§2.8εἰ δέ τις τὰ εἰκότα ἀληθέσιν ἴσα ἡγεῖται καταμαρτυρῆσαί μου, ταὐτὸν ἀντιλογισάσθω ὅτι με εἰκότερον ἦν τὴν ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς τηροῦντα φυλάξασθαι καὶ μὴ παραγενέσθαι τῷ ἔργῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦτον σφαττόμενον ὀρθῶς γνῶμαι.
But if anyone considers that probabilities are equal to truths in testifying against me, let him counter-argue in the same way: that it was more probable for me, keeping watch for the safety of the plot, to guard myself and not to be present at the deed, rather than for this man to be correctly identified while being slaughtered.
§2.9ὡς δὲ τόνδε τὸν κίνδυνον οὐκ ἀσφαλέστερον τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς ἡγούμην εἶναι, ἀλλὰ πολλαπλάσιον, εἰ μὴ παρεφρόνουν, διδάξω.
And that I did not consider this danger to be safer than the one from the public suit, but rather many times greater, I will show, unless I was out of my mind.
ἁλοὺς μὲν γὰρ τὴν γραφὴν τῆς μὲν οὐσίας ᾔδη ἐκστησόμενος, τοῦ δὲ σώματος καὶ τῆς πόλεως οὐκ ἀπεστερούμην, περιγενόμενος δὲ καὶ λειφθείς, κἂν ἔρανον παρὰ τῶν φίλων συλλέξας, οὐκ ἂν εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα κακὰ ἦλθον·
For if I had been convicted in the public suit, I knew I would have lost my property, but I would not have been deprived of my life or my city. And if I survived and was left behind, even by collecting contributions from friends, I would not have fallen into the ultimate evils.
ἐὰν δὲ νῦν καταληφθεὶς ἀποθάνω, ἀνόσια ὀνείδη τοῖς παισὶν ὑπολείψω, ἢ φυγὼν γέρων καὶ ἄπολις ὢν ἐπὶ ξενίας πτωχεύσω.
But if I am now convicted and die, I shall leave impious disgrace to my children, or, escaping as an exile, I shall beg as an old and stateless man in a foreign land.
§2.10οὕτω μὲν ἃ κατηγόρηταί μου, πάντα ἄπιστά ἐστιν·
Thus, all the accusations made against me are incredible.
ἀπολύεσθαι δὲ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν, εἰ καὶ εἰκότως μὲν ὄντως δὲ μὴ ἀπέκτεινα τὸν ἄνδρα, πολὺ μᾶλλον δίκαιός εἰμι.
And I am far more deserving of being acquitted by you, even if it is likely, yet in reality I did not kill the man.
ἐγώ τε γὰρ φανερὸν ὅτι μεγάλα ἀδικούμενος ἠμυνόμην· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἰκότως ἐδόκουν ἀποκτεῖναι αὐτόν·
For it is clear that if I had been deeply wronged, I would have defended myself; for otherwise I would not have been reasonably suspected of killing him.
τούς τε ἀποκτείναντας καὶ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίαν ἔχοντας ἀποκτεῖναι ὀρθῶς ἂν καταλαμβάνοιτε.
And you would rightly convict the actual killers, and not those who merely bear the accusation.
§2.11ἐκ δὲ παντὸς τρόπου ἀπολυόμενος τῆς αἰτίας ἔγωγε οὔτε εἰς τὰ τεμένη εἰσιὼν τὴν ἁγνείαν τῶν θεῶν μιανῶ, οὔτε ὑμᾶς πείθων ἀπολῦσαί με ἀνόσια πράσσω.
Being acquitted of the charge in every way, I shall neither pollute the sanctity of the gods by entering their precincts, nor do I act impiously in persuading you to acquit me.
οἱ δὲ διώκοντες μὲν ἐμὲ τὸν ἀναίτιον, τὸν δʼ αἴτιον ἀφιέντες, τῆς τε ἀφορίας αἴτιοι γίγνονται, ὑμᾶς τε ἀσεβεῖς εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς πείθοντες καταστῆναι πάντων ὧν ἐμὲ ἄξιόν φασι παθεῖν εἶναι δίκαιοί εἰσι τυγχάνειν.
But those who prosecute me, the innocent one, while letting the guilty one go free, become the cause of the barrenness of the land, and by persuading you to become impious towards the gods, they are the ones who deserve to meet with all the punishments they say I deserve to suffer.
§2.12τούτους μὲν οὖν τούτων ἀξίους ὄντας ἀπίστους ἡγεῖσθε· ἐμὲ δὲ ἔκ γε τῶν προειργασμένων γνώσεσθε οὔτε ἐπιβουλεύοντα οὔτε τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων ὀρεγόμενον, ἀλλὰ τἀναντία τούτων πολλὰς μὲν καὶ μεγάλας εἰσφορὰς εἰσφέροντα, πολλὰ δὲ τριηραρχοῦντα, λαμπρῶς δὲ χορηγοῦντα, πολλοῖς δὲ ἐρανίζοντα, μεγάλας δὲ ὑπὲρ πολλῶν ἐγγύας ἀποτίνοντα, τὴν δὲ οὐσίαν οὐ δικαζόμενον ἀλλʼ ἐργαζόμενον κεκτημένον, φιλοθύτην δὲ καὶ νόμιμον ὄντα.
Therefore, consider these men, who are deserving of such fates, as unworthy of belief; but as for me, you will know from my past deeds that I am neither a plotter nor a coveter of what does not belong to me, but quite the contrary: one who pays many large property taxes, frequently serves as trierarch, sumptuously produces choruses, contributes to many friendly loans, pays large bails on behalf of many, and has acquired his property not through litigation but through labor, being a lover of sacrifices and law-abiding.
τοιούτου δὲ ὄντος μου μηδὲν ἀνόσιον μηδὲ αἰσχρὸν καταγνῶτε.
Being such a person, do not condemn me for anything impious or shameful.
§2.13εἰ δὲ ὑπὸ ζῶντος ἐδιωκόμην, οὐκ ἂν μόνον ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπελογούμην, ἀλλʼ αὐτόν τε τοῦτον καὶ τοὺς τούτῳ μὲν βοηθοῦντας, παρʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ ὠφελεῖσθαι ζητοῦντας ἐφʼ οἷς κατηγορεῖταί μου, ἀπέδειξα ἂν ἀδικοῦντας.
And if I were being prosecuted by him while alive, I would not only have defended myself, but I would have shown that this very man and those who assist him—seeking to benefit themselves at my expense through the charges brought against me—are the ones doing wrong.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπιεικέστερον ἢ δικαιότερον παρήσω· δέομαι δʼ ὑμῶν, ὦ ἄνδρες, τῶν μεγίστων κριταὶ καὶ κύριοι, ἐλεήσαντας τὴν ἀτυχίαν μου ἰατροὺς γενέσθαι αὐτῆς, καὶ μὴ συνεπιβάντας τῇ τούτων ἐπιθέσει περιιδεῖν ἀδίκως καὶ ἀθέως διαφθαρέντα με ὑπʼ αὐτῶν.
However, I shall pass over these matters, choosing a course of leniency rather than strict justice; but I beg of you, gentlemen, judges and masters of the greatest issues, to have pity on my misfortune and become its healers, and not, by joining in their attack, to stand by and watch me be unjustly and impiously destroyed by them.