Book 2
23.5
Further, if there is no question of greater or less; whence it was said, Thy father deserves to be pitied for having lost his children; is not Oeneus then equally to be pitied for having lost an illustrious offspring?From the Meleager of Antiphon (T.G.F. p. 885). Other instances are: if Theseus did no wrong,In carrying off Helen. neither did Alexander Paris; if the sons of Tyndareus did no wrong, neither did Alexander; and if Hector did no wrong in slaying Patroclus, neither did Alexander in slaying Achilles; if no other professional men are contemptible, then neither are philosophers; if generals are not despised because they are frequently defeated,The Paris ms. has θανατοῦνται, are put to death. neither are the sophists; or, if it behoves a private citizen to take care of your reputation, it is your duty to take care of that of Greece.
23.6
Another topic is derived from the consideration of time. Thus Iphicrates, in his speech against Harmodius, says: If, before accomplishing anything, I had demanded the statue from you in the event of my success, you would have granted it; will you then refuse it, now that I have succeeded? Do not therefore make a promise when you expect something, and break it when you have received it.Fragment of a speech of Lysias. It was proposed to put up a statue to the famous Athenian general Iphicrates in honor of his defeat of the Spartans (393 B.C.). This was later opposed by Harmodius, probably a descendant of the tyrannicide. The speech, which is considered spurious, was called ἡ περὶ τῆς εἰκόνος. Again, to persuade the Thebans to allow Philip to pass through their territory into Attica, they were told that if he had made this request before helping them against the Phocians, they would have promised; it would be absurd, therefore, if they refused to let him through now, because he had thrown away his opportunity and had trusted them.
