§26ἀλλὰ γάρ, ὦ βουλή, πάντα αὐτῷ ταῦτα σύγκειται καὶ μεμηχάνηται, καὶ δοῦναι μέν φησιν, ἵνα μὴ δοκῇ δεινὰ ποιεῖν, εἰ μηδενὸς αὐτῷ συμβολαίου γεγενημένου τοιαῦτα ἐτόλμα ὑβρίζειν τὸ μειράκιον, ἀπειληφέναι δὲ προσποιεῖται, διότι φανερός ἐστιν ἐγκαλέσας οὐδέποτʼ ἀργύριον οὐδὲ μνείαν περὶ τούτου οὐδεμίαν ποιησάμενος.
But in fact, members of the Council, all these things have been fabricated and contrived by him; and he says he gave the money so that he might not seem to be acting outrageously, if, when no contract had been made between him and the youth, he dared to commit such outrages against him; and he pretends to have recovered it because it is obvious that he never demanded any money back, nor ever made any mention of this matter.
§27φησὶ δʼ ἐπὶ ταῖς αὑτοῦ θύραις ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ δεινῶς διατεθῆναι τυπτόμενος.
And he says that he was terribly handled by me, being beaten at his own door.
φαίνεται δὲ πλεῖν ἢ τέτταρα στάδια ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας διώξας τὸ μειράκιον οὐδὲν κακὸν ἔχων, καὶ ταῦτα πλεῖν ἢ διακοσίων ἰδόντων ἀνθρώπων ἔξαρνός ἐστι.
But he is shown to have pursued the youth for more than four stades from his house without having suffered any harm, and this he denies, even though more than two hundred people saw it.
§28λέγει δʼ ὡς ἡμεῖς ἤλθομεν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν τούτου ὄστρακον ἔχοντες, καὶ ὡς ἠπείλουν αὐτῷ ἐγὼ ἀποκτενεῖν, καὶ ὡς τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ πρόνοια. ἐγὼ δʼ ἡγοῦμαι, ὦ βουλή, ῥᾴδιον εἶναι γνῶναι ὅτι ψεύδεται, οὐ μόνον ὑμῖν τοῖς εἰωθόσι σκοπεῖσθαι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι.
And he says that we went to his house holding a tile, and that I threatened to kill him, and that this constitutes "premeditation." But I think, members of the Council, that it is easy to perceive that he is lying, not only for you who are accustomed to investigate such matters, but also for everyone else.
§29τῷ γὰρ ἂν δόξειε πιστὸν ὡς ἐγὼ προνοηθεὶς καὶ ἐπιβουλεύων ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν Σίμωνος οἰκίαν μεθʼ ἡμέραν, μετὰ τοῦ μειρακίου, τοσούτων ἀνθρώπων παρʼ αὐτῷ συνειλεγμένων, εἰ μὴ εἰς τοῦτο μανίας ἀφικόμην ὥστε ἐπιθυμεῖν εἷς ὢν πολλοῖς μάχεσθαι, ἄλλως τε καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ἀσμένως ἄν με εἶδεν ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις ταῖς αὑτοῦ, ὃς καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμὴν οἰκίαν φοιτῶν εἰσῄει βίᾳ, καὶ οὔτε τῆς ἀδελφῆς οὔτε τῶν ἀδελφιδῶν φροντίσας ζητεῖν με ἐτόλμα, καὶ ἐξευρὼν οὗ δειπνῶν ἐτύγχανον, §30ἐκκαλέσας ἔτυπτέ με;
For to whom would it seem credible that I, with premeditation and plotting, went to Simon's house in broad daylight, accompanied by the youth, when so many people had gathered at his place, unless I had reached such a pitch of madness as to desire, being alone, to fight against many? Especially when I knew how gladly he would have seen me at his own door—he who used to frequent my house and enter by force, and who, caring nothing for my sister or my nieces, dared to search for me, and having found out where I happened to be dining, called me out and beat me?
καὶ τότε μὲν ἄρα, ἵνα μὴ περιβόητος εἴην, ἡσυχίαν ἦγον, συμφορὰν ἐμαυτοῦ νομίζων τὴν τούτου πονηρίαν·
And at that time indeed, so that I might not become notorious, I kept quiet, considering his wickedness to be my own misfortune.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ χρόνος διεγένετο, πάλιν, ὡς οὗτός φησιν, §31ἐπεθύμησα περιβόητος γενέσθαι;
But when some time had passed, did I again, as this man says, desire to become notorious?
καὶ εἰ μὲν ἦν παρὰ τούτῳ τὸ μειράκιον, εἶχεν ἄν τινα λόγον τὸ ψεῦδος αὐτῷ ὡς ἐγὼ διὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἠναγκαζόμην ἀνοητότερόν τι ποιεῖν τῶν εἰκότων· νῦν δὲ τούτῳ μὲν οὐδὲ διελέγετο, ἀλλʼ ἐμίσει πάντων ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα, παρʼ ἐμοὶ δʼ ἐτύγχανε διαιτώμενον.
And if the youth had been living with him, his lie would have some plausibility, on the ground that I, through my desire, was forced to do something more foolish than was reasonable; but as it is, he did not even speak to Simon, but hated him most of all men, and happened to be living with me.
§32ὥστε τῷ ὑμῶν πιστὸν ὡς ἐγὼ πρότερον μὲν ἐξέπλευσα ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἔχων τὸ μειράκιον, ἵνα μὴ τούτῳ μαχοίμην, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφικόμην πάλιν, ἦγον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τὴν Σίμωνος, οὗ πλεῖστα ἔμελλον πράγματα ἕξειν;
So which of you would believe that I first sailed out of the city with the youth in order not to fight with Simon, but when I came back, I led him to Simon's house, where I was bound to have the greatest amount of trouble?
καὶ ἐπεβούλευον μὲν αὐτῷ, §33οὕτω δὲ ἦλθον ἀπαράσκευος, ὥστε μήτε φίλους μήτε οἰκέτας μήτε ἄλλον ἄνθρωπον παρακαλέσαι μηδένα, εἰ μὴ τοῦτό γε τὸ παιδίον, ὃ ἐπικουρῆσαι μέν μοι οὐκ ἂν ἐδύνατο, μηνῦσαι δὲ ἱκανὸν ἦν βασανιζόμενον, εἴ τι ἐγὼ ἐξημάρτανον;
And that I plotted against him, yet came so unprepared as to summon neither friends nor servants nor any other person, except indeed this young slave boy, who would not have been able to help me, but was sufficient to give information under torture if I were committing any wrong?
§34ἀλλʼ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀμαθίας ἀφικόμην, ὥστε ἐπιβουλεύων Σίμωνι οὐκ ἐτήρησα αὐτὸν οὗ μόνον οἷόν τʼ ἦν λαβεῖν, ἢ νύκτωρ ἢ μεθʼ ἡμέραν, ἀλλʼ ἐνταῦθα ἦλθον οὗ αὐτὸς ἔμελλον ὑπὸ πλείστων ὀφθήσεσθαί τε καὶ συγκοπήσεσθαι, ὥσπερ κατʼ ἐμαυτοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν ἐξευρίσκων, ἵνʼ ὡς μάλιστα ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑβρισθείην;
Or had I reached such a height of ignorance that, while plotting against Simon, I did not watch for him where it was possible to catch him alone, either by night or by day, but went to the place where I myself was bound to be seen by the greatest number of people and to be beaten, as if I were inventing premeditation against myself, so that I might be insulted as much as possible by my enemies?
§35ἔτι τοίνυν, ὦ βουλή, καὶ ἐκ τῆς μάχης τῆς γενομένης ῥᾴδιον γνῶναι ὅτι ψεύδεται.
Furthermore, members of the Council, it is easy to perceive from the battle that took place that he is lying.
τὸ γὰρ μειράκιον ὡς ἔγνω, ῥῖψαν θοἰμάτιον, φεῦγον ᾤχετο, οὗτοι δὲ αὐτὸν ἐπεδίωκον, ἐγὼ δὲ ἑτέραν ἀπελθὼν ὁδὸν ᾠχόμην.
For as soon as the youth realized what was happening, he threw off his cloak and fled, and these men pursued him, while I went off by another road.
§36καίτοι ποτέρους χρὴ αἰτίους τῶν γεγενημένων εἶναι νομίζειν, τοὺς φεύγοντας ἢ τοὺς ζητοῦντας καταλαβεῖν;
And yet, which of the two parties must be considered responsible for what happened—those who flee, or those who seek to capture?
ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι πᾶσιν εἶναι δῆλον ὅτι φεύγουσι μὲν οἱ περὶ αὑτῶν δεδιότες, διώκουσι δὲ οἱ βουλόμενοί τι ποιῆσαι κακόν.
For I think it is clear to all that those who are afraid for themselves flee, while those who wish to do some harm pursue.
§37οὐ τοίνυν ταῦτα εἰκότα μέν, ἄλλως δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν πέπρακται, ἀλλὰ καταλαβόντες τὸ μειράκιον ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἦγον βίᾳ, ἐντυχὼν δʼ ἐγὼ τούτων μὲν οὐχ ἡπτόμην, τοῦ μειρακίου δʼ ἐπελαμβανόμην·
It is not, then, that these things are merely probable, but that the actions were carried out differently; rather, having caught the youth in the street, they were dragging him away by force, and when I met them, I did not touch these men, but laid hold of the youth.
οὗτοι δὲ ἐκεῖνόν τε ἦγον βίᾳ καὶ ἐμὲ ἔτυπτον.
But they dragged him by force and beat me.
καὶ ταῦθʼ ὑμῖν ὑπὸ τῶν παραγενομένων μεμαρτύρηται.
And these things have been testified to you by those who were present.
ὥστε δεινὸν εἰ περὶ τούτων ἐγὼ δόξω προνοηθῆναι, περὶ ὧν οὗτοι τυγχάνουσιν οὕτω δεινὰ καὶ παράνομα πεποιηκότες.
So it would be terrible if I should be thought to have acted with premeditation in matters where they happen to have done such terrible and lawless things.