Against Simon

Although I was aware of much that was outrageous about Simon, gentlemen of the Council, I did not believe that he would ever have carried audacity to the pitch of lodging a complaint as the injured party to a case where he was the person who should be punished, and of taking that great and solemn affidavit[*](The oath or affidavit (διωμοσία) taken by both parties to a suit at a private examination (ἀνάκρισις). See fn. 5 on Antiph. 5, On the Murder of Herodes.) and so coming before you.

Now if it were any other court that was to make a decision upon me, I should be terrified by the danger, considering what strange machinations and chances occur at times to cause a variety of surprises to those who are standing their trial: but as it is before you that I appear, I hope to obtain justice.

What especially vexes me, gentlemen, is that I shall be compelled to speak to you of the facts of this case: for it was my feeling of shame at the mere thought of these becoming widely known that made me put up with my wrongs. But since Simon has placed me in such a necessity, I will relate to you the whole of the facts without the slightest reserve.

If I am guilty, gentlemen, I expect to get no indulgence; but if I prove my innocence as regards the counts of Simon’s affidavit, while for the rest you consider my attitude towards the boy too senseless for a man of my age, I ask you not to think the worse of me for that, since you know that all mankind are liable to desire, but that he may be the best and most temperate who is able to bear its misfortunes in the most orderly spirit. All my efforts in this way have been thwarted by the plaintiff Simon, as I shall make clear to you.

We felt desire, gentlemen, for Theodotus, a Plataean boy; and while I looked to win his affection by kindness, this man thought by outrage and defiance of the law to compel him to accede to his wishes. To tell all the ill-treatment that the boy has suffered from him would be a lengthy business: but I think it proper that you should hear the numerous offences he has committed against myself.

Hearing that the boy was at my house, he came there at night in a drunken state, broke down the doors, and entered the women’s rooms: within were my sister and my nieces, whose lives have been so well-ordered that they are ashamed to be seen even by their kinsmen. [*](Athenian women usually lived in seclusion, and only left the house to attend a religious ceremony or festival: cf. Lys. 1.20; Thuc. 2.45.)

This man, then, carried insolence to such a pitch that he refused to go away until the people who appeared on the spot, and those who had accompanied him, feeling it a monstrous thing that he should intrude on young girls and orphans, drove him out by force. Far from repenting of his outrageous proceedings, he found out where we were dining, and acted in the strangest, the most incredible manner, as it might seem to those unacquainted with his madness.

He called me out of doors, and, as soon as I went outside, made an immediate attempt to strike me. When I beat him off, he stood out of reach and began pelting me with stones. He missed me, but Aristocritus, who had accompanied him to my house, was struck by a stone which broke his forehead.

So I, gentlemen, feeling myself grossly ill-used, but ashamed—as I have already told you before—at my misfortune, put up with it, and preferred to go without satisfaction for the offences rather than be thought lacking in sense by the citizens: for I knew that, while his actions would be found appropriate to his wickedness, I should be derided for the treatment I received by a number of people who are in the habit of resenting my ambition that one may show for a good standing in the city.

I was so perplexed, gentlemen, in face of this man’s lawless behavior, that I decided that it would be best for me to reside abroad. So I took the boy (since the whole truth must be told), and left the city. When I thought it was time enough for Simon to have forgotten the young fellow, and also to have repented of his former offences, I came back again.

I betook myself to the Peiraeus; but this man, observing immediately that Theodotus had arrived and was staying with Lysimachus,—who lived hard by the house that this man had rented—invited some of his friends to join him: they all had luncheon and drank, and they posted watchers on the roof so that,when the boy should come out, they might seize upon him.

At this moment I arrived from the Peiraeus, and in passing I turned into Lysimachus’s house: after spending some little time there, we came out. Then those people, already drunk, sprang out upon us; some of his party refused to join in his criminal action, but Simon here, and Theophilus, Protarchus and Autocles began dragging the boy along. He, however, flung off his cloak and ran away.

Then I, expecting that he would make good his escape, while they, if they met anybody, would at once turn aside from a feeling of shame,— with this conclusion I took myself off by another street; so careful I was to give them a wide berth, for I regarded all the proceedings of these men as a grievous misfortune to myself.

Thus, on the spot where Simon says that the fight occurred, nobody on either their or my side had his head broken or received any other hurt: as witnesses to all this I will produce to you the persons who were then present.

WitnessesThat this man, then, was the wrongdoer, gentlemen, and that he had designs on us, and not I on him, has been testified to you by those who were then present. After this the boy took refuge in a fuller’s shop; but these men dashed in after him and laid violent hands on him, while he shouted and cried out and called the bystanders to witness.

A crowd of people came running up, and protested against their action, which they declared a monstrous proceeding: these men gave no heed to anything that was said, but gave a severe beating to Molon the fuller and some others who were endeavoring to protect the lad.

They had already got as far as Lampon’s when I, walking by myself, met with them; and considering it a monstrous and shameful thing to stand by and see the young fellow subjected to such lawless and violent outrage, I seized hold of him. They, when asked why they were treating him in such lawless fashion, refused to answer, but letting the young fellow go they began to beat me.

A battle ensued, gentlemen; the boy was pelting them and defending his person, while they were pelting us; they also, in their do.drunkenness, were beating him and I was defending myself, and the others present were all supporting. us, as being the injured party; and in this brawl we all of us got our heads broken.

The others whom Simon had led into this drunken assault, at their first sight of me after the affair begged my pardon, as men who, so far from suffering injury, had acted in a monstrous way; and though since that time four years have elapsed, nobody has ever brought any charge against me.

Simon here, who was the author of all the trouble, kept quiet for some time, in fear for himself; but when he became aware that I had failed in a private suit on a challenge to an exchange of property,[*](A wealthy citizen, such as the speaker here, had to undertake certain public services, which he could only avoid by challenging some other citizen, whom he considered wealthier than himself, wither to exchange his property with him, or to undertake the service.) he conceived a contempt for me and, with the audacity that you now see, has involved me in this serious prosecution. Now, as witnesses to show that here too I am speaking the truth, I will produce to you the persons who were present on the occasion.