§22τὸν τοίνυν νόμον ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀνάγνωθι, ὃς κελεύει ἐπιδικασίαν εἶναι τῶν ἐπικλήρων ἁπασῶν, καὶ ξένων καὶ ἀστῶν, καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν πολιτῶν τὸν ἄρχοντα εἰσάγειν καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, περὶ δὲ τῶν μετοίκων τὸν πολέμαρχον, καὶ ἀνεπίδικον μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἔχειν μήτε κλῆρον μήτε ἐπίκληρον.
Now read the law concerning these matters, which ordains that there shall be a judicial adjudication in the case of all heiresses, whether foreign or civic, and that for citizens the archon shall bring the matter into court and take charge of it, and for resident aliens the polemarch, and that it shall not be lawful to hold either an estate or an heiress without adjudication.
ΝΟΜΟΣ.
"κληροῦν δὲ τὸν ἄρχοντα κλήρων καὶ ἐπικλήρων, ὅσοι εἰσὶ μῆνες, πλὴν τοῦ σκιροφοριῶνος. ἀνεπίδικον δὲ κλῆρον μὴ ἔχειν.
LAW "The archon shall assign by lot estates and heiresses in every month except Skirophorion.
" §23οὐκοῦν αὐτόν, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο ὀρθῶς διαπράττεσθαι, λαχεῖν ἔδει τῆς ἐπικλήρου, εἴτε κατὰ δόσιν αὐτῷ προσῆκεν εἴτε κατὰ γένος, εἰ μὲν ὡς ὑπὲρ ἀστῆς, πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα, εἰ δὲ ὡς ὑπὲρ ξένης, πρὸς τὸν πολέμαρχον, καὶ τότε, εἴπερ τι λέγειν εἶχε δίκαιον, πείσαντα ὑμῶν τοὺς λαχόντας μετὰ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς ψήφου κύριον εἶναι, καὶ μὴ αὐτὸν αὑτῷ νόμους ἰδίους θέμενον διαπράξασθαι ἃ ἐβούλετο.
And no one shall hold an estate without adjudication." Therefore, if indeed he wished to act rightly, he ought to have applied for the adjudication of the heiress, whether her possession belonged to him by gift or by kinship—if as a citizen, to the archon, and if as a foreign woman, to the polemarch; and then, if he had any just claim to make, he should have become her master by persuading those of you chosen by lot, in accordance with the laws and your vote, and not have accomplished what he wished by making private laws for himself.
§24σκέψασθε δὴ καὶ τονδὶ τὸν νόμον, ὃς κελεύει τὴν διαθήκην, ἣν ἂν παίδων ὄντων γνησίων ὁ πατὴρ διαθῆται ἐὰν ἀποθάνωσιν οἱ παῖδες πρὶν ἡβῆσαι, κυρίαν εἶναι.
Consider also this law, which ordains that a will which a father makes when there are legitimate children shall be valid if the children die before reaching puberty.
ΝΟΜΟΣ.
"ὅ τι ἂν γνησίων ὄντων υἱέων ὁ πατὴρ διαθῆται ἐὰν ἀποθάνωσιν οἱ υἱεῖς πρὶν ἐπὶ δίετες ἡβᾶν, τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς διαθήκην κυρίαν εἶναι. " §25οὐκοῦν ὁπότε ζῶσιν, ἄκυρος μὲν ἡ διαθήκη ἐστίν, ἥν φασιν οὗτοι τὸν πατέρα καταλιπεῖν, παρὰ πάντας δὲ τοὺς νόμους μεμαρτύρηκε Στέφανος οὑτοσὶ τὰ ψευδῆ, ὡς ἀντίγραφά ἐστι τῆς διαθήκης τῆς Πασίωνος·
LAW "Whatever will a father may make when there are legitimate sons, if the sons die before they have reached puberty for two years, the father's will shall be valid." Therefore, when they are alive, the will which these men claim my father left is invalid, and yet this Stephanos, in defiance of all the laws, has given false testimony that this is a copy of Pasion's will.
πῶς γὰρ σὺ οἶσθα, καὶ ποῦ παραγενόμενος διατιθεμένῳ τῷ πατρί;
For how do you know, and where were you present when my father made his will?
κακοτεχνῶν δὲ φαίνει περὶ τὰς δίκας, τὰ ψευδῆ μὲν αὐτὸς μαρτυρῶν ἑτοίμως, κλέπτων δὲ τὰς ἀληθεῖς μαρτυρίας, ἐξαπατῶν δὲ τοὺς δικαστάς, συνιστάμενος δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς δίκαις.
He is shown to be practicing knavery in lawsuits, readily bearing false witness himself, suppressing the true testimonies, deceiving the jurors, and conspiring in lawsuits.
οἱ δὲ νόμοι καὶ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων γραφὴν πεποιήκασιν.
But the laws have provided a public prosecution even for such acts.
§26καί μοι ἀνάγνωθι τὸν νόμον.
And read the law for me.
ΝΟΜΟΣ.
"ἐάν τις συνιστῆται, ἢ συνδεκάζῃ τὴν ἡλιαίαν ἢ τῶν δικαστηρίων τι τῶν Ἀθήνησιν ἢ τὴν βουλὴν ἐπὶ δωροδοκίᾳ χρήματα διδοὺς ἢ δεχόμενος, ἢ ἑταιρείαν συνιστῇ ἐπὶ καταλύσει τοῦ δήμου, ἢ συνήγορος ὢν λαμβάνῃ χρήματα ἐπὶ ταῖς δίκαις ταῖς ἰδίαις ἢ δημοσίαις, τούτων εἶναι τὰς γραφὰς πρὸς τοὺς θεσμοθέτας. " §27ἡδέως ἂν τοίνυν ὑμᾶς ἐροίμην ἐπὶ τούτοις ἅπασι, κατὰ ποίους νόμους ὀμωμοκότες δικάζετε, πότερα κατὰ τοὺς τῆς πόλεως ἢ καθʼ οὓς Φορμίων αὑτῷ νομοθετεῖ.
LAW "If anyone conspires, or bribes the Heliaia or any of the courts in Athens or the Council, by giving or receiving money for bribery, or organizes a faction for the overthrow of the democracy, or, acting as an advocate, receives money in private or public suits, against these persons public prosecutions shall lie before the Thesmothetai." Now on all these points, I would gladly ask you: according to what laws did you take your oath to judge? Those of the city, or those which Phormion legislates for himself?
ἐγὼ μὲν τοίνυν τούτους παρέχομαι ὑμῖν, καὶ ἐξελέγχω αὐτοὺς ἀμφοτέρους παραβεβηκότας, Φορμίωνα μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀδικήσαντα ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀποστερήσαντα τὰ χρήματα, ἃ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῖν κατέλιπεν καὶ ἐμίσθωσε τούτῳ μετὰ τῆς τραπέζης καὶ τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου, Στέφανον δὲ τουτονὶ τὰ ψευδῆ μεμαρτυρηκότα καὶ παρὰ τὸν νόμον.
For my part, I present these laws to you, and I prove that both of them have transgressed—Phormion having wronged us from the beginning and deprived us of the money which our father left us and leased to him with the bank and the manufactory, and this Stephanos having given false testimony and contrary to the law.
§28ἄξιον τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ τόδε ἐνθυμηθῆναι, ὅτι διαθήκης οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἀντίγραφα ἐποιήσατο, ἀλλὰ συγγραφῶν μέν, ἵνα εἰδῶσι καὶ μὴ παραβαίνωσι, διαθηκῶν δὲ οὔ.
It is worth considering this too, men of the jury, that no one has ever made copies of a will; of agreements they do, so that they may know them and not violate them, but of wills they do not.
τούτου γὰρ ἕνεκα κατασεσημασμένας καταλείπουσιν οἱ διατιθέμενοι, ἵνα μηδεὶς εἰδῇ ἃ διατίθενται.
For this is the reason why testators leave them sealed, so that no one may know what they are bequeathing.
πῶς οὖν ὑμεῖς ἴστε ὅτι ἀντίγραφά ἐστιν τῶν διαθηκῶν τῶν Πασίωνος τὰ ἐν τῷ γραμματείῳ γεγραμμένα;
How then do you know that the contents written on the tablet are copies of Pasion's will?
δέομαι οὖν ὑμῶν ἁπάντων, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ ἱκετεύω βοηθῆσαι μὲν ἐμοί, τιμωρήσασθαι δὲ τοὺς ἑτοίμως οὕτως τὰ ψευδῆ μαρτυροῦντας, ὑπέρ τε ὑμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ τῶν νόμων.
Therefore, I entreat and supplicate you all, men of the jury, to come to my aid, and to punish those who so readily bear false witness, both for your own sakes and for mine, and for justice and the laws.