§24συκοφαντοῦντος τούτου καὶ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους δικαζομένου παρεγραψάμεθʼ ἐκ τῶν νόμων μὴ εἶναι τὴν δίκην εἰσαγώγιμον.
Since this man is bringing a malicious and unlawful suit, we have filed a special plea based on the laws that the suit is not admissible.
ἵνʼ οὖν εἰδῆθʼ ὑπὲρ οὗ τὴν ψῆφον οἴσετε, τόν τε νόμον ὑμῖν τοῦτον ἀναγνώσεται καὶ τὰς μαρτυρίας ἐφεξῆς τῶν παρόντων, ὅτʼ ἀφίει τῆς μισθώσεως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἐγκλημάτων Ἀπολλόδωρος.
In order, therefore, that you may know on what subject you are to cast your vote, he will read to you this law and then the depositions of those who were present when Apollodorus released him from the lease and all other claims.
λαβέ μοι τὰς μαρτυρίας ταυτασὶ καὶ τὸν νόμον. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
Please take these depositions and the law. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
§25ἀκούετε τοῦ νόμου λέγοντος, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τά τʼ ἄλλʼ ὧν μὴ εἶναι δίκας, καὶ ὅσα τις ἀφῆκεν ἢ ἀπήλλαξεν.
You hear the law stating, men of Athens, among other things for which there are to be no lawsuits, also all those things which anyone has released or discharged.
εἰκότως· εἰ γάρ ἐστι δίκαιον, ὧν ἂν ἅπαξ γένηται δίκη, μηκέτʼ ἐξεῖναι δικάζεσθαι, πολὺ τῶν ἀφεθέντων δικαιότερον μὴ εἶναι δίκας.
And rightly so; for if it is just that for things which have once been tried there should no longer be a right to sue, it is much more just that there should be no lawsuits for things that have been released.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν ἡττηθεὶς τάχʼ ἂν εἴποι τοῦθʼ ὡς ἐξηπατήθηθʼ ὑμεῖς· ὁ δʼ αὑτοῦ φανερῶς καταγνοὺς καὶ ἀφεὶς καὶ ἀπαλλάξας, τίνʼ ἂν ἑαυτὸν αἰτίαν αἰτιασάμενος τῶν αὐτῶν πάλιν εἰκότως δικάζοιτο;
For a man who has lost his case before you might perhaps say that you were deceived; but he who has clearly condemned himself, and released and discharged another, with what accusation against himself could he reasonably bring a lawsuit again for the same things?
οὐδεμίαν δήπου.
None, surely.
διόπερ τοῦτο πρῶτον ἔγραψεν ὁ τὸν νόμον θεὶς ὧν μὴ εἶναι δίκας, ὅσα τις ἀφῆκεν ἢ ἀπήλλαξεν.
Therefore, the lawmaker wrote this first among the things for which there are to be no lawsuits: all those things which anyone has released or discharged.
ἃ τῷδε γέγονεν ἀμφότερα· καὶ γὰρ ἀφῆκεν καὶ ἀπήλλαξεν.
Both of these have occurred in the case of this man; for he has both released and discharged him.
ὡς δʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω, μεμαρτύρηται ὑμῖν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι.
And that I am speaking the truth has been testified to you, men of Athens.
λαβὲ δή μοι καὶ τὸν τῆς προθεσμίας νόμον. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
Now take for me also the law of limitation. ΝΟΜΟΣ.
§26ὁ μὲν τοίνυν νόμος, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, σαφῶς οὑτωσὶ τὸν χρόνον ὥρισεν· Ἀπολλόδωρος δʼ οὑτοσὶ παρεληλυθότων ἐτῶν πλέον ἢ εἴκοσιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ συκοφαντίαν ἀξιοῖ περὶ πλείονος ὑμᾶς ποιήσασθαι τῶν νόμων, καθʼ οὓς ὀμωμοκότες δικάζετε.
Thus, men of Athens, the law has clearly defined the time; but this Apollodorus, although more than twenty years have elapsed, demands that you should value his malicious prosecution more highly than the laws, according to which you have sworn to judge.
καίτοι πᾶσι μὲν τοῖς νόμοις προσέχειν εἰκός ἐσθʼ ὑμᾶς, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ τούτῳ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι.
And yet, while it is reasonable for you to pay attention to all the laws, it is especially so to this one, men of Athens.
§27δοκεῖ γάρ μοι καὶ ὁ Σόλων οὐδενὸς ἄλλου ἕνεκα θεῖναι αὐτὸν ἢ τοῦ μὴ συκοφαντεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς.
For it seems to me that Solon enacted it for no other reason than to prevent you from being harassed by malicious suits.
τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἀδικουμένοις τὰ πέντʼ ἔτη ἱκανὸν ἡγήσατʼ εἶναι εἰσπράξασθαι· κατὰ δὲ τῶν ψευδομένων τὸν χρόνον ἐνόμισεν σαφέστατον ἔλεγχον ἔσεσθαι.
For he thought that five years was sufficient for those who were wronged to recover what was due, whereas against those who tell lies, he believed that time would be the clearest proof.
καὶ ἅμʼ ἐπειδὴ ἀδύνατον ἔγνω ὂν τούς τε συμβάλλοντας καὶ τοὺς μάρτυρας ἀεὶ ζῆν, τὸν νόμον ἀντὶ τούτων ἔθηκεν, ὅπως μάρτυς εἴη τοῦ δικαίου τοῖς ἐρήμοις.
And at the same time, because he knew that it was impossible for contracting parties and witnesses to live forever, he established the law in their stead, so that it might be a witness of what is just for those who are destitute of witnesses.
§28θαυμάζω τοίνυν ἔγωγʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τί ποτʼ ἐστὶν ἃ πρὸς ταῦτʼ ἐπιχειρήσει λέγειν Ἀπολλόδωρος οὑτοσί.
I wonder indeed, gentlemen of the jury, what on earth this Apollodorus will attempt to say in reply to this.
οὐ γὰρ ἐκεῖνό γʼ ὑπείληφεν, ὡς ὑμεῖς, μηδὲν ὁρῶντες εἰς χρήματα τοῦτον ἠδικημένον, ὀργιεῖσθʼ ὅτι τὴν μητέρʼ ἔγημεν αὐτοῦ Φορμίων.
For surely he does not suppose that you, seeing that he has been wronged in no way in respect of money, will be angry because Phormio married his mother.
οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοεῖ τοῦτο, οὐδʼ αὐτὸν λέληθεν, οὐδʼ ὑμῶν πολλούς, ὅτι Σωκράτης ὁ τραπεζίτης ἐκεῖνος, παρὰ τῶν κυρίων ἀπαλλαγεὶς ὥσπερ ὁ τούτου πατήρ, ἔδωκε Σατύρῳ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα, ἑαυτοῦ ποτὲ γενομένῳ.
For he is not ignorant of this, nor has it escaped his notice, or that of many of you, that Socrates, that well-known banker, when he was released by his masters just as this man's father was, gave his own wife to Satyrus, who had once belonged to him.
§29ἕτερος Σωκλῆς τραπεζιτεύσας ἔδωκε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα Τιμοδήμῳ τῷ νῦν ἔτʼ ὄντι καὶ ζῶντι, γενομένῳ ποθʼ αὑτοῦ.
Another man, Socles, who was a banker, gave his own wife to Timodemus, who is still alive and living today, and who had once belonged to him.
καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐνθάδε ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν οἱ περὶ τὰς ἐργασίας ὄντες ταύτας, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἀλλʼ ἐν Αἰγίνῃ ἔδωκεν Στρυμόδωρος Ἑρμαίῳ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ οἰκέτῃ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ τελευτησάσης ἐκείνης ἔδωκε πάλιν τὴν θυγατέρα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ.
And it is not only here, men of Athens, that those who are engaged in this business do these things, but in Aegina, Strymodorus gave his wife to Hermaeus, his own slave, and when she died, he gave him his own daughter in turn.
καὶ πολλοὺς ἂν ἔχοι τις εἰπεῖν τοιούτους.
And one could mention many such cases.
§30εἰκότως· ὑμῖν μὲν γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς γένει πολίταις, οὐδὲ ἓν πλῆθος χρημάτων ἀντὶ τοῦ γένους καλόν ἐστιν ἑλέσθαι· τοῖς δὲ τοῦτο μὲν δωρεὰν ἢ παρʼ ὑμῶν ἢ παρʼ ἄλλων τινῶν λαβοῦσιν, τῇ τύχῃ δʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ χρηματίσασθαι καὶ ἑτέρων πλείω κτήσασθαι καὶ αὐτῶν τούτων ἀξιωθεῖσιν, ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν φυλακτέα.
And naturally so; for to you, men of Athens, who are citizens by birth, no amount of wealth is so honorable to choose in place of your birth; but for those who received this citizenship as a gift either from you or from others, and who from the beginning, by fortune, through carrying on business and acquiring more than others, were deemed worthy of these very things, these must be preserved.
διόπερ Πασίων ὁ πατὴρ ὁ σὸς οὐ πρῶτος οὐδὲ μόνος, οὐδʼ αὑτὸν ὑβρίζων οὐδʼ ὑμᾶς τοὺς υἱεῖς, ἀλλὰ μόνην ὁρῶν σωτηρίαν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ πράγμασιν, εἰ τοῦτον ἀνάγκῃ ποιήσειεν οἰκεῖον ὑμῖν, ἔδωκε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα, μητέρα δʼ ὑμετέραν τούτῳ.
Therefore, your father Pasion, not as the first or the only one, nor to insult himself or you, his sons, but seeing the only safety for his business if he should make this man bound by necessity to you as a relative, gave his own wife, and your mother, to this man.