφʼ οὗ περὶ τῶν κοινῶν λέγειν ἠρξάμην, μηδὲ πρὸς ἓν πρᾶγμʼ ἴδιον προσεληλυθέναι· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς πολιτείας αὐτῆς τὰ τοιαῦτʼ ἐξέστηκα
It has been my lot, ever since I began to speak on public affairs, never to have come forward in any private suit; indeed, I have stood aloof from such things even in the state itself.