§1πολλὰ καὶ ψευδῆ κατηγορηκότος ἡμῶν Εὐβουλίδου, καὶ βλασφημίας οὔτε προσηκούσας οὔτε δικαίας πεποιημένου, πειράσομαι τἀληθῆ καὶ τὰ δίκαια λέγων, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, δεῖξαι καὶ μετὸν τῆς πόλεως ἡμῖν καὶ πεπονθότʼ ἐμαυτὸν οὐχὶ προσήκονθʼ ὑπὸ τούτου.
Eubulides having made many false accusations against us, and having uttered slanders that are neither fitting nor just, I shall try, by speaking the truth and what is just, gentlemen of the jury, to show both that I have a share in the city and that I have suffered treatment from him that is not fitting.
δέομαι δʼ ἁπάντων ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ ἱκετεύω καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, λογισαμένους τό τε μέγεθος τοῦ παρόντος ἀγῶνος καὶ τὴν αἰσχύνην μεθʼ ἧς ὑπάρχει τοῖς ἁλισκομένοις ἀπολωλέναι, ἀκοῦσαι καὶ ἐμοῦ σιωπῇ, μάλιστα μέν, εἰ δυνατόν, μετὰ πλείονος εὐνοίας ἢ τούτου (τοῖς γὰρ ἐν κινδύνῳ καθεστηκόσιν εἰκὸς εὐνοϊκωτέρους ὑπάρχειν), εἰ δὲ μή, μετά γε τῆς ἴσης.
And I beg of you all, gentlemen of the jury, and implore and entreat, when you have considered both the magnitude of the present trial and the disgrace with which ruin comes to those who are convicted, to hear me also in silence, preferably, if possible, with greater goodwill than you show to him (for it is reasonable to be more well-disposed to those who are in danger), but if not, at least with equal goodwill.
συμβαίνει δέ μοι τὸ μὲν καθʼ ἡμᾶς, §2ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ τὸ προσήκειν μοι τῆς πόλεως, θαρρεῖν καὶ πολλὰς ἔχειν ἐλπίδας καλῶς ἀγωνιεῖσθαι, τὸν καιρὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ παρωξύνθαι τὴν πόλιν πρὸς τὰς ἀποψηφίσεις φοβεῖσθαι· πολλῶν γὰρ ἐξεληλαμένων δικαίως ἐκ πάντων τῶν δήμων, συγκεκοινωνήκαμεν τῆς δόξης ταύτης οἱ κατεστασιασμένοι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κατʼ ἐκείνων αἰτίαν, οὐ πρὸς τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸν ἕκαστος ἀγωνιζόμεθα, ὥστʼ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μέγαν ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸν φόβον.
And it happens to me that, as far as our own case is concerned, gentlemen of the jury, and my membership in the city, I have confidence and great hopes of conducting my defense well, but I fear the occasion and the fact that the city has been excited to anger concerning the votes of expulsion; for since many have been justly expelled from all the demes, we who have been victims of factional plots have shared in this general reputation, and we are contending against the prejudice directed at them, rather than each on his own merits, so that of necessity our fear is great.
§3οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καίπερ τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων, ἃ νομίζω περὶ τούτων αὐτῶν πρῶτον εἶναι δίκαια, ἐρῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
Nevertheless, although these things are so, I shall speak to you first what I think is just regarding these very matters.
ἐγὼ γὰρ οἴομαι δεῖν ὑμᾶς τοῖς μὲν ἐξελεγχομένοις ξένοις οὖσιν χαλεπαίνειν, εἰ μήτε πείσαντες μήτε δεηθέντες ὑμῶν λάθρᾳ καὶ βίᾳ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἱερῶν καὶ κοινῶν μετεῖχον, τοῖς δʼ ἠτυχηκόσι καὶ δεικνύουσι πολίτας ὄντας αὑτοὺς βοηθεῖν καὶ σῴζειν, ἐνθυμουμένους ὅτι πάντων οἰκτρότατον πάθος ἡμῖν ἂν συμβαίη τοῖς ἠδικημένοις, εἰ τῶν λαμβανόντων δίκην ὄντες ἂν δικαίως μεθʼ ὑμῶν, ἐν τοῖς διδοῦσι γενοίμεθα καὶ συναδικηθείημεν διὰ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ὀργήν.
For I think you ought to be severe with those who are proven to be foreigners, if, without having persuaded or petitioned you, they secretly and by force participated in your sacred rites and public privileges, but to help and save those who have met with misfortune and who show themselves to be citizens, reflecting that the most pitiable fate of all would befall us, the injured party, if, when we ought justly to be among those taking satisfaction along with you, we should end up among those paying the penalty, and be wrongfully condemned together with them because of the general anger at the situation.
§4ᾤμην μὲν οὖν ἔγωγʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, προσήκειν Εὐβουλίδῃ, καὶ πᾶσιν δʼ ὅσοι νῦν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀποψηφίσεσιν κατηγοροῦσιν, ὅσʼ ἴσασιν ἀκριβῶς λέγειν καὶ μηδεμίαν προσάγειν ἀκοὴν πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀγῶνα.
Indeed, I for my part thought, gentlemen of the jury, that it was fitting for Eubulides, and for all those who now accuse others at these votes of expulsion, to speak only what they know accurately, and to bring no hearsay evidence into such a trial.
οὕτω γὰρ τοῦτʼ ἄδικον καὶ σφόδρα πάλαι κέκριται, ὥστʼ οὐδὲ μαρτυρεῖν ἀκοὴν ἐῶσιν οἱ νόμοι, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς πάνυ φαύλοις ἐγκλήμασιν, εἰκότως· ὅπου γὰρ εἰδέναι τινὲς ἤδη φήσαντες ψευδεῖς ἐφάνησαν, πῶς ἅ γε μηδʼ αὐτὸς οἶδεν ὁ λέγων, προσήκει πιστεύεσθαι;
For this has been judged to be so unjust and of old, that the laws do not even allow hearsay evidence to be given, not even on the most trivial charges—and with good reason; for where some who have asserted that they actually knew have been shown to be false, how is it fitting that what the speaker himself does not even know should be believed?
§5ἀλλὰ μὴν ὅπου γε μηδʼ ὑπεύθυνον καθιστάνθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἔξεστιν, διʼ ὧν ἂν ἀκοῦσαι τις φῇ, βλάπτειν μηδένα, πῶς ἀνυπευθύνῳ γε λέγοντι προσήκει πιστεύειν ὑμᾶς;
Moreover, where it is not permitted to harm anyone by what one claims to have heard, even when submitting oneself to liability, how is it fitting for you to believe someone speaking without being liable?
ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οὗτος εἰδὼς τοὺς νόμους καὶ μᾶλλον ἢ προσῆκεν, ἀδίκως καὶ πλεονεκτικῶς τὴν κατηγορίαν πεποίηται, ἀναγκαῖον ἐμοὶ περὶ ὧν ἐν τοῖς δημόταις ὑβρίσθην πρῶτον εἰπεῖν.
Since, therefore, this man, knowing the laws better than was proper, has made his accusation unjustly and for personal advantage, it is necessary for me to speak first about the outrages I suffered among the demesmen.
§6ἀξιῶ δʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, μηδέπω τὴν τῶν δημοτῶν ἀποψήφισιν ποιεῖσθαι τεκμήριον ὑμᾶς, ὡς ἄρʼ οὐχὶ προσήκει μοι τῆς πόλεως.
And I ask of you, gentlemen of Athens, not yet to make the vote of expulsion by the demesmen a proof that, as they say, I have no share in the city.
εἰ γὰρ πάντʼ ἐνομίζετε τὰ δίκαια δυνήσεσθαι τοὺς δημότας διακρῖναι, οὐκ ἂν ἐδώκατε τὴν εἰς ὑμᾶς ἔφεσιν· νῦν δὲ καὶ διὰ φιλονικίαν καὶ διὰ φθόνον καὶ διʼ ἔχθραν καὶ διʼ ἄλλας προφάσεις ἔσεσθαί τι τοιοῦτον ἡγούμενοι, τὴν εἰς ὑμᾶς τοῖς ἀδικηθεῖσιν ἐποιήσατε καταφυγήν, διʼ ἣν καλῶς ποιοῦντες, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοὺς ἠδικημένους ἅπαντας σεσῴκατε.
For if you had thought that the demesmen would be able to decide all things justly, you would not have granted the right of appeal to you; but as it is, because you believed that something of this kind would occur through partisan rivalry, envy, enmity, or other excuses, you created a refuge in your court for those who are wronged, by means of which, acting rightly, gentlemen of Athens, you have saved all those who have been treated unjustly.
§7πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ὃν τρόπον ἐν τοῖς δημόταις συνέβη τὴν διαψήφισιν γενέσθαι, φράσω πρὸς ὑμᾶς· τὸ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμα πάντα λέγειν τοῦτʼ ἐγὼ ὑπολαμβάνω, ὅσα τις παρὰ τὸ ψήφισμα πέπονθεν ἀδίκως καταστασιασθείς, ἐπιδεῖξαι.
First, then, I shall explain to you the manner in which the vote took place among the demesmen; for I consider that speaking entirely to the matter itself consists in demonstrating all that one has suffered unjustly, having been victimized by a faction contrary to the decree.
§8Εὐβουλίδης γὰρ οὑτοσί, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὡς ὑμῶν ἴσασι πολλοί, γραψάμενος ἀσεβείας τὴν ἀδελφὴν τὴν Λακεδαιμονίου τὸ πέμπτον μέρος τῶν ψήφων οὐ μετέλαβεν.
For Eubulides here, gentlemen of Athens, as many of you know, having prosecuted the sister of Lacedaemonius for impiety, did not obtain a fifth part of the votes.
ὅτι δὴ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἀγῶνι τὰ δίκαια, τούτῳ δὲ τἀναντίʼ ἐμαρτύρησα, διὰ ταύτην τὴν ἔχθραν ἐπιτίθεταί μοι.
And because in that trial I testified to what was just, but he testified to the contrary, he attacks me due to this enmity.
καὶ βουλεύων, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ κύριος ὢν τοῦ θʼ ὅρκου καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐξ ὧν ἀνεκάλει τοὺς δημότας, τί ποιεῖ;
And being a member of the Council, gentlemen of the jury, and in charge of both the oath and the register from which he called out the names of the demesmen, what does he do?