10
At the time I needed none to remind me of my plight—partly through my own folly, partly through the force of circumstances, nothing was wanting to complete my misery and my disgrace—and I saw that you would be best pleased were I to adopt that mode of life and that place of residence which would enable me to remain furthest from your sight.Andocides was not exiled under the actual terms of the decree of Isotimides. The decree made life at Athens so intolerable for him that he found it better to withdraw of his own accord. Eventually, however, as was only natural, I was seized with a longing for the old life as a citizen among you which I had abandoned for my present place of exile; and I decided that I should be best advised either to have done with life or to render this city such a service as would dispose you to let me at last resume my rights as your fellow.
11
From that moment I have been reckless of both life and goods when called upon for a perilous venture. In fact, I at once proceeded to supply your forces in Samos with oar-spars—this was after the Four Hundred had seized power at Athensi.e. in 411.—since ArchelausKing of Macedon from 413 to 399 B.C. had hereditary connexions with my family and offered me the right of cutting and exporting as many as I wished.The text of an Attic decree honouring Archelaus for supplying ξύλα καὶ κωπέας still survives (I.G. i 2 105). It may be consulted best in the restored version of B. D. Meritt; see Classical Studies presented to Edward Capps Princeton, 1936. Meritt would date it to 407-406 B.C. And not only did I supply the spars; I refused to charge more for them than they had cost me, although I might have obtained a price of five drachmae apiece. In addition, I supplied corn and bronze.
