1. I am almost obliged to the accuser, members of the Boule, because he
has got up this suit. For I have not had any pretext on which to give an
account of my life, but now I have seized this opportunity. And in my
speech I will try to show that he is falsifying, and that up to this day
I have lived rather to deserve praise than jealousy; for he seems to me
to have trumped up this suit through nothing else than jealousy. 2. And
from what kind of baseness do you think a man would abstain who grudges
(giving to) those whom others pity? For not for money does he inform
against me, nor seeks to punish me as a private enemy, for I never had
any dealings with him as a friend or enemy. 3. Now then, members of the
Boule, he is evidently jealous, because in spite of this misfortune I am
a better citizen than he. For I think, members of the Boule, that
necessarily misfortunes of the body are nobly remedied by pursuits of the
mind. For if I have the disposition corresponding with this trouble, and
conduct myself otherwise, how shall I differ from this man?
4. About these things let me speak as I have done, and about what it is
my interest to speak, I will speak with as few words as possible. For the
accuser says that it is not just for me to receive the pension from the
state, for I am sound of body and am not helpless, and understand a trade
so as to live without (the pension). 5. And as proofs of my bodily
strength he instances the fact that I ride horseback, and of my skill in
my trade that I can associate with men able to be extravagant. I believe
all of you are acquainted with my success in my trade and the rest of my
livelihood, what it may be; yet I will mention these in few words. 6. My
father left me nothing, and only within three years I have ceased
supporting my mother as she died. I have no children to care for me. But
I have a trade which can assist me a little, which I myself work at with
difficulty, as I am not able to buy a slave to relieve me at it. I have
no other income than this, and if you take it from me, I shall run the
risk of coming into the hands of a cruel fate. 7. As you can help me
justly, members of the Boule, do not ruin unjustly. Do not take from me
in my old age and weakness what you gave me when young and strong; do not
receive harshly those who are pitied even by their enemies, when formerly
you seemed to be most charitable to those that had no trouble. Do not
have the heart to wrong me and so bring discouragement on others in like
condition. 8. For it would be absurd, members of the Boule, that if when
I merely had this misfortune, then it appeared I was receiving this
pension, and that now when old age and disease and their consequences had
come upon me, then I should be deprived of it. 9. It seems to me that the
accusers more clearly than any one else shows my utter poverty. For I
should be appointed as choragus for tragedies and should call on him to
exchange with me, he would prefer to be choragus ten times rather than
exchange once with me. And is it not strange for him to charge me now of
being able through my success to associate on an equality with the
wealthiest man, and to be so (poor) if anything of the sort should happen
as I said? and even more wretched?
10. And about my horsemanship, which he dares mention to you, neither
fearing fate nor ashamed before you, there is not much to say. For I
knew, members of the Boule, that all men having such a calamity seek
something like this, and study this problem, how to manage their
deformities with the least pain to themselves. I am one of these, and I
hit upon this relief for my infirmities for the long journeys I am
obliged to take. 11. It is easy to learn, members of the Boule, what is
the best proof that I ride on account of my infirmity and not from
arrogance. For if I had wealth, I should ride on a cushioned saddle, and
not on other people's horses; but now since I cannot buy such a one, I
have to use other people's horses often. 12. Now is it not inconsistent,
members of the Boule, that this very man if he had seen me on a cushioned
saddle would have held his peace, (for what could he have said?) but
because I ride borrowed horses that he tries to persuade you that I am
sound? And that I use two crutches while others use but one, (why does
he) not charge me that this is a mark of sound men? But that I ride he
uses as a proof to you that I am sound. But both of these I employ for
the same reason.
13. He surpasses all in shamelessness so much that he tries to persuade
you, he alone against so many (of you), that I am not a cripple. If he
persuades any of you, members of the Boule, what hinders my drawing lots
for the nine archons, and your taking my obol from me as being sound, and
giving it to him as a cripple? For surely you will not take away a gift
from a man as being sound while they prevent his drawing lots as being
unsound. 14. But really you do not have the same opinion as this man, nor
does he (hold it) in his better moments. For he comes here to dispute as
if my infirmity were an inheritance, and he tries to persuade you that I
am not such as you all see (me to be); but you, as if right for
reasonable men, trust the evidence of your own eyes rather than his
words.
15. But he says I am insolent and violent and licentious in my
disposition, just as if he were more likely to be speaking the truth if
he calls dreadful names, but will not accomplish this if he speaks mildly
and remains by the facts. But I think, members of the Boule, that you
clearly know what sort of men are apt to be insolent and what not. 16.
For it is not likely that the poor and needy should be insolent, but
those who have much more than they need; nor those who are infirm in
body, but those who rely on their own strength; nor those well advanced
in years, but those who are yet young and have youthful minds. 17. For
the rich buy off dangers with their wealth, but the poor are forced to
prudence by their lack of resources; and the young expect pardon from
their elders, and both blame the old equally for lapses; (18) and it is
for the strong without any cause to be insolent to whomsoever they wish,
but it is not possible for the weak if insulted to defend themselves
against those who provoke them, nor if they wish to be violent can they
overcome their victims. So that the accuser seems to me to speak about my
violence as a joke, not in earnest, not really wishing to persuade you
that I am such, but wishing to make fun of me, as if doing a fine thing.
19. And besides he says that many men gather about me who are of base
character, who have lost their property and plan against those who wish
to save their own (property). Remember all of you that in saying this he
charges me no more than any who have trades, nor those who enter my shop
more than those (who go into the shop) of other artisans. 20. For each
of you has been in the habit of going, one to a perfume shop, another to
the barber shop, one to a shoemaker's shop, others here and there, most
of all to the shops set up near the market-place, and very few to those
far from it. So if any of you charges those who come to my shop with bad
conduct, evidently you charge those who frequent other men's shops, and
if these, then all the Athenians; for you are all accustomed to go about
and spend your time somewhere or other. 21. I do not know that I ought to
weary you longer by accurately making my defense against each thing which
has been said. For if I have spoken about the main points, why should I
like him speak earnestly about trivial matters? But I beg you, members of
the Boule, to have the same mind toward me now as formerly. 22. Do not
for this man strip me of the only thing which fate has given me in
exchange for civil rights. Let him not alone persuade you to take back
what you all gave me in common. For since, members of the Boule, God has
deprived us of the highest offices, the city voted this pension, thinking
that the fortune should be alike for unfortunate and fortunate. 23.
Should I not be most wretched if I should be deprived through this
misfortune of the finest and best things, and through this accuser of
what the city intended for those in this condition? Do not, members of
the Boule, pass this vote. For why should I find you of such a
disposition? 24. Because some one in a trial ever lost his property
through me? But no one could prove that. Because I am meddlesome, and
harsh and quarrelsome? But I do not chance to have such conditions of
life for such actions. 25. But that I am violent and disorderly? But not
even he would say that if he did not wish to lie about this as the other
things. But that being in power in the reign of the Thirty I maltreated
many of the citizens? But after the democracy I fled to Chalcis on the
Euripus, and though I could have been a citizen among them without fear,
I preferred to run my risk with you all. 26. And now, members of the
Boule, having done no wrong, may I not find you such towards me as to
those who have committed many offenses, but cast the same vote for me
that the other councils (have cast), remembering that I am not giving
account of money of the state which I have managed, nor that I am not
rendering an account of any office which I have held, but I am making the
argument for an obol only. 27. And so you will understand the justice of
the matter, and I with justice from you will have this favor, and this
man for the future will learn not to plot against those weaker than
himself, but to get ahead of men like himself.