Aischrokerdeian

This is part 3 of 3. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here.

Καὶ ἔχοντες μὲν ἑπτακοσίας ἀσπίδας τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἔχοντες δὲ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον τοσοῦτον, χαλκὸν δὲ καὶ κόσμον καὶ ἔπιπλα καὶ ἱμάτια γυναικεῖα ὅσα οὐδεπώποτε ᾤοντο κτήσεσθαι, καὶ ἀνδράποδα εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατόν, ὧν τὰ μὲν βέλτιστα ἔλαβον, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ εἰς τὸ δημόσιον ἀπέδοσαν, εἰς τοσαύτην ἀπληστίαν καὶ αἰσχροκέρδειαν ἀφίκοντο καὶ τοῦ τρόπου τοῦ αὐτῶν ἀπόδειξιν ἐποιήσαντο· τῆς γὰρ Πολεμάρχου γυναικὸς χρυσοῦς ἑλικτῆρας, οὓς ἔχουσα ἐτύγχανεν, ὅτε τὸ πρῶτον ἦλθον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, Μηλόβιος ἐκ τῶν ὤτων ἐξείλετο. καὶ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὸ ἐλάχιστον μέρος τῆς οὐσίας ἐλέου παρ’ αὐτῶν ἐτυγχάνομεν. ἀλλ’ οὕτως εἰς ἡμᾶς διὰ τὰ χρήματα ἐξημάρτανον, ὥσπερ ἂν ἕτεροι μεγάλων ἀδικημάτων ὀργὴν ἔχοντες, οὐ τούτων ἀξίους γε ὄντας τῇ πόλει, ἀλλὰ πάσας μὲν τὰς χορηγίας χορηγήσαντας, πολλὰς δ᾽ εἰσφορὰς εἰσενεγκόντας, κοσμίους δ’ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς παρέχοντας καὶ πᾶν τὸ προσταττόμενον ποιοῦντας, ἐχθρὸν δ’ οὐδένα κεκτημένους, πολλοὺς δ’ Ἀθηναίων ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων λυσαμένους τοιούτων ἠξίωσαν οὐχ ὁμοίως μετοικοῦντας ὥσπερ αὐτοὶ ἐπολιτεύοντο. οὗτοι γὰρ πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν πολιτῶν εἰς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐξήλασαν, πολλοὺς δ’ ἀδίκως ἀποκτείναντες ἀτάφους ἐποίησαν, πολλοὺς δ’ ἐπιτίμους ὄντας ἀτίμους κατέστησαν, πολλῶν δὲ θυγατέρας μελλούσας ἐκδίδοσθαι ἐκώλυσαν. καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτόν εἰσι τόλμης ἀφιγμένοι ὥσθ᾽ ἥκουσιν ἀπολογησόμενοι, καὶ λέγουσιν ὡς οὐδὲν κακὸν οὐδ’ αἰσχρὸν εἰργασμένοι εἰσίν. ἐγὼ δ’ ἐβουλόμην ἂν αὐτοὺς ἀληθῆ λέγειν· μετῆν γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἐμοὶ τούτου τἀγαθοῦ οὐκ ἐλάχιστον μέρος. νῦν δὲ οὔτε πρὸς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῖς τοιαῦτα ὑπάρχει οὔτε πρὸς ἐμέ· τὸν ἀδελφὸν γάρ μου, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον εἶπον, Ἐρατοσθένης ἀπέκτεινεν, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἰδίᾳ ἀδικούμενος οὔτε εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὁρῶν ἐξαμαρτάνοντα, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ παρανομίᾳ προθύμως ἐξυπηρετῶν. ἀναβιβασάμενος δ’ αὐτὸν βούλομαι ἐρέσθαι, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί. τοιαύτην γὰρ γνώμην ἔχω· ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ τούτου ὠφελείᾳ καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον περὶ τούτου διαλέγεσθαι ἀσεβὲς εἶναι νομίζω, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ τούτου βλάβῃ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τοῦτον ὅσιον καὶ εὐσεβές. ἀνάβηθι οὖν μοι καὶ ἀπόκριναι, ὅ τι ἄν σε ἐρωτῶ.
(Lysias, Or. 12.19-24)

The Thirty had seven hundred shields of ours. They had a huge amount of silver and gold, bronze and ornaments, and furniture and women’s clothing, more than they had ever hoped to obtain; and also one hundred and twenty slaves, of which they kept the best but handed the remainder over to the Treasury. Such was the level of shamelessness and greed which they reached, and they made the following display of their true character: the moment Melobius first entered the house, he snatched from the ears of Polemarchus’ wife the golden earrings she happened to be wearing. We received not the smallest degree of pity from them; instead, because of our money, they behaved towards us just as others would have done if angered by very serious offenses. We did not deserve this sort of treatment at the hands of the city: we had sponsored all our choral performances and contributed to many war taxes; we had conducted ourselves well and had done everything required of us; we had made no enemies but had ransomed many Athenians from the foe. In these matters, they clearly did not believe that we as metics should behave in the same way that they behaved as citizens. Many citizens they drove into the hands of the enemy; many they killed unjustly and deprived of burial; many of those who possessed full citizen rights they disfranchised; and many men’s daughters they prevented from getting married. And now they have reached such a pitch of audacity that they have come into court to defend themselves, and claim they have done nothing wrong and nothing shameful. For my part, I wish they were telling the truth, because I would be far better off in that case. As it is, however, they are not treating me or the city in that way. For as I have already told you, gentlemen of the jury, Eratosthenes killed my brother. He has suffered no injury himself, nor did he see Polemarchus offending against the city. Instead, Eratosthenes himself was serving his own lawless desires. Gentlemen of the jury, I would like him to come up to the rostrum and answer questions. My reason is that although I would regard it as impiety even to mention him to a third party if that was going to benefit him, nevertheless, when it will contribute to his downfall, I regard it as a sanctified and holy act even to speak directly to him. So go up and answer whatever questions I put to you. (tr. Stephen C. Todd)