10
Wishing, therefore, in addition to the witnesses which I already had, to obtain proof of these facts by evidence given under tortureSlaves could give evidence only under torture.—in order that the veracity of my witnesses might be tested before, and not after, they gave their evidence, and so your belief in them might be confirmedIf the slaves confirmed the evidence of his witnesses, the latter would come forward to give evidence in court with a presumption already established that the evidence which they were going to give was true.—I demanded that our opponents should surrender the male and female slaves to be put to the question on these points and any others of which they had cognizance.
11
My adversary, however, who will presently demand that you shall believe his witnesses, refused the examination under torture. Yet, if he shall be shown to have refused my request, what remains to be thought of his witnesses except that they are giving false evidence, since he has refused so decisive a method of testing them? In my opinion no other conclusion is possible. But to prove that what am saying is true, please first take and read this deposition.
12
Deposition
12
You Athenians hold the opinion that both in public and in private matters examination under torture is the most searching test; and so, when you have slaves and free men before you and it is necessary that some contested point should be cleared up, you do not employ the evidence of free men but seek to establish the truth about the facts by putting the slaves to torture. This is a perfectly reasonable course; for you are well aware that before now witnesses have appeared not to be giving true evidence, whereas no one who has been examined under torture has ever been convicted of giving false evidence as the result of being tortured.
