67
in that state in defence of which Aristocrates, son of Scelius, the uncle of my grandfather Epichares, whose name my brother here bears, performed many glorious deeds, when our country was at war with the Lacedaemonians. He razed to the ground Eetioneia,This was one of the forts guarding the Peiraeus. On Aristocrates and his struggle with the oligarchs, see Thuc. 8.88-92. into which CritiasCritias was one of the leaders of the Thirty Tyrants. Epichares is at fault in his chronology. and his faction were about to receive the Lacedaemonians, destroyed the fortress raised against us, and restored the people to their country, incurring himself dangers not like those which we are incurring, but dangers in which even disaster is glorious; and he put a stop to those who were plotting against you.
68
For his sake, even if we had been like this fellow Theocrines, you would with good right have preserved us; to say nothing of our being better than he and of our pleading a cause which is just.
68
We will not burden you by constantly repeating these things, for the defendant has brought us into such plight that, as I said at the outset, we have no hope of sharing in that freedom of speech which is granted even to aliens.
69
In order, therefore, that, if we get nothing else, we may at least have the satisfaction of seeing the defendant also reduced to silence, come to our aid; have pity on those of our family who have died for their country; compel Theocrines to make his defence on the questions raised by the indictment itself; and show yourselves as judges of his words such as he showed himself as our accuser.
70
For he, after deceiving the jury, refused to propose any moderate penalty for my father, although I pleaded with him earnestly and clasped his knees in entreaty; but, as if my father had betrayed our country, he fixed the penalty at ten talents. We, therefore, beg and implore you: give us a just verdict.
