Defense Against A Charge Of Taking Bribes: Undesignated

Lysias

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

In regard to the counts of the accusation, gentlemen of the jury, you have been sufficiently informed; but I must ask your attention also for what has yet to be added, so that you may understand what kind of person I am before you give your verdict upon me. I was certified of age[*](By the Council, in his eighteenth year: cf. Lys. 10.31.) in the archonship of Theopompus: [*](411-410 B.C.) appointed to produce tragic drama, I spent thirty minae and two months later, at the Thargelia,[*](At the festival of Apollo and Artemis, held in the month Thargelion (May-June).) two thousand drachmae, when I won a victory with a male chorus; and in the archonship of Glaucippus,[*](410-409 B.C.) at the Great Panathenaea, eight hundred drachmae on pyrrhic[*](The pyrrhic was a kind of war-dance.) dancers.

Besides, I won a victory with a male chorus at the Dionysia under the same archon, and spent on it, including the dedication of the tripod, five thousand drachmae; then, in the time of Diocles,[*](409-408 B.C.) three hundred on a cyclic[*](A circular or dithyrambic chorus, usually associated with the worship of Dionysus.) chorus at the Little Panathenaea. In the meantime, for seven years I equipped warships, at a cost of six talents.

Although I have borne all these expenses, and have faced daily peril in your service abroad, I have nevertheless made contributions—one of thirty minae and another of four thousand drachmae—to special levies. As soon as I returned to these shores, in the archonship of Alexias,[*](405-404 B.C.) I was producing games for the Promethea,[*](Torch-races were held in honor of Prometheus.) and won a victory after spending twelve minae.

Then, later, I was appointed to produce a chorus of children, and spent more than fifteen minae. In the archonship of Eucleides[*](404-403 B.C.) I produced comic drama for Cephisodorus and won a victory, spending on it, with the dedication of the equipment, sixteen minae; and at the Little Panathenaea I produced a chorus of beardless pyrrhic dancers, and spent seven minae.

I have won a victory with a warship in the race at Sunium,[*](A promontory in the south of Attica, on which there was a temple of Poseidon.) spending fifteen minae; and besides I had the conduct of sacred missions and ceremonial processions[*](In this case, of maidens of the best families, who at the Panathenaea carried the sacred robe and other holy object as offerings to Athene.) and other duties of the sort, for which my expenses have come to more than thirty minae. Of these sums that I have enumerated, had I chosen to limit my public services to the letter of the law, I should have spent not one quarter.