4
I was unable to bring a private action (for there were no actions at that time, since you put off all such matters because of the warThe reference is to the hostilities between Athens and Thebes in the period between the battle of Leuctra (371 B.C.) and the battle of Mantinea (362 B.C.).), but I indicted him before the ThesmothetaeSee note a on p. 202 of vol. 1. on the charge of outrage.The ὕβρεως γραφή was a public indictment for wanton outrage. It was a criminal charge, and involved the penalty of a fine payable to the State, or, in extreme cases, even the penalty of death. It was far more serious than a charge of common assault (αἰκείας δίκη). See Dem. 54.1 However, time passed and the indictment was evaded (seeing that actions were not being held), and moreover children were born by my mother to Phormio, and after this (for the whole truth shall be told you, men of the jury), many kindly overtures were made on the part of my mother, and pleas on behalf of this man Phormio, and many overtures on the part of Phormio himself that were both moderate and humble in their terms.
5
However, to make the story brief, men of Athens, he would not do one of the things to which he had agreed, and tried to withhold from me the money which he held as capital in the bank; so then I was compelled to enter suit against him at the earliest opportunity. Phormio on his part, seeing that everything would be brought to light, and that he would be proved to have acted toward me as the basest of humankind, contrived and concocted this plot in furtherance of which the defendant Stephanus gave this false testimony against me. In the first place, he entered a special plea in the suit in which he was defendant, claiming that the suit was not admissible; and then he produced false witnesses who stated that I had given him a release from my claims, and who deposed to a forged lease and to a will which never existed.
