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Hypereides · For Euxenippus §34-41

Precedents of Mining Disputes and the Call for Justice

Passage 5 of 5 · Greek

Summary

Hyperides cites historical precedents of mining disputes to demonstrate that the Athenian people respect private property and reject false accusations, and he urges the jurymen to dismiss the unlawful impeachment against Euxenippus by focusing objectively on the laws and their oath.

§34καὶ πρῶτον μὲν Τείσιδος τοῦ Ἀγρυλῆθεν ἀπογράψαντος τὴν Εὐθυκράτους οὐσίαν ὡς δημοσίαν οὖσαν, ἣ πλεόνων ἢ ἑξήκοντα ταλάντων ἦν, καὶ μετʼ ἐκείνην πάλιν ὑπισχνουμένου τὴν Θιλίππου καὶ Ναυσικλέους ἀπογράψειν, καὶ λέγοντος ὡς ἐξ ἀναπογράφων μετάλλων πεπλουτήκασι, τοσοῦτον οὗτοι ἀπέλιπον τοῦ προσέσθαι τινὰ τοιοῦτον λόγον ἢ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυμεῖν, ὥστε τὸν ἐγχειρήσαντα συκοφαντεῖν αὐτοὺς εὐθὺς ἠτίμωσαν, τὸ πέμπτον μέρος τῶν ψήφων οὐ μεταδόντες. §35τοῦτο δʼ, εἰ βούλει, τὸ πρώην ὑπὸ τῶν δικαστῶν πραχθὲν τοῦ ἐξελθόντος μηνὸς πῶς οὐ μεγάλου ἐπαίνου ἄξιόν ἐστι;
And first, when Teisis of Agryle registered the estate of Euthykrates, which was worth more than sixty talents, as public property, and after that again promised to register those of Philippus and Nausikles, claiming that they had grown rich from unregistered mines, these people were so far from accepting any such argument or desiring the property of others, that they immediately disfranchised the one who attempted to bring false accusations against them, not giving him even a fifth part of the votes. And this, if you please, which was done by the jurymen recently, in the course of the past month, how is it not worthy of great praise?
φήναντος γὰρ Λυσάνδρου τὸ Ἐπικράτους μέταλλον τοῦ Παλληνέως ἐντὸς τῶν μέτρων τετμημένον, ὃ ἠργάζετο μὲν ἤδη τρία ἔτη, μετεῖχον δʼ αὐτοῦ οἱ πλουςιώτατοι σχεδόν τι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, ὁ δὲ Λύσανδρος ὑπισχνεῖτο τριακόσια τάλαντα εἰςπράξειν τῇ πόλει (τοσαῦτα γὰρ εἰληφέναι αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ μετάλλου)· §36ἀλλʼ ὅμως οἱ δικασταὶ οὐ πρὸς τὰς τοῦ κατηγόρου ὑποσχέσεις ἀποβλέποντες, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ δίκαιον, ἔγνωσαν ἴδιον εἶναι τὸ μέταλλον, καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ψήφῳ τάς τε οὐσίας αὐτῶν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ κατέστησαν, καὶ τὴν ὑπόλοιπον ἐργασίαν τοῦ μετάλλου ἐβεβαίωσαν.
For when Lysandros denounced the mine of Epikrates of Pallene as having been cut within the boundaries, which had already been worked for three years, and in which almost the richest men in the city had a share, and Lysandros promised to recover three hundred talents for the city (for they had taken that much from the mine); but nevertheless the jurymen, looking not to the promises of the accuser, but to justice, decided that the mine was private property, and by the same vote placed their estates in safety, and secured the remaining work of the mine.
τοιγαροῦν αἱ καινοτομίαι πρότερον ἐκλελειμμέναι διὰ τὸν φόβον νῦν ἐνεργοί, καὶ τῆς πόλεως αἱ πρόσοδοι αἱ ἐκεῖθεν πάλιν αὔξονται, ἃς ἐλυμήναντό τινες τῶν ῥητόρων ἐξαπατήσαντες τὸν δῆμον καὶ δασμολογήσαντες τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν. §37ἔστι γάρ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, οὐχ οὗτος χρηστὸς πολίτης, ὅστις μικρὰ δοὺς πλείω βλάπτει τὰ κοινά, οὐδʼ ὅστις εἰς τὸ παραχρῆμα ἐξ ἀδίκου πορίσας κατέλυσε τῆς πόλεως τὴν ἐκ δικαίου πρόσοδον, ἀλλʼ ὅτῳ μέλει καὶ τῶν εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον ὠφελίμων τῇ πόλει καὶ τῆς ὁμονοίας τῶν πολιτῶν καὶ τῆς δόξης τῆς ὑμετέρας·
Therefore, the new undertakings, which were previously abandoned because of fear, are now active, and the revenues of the city from there are increasing again, which some of the orators had damaged by deceiving the people and levying contributions on those who worked there. For, gentlemen of the jury, that man is not a good citizen who, by giving small benefits, does greater harm to the public interests, nor the one who, by providing funds temporarily from unjust sources, destroys the city’s revenue from just sources; rather, it is the one who cares both for what is useful to the city in the future and for the harmony of the citizens and for your reputation.
ὧν ἔνιοι οὐ φροντίζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐργαζομένων ἀφαιρούμενοι πόρους φασὶ τούτους πορίζειν, ἀπορίαν ἐν τῇ πόλει παρασκευάζοντες.
Some people do not care about these things, but by stripping the workers, they claim to provide these resources, while preparing destitution in the city.
ὅταν γὰρ ᾖ φοβερὸν τὸ κτᾶσθαι καὶ φείδεσθαι, τίς βουλήσεται κινδυνεύειν; §38τούτους μὲν οὖν ἴσως οὐ ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι κωλῦσαι ταῦτα πράττειν· ὑμεῖς δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὥσπερ καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς σεσώκατε τῶν πολιτῶν ἀδίκως εἰς ἀγῶνας καταστάντας, οὕτω καὶ Εὐξενίππῳ βοηθήσατε, καὶ μὴ περιίδητε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πράγματι οὐδενὸς ἀξίῳ καὶ εἰσαγγελίᾳ τοιαύτῃ, ᾗ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἔνοχός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἐστὶν εἰσηγγελμένη, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ κατηγόρου τρόπον τινὰ ἀπολελυμένη. §39εἰσήγγελκε γὰρ αὐτὸν Πολύευκτος λέγειν μὴ τὰ ἄριστα τῷ δήμῳ τῷ Ἀθηναίων χρήματα λαμβάνοντα καὶ δωρεὰς παρὰ τῶν τἀναντία πραττόντων τῷ δήμῳ τῷ Ἀθηναίων.
For when it is fearful to acquire and to save, who will want to run risks? It is perhaps not easy, then, to prevent them from doing these things; but you, gentlemen of the jury, just as you have saved many other citizens who were unjustly brought to trial, so also help Euxenippus, and do not overlook him on account of a matter of no value and such an impeachment, for which not only is he not liable, but which itself has been brought contrary to the laws, and in addition has been in a way dismissed by the accuser himself. For Polyeuctus has impeached him for speaking not what is best for the people of Athens while receiving money and gifts from those who act contrary to the people of Athens.
εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔξωθεν τῆς πόλεώς τινας ᾐτιᾶτο εἶναι, παρʼ ὧν τὰ δῶρα εἰληφότα. Εὐξένιππον συναγωνίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἦν ἂν αὐτῷ εἰπεῖν ὅτι, ἐπειδὴ ἐκείνους οὐκ ἔστι τιμωρήσασθαι, δεῖ τοὺς ἐνθάδε αὐτοῖς ὑπηρετοῦντας δίκην δοῦναι.
If, then, he had accused some from outside the city of being those from whom Euxenippus received the gifts and was fighting on their side, he might have been able to say that, since it is not possible to punish them, those who serve them here must pay the penalty.
νῦν δὲ Ἀθηναίους φησὶν εἶναι παρʼ ὧν τὰς δωρεὰς εἰληφέναι αὐτόν.
But as it is, he says they are Athenians from whom he received the gifts.
εἶτα σύ, ἔχων ἐν τῇ πόλει τοὺς ὑπεναντία πράττοντας τῷ δήμῳ, οὐ τιμωρῇ, ἀλλʼ Εὐξενίππῳ πράγματα παρέχεις; §40βραχὺ δʼ ἔτι εἰπὼν περὶ τῆς ψήφου ἧς ὑμεῖς μέλλετε φέρειν καταβήσομαι.
Then you, while having in the city those who act contrary to the people, do not punish them, but trouble Euxenippus? After speaking briefly still about the vote which you are about to cast, I shall step down.
ὅταν γὰρ μέλλητε, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, διαψηφίζεσθαι, κελεύετε ὑμῖν τὸν γραμματέα ὑπαναγνῶναι τήν τε εἰσαγγελίαν καὶ τὸν νόμον τὸν εἰσαγγελτικὸν καὶ τὸν ὅρκον τὸν ἡλιαστικόν· καὶ τοὺς μὲν λόγους ἁπάντων ἡμῶν ἀφέλετε, ἐκ δὲ τῆς εἰσαγγελίας καὶ τῶν νόμων σκεψάμενοι ὅ τι ἂν ὑμῖν δοκῇ δίκαιον καὶ εὔορκον εἶναι, τοῦτο ψηφίσασθε. §41ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν σοί, Εὐξένιππε, βεβοήθηκα ὅσα εἶχον.
For when you are about to vote, gentlemen of the jury, command the secretary to read to you the impeachment, the impeachment law, and the Heliastic oath; and take away the speeches of all of us, and having examined from the impeachment and the laws whatever seems to you to be just and in keeping with your oath, vote for this. For my part, Euxenippus, I have helped you to the best of my power.
λοιπὸν δʼ ἐστὶ δεῖσθαι τῶν δικαστῶν καὶ τοὺς φίλους παρακαλεῖν καὶ τὰ παιδία ἀναβιβάζεσθαι.
It remains to entreat the jurymen, to call upon your friends, and to bring up your children.

Notes

  1. §34Τείσιδος ... ἀπογράψαντος ... καὶ μετʼ ἐκείνην πάλιν ὑπισχνουμένου ... καὶ λέγοντος — These are all part of a series of genitive absolute constructions with Teisis of Agryle as the logical subject, contrasted with the subject of the main clause (οὗτοι, referring to the Athenian people). The subsequent idiom 'τοσοῦτον ἀπέλιπον τοῦ' (+ infinitive) means 'they were so far from [doing something],' leading to the consecutive ὥστε clause.
  2. §35φήναντος γὰρ Λυσάνδρου — The word φήναντος (genitive aorist active participle of φαίνω) forms a genitive absolute, representing the formal initiation of a public prosecution (φάσις) concerning mining irregularities in Athenian law. The object of the denunciation is that the mine of Epikrates had been cut 'within the boundaries' (τετμημένον) defined by law.
  3. §37ἀλλʼ ὅτῳ μέλει καὶ τῶν εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον ὠφελίμων — The impersonal verb μέλει takes the object of concern in the genitive (τῶν ... ὠφελίμων, τῆς ὁμονοίας, τῆς δόξης) and the person who cares in the dative (ὅτῳ, equivalent to οὗτος + ᾧ). It is interpreted as: 'rather, [a good citizen is] the one to whom there is a care both for what is useful to the city in the future, [for the harmony of the citizens, and for your reputation].'
  4. §38μὴ περιίδητε αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πράγματι οὐδενὸς ἀξίῳ — The verb περιοράω (here in the aorist prohibitive subjunctive μὴ περιίδητε) typically takes an accusative of person and a participle to mean 'overlook / allow someone to suffer,' but here it is combined with the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ πράγματι... to mean 'overlook / abandon him on account of a matter of no value.'
  5. §39παρʼ ὧν τὰ δῶρα εἰληφότα Εὐξένιππον συναγωνίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς — This phrase is a subordinate clause dependent on the preceding conditional clause 'εἰ μὲν οὖν... ᾐτιᾶτο' (if he had accused...). The accusative Εὐξένιππον serves as the subject of the infinitive συναγωνίζεσθαι, accompanied by the agreeing accusative participle εἰληφότα (perfect active participle of λαμβάνω), representing the content of the accusation: 'that Euxenippus had received the gifts and was fighting on their side.'

Cite this passage

Hypereides, For Euxenippus §34-41. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0030.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:34-41

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