§17πρὸς ἐκεῖνο δὲ τί ἂν λέγοις;
what would you say to that?
ἀκριβῶς γὰρ ὅπως τούτους διδάξεις· εἰ δὲ μή, πάντες ὑμεῖς ἀπαιτεῖτʼ αὐτόν.
For you must explain it to them precisely; otherwise, all of you should demand it of him.
ὅτε γὰρ Πολύευκτος διετίθετο ταῦτα, παρῆν μὲν ἡ τούτου γυνή, καὶ δῆλον ὅτι τὰς τοῦ πατρὸς διαθήκας ἀνήγγειλεν, ἄλλως τʼ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἴσον εἶχεν ἀλλʼ ἐν ἅπασιν ἠλαττοῦτο, παρεκλήθη δʼ αὐτὸς οὗτος, ὥστε μηδὲ τοῦτʼ εἶναι λέγειν, ὡς λάθρᾳ καὶ διακρυψάμενοι τούτους ἐπράττομεν ταῦτα·
For when Polyeuctus was making these dispositions, this man's wife was present, and it is clear that she reported her father’s will to him, especially since she did not have any equal share but was disadvantaged in everything; and this man himself was invited, so that it is not even possible to say that we did these things secretly and in concealment from them.
παρακαλούμενος γὰρ ἔφησεν αὐτὸς μὲν ἀσχολίαν ἄγειν, τὴν δὲ γυναῖκʼ ἐξαρκεῖν τὴν αὑτοῦ παροῦσαν. §18τί ἔτι λοιπόν;
For when he was invited, he said that he himself was busy, but that his own wife being present would be sufficient. else remains?
ἀπαγγείλαντος Ἀριστογένους αὐτῷ περὶ ἁπάντων τούτων ἀκριβῶς, οὐδʼ ἐνταῦθʼ οὐδένα φαίνεται λόγον ποιησάμενος, ἀλλʼ ἐπιβιόντος μετὰ ταῦτα τοῦ Πολυεύκτου πλέον ἢ πένθʼ ἡμέρας, οὔτʼ ἠγανάκτησεν εἰσελθὼν οὔτʼ ἀντεῖπεν οὐδέν, οὐδʼ ἡ γυνή, παροῦσʼ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἅπασιν τούτοις.
When Aristogenes reported to him accurately about all these things, not even then did he make any objection, but although Polyeuctus lived for more than five days after this, he neither showed anger upon entering nor said anything in opposition, nor did his wife, who had been present at all of these things from the beginning.
ὥστʼ οὐκέτι Πολύευκτος αὐτὰ πεισθεὶς ἐμοὶ κατεχαρίζετο, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς αὐτοί.
So it was no longer Polyeuctus who, persuaded by me, favored me, as it seems, but you yourselves.
ταῦτα τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μεμνημένοι σαφῶς, ἐὰν ἄρα τι περὶ αὐτῶν ἐγχειρῇ νυνὶ διαβάλλειν, ἀντίθετε.
Therefore, men of the jury, remembering these things clearly, if he attempts to slander anything about them now, oppose him with them.
πρῶτον δʼ ἵνʼ εἰδῆτʼ ἀκριβῶς ὅτι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἔχει, τῶν μαρτύρων ἀκούσατε.
But first, so that you may know accurately that this is how it stands, listen to the witnesses.
λέγε. ΜΑΡΤΥΡΕΣ.
Read.
§19οὐκοῦν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τῶν μὲν χιλίων δραχμῶν ὡς δικαίως καὶ προσοφειλομένων ἀπετίμησέ μοι τὴν οἰκίαν ὁ Πολύευκτος, αὐτὸς οὗτός μοι μαρτυρεῖ καὶ ἡ τούτου γυνὴ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις τούτοις τοῖς μεμαρτυρηκόσι, συγχωροῦντες τότε καὶ οὔτε πρὸς τὸν Πολύευκτον ἀντειπόντες ἐπιβιόντα τοσαύτας ἡμέρας, οὔτε πρὸς τὸν Ἀριστογένη, ἐπεὶ τάχιστʼ ἤκουσαν.
, men of the jury, that Polyeuctus set up the house as security for me for the thousand drachmas as being justly and additionally owed, this man himself and his wife testify for me, in addition to these others who have testified, by consenting at that time and neither speaking against Polyeuctus who lived for so many days, nor against Aristogenes, as soon as they heard of it.
ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴ γε δικαίως ἀπετιμήθη, μεμνημένοις τοῦ νόμου κατὰ μὲν τοῦθʼ ὑμῖν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀποψηφίσασθαι Σπουδίου. §20σκέψασθε δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν εἴκοσι μνῶν, ἃς οὐκ ἐπαναφέρει· καὶ γὰρ ἐνταυθοῖ πάλιν αὐτὸς οὗτός μοι μέγιστος ἔσται μάρτυς, οὐ λόγῳ μὰ Δίʼ ὥσπερ νῦν ἀντιδικῶν (τουτὶ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν τεκμήριόν ἐστιν), ἀλλʼ ἔργῳ περιφανεῖ.
But indeed, if it was justly set up as security, for you who remember the law, it is not possible on this point to acquit Spudias. also about the twenty minae, which he does not bring into the common fund; for here again, this man himself will be my greatest witness, not by word, by Zeus, as he is now disputing (for this is no proof), but by a conspicuous deed.
τί ποιῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί;
By doing what, men of the jury?
τούτῳ γὰρ ἤδη προσέχετε τὸν νοῦν, ἵνʼ ἐὰν ἄρα τολμᾷ τι καὶ περὶ τῆς μητρὸς τῶν γυναικῶν βλασφημεῖν ἢ περὶ τῶν γραμμάτων, εἰδότας ὑμᾶς μὴ δύνηται λέγων ἐξαπατᾶν. §21ταυτὶ γὰρ τὰ γράμματα κατέλιπεν μὲν ἡ Πολυεύκτου γυνή, καθάπερ εἶπον ὀλίγῳ πρότερον· ὁμολογουμένων δὲ τῶν σημείων καὶ παρὰ τῆς τούτου γυναικὸς καὶ παρὰ τῆς ἐμῆς, ἀμφότεροι παρόντες ἀνοίξαντες ἀντίγραφά τʼ ἐλάβομεν, κἀκεῖνα πάλιν κατασημηνάμενοι παρʼ Ἀριστογένει κατεθέμεθα. §22τοῦτο δή, τοῦτʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μάθετε πρὸς θεῶν.
Pay attention to this now, so that if he dares to say anything slanderous about the mother of the women or about the writings, he may not be able to deceive you by his words, since you know the facts. these writings were left by the wife of Polyeuctus, as I said a little earlier; and when the seals were acknowledged both by this man's wife and by mine, we both, being present, opened them and took copies, and having sealed them up again, we deposited them with Aristogenes. this indeed, this, men of the jury, by the gods.
ἐνῆσαν μὲν γὰρ αἱ δύο μναῖ, ἡ τιμὴ τοῦ οἰκέτου, καὶ οὐ μόνον ὁ Πολύευκτος ἀποθνῄσκων ταύτας ἐνεκεκλήκει, ἐνῆσαν δʼ αἱ χίλιαι καὶ ὀκτακόσιαι δραχμαί.
For in them were the two minae, the price of the servant, and not only had Polyeuctus on his deathbed made a claim for this, but there were also the eighteen hundred drachmas.
ταῦτα δʼ ἀναγνούς, εἰ μὲν αὐτῷ μηδὲν προσῆκεν μηδʼ ἀληθῆ τὰ γεγραμμένʼ ἦν, τί δή ποτʼ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἠγανάκτει περὶ αὐτῶν;
Having read this, if it did not concern him at all and the written things were not true, why on earth did he not show anger about them immediately?
τί δὲ συνεσημαίνετο πάλιν τὰ μηδὲν ὑγιὲς ὄντα μηδʼ ἀληθῆ γράμματα;
And why did he join in sealing up again the writings which were not sound or true?
τουτὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς δήπου μὴ πᾶσιν ὁμολογῶν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ποιήσειεν. §23ἀλλὰ μήν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τοῦτό γε δεινὸν δήπου, εἰ πρὸς τὰ συγκεχωρημένʼ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν τούτων ἐξέσται νῦν ἀντιλέγειν, καὶ μηδὲν σημεῖον ὑμῖν ἔσται, διότι πάντες ἄνθρωποι πρὸς τὰ μήτʼ ἀληθῆ μήτε δίκαια τῶν ἐγκλημάτων οὐ κατασιωπᾶν, ἀλλὰ παραχρῆμʼ ἀμφισβητεῖν εἰώθαμεν, μὴ ποιήσαντες δὲ ταῦτα, ἂν ὕστερον ἀντιδικῶσιν, πονηροὶ καὶ συκοφάνται δοκοῦσιν εἶναι.
For surely no one would do this unless he agreed with everything that was written. indeed, men of the jury, it is surely outrageous if it is to be permitted now to speak against what was agreed upon by these very men, and if there is to be no sign for you, because all of us humans are accustomed not to keep silent against charges that are neither true nor just, but to dispute them immediately, and those who do not do this, if they dispute them later, are thought to be wicked and sycophants.