§7.1AΙΣΧΙΝΗΣ ΤΗΙ ΒΟΥΛΗI ΚΑΙ ΔΗΜΩΙ.
ʼΕπυθόμην τὰ ῥηθέντα Μελανώπῳ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὴν μὲν ὑμετέραν ἀπεδεξάμην φιλανθρωπίαν, Μελανώπῳ δὲ οὐκ ἐπανελθὼν μόνον πρὸς ὑμᾶς νομίζω τοῖς βεβιωμένοις αὐτῷ πρέπουσαν ἀποδώσειν χάριν, ἀλλʼ ἀτυχῶν ἔτι καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐστερημένος ὅμῶς ἀρκέσαι πειράσομαι.
AESCHINES TO THE COUNCIL AND THE PEOPLE. I heard what was said by Melanopus to you, and on the one hand, I accepted your kindness, but on the other hand, towards Melanopus, I think that I shall render a fitting return for his lifestyle, not only when I return to you, but even while I am still unfortunate and deprived of my fatherland, I will nevertheless try to be sufficient to oppose him.
§7.2ἐγὼ γάρ, ὦ ΜΔλάνωπε, κατὰ μὲν τοὺς νόμους ὁμολογῶ ταύτη κεχρῆσθαι τῇ συμφορᾷ, φημὶ μέντοι βοηθῶν ταῦτα τοῖς νόμοις πεπονθέναι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδένα στεφανοῦσθαι παρʼ αὐτοὺς ἀγωνιζόμενος.
For I, Melanopus, confess that I suffer this misfortune in accordance with the laws, I assert, however, that I have suffered these things because I was helping the laws, and because I was contending so that no one should be crowned contrary to them.
ἐμοὶ μὲν οὗν τὸ δεδυστυχηκέναι πολιτευομένῳ κοινόν ἐστι πρὸς Θεμιστοκλέα καὶ Ἀριστείδην καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς τῶν λαμπροτάτων ποτὲ ἐν τῆ πόλει γενομένων· §7.3σοὶ δὲ τὸ μέχρι μὲν χθὲς καὶ πρώην θεσμοθετοῦντος ἤδή σοῦ προεστάναι τὴν μητέρα, τρὶς δὲ ἐμπεσεῖν εἶς τὸ δεσμωτήριον τὸν πατέρα σου, σὲ δὲ πραθέντα τρισχιλίων δραχμῶν τὴν ἀκμὴν ἡταιρηκέναι, τοῖς περὶ Τί‒ μαρχον νέοις κοινὰ ταῦτʼ εἶναι, οὐ τοῖς περὶ Gεμιστοκλέα ἢ Ἀριστείδην τὸν δίκαιον ὑπολαμβάνω.
Therefore, for me, to have suffered misfortune while engaged in public affairs is common with Themistocles and Aristides, and many others of those who were once the most illustrious in the city; but for you, that up until yesterday and the day before, even when you were already serving as thesmothete, your mother ran a brothel, and that your father was thrown into prison three times, and that you yourself, having been sold for three thousand drachmas, prostituted yourself in the flower of your youth, these things, I suppose, are common with the young men around Timarchus, and not with those around Themistocles or Aristides the Just.
§7.4ἀλλὰ Μελανώπῳ μὲν αὗθις, ἐὰν ὑμῖν δόξῃ, διαλέξομαι παρών· ὑμῖν δὲ τῆς μὲν εὐνοίας, ἥν ἀπόντι μοι παρέχεσθε, θορυβοῦντες ἀεὶ καὶ μὴ θέλοντες ἀκροᾶσθαι τῶν λοιδορούντων ἡμᾶς, πολλὴν χάριν ἔχω, δικαιότερον μέντοι καὶ ἄμεινον ἥν ἐμὲ αὐτὸν ἐᾶσαι πρὸς τοὺς λοιδοροῦντας λέγειν, ψηφισαμένους πολλάκις πολλοῖς ῆδη ἐψηφίσασθε τὰ μέγιστα ἁμαρτοῦσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς.
But with Melanopus, if it seems best to you, I shall speak again when I am present; and to you, on the one hand, I am very grateful for the goodwill which you display toward me in my absence, by always making a clamor and refusing to listen to those who slander us; however, it would have been more just and better to vote to allow me myself to speak against those who slander, just as you have already voted many times for many who have committed the greatest offenses against you.
§7.5εἰ δὲ μή, τό γε δεύτερον ἂν δεηθείην, ἀνέχεσθαι πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν λοιδορουμένων ἡμᾶς, ἢ χαρίζεσθαι δοκοῦντας, ὅτι τῶν βλασφημιῶν οὐκ ἀκροᾶσθε, μείζω τὴν ὑποψίαν τῶν δυναμένων λέγεσθαι ποιεῖν.
Otherwise, I would make at least this second request, that you endure those who slander us much rather than, while seeming to do me a favor because you do not listen to the slanders, make the suspicion of what might be said even greater.