The Orations of Lysias

by Lysias

92. I desire to conclude, after reminding both parties of a few things, the city party and the Piraeus party, in order that, having as proofs the disasters which have occurred through their means, you may vote.

In the first place, you of the city party should reflect that you were so severely governed by them, that you were compelled to wage such a war upon your brothers, and sons, and citizens, that, if defeated in it, you would be on an equality with those who conquered, but conquering, would be slaves to them. 93. These villains, on the one hand, as a result of the strife, would have enriched their private resources, but you would be poorer on account of your war with each other, for they demanded that you should not share their advantages, while they compelled you to share their dishonor, having reached such a pitch of arrogance, that, without sharing the offices with you, they kept your faith, but in sharing their reproaches, they thought you would be friendly. 94. Wherefore do you, being confident, as far as you are able, both exact punishment in your own behalf and in behalf of the Piraeus party, reflecting that you were governed by those who were most vicious, that you are living now with the best of men, making war upon enemies, and deliberating for (the interests) of the city, and remembering the mercenaries whom these men made the guards of their power and your servitude in the Acropolis. 95. This much I say to you, though there are many things besides.

And you of the Piraeus party, in the first place, should remember your warlike deeds, that, having fought many battles in a foreign country, you were deprived of your arms, not by enemies, but by these men in a time of peace; secondly, that you were proclaimed exiles from the city, which our fathers gave to you, and that they demanded you, who fled, back from the cities (to which you fled). 96. Therefore be angry as when you went into exile, and remember the other misfortunes which you suffered from them, who seized some from the market-place, and others from the temple, and put them to death, and, dragging others away from their children, parents, and wives, compelled them to be murderers of their own kindred, and did not permit them to receive the customary burial; thinking their own government would be more secure from the vengeance of the gods. 97. And those who escaped death, after having often been in danger, wandering to other cities, and being outlawed from every place, in want of the necessities of life, some leaving their children in their country now become foreign, and others in a strange land, with much opposition, have come to the Piraeus. And though there were many great dangers, being honorable men, you freed some, and others you restored to their country. 98. But if you have been unsuccessful, and had failed in these things, you would yourselves have fled, fearing lest you should suffer just such wrongs as before, and neither temples nor altars, things which are a source of safety even to those doing wrong, would have helped you, injured through the characters of these men; and your children, as many as were here, would be ill-treated by them; and those in a foreign land would be slaves, on account of small debts, from the lack of those to assist them.

99. However I am not willing to say what the future will be, not being able to say what has been done by them; for it is not the work for one accuser, nor for two, but for many; still (nothing of my zeal has been left out), I have employed all my zeal in behalf of the temples, which they in part have sold, and in part desecrated by entering; in behalf of the city, which they rendered weak; in behalf of the dockyard, which they dismantled; and in behalf of the dead, whom, now that they are dead, you should aid, since you were not able to defend them when alive. 100. But I think they hear you, and will know that you are voting, feeling that those who acquit these have condemned them to death; but as many as punish these have avenged them. I shall cease my accusation. You have heard, seen, suffered, and hold the evidence. Now pass your judgment.

ORATION XIII.

AGORATUS.

1. It is fitting, gentlemen of the jury, for all of you to avenge the men who died well disposed to the state, and for me not the least. For Dionysodorus was my brother-in-law and nephew. So I have the same hostility to this Agoratus as your party. For he did things on account of which he is justly hated by you and me, and, if God wills, he shall be justly punished. 2. For my brother-in-law, Dionysodorus, and many others whose names you shall hear, being men well disposed to the people, he put to death in the time of the Thirty, informing against them. Doing these things he injured me not a little and all who have come here, and greatly injured the whole state in common, as I think, by depriving it of such men. 3. Therefore, gentlemen of the jury, I think it right by divine and human law for each one to take as much revenge as he can. And I think if you should do this, we should fare better at the hands of gods and men. But, Athenians, you must hear about his deeds from the very beginning, (4) that you may first learn in what manner your democracy was destroyed, then how these men were put to death by Agoratus and what those about to die charged us with. On learning all this accurately you will more willingly and justly condemn this Agoratus. Therefore, where we can most easily teach and you learn, there I will begin the story.

5. When your ships were destroyed and the resources of the state were in a bad way, not long afterwards the ships of the Lacedaemonians arrived at the Piraeus, and at the same time conferences about peace took place with the Lacedaemonians. 6. During that period those who wished a revolution in the city laid their plans, thinking they had hit upon the right moment and would establish things just at that time as they themselves wished. 7. They thought nothing was in their way except the leaders of the people, the Strategi, and the Taxiarchs. Accordingly they wanted to remove these in some way or other, that they might more easily arrange matters as they wished. First then, they assailed Cleophon with this idea. 8. For when the first meeting about peace was in session, and those who had come from the Lacedaemonians said on what terms the Lacedaemonians were willing to make peace—if the long walls should be destroyed for ten stadia on both sides—then you, Athenians, could not bear to hear about the destruction of the walls, and Cleophon rose in your behalf and said that it was not at all possible to do this. 9. Then Theramenes, plotting against the people, rose and said if you would appoint him ambassador with full powers he would bring it about that the walls should not be destroyed, nor any other evil injure the state. He thought in some other way to benefit the city at the hands of the Lacedaemonians. 10. And you, persuaded, chose him as plenipotentiary, although the year before you rejected him after he was chosen Strategus, not thinking him well disposed to the people. 11. He, therefore, going to Sparta remained there a long time leaving you in a state of siege, though he knew that on account of the war and misfortunes the people were in need of the very necessities of life, thinking if he brought you to a very low state, as he did, that you would gladly make any sort of peace that he desired. 12. Those who remained here and planned to overthrow the government, brought Cleophon to trial on the plea that he did not come to the camp to sleep, but really because he spoke against tearing down the walls. When they had packed the jury, and those who desired to establish an oligarchy had come in, they killed him on this charge. 13. Theramenes afterwards came from Sparta. Some of the Strategi and Taxiarchs, among them Strombichides and Dionysodorus, and other citizens who were well disposed to you, as they afterwards showed, having gone to meet him, became exceedingly angry. For he came bringing a peace the nature of which we afterwards learned by actual experience. For we lost many good citizens and we ourselves were driven out by the Thirty. 14. For instead of destroying ten stadia of the long walls (the terms of peace) were to destroy all the wall, and instead of finding some other good for the city, to hand over the ships to the Lacedaemonians and to destroy the walls about the Piraeus. 15. These men, perceiving it was a peace in name, but in fact the destruction of the democracy, refused to allow this to take place, not because they were sorry, Athenians, that the walls were to fall, nor that they minded giving over the ships to the Lacedaemonians (for this was no more their concern than yours), (16) but learning that thus the people was to be destroyed; not (as some say) because they did not wish there to be peace, but because they wished to make a better peace than this for the people of Athens. They thought they would be able and would have done this if they had not been killed by this Agoratus.

17. Theramenes and others who were plotting against you, knowing that there were some who were opposed to the destruction of the democracy and would take an opposite stand for freedom, chose to bring against these men false accusations and to place them in danger before the assembly on peace was held, that no one there might raise objections in your cause. 18. Therefore they adopt the following plan. They persuade this Agoratus to become an informer against the Strategi and Taxiarchs; not that he was in their secrets, Athenians, no indeed, (for they were not so foolish and friendless, that, when they were engaged in an affair of this size, they would call in Agoratus, a slave and a son of slaves, as being trustworthy and well disposed,) but because it seemed to them that he was a necessary informer. 19. Therefore they wished him to seem to give testimony unwillingly and with reluctance, that he might seem to you somewhat more trustworthy.

But that he testified willingly I think you know from the case. For they sent Theocritus, known as the son of Elaphostictus, to the Boule, which was in session before the Thirty. And this Theocritus was a friend and relative of Agoratus. 20. But the Boule in the time of the Thirty was tampered with, and as you know, greatly favored an oligarchy. And the proof is that those in that Boule served in the last one under the Thirty. Why do I relate this to you? That you may know that the decision of that Boule was not well disposed to you, but was entirely for the destruction of your party, and that you may know them to be such. 21. Theocritus coming into the Boule in secret session testified that some were together with the intention of raising opposition to the established government. But said he could not give their names individually, for he had sworn the same oaths with them; that there were others who would tell, but that he personally would never do it. 22. If he did not testify according to a plot, why did not the Boule compel Theocritus to give their names, and not to give testimony without names? But now this vote was passed.