Against Philon, On his Scrutiny

WitnessesSo now it remains for him to state that owing to some infirmity that befell him he was incapacitated from assisting the party in the Peiraeus, but that he offered to spend his own resources either in contributing to the people’s funds or in arming some of his fellow-townsmen as infantry, after the example of many other citizens who were unable to give their loyal services in person.

Now, to preclude him from deceiving you with lies, I will give you clear information at once on these points also, since I shall not be at liberty afterwards to come forward in this place and expose him. Please call Diotimus of Acharnae[*](The principal township of Attica, 7 miles north of Athens.) and those who were appointed with him to arm the townsmen as infantry from the funds then contributed.

Testimony of Diotimus and those Appointed With HimSo this man had no intention of aiding the city in such a moment, in such a position of her affairs; his purpose was to make a profit out of your disasters. For he set out from Oropus, going sometimes alone and sometimes at the head of others who took your misfortunes as so much good fortune, and so traversed the countryside:

where he met with the most elderly citizens who had stayed behind in their townships with scanty supplies that barely sufficed them,—men who were attached to the democracy, but unable owing to their age to give it their support,—he stripped them of their resources, thinking it more important to make his own petty gains than to spare them injury. It is not possible for all these to prosecute him today, from the very same cause that disabled them from supporting the city: