Against Stephanus II

Well then, seeing that the sons are alive, the will which these men say my father left is invalid, and this man Stephanus has borne false witness in defiance of all the laws, in declaring that the document is a copy of Pasio’s will. (To Stephanus.) Why, how do you know that it is? Where were you ever present when my father made it? You are shown to have been guilty of trickery in the suit, to have given false witness yourself without scruple, to have stolen depositions which supported the truth, to have misled the jury, and to have entered into a conspiracy to defeat justice. But the laws have provided criminal suits for actions such as these.

(To the clerk.) Read the law, please.

The Law

If any man enter into a conspiracy, or join in seeking to bribe the Heliaea or any of the courts in Athens, or the Senate, by giving or receiving money for corrupt ends, or shall organize a clique for the overthrow of the democracy, or, while serving as public advocate, shall accept money in any suit, private or public, criminal suits shall be entered for these acts before the Thesmothetae.

So, in the light of all these things, I should like to ask you in accordance with what laws you have sworn to give judgement: whether according to the laws of the state, or according to the laws which Phormio enacts for himself. I bring before you, then, these laws, and I prove that both these men have transgressed them, Phormio by having at the outset wronged me and robbed me of the money which my father left me, and which that father leased to Phormio together with the bank and the manufactory[*](See Dem. 36.4); Stephanus here, by having given false testimony, and given it in defiance of the law.

Another thing also, men of the jury, deserves to be borne in mind, that no one ever makes a copy of a will; they make copies of contracts, that they may know the terms and not violate them; but not of wills. For this is the very reason why the testators leave a will—that no man may know how they are disposing of their property. How, then, do you people know that what is written in the document is a copy of Pasio’s will?

I beseech and implore you all, men of the jury, to come to my aid and to punish those who thus without scruple have given false testimony, for your own sakes, for mine, for the sake of justice and the laws.