1. This suit troubles me greatly, gentlemen of the jury, when I consider
that if I do not speak well, not only I, but my father will appear in the
wrong, and I shall lose all my property. So, if I am not naturally
skillful in this task, I must come to the rescue of myself and my father
as best I can. 2. You see the careful preparation and zeal of my enemies,
and I need say nothing about them, and all who know me know my
inexperience. So I shall beg you grant what is just (for me) and easy
(for you), to hear me with patience, as well as the prosecution. 3. For a
defendant is necessarily at a disadvantage even if you listen
impartially, for the prosecutors have planned for a long time, and
without any risk to themselves have made their attack, but I struggle
with fear, prejudice and great danger. So it is right for you to show
greater favor to the defendants. 4. For I suppose you all know that many
who make terrible accusations have at once been convicted of falsifying
so evidently, that they leave the court and become mistrusted for all
they do. Some again have been convicted of false witness and of seeking
to ruin men, when there was nothing more to their advantage. 5. Since, as
I hear, there are many such cases, gentlemen of the jury, do not trust
the words of the prosecution until I speak. For I hear, and I think many
of you know that slander is most difficult (to deal with). 6. Surely we
may realize this when so many come to trial on this charge, for usually
the last tried are acquitted; for you listen to them without prejudice,
and you admit their arguments willingly. 7. So remember that Nicophemus
and Aristophanes were put to death without a trial, before the arrival of
any one to (hear) them proved guilty. For no one saw them after the
arrest; for they did not give up their bodies for burial, and so terrible
was their fate, that besides all the rest they were deprived of this
(privilege) too. 8. But I will pass this by, for I could never finish
(the subject); but much harder I think was the fate of the sons of
Aristophanes. For though never wronging any one in public or private,
they not only lost their patrimony contrary to your laws, but also their
remaining hope was blighted of being brought up by their grandfather. 9.
Still I, deprived of kindred, of the dowry (of my sister), and having to
bring up three children, have charges brought against me, and run in
danger about the inheritance which my ancestors left me, acquired legally
(by them). And yet, gentlemen of the jury, my father during his lifetime
spent more for the state than for himself and family, and it was four
times what I have now, as I was often at hand when he was reckoning. 10.
Do not prejudge the injustice of a man who spent little for himself and
much every year for you, but (be ready to condemn those) who are
accustomed to spend their patrimony and everything else they get for
vicious pleasures. 11. It is difficult, gentlemen of the jury, to defend
myself contrary to the opinion which some hold about the property of
Nicophemus, both because of the present scarcity of money in the state,
and because the suit concerns the treasury. And yet under these
disadvantages, you will readily see that the accusations are not true.
And I beg you by every means in my power to hear me favorably to the
close, and to vote whatever you think best and in best accord with your
oaths.
12. In the first place I will inform you how they came to be connections
of mine. For Conon, commanding near the Peloponnesus, who was my father's
friend when he was Trierarch, asked him to give my sister to the son of
Nicophemus when he asked her hand. 13. And he seeing that they
(_Nicophemus and his son_) were trusted by Conon, and were
serviceable to the state, then at least conforming to her laws, promised
to give her, not realizing the bad repute into which they would fall, at
a time when any one of you would have wished to be connected with them;
that it was (done) for the sake of money, it is easy to understand from
the whole life and conduct of my father. 14. For when he was at a
suitable age, although he could have married another with a large dowry,
he married my mother who brought none, because she was the daughter of
Xenophon, son of Euripides, who not only seemed to be of good character,
but you thought him worthy to be Strategus, as I hear. 15. Moreover he
did not give my sisters to rich husbands who would have been willing to
take them without dowries, because they seemed to be of inferior birth,
but one to Philomelus of Paeania, whom they say is better in character
than wealth, another to a man who lost his property through no fault of
his own, his nephew, Phaidrus of Murrhinoute, besides giving him forty
minae, and the same to Aristophanes. 16. And besides, though I could have
(married a woman with) a large dowry, be advised a smaller one, that I
might be sure of having connections orderly and discreet. And now my wife
is the daughter of Critodemus of Alopeke, who was put to death by the
Spartans after the naval battle of the Hellespont. 17. And now, gentlemen
of the jury, is it not probable that one who married without a portion,
and gave his daughter much money, and took a small dowry for his son,
should be trusted to have sought connection with these men for no money
considerations?
18. It is easy to see that Aristophanes, already married, would have
confided in any one sooner than my father. For their ages were wide
apart, and their dispositions still more; for my father had merely his
own concerns to attend to, but Aristophanes wished to attend not only to
his own private affairs, but to public ones as well, and if he had any
money, he spent it in his desire for honor. 19. You know from what he
used to do that I speak the truth. For first, when Conon wished to send
some one to Sicily, he undertook the commission and went with Eunomus,
enjoying the friendship and hospitality of Dionysius, who benefited the
state greatly, as I heard from those in his company at Piraeus. 20. And
the hope of the expedition was to persuade Dionysius to become allied to
Evagoras, and hostile to the Spartans, and a friend and ally to your
city. And this they did in spite of dangers which threatened by sea and
from the enemy, and they persuaded Dionysius not to send the trireme
which he had prepared for the Spartans. 21. And afterwards, when
ambassadors came from Cyprus for assistance, he did cease his activity.
You gave them triremes, and voted other aid, but they lacked funds for
the expedition. For they came with little money, and asked for much; for
they (asked it) not only for the ships, but they hired mercenaries, and
bought arms. 22. Now Aristophanes himself furnished most of the money;
and when there was not enough, he persuaded his friends, asking for it
and giving securities, and having forty minae of his half-brother at his
house he used them up. And the day before he sailed, he went to my father
and asked him to lend him whatever money he had. For he said it was
needed for paying the mercenaries. We had in ready money seven minae, and
he took this and used it up. 23. Now what man, gentlemen of the jury,
ambitious, with letters from his father that he would find no lack in
Cyprus, having moreover been chosen ambassador, and being about to sail
to Evagoras, would have left everything behind, and would not, if he
could by contributing everything, please him (_Evagoras_) and make a
large profit? That this is the case, call Eunomus.