[104] τοῖς οὖν οὕτω φανερῶς ἐνδεδειγμένοις τὴν εὔνοιαν τῷ δήμῳ, καὶ προεμένοις ἅπαντα τὰ αὑτῶν καὶ παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας, πάλιν σκοπεῖτε πῶς μετέδοτε τῆς πολιτείας. ἐκ γὰρ τῶν ψηφισμάτων τῶν ὑμετέρων καταφανὴς πᾶσιν ἔσται ὁ νόμος, καὶ γνώσεσθ᾽ ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγω. καί μοι λαβὲ τὸ ψήφισμα τοῦτο καὶ ἀνάγνωθι αὐτοῖς. “Ψήφισμα περὶ Πλαταιέων

Ἱπποκράτης εἶπεν, Πλαταιέας εἶναι Ἀθηναίους ἀπὸ τῆσδε τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐπιτίμους καθάπερ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ μετεῖναι αὐτοῖς ὧνπερ Ἀθηναίοις μέτεστι πάντων, καὶ ἱερῶν καὶ ὁσίων, πλὴν εἴ τις ἱερωσύνη ἢ τελετή ἐστιν ἐκ γένους, μηδὲ τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων, τοῖς δ᾽ ἐκ τούτων. κατανεῖμαι δὲ τοὺς Πλαταιέας εἰς τοὺς δήμους καὶ τὰς φυλάς. ἐπειδὰν δὲ νεμηθῶσι, μὴ ἐξέστω ἔτι Ἀθηναίῳ μηδενὶ γίγνεσθαι Πλαταιέων, μὴ εὑρομένῳ παρὰ τοῦ δήμου τοῦ Ἀθηναίων.”

[105] ὁρᾶτε, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὡς καλῶς καὶ δικαίως ἔγραψεν ὁ ῥήτωρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ δήμου τοῦ Ἀθηναίων, καὶ ἠξίωσε τοὺς Πλαταιέας λαμβάνοντας τὴν δωρεὰν πρῶτον μὲν δοκιμασθῆναι ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ κατ᾽ ἄνδρα ἕκαστον, εἰ ἔστιν Πλαταιεὺς καὶ εἰ τῶν φίλων τῶν τῆς πόλεως, ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ προφάσει πολλοὶ μεταλάβωσι τῆς πολιτείας· ἔπειτα τοὺς δοκιμασθέντας ἀναγραφῆναι ἐν στήλῃ λιθίνῃ, καὶ στῆσαι ἐν ἀκροπόλει παρὰ τῇ θεῷ, ἵνα σῴζηται ἡ δωρεὰ τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις καὶ ᾖ ἐξελέγξαι ὅτου ἂν ἕκαστος ᾖ συγγενής.

[106] καὶ ὕστερον οὐκ ἐᾷ γίγνεσθαι Ἀθηναῖον ἐξεῖναι, ὃς ἂν μὴ νῦν γένηται καὶ δοκιμασθῇ ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ, τοῦ μὴ πολλοὺς φάσκοντας Πλαταιέας εἶναι κατασκευάζειν αὑτοῖς πολιτείαν. ἔπειτα καὶ τὸν νόμον διωρίσατο ἐν τῷ ψηφίσματι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εὐθέως ὑπέρ τε τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῶν θεῶν, καὶ μὴ ἐξεῖναι αὐτῶν μηδενὶ τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων λαχεῖν μηδὲ ἱερωσύνης μηδεμιᾶς, τοῖς δ᾽ ἐκ τούτων, ἂν ὦσιν ἐξ ἀστῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἐγγυητῆς κατὰ τὸν νόμον.

    The Athenians gave citizenship to the surviving Plataians for their loyalty to Athens, requiring that each Plataian be examined for eligibility and that the names of those given citizenship be inscribed and displayed prominently. These naturalized citizens were restricted from serving as archons or holding priesthoods.

    104

    προεμένοις < προ-ἵημι

    μετέδοτε τς πολιτείας: “to give a share of citizen rights,” with τῆς πολιτείας being a partitive genitive; cf. Thucydides, who says that the Plataians received citizenship before 427. Carey 1992: 139 suggests there were two grants, an earlier honorary one to reward the Plataians for their service at Marathon, and a second practical one after they were forced to flee Plataia.

    ερν κα σίων: a common idiom, roughly meaning “sacred and secular” (LSJ ἱερός II.2); on the relationship between ἱερά and ὅσια in Athens, see Connor 1988.

    πλήνCarey 1992: 140 thinks that something is missing before πλήν, possibly along the lines of “but not the priesthoods,” with εἴ τις ἱερωσύνη ἢ τελετή ἐστιν ἐκ γένους referring to any hereditary priesthoods they had back in Plataia. Kapparis does not believe that anything is missing, arguing that εἴ τις ἱερωσύνη refers to priesthoods in Athens from which they would be barred by virtue of not belonging to a γένος (Kapparis 1999: 395–96). The only difficulty with this interpretation is reconciling it with §106, where Apollodoros says the Plataians were banned from all priesthoods, but as Kapparis suggests, that might be an exaggeration.

    τελετή: here, “sacred office”

    τος δ’ κ τούτων: that is, their descendants can be one of the nine archons. We don’t see here the detail we find in §92 (and §106), namely that their mother must be a citizen married to their father, but that must be understood. The δέ here appears to be strongly adversative (S. 2835).

    θηναί: take as predicate

    μ ερομέν: “unless he receives it.” This participle has conditional force, as indicated by the use of μή instead of οὐ. For εὑρίσκω = “get, gain,” see LSJ IV.

    105

    ξίωσε: “required that,” followed by the accusative and infinitive construction after a verb of commanding (S. 1465)

    δοκιμσαθναι ν τ δικαστηρί: this is in a sense parallel to the scrutiny that natural-born citizens underwent when they turned 18.

    τν φίλων: partitive genitive; that is, “(one) of the friends”

    πειτα: what follows is a continuation of the lengthy indirect command (πρῶτον μέν…ἔπειτα) initiated by ἠξίωσε.

    παρ τ θε: that is, by the temple of the goddess Athena: namely, the Parthenon

    ξελέγξαι του ν καστος συγγενής: “so that it might be possible to prove of whom each man is a relative,” i.e., so people in the future could prove their citizen status by showing kinship to one of the original Plataian grantees.

    106

    στερον: “at a later period,” “subsequently”; take with γίγνεσθαι. The word is emphatically placed, and in antithesis with νῦν.

    οκ ἐᾷ γίγνεσθαι θηναον ξεναι: “was not allowing it to be possible...” i.e., made it impossible. The subject of ἐᾷ is the framer of the decree mentioned in 105. ἐᾷ governs the impersonal ἐξεῖναι, which in turn governs γίγνεσθαι; take Ἀθηναῖον as the predicate, agreeing with an understood τινά.

    το….κατασκευάζειν: genitive articular infinitive of purpose (see §57, G. 576, S. 2032e).

    τν νόμον διωρίσατο: “defined the law,” i.e., added a qualifying proviso, described in the next clause

    πρς ατούς: “regarding them,” “applicable to them,” the Plataians

    κα μ ξεναιDilts 2009 brackets the καί, following Sauppe

    λαχεν: “to be chosen by lot as one of”

    τος δ κ τούτων: “but (it is permitted) to their descendants” (see §104)

    ξ στς γυναικς κα γγυητς κατ τν νόμον: this stipulation is not in the decree that Apollodoros has just quoted, though it is mentioned in §92. Perhaps the law is later.

    104

    νδείκνυμι νδείξω νέδειξα νδέδειχα νδέδειγμαι νεδείχθην: to mark, point out; (mid.) display, exhibit (+ acc.)

    ενοια –ας : good-will, benevolence, liking, affection

    προίημι προήσω προκα προεκα προεμαι προείθην: (mid.) to desert, give up, abandon

    μεταδίδωμι μεταδιαδώσω: give a share

    ψήφισμα –ατος τό: decree

    καταφανής: visible, in view

    ναγιγνώσκω ναγνώσομαι νέγνων νέγνωκα νέγνωσμαι νεγνώσθην: to read aloud

    Πλαταιεύς: of Plataia, Plataian

    πποκράτης : Hippokrates

    Πλαταιες: Plataians

    θηναος –α –ον: Athenian

    πίτιμος: in possession of civic rights

    καθά: just as

    μέτειμι μετσομαι: be among; (impers.) to touch, pertain to someone (+dat.), have a share in (+ gen.)

    σιος –α –ον: holy, pious

    ερωσύνη : priesthood

    τελετή: religious rite, initiation in the mysteries, festival accompanied by initiation rites

    κατανέμω: to distribute, allot, assign

    φυλή –ς : tribe, clan

    πειδάν: whenever (ἐπειδή + ἄν, in indefinite or general clauses with subjunctive)

    νέμω νεμ νειμα νενέμηκα νενέμημαι νεμήθην: distribute

    ξεστι: it is possible

    105

    ήτωρ ήτορος : public speaker, orator

    δωρεά –άς : a gift, present

    δοκιμάζω: to examine, scrutinize

    δικαστήριον –ου τό: a court of justice

    πρόφασις –εως : allegation; excuse, pretext

    μεταλαμβάνω: to have or get a share of

    ναγράφω: to engrave and set up

    στήλη –ης : a block of stone

    λίθινος: of stone

    κρόπολις –εως : the upper city, citadel; the Acropolis (the citadel of Athens)

    πιγίγνομαι πιγενήσομαι πιγενόμην πιγέγονα πιγεγένομαι –––: come after

    ξελέγχω ξελέξω ξέλεξα ξέλεχα ξέλεγμαι ξελέχθην: to convict; to verify, to prove

    συγγενής –ές: of the same kin, descent, or family; (subst.) kinsman, relative

    106

    στερον: later

    φάσκω φάσκσω φασκσα ––– ––– –––: say, affirm, claim; think, deem

    διορίζω διορι διρισα διρικα διρισμαι διωρσθην: to define

    λαγχάνω λήξομαι λαχον εληχα ––– –––: to obtain by lot; to file suit (absol. and with δίκην)

    στή –ς : fem. of ἀστός

    γγυητός –ή –όν: wedded

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    Suggested Citation

    Deborah Kamen, Pseudo-Demosthenes: Against Neaira. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2018. ISBN: 978-1-947822-10-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/against-neaira/104-106