Against Theomnestus 1

Lysias

Lysias. Lamb, W.R.M., translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1930.

Law

He shall vow by Apollo and give security. If he dreads the course of justice, let him flee.

Here to vow is to swear, and flee is what we now call run away.

Whosoever debars with his door, when the thief is within,

—Here to debar is taken to be shut out; no dispute, now, on that score!

Money shall be placed out at whatever rate the lender may choose.

Placed out here, my fine fellow, is not a case of placing in the balance, but of drawing interest to such amount as one may choose. Once more, read the final clause of this same law.

All women who ply about overtly,

and

for hurt to a varlet the redress shall be double.

Pay attention: overtly is openly, ply about is walk about, and a varlet is a servant.

We have many other instances of the sort, gentlemen. But if he is not a numskull, I suppose he has realized that things are the same now as they were of old, but that in some cases we do not use the same terms now as we did formerly. And he will show as much, for he will leave the dais and depart in silence.

If not, I beg you, gentlemen, to vote according to justice, reflecting that it is a far greater slur to be told that one has killed one’s father than that one has thrown away one’s shield. I, for one, would rather have cast any number of shields than entertain such thoughts regarding my father.

Now this man, on a charge which was well-founded, but which involved less disaster to him, obtained not only your pity, but even the disfranchisement[*](For perjury.) of the witness for the prosecution. But I, who have seen him do that[*](Namely, throw away his shield.) which you likewise know, who have saved my own shield, who have been accused of a proceeding thus unholy and monstrous, and whose disaster will be overwhelming if he is acquitted, while his will be inconsiderable if he is convicted of slander,-am I not to obtain satisfaction from him? What imputation have you standing against me?

Is it that I have been justly accused? No, not even yourselves can say so. That the defendant is a better man and of better birth than I? No; not he himself can claim this. That having thrown away my arms I am suing for slander a man who saved his? This is not the story that has been disseminated in the city.

Remember that there you have presented him with a rich and goodly gift[*](i.e., his success in securing the condemnation and disfranchisement of Dionysius, the other witness in the previous trial.) in that respect, who would not pity Dionysius for the disaster that overtook him, after he had proved himself a man of the highest valor in times of danger,