§7ἐγὼ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἔχω περὶ τῆς ἀπολογίας ἥνπερ οἱ κατήγοροι περὶ τῆς κατηγορίας.
But I, gentlemen, do not hold the same opinion concerning the defense as the accusers do concerning the accusation.
οὗτοι γὰρ τὴν μὲν δίωξιν εὐσεβείας ἕνεκά φασι ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ δικαίου, τὴν δὲ κατηγορίαν ἅπασαν πεποίηνται διαβολῆς ἕνεκα καὶ ἀπάτης, ὅπερ ἀδικώτατόν ἐστι τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις· καὶ οὐκ ἐλέγξαντες, εἴ τι ἀδικῶ, δικαίως με βούλονται τιμωρεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ διαβαλόντες, καὶ εἰ μηδὲν ἀδικῶ, ζημιῶσαι καὶ ἐξελάσαι ἐκ τῆς γῆς ταύτης.
For they claim to make the prosecution for the sake of piety and justice, but they have made the entire accusation for the sake of slander and deception, which is the most unjust of things among men; and instead of proving it if I am guilty of any wrong, and wishing me to be punished justly, they wish, by slandering me, even if I am guilty of no wrong, to fine me and banish me from this land.
§8ἐγὼ δὲ ἀξιῶ πρῶτον μὲν περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ἀποκρίνεσθαι, καὶ διηγήσασθαι ἐν ὑμῖν τὰ γενόμενα πάντα· ἔπειτα περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν οὗτοι κατηγοροῦσιν, ἐὰν ὑμῖν ἡδομένοις, βουλήσομαι ἀπολογήσασθαι.
But I demand first to answer concerning the matter itself, and to relate all that happened before you; then concerning the other things which they accuse me of, if it is pleasing to you, I shall wish to make my defense.
ἡγοῦμαι γὰρ ἐμοὶ τιμὴν καὶ ὠφέλειαν αὐτὰ οἴσειν, τοῖς δὲ κατηγόροις καὶ τοῖς ἐπηρεάζουσιν αἰσχύνην· ἐπεί τοί γε καὶ δεινόν, ὦ ἄνδρες·
For I believe these things will bring honor and benefit to me, but shame to the accusers and to those who harass me.
ἵνα μὲν ἐξῆν αὐτοῖς, §9εἴ τι ἠδίκουν ἐγὼ τὴν πόλιν ἢ ἐν χορηγίᾳ ἢ ἐν ἄλλοις τισίν, ἀποφήνασι καὶ ἐξελέγξασιν ἄνδρα τε ἐχθρὸν τιμωρήσασθαι καὶ τὴν πόλιν ὠφελῆσαι, ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὐδεὶς πώποτε οἷός τε ἐγένετο αὐτῶν οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μέγα ἐξελέγξαι ἀδικοῦντα τόνδε τὸν ἄνδρα τὸ πλῆθος τὸ ὑμέτερον· ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῷ ἀγῶνι, φόνου διώκοντες καὶ τοῦ νόμου οὕτως ἔχοντος, εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμα κατηγορεῖν, μηχανῶνται ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ λόγους ψευδεῖς συντιθέντες καὶ διαβάλλοντες τὰ εἰς τὴν πόλιν.
Indeed, it is a strange thing, gentlemen; where it was possible for them, if I were doing any wrong to the city, either in the choregia or in any other matters, to reveal and prove it, and thus to punish an enemy and benefit the city, there not one of them was ever able to prove this man guilty of doing any wrong, either small or great, to your multitude; but in this trial, though prosecuting for murder and though the law stands thus, that one must accuse concerning the matter itself, they plot against me by composing false stories and slandering my conduct toward the city.
καὶ τῇ μὲν πόλει, εἴπερ ἀδικεῖται, κατηγορίαν ἀντὶ τιμωρίας ἀπονέμουσιν, αὐτοὶ δὲ οὗ τὴν πόλιν φασὶν ἀδικεῖσθαι, τούτου ἰδίᾳ ἀξιοῦσι δίκην λαμβάνειν.
And to the city, if indeed it is wronged, they render accusation instead of punishment, while they themselves demand to take personal satisfaction for that in which they say the city is wronged.
§10καίτοι αὗται αἱ κατηγορίαι οὔτε χάριτος ἄξιαι οὔτε πίστεως.
And yet these accusations are worthy of neither gratitude nor trust.
οὔτε γὰρ δὴ οὗ ἡ πόλις ἐλάμβανεν ἂν δίκην εἴ τι ἠδίκητο, ἐνταῦθα τὴν κατηγορίαν ποιεῖται, ὥστε χάριτος ἄξιον εἶναι τῇ πόλει· οὔτε ὅστις [οὐκ] ἄλλα κατηγορεῖ ἢ ἃ διώκει ἐν πράγματι τοιούτῳ, πιστεῦσαι δήπου αὐτῷ ἀξιώτερόν ἐστιν ἢ ἀπιστῆσαι.
For they do not make the accusation in the place where the city would have taken punishment if it had been wronged, so as to be worthy of gratitude from the city; nor is it more fitting, surely, to trust than to distrust one who accuses of things other than what he prosecutes in such a matter.
ἐγὼ δὲ σχεδὸν ἐπίσταμαι τὴν ὑμετέραν γνώμην, ὅτι οὔτʼ ἂν καταψηφίσαισθε οὔτʼ ἂν ἀποψηφίσαισθε ἑτέρου τινὸς ἕνεκα μᾶλλον ἢ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος· ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ δίκαια καὶ ὅσια.
But I well-nigh know your mind, that you would vote for acquittal or condemnation for no other reason than the matter itself; for these things are both just and holy.
ἄρξομαι δὲ ἐντεῦθεν.
And I shall begin from here.
§11ἐπειδὴ χορηγὸς κατεστάθην εἰς Θαργήλια καὶ ἔλαχον Παντακλέα διδάσκαλον καὶ Κεκροπίδα φυλὴν πρὸς τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ, [τουτέστι τῇ Ἐρεχθῇδι,] ἐχορήγουν ὡς ἄριστα ἐδυνάμην καὶ δικαιότατα.
When I was appointed choregos for the Thargelia, and drew by lot Pantacles as teacher and the Cecropis tribe in addition to my own [that is, the Erechtheis], I performed my choregia as best and as justly as I could.
καὶ πρῶτον μὲν διδασκαλεῖον ᾗ ἦν ἐπιτηδειότατον τῆς ἐμῆς οἰκίας κατεσκεύασα, ἐν ᾧπερ καὶ Διονυσίοις ὅτε ἐχορήγουν ἐδίδασκον· ἔπειτα τὸν χορὸν συνέλεξα ὡς ἐδυνάμην ἄριστα, οὔτε ζημιώσας οὐδένα οὔτε ἐνέχυρα βίᾳ φέρων οὔτʼ ἀπεχθανόμενος οὐδενί, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἂν ἥδιστα καὶ ἐπιτηδειότατα ἀμφοτέροις ἐγίγνετο, ἐγὼ μὲν ἐκέλευον καὶ ᾐτούμην, οἱ δʼ ἑκόντες καὶ βουλόμενοι ἔπεμπον.
And first, I prepared a training school in the most suitable part of my house, in which very place I also taught when I was choregos at the Dionysia; then I collected the chorus as best as I could, neither fining anyone nor taking pledges by force nor making myself hated by anyone, but just as would be most pleasant and suitable for both sides, I commanded and requested, and they sent the children willingly and gladly.
§12ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκον οἱ παῖδες, πρῶτον μέν μοι ἀσχολία ἦν παρεῖναι καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι· ἐτύγχανε γάρ μοι πράγματα ὄντα πρὸς Ἀριστίωνα καὶ Φιλῖνον, ἃ ἐγὼ περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιούμην, ἐπειδήπερ εἰσήγγειλα, ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως ἀποδεῖξαι τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἀθηναίοις.
But when the boys arrived, first of all I had no leisure to be present and take care of them; for I happened to have business against Aristion and Philinus, which I made of great importance, since I had impeached them, to demonstrate rightly and justly to the Council and the other Athenians.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν τούτοις προσεῖχον τὸν νοῦν, κατέστησα δὲ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, εἴ τι δέοι τῷ χορῷ, Φανόστρατον, δημότην μὲν τουτωνὶ τῶν διωκόντων, κηδεστὴν δʼ ἐμαυτοῦ, ᾧ ἐγὼ δέδωκα τὴν θυγατέρα, καὶ ἠξίουν αὐτὸν ὡς
I therefore applied my mind to these things, and appointed to take care, if the chorus needed anything, Phanostratus, a demesman of these prosecutors here, and a relative of mine by marriage, to whom I have given my daughter, and I requested him as...