παίδων μηδ' ἂν μελλήσας, ἀλλὰ κἂν ὁτιοῦν παθὼν πρότερον, εἰ δ ̓ ἀναγκαῖον, ὀμνύων ὡς νόμιμον, ἀξιοπιστότερος τοῦ κατὰ τῶν παίδων ὀμνύοντος καὶ διὰ τοῦ πυρός. ἐγὼ τοίνυν ὁ δικαιότερόν σου πιστευθεὶς ἂν κατὰ πάντα, ὦ Κόνων, ἠθέλησα ὀμόσαι ταυτί, οὐχ and does not refer to παίδων, the sense of the second clause being that Ariston would never dream of taking any such oath, by his children's lives, as would be contrary to general usage. Below, he describes himself as ὀμνύων ὡς νόμιμον. This conjecture (as well as Sauppe's) has been anticipated by Dobree. μηδ' εὔορκον.] Isocr. ad Dem. §23 ἕνεκα δὲ χρημάτων μηδένα θεῶν ὀμόσῃς, μηδ' ἂν εὐορκεῖν μέλλῃς. κἂν ὁτιοῦν παθὼν πρότερον.] 'Would submit to anything sooner than that,' i.e. rather than swear by an oath contrary to the country's use, or by the lives of his children. The whole sentence is intended to be descriptive of the character of a man who has a solemn regard for the obligations of an oath; hence the use of μή. A person of such a character, says the plaintiff, is more trustworthy than one who is ready to taken any oath you please. The characters contrasted are of course those of the plaintiff and defendant respectively, but this is only implied until we reach the next sentence ἐγώ... ὁ δικαιότερόν σου πιστευθεὶς ἂν, when the contrast is brought home to the case at issue. καὶ διὰ τοῦ πυρός.] It is doubtful whether we can explain this of any ordeal by fire like that referred to in Soph. Αntig. 264, (ἦμεν δ ̓ ἕτοιμοι καὶ μύδρους αἴρειν χεροῖν, καὶ πῦρ διέρπειν καὶ θεοὺς ὁρκωμοτεῖν), and possibly implied in Ar. Lysistr. 133, ἄλλ’ ἄλλ ̓ ὅ τι βούλει, κἄν με χρὴ, διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐθέλω βαδίζειν, which however may be only a strong metaphor expressive of readiness to endure any amount of torture. Sometimes διὰ πυρὸς is used of 'braving the extremest perils,' 'going through fire and water' as in Xen. Symp. Iv. 16, ἔγωγ ̓ οὖν μετὰ Κλεινίου κἂν διὰ πυρὸς ἰοίην and Oec. XXI. 7, ἀκολουθητέον.. καὶ διὰ πυρὸς καὶ διὰ παντὸς κινδύνου (L. and S., S. V. Tûp). In the present passage διὰ τοῦ πυρός possibly contains an allusion to some strange form of self-devotion, one of the ἀραὶ δειναὶ καὶ χαλεπαί obscurely hinted at in § 38. G. H. Schaefer simply says 'vertam, vel dum ara ardet,' i.e. 'one who swears by his children even while the flame is burning on the altar,' and C. R. Kennedy renders the words 'and before the burning altar.' This is hardly satisfactory, and it is not improbable that the text is corrupt and that we should read καὶ διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἰόντος, where the participle would easily have been lost by homoeoteleuton with ὀμνύοντος. πιστευθεὶς ἂν.] See on § 1 ad fin. For the passive, formed just as if the active were directly transitive, and took the accusative, cf. § 5 παροινουμένους and § 2 παρανενομῆσθαι. ἠθέλησα ὀμόσαι ταυτί.] The 41 ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην ὧν ἠδίκηκα, καὶ ὁτιοῦν ποιῶν, ὥσπερ σὺ, ἀλλ ̓ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μη προσυβρισθῆναι, ὡς οὐ κατεπιορκηθησόμενος τὸ πρᾶγμα. λέγε τὴν πρόκλησιν. ΠΡΟΚΛΗΣΙΣ. Ταῦτ ̓ ἐγὼ καὶ τότ' ἠθέλησα ὀμόσαι, καὶ νῦν ὀμνύω τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ τὰς θεὰς ἅπαντας καὶ ἁπάσας ὑμῶν ἕνεκα, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταὶ, καὶ τῶν περιεστηκότων, ἢ μὴν παθὼν ὑπὸ Κόνωνος ταῦτα ὧν δικάζομαι, καὶ λα- 1270 βὼν πληγὰς, καὶ τὸ χεῖλος διακοπεὶς οὕτως ὥστε καὶ ῥαφῆναι, καὶ ὑβρισθεὶς τὴν δίκην διώκειν. καὶ εἰ μὲν εὐορκῶ, πολλά μοι ἀγαθὰ γένοιτο καὶ μηδέποτ ̓ αὖθις τοιοῦτο μηδὲν πάθοιμι, εἰ δ ̓ ἐπιορκῶ, ἐξώλης ἀπολοίμην 8 πάσας Ζ. πάλιν ἀναλήψεσθε, and κατεπα- f κατεπιορκησόμενος Z cum libris. general drift of this oath must have been given by the πρόκλη σις which was read to the jury ; it is also indicated in the asseverations of § 41. It is clear that this Challenge was refused by the defendant. The plaintiff would therefore be able to point to this refusal as a fact in his own favour just as the defendant would in the case of the πρόκλησις tendered by him and rejected by the plaintiff (§ 27).-In the next line καὶ emphasizes ὁτιοῦν. κατεπιορκηθησόμενος.] Dobree's emendation for κατεπιορκησόμενος, the future middle, which if retained, must be taken as passive in sense, 'inasmuch as I am determined not to lose the case by your perjury.” [Or, ' as one who had no idea of having the case decided against him by perjury.' P.] For this use of κατα ef. καταρραθυμεῖν (‘to lose by negligence') in Dem. Οr. 4 § 7, τὰ κατερρᾳθυμημένα 41. τῶν περιεστηκότων.] Aeschin. Ctesiph. § 56 ἀποκρίνομαι ἐναντίον σοι τῶν δικαστῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν ὅσοι δὴ ἔξωθεν πε ριεστάσι, and Dem. de Cor. § 196. What applies above to private orations of great public importance, applies mutatis mutandis to the present speech, which was probably listened to by a considerable body of citizens besides the forty δικασταὶ before whom this case was apparently tried (see Introduction). καὶ εἰ μὲν εὐορκῶ—ἔσεσθαι. Quoted by Aristeides (ii. 487 Rhet. Graeci, Spengel) together with the famous adjurations of the speech de Corona (§§ 1 and 141) to exemplify ἀξιοπιστία brought about by ὅρκοι and ἀραί. ἐξώλης] fals. leg. § 172, ἐξώλης ἀπολοίμην καὶ προώλης εἰ..., and in § 70 (after quoting the solemn form of imprecation used before αὐτός τε καὶ εἴ τί μοι ἔστιν ἢ μέλλει ἔσεσθαι. ἀλλ ̓ 42 οὐκ ἐπιορκῶ, οὐδ ̓ ἂν Κόνων διαρραγῇ. ἀξιῶ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταὶ, πάνθ ̓ ὅσα ἐστὶ δίκαια ἐπιδείξαντος ἐμοῦ καὶ πίστιν προσθέντος ὑμῖν, ὥσπερ ἂν αὐτὸς ἕκαστος παθὼν τὸν πεποιηκότα ἐμίσει, οὕτως ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ πρὸς Κόνωνα τουτονὶ τὴν ὀργὴν ἔχειν, καὶ μὴ νομίζειν ἴδιον τῶν τοιούτων μηδὲν ὃ κἂν ἄλλῳ τυχὸν συμβαίη, ἀλλ ̓ ἐφ ̓ ὅτου ποτ ̓ ἂν συμβῇ, βοηθεῖν καὶ τὰ δίκαια ἀποδιδόναι, καὶ μισεῖν τοὺς πρὸ μὲν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων θρασεῖς καὶ προπετεῖς, ἐν δὲ τῷ δίκην ὑπέχειν ἀναισχύντους καὶ πονηροὺς καὶ μήτε δόξης μήτε ἔθους μήτ ̓ ἄλλου μηδενὸς φροντίζοντας πρὸς . the meetings of the βουλή and ἐκκλησία) the orator adds: εὔχεσθ ̓ ἐξώλη ποιεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ γένος οἰκίαν. Ariston is here taking an oath almost as strong as that which he finds fault with in Conon; but he would probably plead that he was only swearing 'in the customary manner ὡς νόμιμον (§ 40). διαρραγῇ] sc. λέγων ὡς ἐπιορκώ 'not even if Conon burst with saying that I forswear myself'— or (as we should put it)—'say so till he bursts.' de Cor. § 21 ὁ σὸς κοινωνὸς, οὐχ ὁ ἐμὸς, οὐδ ̓ ἂν σὺ διαρραγῇς ψευδόμενος. §§ 42-43. This is no private interest of myself alone; Conon will appeal to the compassion of the jury, though the victim of such an outrage deserves their pity, rather thanits perpetrators. I therefore claim from the jury the same feeling of resentment against Conon, as each one of them would have felt in his own case. 42. πάνθ'δίκαια] perhaps= πάντα δίκαια ὅσα ἔστι (not πάντα ὅσα δίκαιά ἐστι. If so, we should read ἔστι for ἐστί.—πίστιν προσθέντος $41 alluding to νῦν ὀμνύω κ.τ.λ.—παθὼν = εἰ ἔπαθεν. τὴν ὀργὴν ἔχειν.] Or. 21 (Meid.) § 70, εἰ τοίνυν τις ὑμῶν ἄλλως πως ἔχει τὴν ὀργὴν ἐπὶ Μειδίαν ἢ ὡς δέον αὐτὸν τεθνάναι, οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἔχει. Ρ.] 8-συμβαίη] = ὁ καὶ ἄλλῳ (τυχόν) συμβαίη ἂν ‘which might, perchance, happen to another.' For acc. abs. τυχὸν (like παρασχόν, ἐξόν, μετόν, Kühner § 487,3) Isocr. Paneg. § 171 τυχὸν ἄν τι συνεπέραναν and Dem. de Cor. § 221 ἐπεπείσμην δ' ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ, τυχὸν μὲν ἀναισθητῶν, ὅμως δ' ἐπεπείσμην. τὰ δίκαια ἀποδιδόναι.] ‘Το grant him the claims which are his due; ἀπο- as in ἀπολαμ βάνειν ‘to receive one's due, 'to accept full payment.' See note on Or. 53 § 10. προ.] Not ‘previous to, but in the presence of,' 'at.' [Cf. however Or. 21 (Meid.) § 30 νόμος ἔθεσθε πρὸ τῶν ἀδικημάτων ἐπ' ἀδήλοις τοῖς ἀδικήσουσιν. Ρ.] μήτε ἔθους...φροντίζοντας.] Cf. § 40 ὧν μὴ νομίζετε. 43 τὸ μὴ δοῦναι δίκην. ἀλλὰ δεήσεται Κόνων καὶ κλαήσει· σκοπεῖτε δὴ πότερός ἐστιν ἐλεεινότερος, ὁ πεπονθὼς οἷα ἐγὼ πέπονθα ὑπὸ τούτου, εἰ προσυβρισθεὶς ἄπειμι καὶ δίκης μὴ τυχών, ἢ Κόνων, εἰ δώσει δίκην; πότερον δ' ὑμῶν ἑκάστῳ συμφέρει ἐξεῖναι τύ πτειν καὶ ὑβρίζειν ἢ μή; ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι μή. οὐκοῦν, ἂν μὲν ἀφιῆτε, ἔσονται πολλοὶ, ἐὰν δὲ κολάζητε ἐλάττους. 44 Πόλλ ̓ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοιμι, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταὶ, καὶ ὡς ἡμεῖς χρήσιμοι, καὶ αὐτοὶκ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ, ἕως ἔζη, καὶ τριηραρχοῦντες καὶ στρατευόμενοι καὶ τὸ προσταττόμενον ποιοῦντες, καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν οὔθ ̓ οὗτος οὔτε τῶν τούτου οὐδείς· ἀλλ ̓ οὔτε τὸ ὕδωρ ἱκανὸν οὔτε 1271 νῦν περὶ τούτων ὁ λόγος ἐστίν. εἰ γὰρ δὴ ὁμολογουμένως ἔτι τούτων καὶ ἀχρηστοτέροις καὶ πονηροτέροις ἡμῖν εἶναι συνέβαινεν, οὐ τυπτητέοι οὐδὲ ὑβριστέοι δήπου ἐσμέν. Οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι δεῖ πλείω λέγειν· οἶμαι γὰρ ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ἀγνοεῖν τῶν εἰρημένων. τυπτητέοι] formedlike τυπτήσω as if from *τυπτέω, cf. τετυπτῆσθαι in Argument 1. 2. See Excursus (A), infra. οὐκ οἶδ ̓ εἰρημένων.] The very same sentence (with the addition of the phrase ἐξέρα τὸ ὕδωρ) occurs at the close of Or. 36. A longer speech might appro priately have closed with a recapitulation and a formal peroration; but in the present instance neither is necessary. Arist. Rhet. III. 13 ὁ ἐπίλογός ἐστιν οὐδὲ δικανικοῦ (λόγου) παντὸς, οἷον ἐὰν μικρὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα εὐμνημόνευτον. EXCURSUS (A). On the defective verb τύπτω (§§ 4, 25, 32, 35, &c.). The verb TÚTтw forms a familiar paradigm in almost all the elementary Greek Grammars in ordinary use, where, as every schoolboy knows, it is conjugated at full length with its three perfect tenses, its five futures, and its six aorists; and it must be admitted that for the purposes of a paradigm the verb in question is in several respects admirably adapted. Had the selection fallen on a verb ending in -w with a vowel for the last letter of its stem, e.g. λύω, or τιμά-ω, our model verb would have had one aorist only in each voice, ἔλυσα, ἐλυσάμην, ἐλύθην; ἐτίμησα, ἐτιμησάμην, ἐτιμήθην; had a verbum purum ending in -μι been taken, e.g. φημί, δίδωμι, ἵστημι, the beginner would have had to face a very complex conjugation at the very outset of his task. τύπτω is unencumbered with the special irregularities of verbs ending in -μ, and has the advantage of two theoretically possible |