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Polybius · The Histories §12.13.1-12.13.12

Refutation of Timaeus's Slander Against Demochares

Passage 753 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

Polybius refutes Timaeus's shameless sexual slander against Demochares, arguing that it is a baseless fabrication based on Demochares's respectable background and career, as well as the fact that none of his prominent political opponents ever exploited such a scandal.

§12.13.1ὅτι Τίμαιός φησι Δημοχάρην ἡταιρηκέναι μὲν τοῖς ἄνω μέρεσι τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ εἶναι δʼ ἄξιον τὸ ἱερὸν πῦρ φυσᾶν, ὑπερβεβηκέναι δὲ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τὰ Βότρυος ὑπομνήματα καὶ τὰ Φιλαινίδος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀναισχυντογράφων·
That Timaeus says that Demochares prostituted himself with the upper parts of his body, and was not worthy to blow the sacred fire, and that in his practices he surpassed the memoirs of Botrys and Philaenis and the other shameless writers.
§12.13.2ταύτην δὲ τὴν λοιδορίαν καὶ τὰς ἐμφάσεις οὐχ οἷον ἄν τις διέθετο πεπαιδευμένος ἀνήρ, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τῶν ἀπὸ τέγους ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος εἰργασμένων οὐδείς.
Such abuse and insinuations are of a kind that no educated man would employ, nor indeed any of those who make a living from their bodies under a brothel's roof.
§12.13.3ὁ δʼ ἵνα πιστὸς φανῇ κατὰ τὴν αἰσχρολογίαν καὶ τὴν ὅλην ἀναισχυντίαν, καὶ προσκατέψευσται τἀνδρός, κωμικόν τινα μάρτυρα προσεπισπασάμενος ἀνώνυμον.
But he, in order to appear credible in his foul language and utter shamelessness, has even added false charges against the man, dragging in some anonymous comic writer as a witness.
§12.13.4πόθεν δʼ ἐγὼ καταστοχάζομαι τοῦτο;
From what do I conjecture this?
πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ καὶ πεφυκέναι καὶ τεθράφθαι καλῶς Δημοχάρην, ἀδελφιδοῦν ὄντα Δημοσθένους, §12.13.5δεύτερον ἐκ τοῦ μὴ μόνον στρατηγίας αὐτὸν ἠξιῶσθαι παρʼ Ἀθηναίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τιμῶν, ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν αὐτῷ συνεξέδραμε τοιαύταις ἀτυχίαις παλαίοντι.
First, from the fact that Demochares was well-born and well-bred, being a nephew of Demosthenes, second, from the fact that he was deemed worthy by the Athenians not only of the generalship but also of other honors, none of which would have accompanied him if he had been struggling with such disasters.
§12.13.6διὸ καὶ δοκεῖ μοι Τίμαιος οὐχ οὕτως Δημοχάρους κατηγορεῖν ὡς Ἀθηναίων, εἰ τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα προῆγον καὶ τοιούτῳ τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους βίους ἐνεχείριζον.
Wherefore it seems to me that Timaeus is not so much accusing Demochares as the Athenians, if they promoted such a man and entrusted their country and their private lives to such a person.
§12.13.7ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔστι τούτων οὐδέν.
But none of these things is true.
οὐ γὰρ ἂν Ἀρχέδικος ὁ κωμῳδιογράφος ἔλεγε ταῦτα μόνος περὶ Δημοχάρους, §12.13.8ὡς Τίμαιός φησιν, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ μὲν ἂν τῶν Ἀντιπάτρου φίλων, καθʼ οὗ πεπαρρησίασται πολλὰ καὶ δυνάμενα λυπεῖν οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν Ἀντίπατρον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνου διαδόχους καὶ φίλους γεγονότας, πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν ἀντιπεπολιτευμένων, ὧν ἦν καὶ Δημήτριος ὁ Φαληρεύς.
For the comic poet Archedicus would not have been the only one to say these things about Demochares, as Timaeus says, but many of the friends of Antipater would have said them—against whom Demochares had spoken with much freedom, capable of annoying not only Antipater himself but also his successors and friends—and many of his political opponents would have said them too, among whom was Demetrius of Phalerum.
§12.13.9οὗ ʼκεῖνος οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν πεποίηται κατηγορίαν ἐν ταῖς ἱστορίαις, φάσκων αὐτὸν γεγονέναι τοιοῦτον προστάτην τῆς πατρίδος καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις σεμνύνεσθαι κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν, ἐφʼ οἷς ἂν καὶ τελώνης σεμνυνθείη βάναυσος.
Against him, Demochares made no ordinary accusation in his histories, asserting that he was such a leader of his country and prided himself in his administration on things of which even a vulgar tax-gatherer might be proud.
§12.13.10ἐπὶ γὰρ τῷ πολλὰ καὶ λυσιτελῶς πωλεῖσθαι κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ δαψιλῆ τὰ πρὸς τὸν βίον ὑπάρχειν πᾶσιν, ἐπὶ τούτοις φησὶ μεγαλαυχεῖν αὐτόν· §12.13.11καὶ διότι κοχλίας αὐτομάτως βαδίζων προηγεῖτο τῆς πομπῆς αὐτῷ, σίαλον ἀναπτύων, σὺν δὲ τούτοις ὄνοι διεπέμποντο διὰ τοῦ θεάτρου, διότι δὴ πάντων τῶν τῆς Ἑλλάδος καλῶν ἡ πατρὶς παρακεχωρηκυῖα τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐποίει Κασσάνδρῳ τὸ προσταττόμενον, ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτὸν οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθαί φησιν.
For he says that Demetrius boasted of the fact that many goods were sold cheaply in the city, and that the necessaries of life were abundant for all; and he says that he was not ashamed of the fact that a mechanical snail, moving of its own accord, led his procession, spitting out saliva, and that along with these, donkeys were driven through the theater, because indeed his country, having yielded all the glories of Greece to others, did what was commanded by Cassander.
§12.13.12ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὔτε Δημήτριος οὔτʼ ἄλλος οὐδεὶς εἰρή
But nevertheless, neither Demetrius nor any other said...

Notes

  1. §12.13.1τοῖς ἄνω μέρεσι τοῦ σώματος — The phrase "with the upper parts of the body" is a euphemism referring to oral sexual acts. This interpretation is confirmed by the subsequent mention that he was "not worthy to blow the sacred fire," implying that his mouth was ritually impure.
  2. §12.13.2οὐχ οἷον ἄν τις διέθετο — The phrase `οὐχ οἷον` here does not mean "not only" but functions with `ἄν` and the potential indicative `διέθετο` to express a strong negative comparison: "not of the kind that any educated man would employ."
  3. §12.13.5ὧν οὐδὲν ἂν αὐτῷ συνεξέδραμε τοιαύταις ἀτυχίαις παλαίοντι — The dative participle `παλαίοντι` (agreeing with `αὐτῷ`) expresses a condition, functioning as "if he had been struggling with such disasters." In the main clause, `ἄν` with the indicative aorist `συνεξέδραμε` forms the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact condition ("none of these honors would have accompanied him").
  4. §12.13.8καθʼ οὗ πεπαρρησίασται — The antecedent of the relative pronoun `οὗ` is the immediately preceding `Ἀντιπάτρου`. The subject of the verb `πεπαρρησίασται` is Demochares; the sentence argues that since Demochares had spoken so boldly against Antipater, the latter's friends would have surely brought up any scandals against him had they been true.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §12.13.1-12.13.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.13.1-12.13.12

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