28. Perhaps some of you, gentlemen of the jury, think this is a small
inventory. Bear this in mind, that before our naval victory he only had a
little estate at Rhamnus. The naval battle was in the archonship of
Euboulus. 29. So in four or five years, as at first he had no property,
it was no easy matter for him to supply the chorus twice for tragedies,
for himself and his father, serve as Trierarch three consecutive years,
make large contributions, build a house for five minae, and get more than
three hundred plethra of land; and yet, besides all this, do you think he
necessarily left many household effects? 30. But not even families of
long-standing wealth could show much of value, for sometimes, no matter
how desirous one may be, it is not possible to buy that which always
gives pleasure to its possessor.
31. But consider this. Of others whose property you confiscated, not only
did you sell no furniture, but the doors were torn from the houses. But
when the confiscation had taken place, and my sister had left, we set a
guard in the house, that neither the doors, vases, nor anything else
might be lost. And property of more than a thousand drachmae was
reported, more than you ever took from any one else. 32. Besides, both
formerly before the commissioners and now we wish to give a pledge, the
greatest in use, that we have no money of Aristophanes, but he owes the
dowry of my sister and seven minae, which he took from my father when he
went off. 33. How then would men be more wretched than to be thought to
hold the property of others, after loss of their own? And what is the
worst of all, to receive a sister with many children, look after them,
and have nothing for myself, if you take even what we have.
34. Come now, by the Olympian gods! Look at it in this light, gentlemen
of the jury. If one of you happened to give to Timotheus, son of Conon,
his daughter or sister, and when he was deprived of civil rights, and
accused, his property was seized, and if, when all was sold, the city did
not get four talents, on this account would you think it right to ruin
his family and relatives, because the property turned out to be not even
a fraction of what you thought it? 35. All of you here know that Conon
was in command, and that Nicodemus executed his commands. It is likely
that Conon gave part of the profits to some other, so if they thought
Nicodemus had much, they would agree that Conon's share was ten times as
much. 36. And still they seem never to have had any difference of
opinion, so it is likely that they had the same ideas about money,
namely, to have here sufficient for their sons, and to take the rest with
them. For Conon had a son and wife in Cyprus, Nicodemus a wife and
daughter, and they thought their property there to be as safe as that
here. 37. And besides this, think, if some one who had not acquired his
property, but had inherited it from his father, distributed it to his
sons, that he would have reserved the most for himself. For all with
money prefer to be served by their children rather than ask it of them in
poverty. 38. Now if you should confiscate the property of Timotheus,--and
may it not happen, unless great good come to the state from it,--and
should gain less from it than came from the property of Aristophanes, for
this reason would you believe it right that his relatives should lose
their property? 39. It is not likely, gentlemen of the jury. For the
death of Conon and the will which he made in Cyprus clearly showed that
his money was a very small part of what you expected, for to Athena and
to Apollo in Delphi he dedicated five thousand staters. 40. And to his
nephew who kept guard for him and had charge of his affairs in Cyprus, he
gave ten thousand drachmae, and three talents to his brother; the rest,
seventeen talents, he left to his son. The sum total is about forty
talents. And no one can say that he was robbed or that a just return was
not made. 41. For he made his will when in sickness, in his right mind.
Now call me the witnesses.