Apollodorus Against Polycles

I have told all these facts to you from the beginning, that you may know how much I have myself expended and how burdensome my service as trierarch has been to me, and all the expenses which I subsequently bore in the interest of the defendant by serving beyond my term, since he did not come to take over the ship, and all the dangers I myself incurred from storms and from the enemy. For after we had convoyed the ships to Maroneia, and had arrived at Thasos, Timomachus came and undertook again in conjunction with the Thasians to convoy grain and a body of peltasts[*]( Light-armed troops.) to Strymê,[*]( Stryme, a town on the southern coast of Thrace.) with the intention of taking the place himself.

However, the Maronites arrayed their ships against us in defence of the place, and offered battle, and our men were tired out with their long voyage and from towing the ships from Thasos to Strymê besides, it was stormy, and the place offered no harbor, and it was impossible to go ashore and get a meal, for the country was hostile, and all around the wall bands of mercenaries and barbarians from the neighborhood lay encamped; so we were forced to ride at anchor all night long in the open sea without food and without sleep, keeping watch lest the ships of the Maronites should attack us in the night.

Nor was this all. It was our lot to have by night rain and thunder and a violent wind at that season of the year (for the time was just at the setting of the Pleiades[*]( Roughly the end of October, when the stormy season had set in.)); so can you not imagine, men of the jury, what despondency fell upon our men, and what an amount of desertion I had again to face after this? For the old sailors had borne many hardships and received but little compensation—merely what I was able to borrow and give to each man in addition to what they had had from me before, since the general did not supply enough even for their daily sustenance. By now I had served three months beyond my term, and the defendant had not yet come to take over the ship; but I borrowed money and hired sailors to replace those who had deserted.

The defendant alone of the trierarchs appointed to succeed us has no excuse left him for not having come to take over the ship long before. For Euctemon, the pentecontarch, after he was sent home from the Hellespont on account of his sickness, when he reached port and heard that Polycles had been appointed to relieve me, knowing that the term of my trierarchy had expired and that I was now serving over time, took with him my father-in-law, Deinias, and coming up to Polycles in the sample market, bade him set sail and take over the ship with all speed, telling him that the expenses which were incurred every day in addition to the provision money supplied by the general were very heavy.

He told him in detail of the pay given each month to the rowers and the marines, both to the sailors whom he had himself hired at Lampsacus and to those who came on board subsequently to replace those who had deserted, and also of the additional sums which I had given to each of the old sailors at their request after the term of my trierarchy had expired, and all the rest of the money expended upon the ship from day to day. With all these matters Euctemon was thoroughly acquainted, for it was through him as pentecontarch that all purchases and disbursements were made.

He told him, too, about the ship’s equipment, that it was wholly my own, and that I had nothing from the public stores. Therefore, he said, plan to come to an agreement with him, or sail from here taking your own equipment with you. I think, however, he added, that he will readily come to terms with you; for he owes money there, which he will be glad to pay from the price of the equipment. When the defendant heard these words from Euctemon and Deinias my father-in-law, he made no answer to them regarding the matters of which they spoke but, they said, he broke into a laugh, and said, The mouse has just tasted pitch[*]( A familiar proverb of those who fall into difficulties through their own folly. See Theocritus 14.51. The second clause fits the present situation: Pasion had sought Athenian citizenship: Apollodorus is now paying the price.); for he wanted to be an Athenian.

Well, when he paid no heed to what he heard from Euctemon and Deinias, later on Pythodorus of Acharnae,[*]( Acharnae, a deme of the tribe Oeneïs.) and Apollodorus of Leuconoë, [*]( Leuconoe, a deme of the tribe Leontis.) friends and connections of mine, again approached him, and urged him to go and take over the ship, as he had been designated as my successor; and they told him about the equipment, that it was wholly my own, and that I had nothing from the public stores.

So, if you want to make use of that, they said, leave money here, and do not run the risk of carrying it abroad. For they wanted to redeem the farm for me by paying Archeneüs and Thrasylochus thirty minae. Regarding the wear and tear of the ship’s equipment they were willing to draw up an agreement with him, and themselves to be sureties for me, that he would assuredly have the terms which the other trierarchs gave to their successors.

To prove that I am speaking the truth in all this, the clerk shall read you the depositions bearing upon these matters.

The Depositions

There are many proofs from which I think I can show you that Polycles neither at the first intended to take over the ship from me, nor, after he was forced by you and your decree to go and join the ship, was he willing to take it over as my successor. For after he arrived at Thasos, when I was serving for the fourth month after my term had expired, I took witnesses with me, as many of the citizens as I could and the marines and rowers, and, coming up to him in the market-place at Thasos, I bade him take over the ship from me as my successor and repay me what I had expended since the expiration of my term.

I was ready to reckon it up item by item, while I had by me as witnesses to the expenditures the sailors and the marines and the rowers, in order that, if he disputed anything, I might refute him at once. Everything had been recorded so accurately by me, that I had written down not only the disbursements themselves, but also the objects for which the money had been spent, the nature of the service rendered, what the price was, in the coinage of what country the payment was made, and what the loss in exchange was, in order that I might be able to give convincing proof to my successor, if he thought any false entries were being made against him.

And besides I was ready to take an oath to confirm my reckoning. Upon my giving him this challenge, he answered that he had no interest in what I was saying. At this point a servant came from the general with orders for me to set sail. The order was given to me, not to the defendant, my successor, upon whom the duty was now devolving; but the reason for this I will explain in the course of my address. For the time being it seemed to me best to weigh anchor and sail where he ordered me,

but when I put into Thasos again, after towing the vessels to Strymê as the general had ordered, bidding the sailors and the marines and the rowers to remain on board, I went by myself to the house where the general, Timomachus, lodged, wishing that he too should be present, when I offered the ship with her full crew to the defendant Polycles.

I found the defendant there and the trierarchs and those who were to succeed them, and some others of our citizens; and on coming in I spoke at once to Polycles in the presence of the general, and called upon him to take over the ship from me, and to pay me for the disbursements made during the period since my term of service had expired; and I asked him about the ship’s equipment, whether he would take it over, or whether he had brought equipment of his own with him.

When I thus challenged him, he asked me why I was the only one of the trierarchs who had equipment of my own, and whether the state did not know that there were some people able to provide equipment for their ships, so that the state itself did not need to do it. Or have you, he said, so far surpassed the others in wealth as to be the only one of the trierarchs to have equipment of your own and gilded ornaments?

Who, he continued, could endure your madness and extravagance, a crew corrupted and accustomed to receive large sums in advance and to enjoy exemption from services normally required on board a ship, and able also to make use of the baths, and marines and rowers rendered luxurious by high wages paid in full? Bad ways, he said, are these you have taught the army. It is partly your fault that the troops of the other trierarchs have become more unruly, seeking to have the same treatment that yours enjoy; you ought to have done the same as the other trierarchs.

Upon his saying this, I answered that the reason I had taken no equipment from the docks was because, You, said I, have brought the stores into bad repute. However, if you like, take this equipment of mine; if not, provide equipment for yourself. As for the sailors and marines and rowers, if you say that they have been corrupted by me, take over the ship, and get sailors and marines and rowers for yourself, who will sail with you without pay. But take over the ship, for it is not my place to serve any longer; the term of my trierarchy has expired, and I have served four months beyond it.

When I said this to him, he answered that his colleague in the trierarchy had not come to the ship. So, said he, I will not take over the ship alone.

To prove that I am telling you the truth in this, that in the market-place he made the answer mentioned above, that he cared nothing for what I was saying, and that in the house where Timomachus lodged he declared that he would not take over the ship alone—the clerk shall read you the depositions bearing on these facts.

The Depositions

After this, men of the jury, when the defendant would neither take over the ship from me nor pay the expenses for the period beyond my term, and the general ordered me to set sail, I approached him in the harbor in Thasos, and in the presence of the general, when the ship was fully manned, and made a proposal, which was not indeed fair, since the advantage was all on his side, but which was forced upon me by the circumstances.

Since you say, Polycles, that your associate in the trierarchy has not come, I will get from him, if I can, the amount expended during my extra time of service, the four months; but do you take over the ship, and first serve as trierarch for your term, the six months; then, if your colleague shall have arrived in the interim, you will give over the ship, having fulfilled your term of service; and, if he does not come, you will suffer no great harm in serving two months beyond your term.

Or, am I, who have served for my own term and that of my colleague, to have performed extra service as trierarch for you and your associate, and are you, who have incurred no expense, to refuse either to take over the ship and serve your own term, or to reimburse me for the expenses I have borne? When I said this, he answered that I was romancing. Then the general ordered me to go on board my ship and put to sea with him.

To prove that he did give me this answer, (to the clerk) please read the deposition.

The Deposition