[91] καὶ ἤδη τισὶ τοῦ δήμου δόντος τὴν δωρεάν, λόγῳ ἐξαπατηθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν αἰτούντων, παρανόμων γραφῆς γενομένης καὶ εἰσελθούσης εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον, ἐξελεγχθῆναι συνέβη τὸν εἰληφότα τὴν δωρεὰν μὴ ἄξιον εἶναι αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀφείλετο τὸ δικαστήριον. καὶ τοὺς μὲν πολλοὺς καὶ παλαιοὺς ἔργον διηγήσασθαι· ἃ δὲ πάντες μνημονεύετε, Πειθόλαν τε τὸν Θετταλὸν καὶ Ἀπολλωνίδην τὸν Ὀλύνθιον πολίτας ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου γενομένους ἀφείλετο τὸ δικαστήριον·

[92] ταῦτα γὰρ οὐ πάλαι ἐστὶ γεγενημένα ὥστε ἀγνοεῖν ὑμᾶς. οὕτως τοίνυν καλῶς καὶ ἰσχυρῶς τῶν νόμων κειμένων ὑπὲρ τῆς πολιτείας, δι᾽ ὧν δεῖ Ἀθηναῖον γενέσθαι, ἕτερός ἐστιν ἐφ᾽ ἅπασι τούτοις κυριώτατος νόμος κείμενος· οὕτω πολλὴν ὁ δῆμος πρόνοιαν ἐποιεῖτο ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ καὶ τῶν θεῶν ὥστε δι᾽ εὐσεβείας τὰ ἱερὰ θύεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως. ὅσους γὰρ ἂν ποιήσηται ὁ δῆμος ὁ Ἀθηναίων πολίτας, ὁ νόμος ἀπαγορεύει διαρρήδην μὴ ἐξεῖναι αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐννέα ἀρχόντων γενέσθαι, μηδὲ ἱερωσύνης μηδεμιᾶς μετασχεῖν· τοῖς δ᾽ ἐκ τούτων μετέδωκεν ἤδη ὁ δῆμος ἁπάντων, καὶ προσέθηκεν ‘ἐὰν ὦσιν ἐκ γυναικὸς ἀστῆς καὶ ἐγγυητῆς κατὰ τὸν νόμον.’

[93] καὶ ὅτι ταῦτ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέγω, μεγάλῃ καὶ περιφανεῖ μαρτυρίᾳ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν δηλώσω. βούλομαι δ᾽ ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον πόρρωθεν προδιηγήσασθαι, ὡς ἐτέθη καὶ πρὸς οὓς διωρίσθη, ὡς ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς ὄντας καὶ βεβαίους φίλους περὶ τὸν δῆμον γεγονότας. ἐκ τούτων γὰρ ἁπάντων εἴσεσθε τήν τε τοῦ δήμου δωρεὰν τὴν ἀπόθετον τοῖς εὐεργέταις προπηλακιζομένην, καὶ ὅσων ὑμᾶς ἀγαθῶν κωλύουσι κυρίους εἶναι Στέφανός τε οὑτοσὶ καὶ οἱ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τούτῳ γεγαμηκότες καὶ παιδοποιούμενοι.

    It has happened in the past that an indictment for illegality has resulted in a recipient being stripped of his citizenship. The law also forbids all naturalized citizens from becoming one of the nine archons or holding priesthoods. Apollodoros says that he will next explain how the law of naturalization came about.

    91

    τῶν αἰτούντων: that is, the Athenians asking that someone be made a citizen.

    συνέβη: from συμβαίνω used impersonally; here takes an accusative + infinitive construction. 

    ἀφείλετο τὸ δικαστήριον: τὸ δικαστήριον is the subject; the implied object is the grant of citizenship.

    ἔργον: supply ἐστί, “it is [or would be] a lot of work to . . .”

    Πειθόλαν . . . τὸν Θετταλόν: Peitholaos was the son of Jason, tyrant of Pherai in Thessaly (a region in central Greece).

    Ἀπολλωνίδην τὸν Ὀλύνθιον: Apollonides was the leader of the anti-Macedonian party in Olynthos.

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    κειμένων “established.”

    πολιτείας “citizenship.”

    ἐφ’ ἅπασι τούτοις “in addition to all these [laws].”

    κυριώτατος “of greatest authority.”

    ὥστε . . . θύεσθαι: result clause after the idea of caution implied by πρόνοιαν ἐποιεῖτο (S. 2239). 

    ἐξεῖναι αὐτοῖς “that it should be possible for them,” i.e., “that they be eligible.”

    ἱερωσύνης μηδεμιᾶς: this seems to contradict what is said in §104 (the decree granting the Plataians citizenship), where only access to hereditary priesthoods is restricted. It may be that a ban on all priesthoods for naturalized citizens was enacted later than the Plataians’ decree, or it may be that Apollodoros is simply exaggerating here.

    τοῖς ἐκ τούτων: i.e., to their descendants. 

    προσέθηκεν “added the proviso.”

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    πόρρωθεν προδιηγήσασθαι ”to explain in addition from long ago,” i.e., to explain the origins of, discuss the history of. πόρρωθεν = πρόσωθεν, “from long ago.”

    πρὸς οὓς διωρίσθη “to whom it was applied.” διωρίσθη < διορίζω, “define," "delimit.” The type of men is specified in the next phrase.

    τούτων “these things,” i.e., the historical discussion about to begin.

    ἀπόθετον: “reserved for” + dat.

    ὅσων . . . ἀγαθῶν: neuter, “good things,” that is, “privileges”; genitive governed by κύριους (itself to be taken in predicate position vis-à-vis ὑμᾶς). 

    ὑμᾶς . . . κωλύουσι κυρίους “are preventing you from being in charge of,” i.e., are removing from your control.

    τούτῳ: dative governed by αὐτόν, “same as.”

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    δωρεά –άς ἡ: a gift, present

    ἐξαπατάω ἐξαπατήσω ἠξαπάτησα ἠξαπάτηκα ἠξαπάτημαι ἠξαπατήθην: deceive

    παράνομος: acting contrary to law, lawless

    εἰσέρχομαι εἰσελεύσομαι εἰσῆλθον εἰσελήλυθα ––– –––: to come to court

    δικαστήριον –ου τό: a court of justice

    ἐξελέγχω ἐξελέξω ἐξέλεξα ἐξέλεχα ἐξέλεγμαι ἐξελέχθην: to convict; to verify, to prove

    διηγέομαι διηγήσομαι διηγησάμην ––– διήγημαι διηγήθην: set out in detail

    μνημονεύω μνημονεύσομαι ἐμνημονευσάμην μεμνημόνευκα ἐμνημόνευμαι ἐμνημονεύθην: call to mind, remember, think

    Πειθόλαος: Peitholaos

    Θεσσαλός: Thessalian

    Ἀπολλωνίδης: Apollonides

    Ὀλύνθιος: Olynthian, of Olynthos

    πολίτης –ου ὁ: citizen, freeman

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    πάλαι: long ago, once upon a time

    ἀγνοέω ἀγνοήσω ἠγνόησα ἠγνόηκα ἠγνόημαι ἠγνοήθην: not perceive, be ignorant

    διαρρήδην: expressly, distinctly, explicitly

    Ἀθηναῖος –α –ον: Athenian

    πρόνοια –ας ἡ: foresight

    εὐσέβεια –ας ἡ: piety, reverence towards gods/parents

    ἀπαγορεύω ἀπηγόρευσα: to forbid

    ἔξεστι: it is possible

    ἱερωσύνη ἡ: priesthood

    μετέχω μεθέξω μετέσχον μετέσχηκα ––– –––: partake of, share in, have access to + gen.

    μεταδίδωμι μεταδιαδώσω: give a share of, give access to

    ἀστή –ῆς ἡ: fem. of ἀστός

    ἐγγυητός –ή –όν: wedded

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    περιφανής –ές: visible from all sides; manifest

    μαρτυρία –ας ἡ: witness, testimony, evidence

    πρόσωθεν: from long ago

    προδιηγέομαι: to relate in addition

    διορίζω διοριῶ διώρισα διώρικα διώρισμαι διωρίσθην: to define

    βέβαιος –α –ον: firm, steady, certain

    ἀπόθετος: laid by, stored up

    εὐεργέτης –ου ὁ: a well-doer, benefactor

    προπηλακίζω προπηλακιῶ προυπηλάκισα ––– προπεπηλάκισμαι προυπηλακίσθην: to bespatter with mud; mistreat insultingly

    Στέφανος: Stephanos

    γαμέω γαμῶ ἔγημα γεγάμηκα γεγάμημαι –––: marry

    παιδοποιέω: to beget children

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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/el/against-neaira/91-93