§12ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτούς, εἴπερ ὑμῶν ἕνεκα ἔπραττον ταῦτα, φαίνεσθαι τῆς αὐτῆς τιμῆς πολλὰς ἡμέρας πωλοῦντας, ἕως ὁ συνεωνημένος αὐτοὺς ἐπέλιπε· νῦν δʼ ἐνίοτε τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας ἐπώλουν δραχμῇ τιμιώτερον, ὥσπερ κατὰ μέδιμνον συνωνούμενοι.
For if they were doing this for your sake, they ought to have been seen selling at the same price for many days, until the supply they had bought up was exhausted; but as it is, they sometimes sold on the very same day at a drachma dearer, as if they were buying it up by the medimnus.
καὶ τούτων ὑμᾶς μάρτυρας παρέχομαι. §13δεινὸν δέ μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, εἰ ὅταν μὲν εἰσφορὰν εἰσενεγκεῖν δέη, ἣν πάντες εἴσεσθαι μέλλουσιν, οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν, ἀλλὰ πενίαν προφασίζονται, ἐφʼ οἷς δὲ θάνατός ἐστιν ἡ ζημία καὶ λαθεῖν αὐτοῖς συνέφερε, ταῦτα ἐπʼ εὐνοίᾳ φασὶ τῇ ὑμετέρα παρανομῆσαι.
And of these facts I present you as witnesses.\n And it seems to me to be a terrible thing, if, when they are required to pay a special tax which everyone is bound to know of, they refuse and plead poverty as an excuse, but in matters where death is the penalty and where it was to their interest to remain unnoticed, they claim to have transgressed the law out of goodwill towards you.
καίτοι πάντες ἐπίστασθε ὅτι τούτοις ἥκιστα προσήκει τοιούτους ποιεῖσθαι λόγους. §14τἀναντία γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις συμφέρει· τότε γὰρ πλεῖστα κερδαίνουσιν, ὅταν κακοῦ τινος ἀπαγγελθέντος τῇ πόλει τίμιον τὸν σῖτον πωλῶσιν.
And yet, you all know that it is least of all appropriate for these men to make such arguments.\n For their interests are the exact opposite of those of other men: they make the greatest profits when, some bad news having been reported to the city, they sell their corn at a high price.
οὕτω δʼ ἄσμενοι τὰς συμφορὰς τὰς ὑμετέρας ὁρῶσιν, ὥστε τὰς μὲν πρότεροι τῶν ἄλλων πυνθάνονται, τὰς δʼ αὐτοὶ λογοποιοῦσιν, ἢ τὰς ναῦς διεφθάρθαι τὰς ἐν τῷ Πόντῳ ἢ ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων ἐκπλεούσας συνειλῆφθαι, ἢ τὰ ἐμπόρια κεκλῇσθαι, ἢ τὰς σπονδὰς μέλλειν ἀπορρηθήσεσθαι, καὶ εἰς τοῦτʼ ἔχθρας ἐληλύθασιν, §15ὥστʼ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς καιροῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν ὑμῖν, ἐν οἷσπερ οἱ πολέμιοι.
They are so glad to see your disasters that they hear of some of them before anyone else, and others they invent themselves—such as that the ships in the Black Sea have been destroyed, or have been captured by the Lacedaemonians as they sailed out, or that the ports are closed, or that the treaty is about to be denounced; and they have reached such a pitch of enmity,\n that they plot against you at the very same moments as your enemies do.
ὅταν γὰρ μάλιστα σίτου τυγχάνητε δεόμενοι, ἀναρπάζουσιν οὗτοι καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλουσι πωλεῖν, ἵνα μὴ περὶ τῆς τιμῆς διαφερώμεθα, ἀλλʼ ἀγαπῶμεν ἐὰν ὁποσουτινοσοῦν πριάμενοι παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀπέλθωμεν.
For when you are in the greatest need of corn, they snatch it up and refuse to sell, so that we may not dispute about the price, but may be glad if we can buy it from them at any price whatsoever and go away.
ὥστʼ ἐνίοτε εἰρήνης οὔσης ὑπὸ τούτων πολιορκούμεθα. §16οὕτω δὲ πάλαι περὶ τῆς τούτων πανουργίας καὶ κακονοίας ἡ πόλις ἔγνωκεν, ὥστʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις ὠνίοις ἅπασι τοὺς ἀγορανόμους φύλακας κατεστήσατε, ἐπὶ δὲ ταύτῃ μόνῃ τῇ τέχνῃ χωρὶς σιτοφύλακας ἀποκληροῦτε· καὶ πολλάκις ἤδη παρʼ ἐκείνων πολιτῶν ὄντων δίκην τὴν μεγίστην ἐλάβετε, ὅτι οὐχ οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν τῆς τούτων πονηρίας ἐπικρατῆσαι.
Consequently, sometimes even in time of peace, we are blockaded by them.\n And the city has long been so aware of their villainy and ill-will that, while for all other commodities you appointed the market-inspectors as guardians, for this trade alone you elect corn-inspectors by lot separately; and you have already many times inflicted the heaviest penalty upon them, even though they were citizens, because they were unable to overcome the wickedness of these dealers.
καίτοι τί χρὴ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας ὑφʼ ὑμῶν πάσχειν, ὁπότε καὶ τοὺς οὐ δυναμένους φυλάττειν ἀποκτείνετε; §17ἐνθυμεῖσθαι δὲ χρὴ ὅτι ἀδύνατον ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἀποψηφίσασθαι.
And yet, what ought the wrongdoers themselves to suffer at your hands, when you put to death even those who are unable to guard against them?\n And you must bear in mind that it is impossible for you to acquit them.
εἰ γὰρ ἀπογνώσεσθε ὁμολογούντων αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐμπόρους συνίστασθαι, δόξεθʼ ὑμεῖς ἐπιβουλεύειν τοῖς εἰσπλέουσιν.
For if you acquit them when they admit that they combined against the merchants, you will be thought to be plotting against those who import corn.
εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλην τινὰ ἀπολογίαν ἐποιοῦντο, οὐδεὶς ἂν εἶχε τοῖς ἀποψηφισαμένοις ἐπιτιμᾶν· ἐφʼ ὑμῖν γὰρ ὁποτέροις βούλεσθε πιστεύειν·
If indeed they were making any other defense, no one would have a right to find fault with those who voted for acquittal; for it is for you to decide which of the two parties you wish to believe.
νῦν δὲ πῶς οὐ δεινὰ ἂν δόξαιτε ποιεῖν, εἰ τοὺς ὁμολογοῦντας παρανομεῖν ἀζημίους ἀφήσετε; §18ἀναμνήσθητε δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, ὅτι πολλῶν ἤδη ἐχόντων ταύτην τὴν αἰτίαν, ἀρνουμένων δὲ καὶ μάρτυρας παρεχομένων, θάνατον κατέγνωτε, πιστοτέρους ἡγησάμενοι τοὺς τῶν κατηγόρων λόγους.
But as it is, how could you not be thought to act terribly if you let off unpunished those who admit that they have broken the law?\n Remember, gentlemen of the jury, that you have already condemned to death many who were under this accusation, though they denied it and produced witnesses, because you considered the arguments of the accusers more trustworthy.
καίτοι πῶς ἂν οὐ θαυμαστὸν εἴη, εἰ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἁμαρτημάτων δικάζοντες μᾶλλον ἐπιθυμεῖτε παρὰ τῶν ἀρνουμένων δίκην λαμβάνειν; §19καὶ μὲν δή, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, πᾶσιν ἡγοῦμαι φανερὸν εἶναι ὅτι οἱ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἀγῶνες κοινότατοι τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει, ὥστε πεύσονται ἥντινα γνώμην περὶ αὐτῶν ἔχετε, ἡγούμενοι, ἐὰν μὲν θάνατον τούτων καταγνῶτε, κοσμιωτέρους ἔσεσθαι τοὺς λοιπούς· ἐὰν δʼ ἀζημίους ἀφῆτε, πολλὴν ἄδειαν αὐτοῖς ἐψηφισμένοι ἔσεσθε ποιεῖν ὅ τι ἂν βούλωνται. §20χρὴ δέ, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, μὴ μόνον τῶν παρεληλυθότων ἕνεκα αὐτοὺς κολάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παραδείγματος ἕνεκα τῶν μελλόντων ἔσεσθαι· οὕτω γὰρ ἔσονται μόγις ἀνεκτοί.
And yet, how would it not be extraordinary if, when judging the very same offenses, you are more eager to punish those who deny them?\n And indeed, gentlemen of the jury, I think it is clear to all that trials of this kind are of the greatest common interest to those in the city, so that they will inquire what opinion you have concerning them, believing that if you condemn these men to death, the rest will be more orderly, but if you let them off unpunished, you will have voted them full license to do whatever they please.\n You must, gentlemen of the jury, punish them not only on account of the past, but also as an example for the future; for only thus will they be barely tolerable.
ἐνθυμεῖσθε δὲ ὅτι ἐκ ταύτης τῆς τέχνης πλεῖστοι περὶ τοῦ σώματός εἰσιν ἠγωνισμένοι· καὶ οὕτω μεγάλα ἐξ αὐτῆς ὠφελοῦνται, ὥστε μᾶλλον αἱροῦνται καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς κινδυνεύειν ἢ παύεσθαι παρʼ ὑμῶν ἀδίκως κερδαίνοντες. §21καὶ μὲν δὴ οὐδʼ ἐὰν ἀντιβολῶσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἱκετεύωσι, δικαίως ἂν αὐτοὺς ἐλεήσαιτε, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τῶν τε πολιτῶν οἳ διὰ τὴν τούτων πονηρίαν ἀπέθνῃσκον, καὶ τοὺς ἐμπόρους ἐφʼ οὓς οὗτοι συνέστησαν· οἷς ὑμεῖς χαριεῖσθε καὶ προθυμοτέρους ποιήσετε, δίκην παρὰ τούτων λαμβάνοντες.
And reflect that from this trade very many have stood trial for their lives; and they derive such great profits from it that they choose rather to risk their lives every day than to cease making unjust gains at your expense.\n And indeed, even if they entreat and supplicate you, you would not be justified in pitying them, but rather both the citizens who were dying because of the wickedness of these men, and the merchants against whom they combined; whom you will gratify and render more zealous by punishing these men.
εἰ δὲ μή, τίνʼ αὐτοὺς οἴεσθε γνώμην ἕξειν, ἐπειδὰν πύθωνται ὅτι τῶν καπήλων οἳ τοῖς εἰσπλέουσιν ὡμολόγησαν ἐπιβουλεύειν, ἀπεψηφίσασθε; §22οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι δεῖ πλείω λέγειν· περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀδικούντων, ὅτε δικάζονται, δεῖ παρὰ τῶν κατηγόρων πυθέσθαι, τὴν δὲ τούτων πονηρίαν ἅπαντες ἐπίστασθε.
Otherwise, what feelings do you think they will have, when they learn that you have acquitted the retailers who admitted that they plotted against those who import?\n I do not know what need there is to say more; for in the case of other wrongdoers, when they are tried, one must learn the facts from the accusers, but the wickedness of these men you all know.
ἐὰν οὖν τούτων καταψηφίσησθε, τά τε δίκαια ποιήσετε καὶ ἀξιώτερον τὸν σῖτον ὠνήσεσθε· εἰ δὲ μή, τιμιώτερον.
If, therefore, you condemn them, you will both do what is just and buy your corn more cheaply; but if not, more dearly.