§53ἐγὼ δʼ ἀδικεῖν μὲν οὐδένα τῶν δανειζόντων οἴομαι, μισεῖσθαι μέντοι τινὰς ἂν εἰκότως ὑφʼ ὑμῶν, οἳ τέχνην τὸ πρᾶγμα πεποιημένοι μήτε συγγνώμης μήτʼ ἄλλου μηδενός εἰσιν ἀλλʼ ἢ τοῦ πλείονος.
I do not think that any of the moneylenders commit injustice, but however that some would be reasonably hated by you, who, having made the matter a trade, care for nothing of forgiveness or anything else except more gain.
διὰ γὰρ τὸ καὶ δεδανεῖσθαι πολλάκις, μὴ μόνον αὐτὸς τούτῳ δανεῖσαι, οὐδʼ ἐγὼ τούτους ἀγνοῶ, οὐδὲ φιλῶ, οὐ μέντοι γʼ ἀποστερῶ μὰ Δία, οὐδὲ συκοφαντῶ.
For because of having also borrowed often, and not only myself having lent to this man, I too am not ignorant of these men, nor do I like them; yet, by Zeus, I certainly do not deprive them of their property, nor do I maliciously prosecute them.
§54ὅστις δʼ εἴργασται μὲν ὥσπερ ἐγὼ πλέων καὶ κινδυνεύων, εὐπορήσας δὲ μικρῶν ἐδάνεισεν ταῦτα, καὶ χαρίσασθαι βουλόμενος καὶ μὴ λαθεῖν διαρρυὲν αὑτὸν τἀργύριον, τί τις ἂν τοῦτον εἰς ἐκείνους τιθείη;
But as for one who has worked, as I have, by sailing and running risks, and having acquired a small surplus has lent these funds, wishing both to do a favor and not to let his money slip away unnoticed—why should anyone place this man in the same class as those?
εἰ μὴ τοῦτο λέγεις, ὡς ὃς ἂν σοὶ δανείσῃ, τοῦτον δημοσίᾳ μισεῖσθαι προσήκει.
Unless you mean to say this: that whoever lends to you, it is proper for him to be publicly hated.
λέγε δή μοι τὰς μαρτυρίας, τίς ἐγὼ πρὸς τοὺς συμβάλλοντας ἄνθρωπος καὶ πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους εἰμί.
Read me the testimonies, showing what kind of man I am toward those who transact with me and those in need.
ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΙ.
TESTIMONIES.
§55τοιοῦτος, ὦ Πανταίνετε, ἐγώ, ὁ ταχὺ βαδίζων, καὶ τοιοῦτος σύ, ὁ ἀτρέμας.
Such a man am I, Pantaenetus—the fast walker—and such a man are you—the slow one.
ἀλλὰ μὴν περὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ γε βαδίσματος ἢ τῆς διαλέκτου, τἀληθῆ πάντʼ ἐρῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μετὰ παρρησίας.
But indeed, concerning my walk or my manner of speaking, I will tell you the whole truth with frankness, gentlemen of the jury.
ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐχὶ λέγηθʼ ἐμαυτόν, οὐδʼ ἀγνοῶ, οὐ τῶν εὖ πεφυκότων κατὰ ταῦτʼ ὢν ἀνθρώπων, οὐδὲ τῶν λυσιτελούντως ἑαυτοῖς.
For I do not fail to see myself, nor am I ignorant that I am not of those favored by nature in these respects, nor of those who act to their own advantage.
εἰ γὰρ ἐν οἷς μηδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι ποιῶν, λυπῶ τινάς, πῶς οὐκ ἀτυχῶ κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος;
For if, in doing things from which I derive no benefit, I annoy some people, how am I not unfortunate in this regard?
§56ἀλλὰ τί χρὴ παθεῖν;
But what is one to do?
ἂν τῷ δεῖνι δανείσω, διὰ ταῦτα δίκην προσοφλεῖν;
If I lend to someone, must I owe a penalty for these things?
μηδαμῶς.
By no means.
κακίαν γὰρ ἐμοὶ καὶ πονηρίαν οὔθʼ οὗτος προσοῦσαν οὐδεμίαν δείξει, οὔθʼ ὑμῶν τοσούτων ὄντων οὐδὲ εἷς σύνοιδεν.
For this man will not show any vice or wickedness present in me, nor does any single one of you, numerous as you are, know of any.
τἄλλα δὲ ταῦθʼ ἕκαστος ἡμῶν, ὅπως ἔτυχεν, πέφυκεν οἶμαι.
But in these other matters, each of us, I think, is constituted by nature just as it happens.
καὶ φύσει μάχεσθαι μὲν ἔχοντʼ οὐκ εὔπορόν ἐστιν (οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἀλλήλων διεφέρομεν οὐδέν), γνῶναι δʼ ἰδόνθʼ ἕτερον καὶ ἐπιπλῆξαι ῥᾴδιον.
And indeed, to fight against one's nature when one has it is not easy (for otherwise we should not differ from one another at all), but to recognize it upon seeing another person and to find fault is easy.
§57ἀλλὰ τί τούτων ἐμοὶ πρὸς σέ, Πανταίνετε;
But what have these things to do between me and you, Pantaenetus?
πολλὰ καὶ δεινὰ πέπονθας;
Have you suffered many terrible things?
οὐκοῦν εἴληφας δίκην.
Then you have obtained justice.
οὐ παρʼ ἐμοῦ γε;
But not from me, surely?
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠδικήθης οὐδὲν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ.
For you were in no way wronged by me.
οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτʼ ἀφῆκας, οὐδʼ, ὅτʼ Εὐέργῳ προῃροῦ λαγχάνειν, εἴασας ἐμέ, οὐδὲ πρατῆρʼ ἠξίωσας ὑποστῆναι τόν γε δεινά σε καὶ πόλλʼ εἰργασμένον.
For you would never have released me, nor, when you chose to bring a suit against Euergus, would you have let me go, nor would you have deemed it fit that I stand as the seller—the very one who had done you many terrible things.
εἶτα καὶ πῶς ἂν ὁ μὴ παρὼν μηδʼ ἐπιδημῶν ἐγώ τί σʼ ἠδίκησα;
And then, how could I, who was neither present nor in the country, have wronged you?
§58εἰ τοίνυν ὡς οἷόν τε μέγιστʼ ἠδικῆσθαι δοίη τις αὐτῷ καὶ ἐρεῖν ἅπαντʼ ἀληθῆ περὶ τούτων νυνί, ἐκεῖνό γʼ οἶμαι πάντας ἂν ὑμᾶς ὁμολογῆσαι, ὅτι πολλὰ συμβέβηκεν ἠδικῆσθαί τισιν ἤδη μείζω τῶν εἰς χρήματα γιγνομένων ἀδικημάτων· καὶ γὰρ ἀκούσιοι φόνοι καὶ ὕβρεις εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ καὶ πόλλʼ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα γίγνεται.
If, then, one should grant him that he has been wronged in the greatest possible way and that everything he says now about these matters is true, I think you would all at least agree on this: that it has often happened that some people have already been wronged in ways greater than wrongs involving money; for involuntary homicides, outrages against what is sacred, and many other such things occur.
ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἁπάντων τούτων ὅρος καὶ λύσις τοῖς παθοῦσι τέτακται τὸ πεισθέντας ἀφεῖναι.
Nevertheless, for all these things, a limit and a resolution has been appointed for the victims, namely, to release after having been persuaded.
§59καὶ τοῦθʼ οὕτω τὸ δίκαιον ἐν πᾶσιν ἰσχύει, ὥστʼ ἐὰν ἑλών τις ἀκουσίου φόνου καὶ σαφῶς ἐπιδείξας μὴ καθαρόν, μετὰ ταῦτʼ αἰδέσηται καὶ ἀφῇ, οὐκέτʼ ἐκβαλεῖν κύριος τὸν αὐτόν ἐστιν.
And this principle of justice is so strong in all cases that if someone, having convicted another of involuntary homicide and having clearly shown him to be unclean, afterwards reconciles and releases him, he is no longer authorized to banish the same man.
οὐδέ γʼ, ἂν ὁ παθὼν αὐτὸς ἀφῇ τοῦ φόνου, πρὶν τελευτῆσαι, τὸν δράσαντα, οὐδενὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συγγενῶν ἔξεστʼ ἐπεξιέναι, ἀλλʼ οὓς ἐκπίπτειν καὶ φεύγειν, ἂν ἁλίσκωνται, καὶ τεθνάναι προστάττουσιν οἱ νόμοι, τούτους, ἐὰν ἀφεθῶσιν ἅπαξ, ἁπάντων ἐκλύει τῶν δεινῶν τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα.
Nor, if the victim himself, before dying, releases the doer from the homicide, is it permitted for any of the remaining relatives to prosecute him; rather, those whom the laws command to be banished and flee, if they are convicted, and even to be put to death, this single word, if they are once released, delivers them from all terrible consequences.
§60εἶθʼ ὑπὲρ μὲν ψυχῆς καὶ τῶν μεγίστων οὕτως ἰσχύει καὶ μένει τὸ ἀφεῖναι, ὑπὲρ δὲ χρημάτων καὶ ἐλαττόνων ἐγκλημάτων ἄκυρον ἔσται;
Then, while for life and the greatest matters the release has such force and remains valid, shall it be invalid for money and lesser charges?
μηδαμῶς.
By no means.
οὐ γὰρ εἰ μὴ τῶν δικαίων ἐγὼ παρʼ ὑμῖν τεύξομαι, τοῦτʼ ἔστι δεινότατον, ἀλλʼ εἰ πρᾶγμα δίκαιον ὡρισμένον ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου νῦν καταλύσετʼ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν.
For it is not if I fail to obtain justice before you that is the most terrible thing, but if a just principle established from all time is now destroyed in our case.