§0Ὑπόθεσις
τὸν Ἐρχίεων δῆμον εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον προσκαλεῖταί τις τῶν ἀποψηφισθέντων ὡς ἀδίκως τῆς πολιτείας ἀπελαυνόμενος.
Hypothesis: One of those disenfranchised summons the deme of Erchia to court, on the grounds of being unjustly expelled from citizenship.
ἐγράφη γὰρ δή τις ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων νόμος, ἐξέτασιν γενέσθαι τῶν πολιτῶν κατὰ δήμους, τὸν δὲ ἀποψηφισθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν δημοτῶν τῆς πολιτείας μὴ μετέχειν, τοῖς δὲ ἀδίκως ἀποψηφισθεῖσιν ἔφεσιν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον εἶναι προσκαλεσαμένοις τοὺς δημότας, καὶ ἐὰν τὸ δεύτερον ἐξελεγχθῶσι, πεπρᾶσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ χρήματα εἶναι δημόσια.
For indeed a certain law was passed by the Athenians, that a scrutiny of the citizens should take place by demes, and that anyone rejected by the demesmen should not participate in the citizenship, but those unjustly rejected should have an appeal to the court after summoning the demesmen, and if they should be convicted a second time, they should be sold and their property be confiscated.
κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν νόμον ὁ Εὐφίλητος, προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς Ἐρχιέας ὡς ἀδίκως καταψηφισαμένους αὑτοῦ, τὸν ἀγῶνα τόνδε διατίθεται.
According to this law, Euphiletus, having summoned the Erchians on the grounds that they voted unjustly against him, is conducting this lawsuit.
προείρηται μὲν δὴ τὰ πράγματα ταῦτʼ ἀκριβῶς καὶ πεπίστωται διὰ τῶν μαρτύρων· οἷς δὲ βεβαίως βούλεται ποιῆσαι τὰς μαρτυρίας, τάδʼ ἐστίν, ὡς μὲν ἐγὼ δόξης ἔχω, πάντʼ ἀκριβῶς ἐξειργασμένα, κρινέτω δὲ ὁ βουλόμενος εἰ τὰ προσήκοντα ἔγνωκα περὶ αὐτῶν.
Now these facts have already been accurately stated and confirmed by the witnesses; but the points by which he wishes to make the testimonies secure are the following, which are, in my opinion, all accurately worked out, but let anyone who wishes judge whether I have formed a proper opinion about them.
§1ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ἀδελφὸς ἡμῖν ἐστιν οὑτοσὶ Εὐφίλητος, οὐ μόνον ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν συγγενῶν ἁπάντων ἀκηκόατε μαρτυρούντων.
That, then, gentlemen of the jury, this Euphiletus here is our brother, you have heard not only from us but also from all our relatives testifying.
σκέψασθε δὲ πρῶτον τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἂν ψεύδοιτο καὶ τοῦτον μὴ ὄντα αὐτοῦ ὑὸν εἰσεποιεῖτο.
First, consider our father: for what reason would he lie and adopt this man as his son if he were not really his?
§2πάντας γὰρ εὑρήσετε τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα πράττοντας ἢ οὐκ ὄντων αὑτοῖς γνησίων παίδων ἢ διὰ πενίαν ἀναγκαζομένους ξένους ἀνθρώπους εἰσποιεῖσθαι, ὅπως ὠφελῶνταί τι ἀπʼ αὐτῶν διʼ αὑτοὺς Ἀθηναίων γεγονότων.
For you will find that all who do such things are forced to adopt foreign men either because they have no legitimate children of their own or due to poverty, so that they may derive some benefit from them because they have become Athenians through them.
τῷ τοίνυν πατρὶ τούτων οὐδέτερον ὑπάρχει· γνήσιοι μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς δύο ὑεῖς ἐσμεν, ὥστε οὐκ ἄν γε διʼ ἐρημίαν τοῦτον εἰσεποιεῖτο.
Now, neither of these conditions applies to our father; for we are his two legitimate sons, so that he would certainly not adopt this man because of childlessness.
§3ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ τροφῆς τε καὶ εὐπορίας τῆς παρὰ τούτου δεόμενος· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτῷ 〈βίος〉 ἱκανός, καὶ χωρὶς τούτου μεμαρτύρηται ὑμῖν τοῦτον ἐκ παιδίου τρέφων καὶ ἀσκῶν καὶ εἰς 〈τοὺς〉 φράτορας εἰσάγων, καὶ ταῦτα οὐ μικρὰ δαπανήματά ἐστιν.
Furthermore, he was not in need of maintenance or support from him; for he has sufficient livelihood, and besides this, it has been testified to you that he has reared this man from childhood, educated him, and introduced him to the clansmen, and these are not small expenses.
ὥστε τόν γε πατέρα ἡμῶν οὐκ εἰκός ἐστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μηδὲν ὠφελούμενον οὕτως ἀδίκῳ πράγματι ἐπιχειρῆσαι.
So it is not likely, gentlemen of the jury, that our father, receiving no benefit, would attempt so unjust an act.
§4ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδʼ ἐμέ γε οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων οὕτω τελέως ἂν ἄφρονα ὑπολάβοι, ὥστε τούτῳ μαρτυρεῖν τὰ ψευδῆ, ὅπως τὰ πατρῷα διὰ πλειόνων διανείμωμαι.
Furthermore, no one would suppose me to be so completely foolish as to bear false witness for this man, so that I might divide my paternal estate among a greater number of heirs.
καὶ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἀμφισβητῆσαί μοι ἐξουσία γένοιτʼ ἂν ὕστερον ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδελφὸς οὗτος ἐμοῦ· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν ὑμῶν τὴν 〈ἐμὴν〉 φωνὴν ἀνάσχοιτʼ ἂν ἀκούων, 〈εἰ〉 νῦν μὲν ὑπόδικον ἐμαυτὸν καθιστὰς μαρτυρῶ ὡς ἔστιν ἀδελφὸς ἡμέτερος, ὕστερον δὲ φαινοίμην τούτοις ἀντιλέγων.
For indeed, I would not even have the opportunity later to dispute that he is not my brother; for no one of you would tolerate hearing my voice if, while now I testify that he is our brother, rendering myself liable to prosecution, I should later be seen contradicting these statements.
§5οὐ μόνον τοίνυν ἡμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, εἰκός ἐστι τἀληθῆ μεμαρτυρηκέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους συγγενεῖς.
It is likely, then, gentlemen of the jury, not only that we have testified the truth, but also the other relatives.
ἐνθυμήθητε γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι οἱ τὰς ἀδελφὰς ἡμῶν ἔχοντες οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐμαρτύρουν περὶ τούτου τὰ ψευδῆ· μητρυιὰ γὰρ ἡ τούτου μήτηρ ἐγεγένητο ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἀδελφαῖς, εἰώθασι δέ πως ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ διαφέρεσθαι ἀλλήλαις αἵ τε μητρυιαὶ καὶ αἱ πρόγονοι· ὥστε εἰ οὗτος ἐξ ἄλλου τινὸς ἀνδρὸς ἦν τῇ μητρυιᾷ καὶ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ ἡμετέρου πατρός, οὐκ ἄν ποτε, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἄνδρας αἱ ἀδελφαὶ μαρτυρεῖν [εἴασαν καὶ] ἐπέτρεψαν.
For consider, first of all, that those who have our sisters as wives would never have borne false witness concerning this man; for this man’s mother had become a stepmother to our sisters, and stepmothers and stepdaughters are somehow, for the most part, accustomed to be at variance with one another; so that if this man had been born to the stepmother from some other man and not from our father, our sisters, gentlemen of the jury, would never have allowed and permitted their own husbands to testify.
§6καὶ μὴν οὐδʼ ἂν ὁ θεῖος πρὸς μητρὸς ἡμῖν ὤν, τούτῳ δὲ οὐδὲν προσήκων δήπου τῇ τούτου μητρὶ ἠθέλησεν ἄν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μαρτυρῆσαι ψευδῆ μαρτυρίαν, διʼ ἣν ἡμῖν γίγνεται βλάβη περιφανής, εἴ περ ξένον ὄντα τοῦτον εἰσποιοῦμεν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς.
Furthermore, neither would our maternal uncle, who has no relation to this man’s mother, have been willing, gentlemen of the jury, to bear false witness, whereby manifest harm would come to us, if indeed we were adopting this man, who is a foreigner, as a brother to ourselves.
ἔτι τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, πρὸς τούτοις 〈πῶς〉 ἄν τις ὑμῶν καταγνοίη ψευδομαρτυρίων Δημαράτου τουτουὶ καὶ Ἡγήμονος καὶ Νικοστράτου, οἳ πρῶτον μὲν οὐδὲν αἰσχρὸν οὐδέποτε φανήσονται ἐπιτηδεύσαντες, εἶτα δʼ οἰκεῖοι ὄντες ἡμῖν καὶ εἰδότες ἡμᾶς ἅπαντας μεμαρτυρήκασιν Εὐφιλήτῳ τουτῳὶ τὴν αὑτοῦ συγγένειαν ἕκαστος;
Furthermore, in addition to this, gentlemen of the jury, how could any of you convict Demaratus here, and Hegemon, and Nicostratus of false witness? First of all, they will never be shown to have done anything shameful, and secondly, being our relatives and knowing all of us, they have each testified to the relationship of this Euphiletus here.