1
Personally, gentlemen of the jury, as I was just saying to those seated beside me,The opening words are the same as those of the speech against Demosthenes. I am surprised that you are not tired by now of this kind of impeachment. At one time the men impeached before you were Timomachus, Leosthenes, Callistratus, Philon of Anaea, Theotimus who lost Sestos, and others of the same type.Timomachus was an Athenian general who failed in his command against Cotys of Thrace (c. 361 B.C.), and on his return to Athens was condemned either to death or to a heavy fine. See Dem. 19.180, and the scholiast on Aeschin. 1.56. Leosthenes, who led an Athenian fleet against Alexander of Pherae (c. 361 B.C.), lost five triremes, was condemned to death at Athens and went into exile. See Aeschin. 2.124, and Diod. Sic. 15.95.2. For Callistratus, a prominent orator, exiled at about the same time and later put to death, see Lyc. 1.93. Theotimus, also about the year 361, was impeached for losing Sestos to Cotys. Of PhiIon nothing further is known. Some were accused of betraying ships, others of giving up Athenian cities, and another, an orator, of speaking against the people’s interests.
2
Though there were five of them, not one waited to be tried; they left the city of their own accord and went into exile. The same is true of many others who were impeached. In fact it was a rare thing to see anyone subjected to impeachment appearing in court. So serious and so notorious were the crimes which at that time led to an impeachment. But the present practice in the city is utterly absurd.
