25
And, assuredly, if anything had happened to me,A frequent euphemism for, if my death had ensued. he would have been liable to a charge of murder and the severest of penalties. At any rate the father of the priestess at Brauron,Brauron was a district on the eastern coast of Attica, where there was a famous shrine of Artemis. It was to this point that Orestes and Iphigeneia were said to have brought the statue of Artemis from the land of the Taurians. The facts regarding the case alluded to are unknown. although it was admitted that he had not laid a finger on the deceased, but had merely urged the one who dealt the blow to keep on striking, was banished by the court of the Areopagus. And justly; for, if the bystanders, instead of preventing those who through the influence of drink or anger or any other cause are undertaking to act lawlessly, are themselves to urge them on, there is no hope of safety for one who falls in with lawless rascals; he may be sure that he will be maltreated until they grow weary as was the case with me.
26
I wish now to tell you what they sought to do at the arbitration; for from this you will perceive their utter insolence. They spun out the time till past midnight, refusing to read the depositions or to put in copies; leading to the altar one at a time our witnesses who were present and putting them on oath; writing depositions which had nothing to do with the case (for instance that Ctesias was the son of Conon by a mistress, and that he had been treated thus and soIf Ctesias were illegitimate, Conon could not be held responsible for his misdoings, and previous mistreatment by the plaintiff is alleged as justification of the assault made upon the latter by Ctesias.)—a course of action, men of the jury, which I assure you by the gods roused resentment and disgust in the mind of every one present; and finally they were disgusted at themselves.
