[116] ἄξιον δὲ κἀκεῖνο ἐνθυμηθῆναι, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ὅτι Ἀρχίαν τὸν ἱεροφάντην γενόμενον, ἐξελεγχθέντα ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ ἀσεβεῖν θύοντα παρὰ τὰ πάτρια τὰς θυσίας, ἐκολάσατε ὑμεῖς, καὶ ἄλλα τε κατηγορήθη αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτι Σινώπῃ τῇ ἑταίρᾳ Ἁλῴοις ἐπὶ τῆς ἐσχάρας τῆς ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ Ἐλευσῖνι προσαγούσῃ ἱερεῖον θύσειεν, οὐ νομίμου ὄντος ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἱερεῖα θύειν, οὐδ᾽ ἐκείνου οὔσης τῆς θυσίας ἀλλὰ τῆς ἱερείας.

[117] οὔκουν δεινὸν τὸν μὲν καὶ ἐκ γένους ὄντα τοῦ Εὐμολπιδῶν καὶ προγόνων καλῶν κἀγαθῶν καὶ πολίτην τῆς πόλεως, ὅτι ἐδόκει τι παραβῆναι τῶν νομίμων, δοῦναι δίκην (καὶ οὔθ᾽ ἡ τῶν συγγενῶν οὔθ᾽ ἡ τῶν φίλων ἐξαίτησις ὠφέλησεν αὐτόν, οὔθ᾽ αἱ λῃτουργίαι ἃς ἐλῃτούργησε τῇ πόλει αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ πρόγονοι αὐτοῦ, οὔτε τὸ ἱεροφάντην εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκολάσατε δόξαντα ἀδικεῖν)· Νέαιραν δὲ ταυτηνὶ εἴς τε τὸν αὐτὸν θεὸν τοῦτον ἠσεβηκυῖαν καὶ τοὺς νόμους, καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῆς, οὐ τιμωρήσεσθε;

[118] θαυμάζω δ᾽ ἔγωγε τί ποτε καὶ ἐροῦσι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ. πότερον ὡς ἀστή ἐστιν Νέαιρα αὑτηὶ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους συνοικεῖ αὐτῷ; ἀλλὰ μεμαρτύρηται ἑταίρα οὖσα καὶ δούλη Νικαρέτης γεγενημένη. ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γυναῖκα εἶναι αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παλλακὴν ἔχειν ἔνδον; ἀλλ᾽ οἱ παῖδες ταύτης ὄντες καὶ εἰσηγμένοι εἰς τοὺς φράτερας ὑπὸ Στεφάνου καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ ἀνδρὶ Ἀθηναίῳ ἐκδοθεῖσα περιφανῶς αὐτὴν ἀποφαίνουσι γυναῖκα ἔχοντα.

[119] ὡς μὲν τοίνυν οὐκ ἀληθῆ ἐστιν τὰ κατηγορημένα καὶ μεμαρτυρημένα, οὔτ᾽ αὐτὸν Στέφανον οὔτ᾽ ἄλλον ὑπὲρ τούτου οἶμαι ἐπιδείξειν, ὡς ἔστιν ἀστὴ Νέαιρα αὑτηί· ἀκούω δὲ αὐτὸν τοιοῦτόν τι μέλλειν ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ὡς οὐ γυναῖκα ἔχει αὐτὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἑταίραν, καὶ οἱ παῖδες οὐκ εἰσὶν ταύτης ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ ἑτέρας γυναικὸς αὐτῷ ἀστῆς, ἣν φήσει πρότερον γῆμαι συγγενῆ αὑτοῦ.

    A noble man named Archias was recently convicted of making an illegal sacrifice. Even more so should Neaira be punished for her impiety. Apollodoros speculates about what the other side will argue as its defense, countering each potential argument. 

    116

    ρχίαν: Archias tried to warn the Theban oligarchs about a plot by Theban exiles in Athens to liberate Thebes (379 BCE). This made him an unpopular figure in Athens and may have contributed to his prosecution on the (unrelated) charge described here.

    εροφάντην: the Hierophant was the chief priest of Demeter at Eleusis and played an important role in the Eleusinian Mysteries.

    Σινώπ: Sinope was a well-known ἑταίρα in Athens.

    λοις: the Haloa was a women’s festival in honor of Demeter, Persephone, and (most likely) Dionysos, celebrated in Eleusis on the twenty-sixth of Poseideon (December/January).

    ερεον: a sacrificial victim

    ερεα: sacrificial victims

    τς ερείας: the priestess

    117

    οκουν δεινόν: “is it not an outrageous thing that” + acc. + infin.

    τν μέν: Archias, looking forward to Νέαιραν δέ, below

    Εμολπιδν: the Eumolpidai were a prominent γένος from which the Hierophant was chosen.

    τι: “because”

    α λτουργίαι ς λτούργησε: instead of imposing taxes on everyone, the Athenians had a system of liturgies (λῃτουργίαι), mandatory public services taken on by the very richest members of Athenian society; they included things like financing a warship or equipping a chorus for a choral production. Recounting one’s liturgies in court was a common strategy to win the jury’s favor.

    δόξαντα δικεν: “because he was judged to be guilty”

    τν ατν θεόν: i.e., Dionysos (who was connected with both the Haloa and the Anthesteria, where Phano was “married” to the god).

    118

    θαυμάζω: “I wonder,” i.e., “I have no idea...” + indirect question (ironic)

    πότερον ς: “perhaps (they will say) that...” πότερον indicates that this is the first of two alternatives, the other being οὐ γυναῖκα εἶναι αὐτοῦ, below.

    ο γυνακα εναι ατο, λλ παλλακν χειν νδον: this will apparently be Stephanos’ defense. A παλλακή is a concubine; it was permissible for a man to have a live-in παλλακή (of any status) to whom he was not married.

    χοντα: the understood subject is Stephanos; its object is αὐτήν.

    119

    ς στιν στ Νέαιρα ατηί: this stands roughly in apposition to ὡς…μεμαρτυρημένα and has the force of a clarification or explanation; it can be translated as “namely, that…”

    ατν τοιοτόν τι μέλλειν πολογεσθαι, ς: “that he will argue in his defense something like this, that...”

    ο γυνακα: “not as a wife”

    116

    νθυμέομαι νθυμήσομαι νεθυμήθην ντεθύμημαι ––– –––: ponder

    θηναος –α –ον: Athenian

    ρχίας: Archias

    εροφάντης: a hierophant, a priest who teaches the rites of sacrifice and worship, an initiator in the mysteries

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

    δικαστήριον –ου τό: a court of justice

    σεβέω σεβήσω σέβησα σέβηκα σέβημαι σεβήθην: to be impious, commit sacrilege, sin against

    πάτριος –α –ον: of or belonging to one's father, paternal

    θυσία –ας : sacrifice, sacrificial rite, sacred ceremony

    κολάζω κολάσω κόλασα κεκόλακα κεκόλαμαι κολάσθην: chastise, punish

    Σινώπη : Sinope

    ταίρα –ας : comrade (female), companion (female), courtesan

    λα: festival for Demeter

    σχάρα –ας : the hearth, fire-place

    αλή –ς : court

    Ἔλευσις: the polis Eleusis

    προσάγω προσάξω προσήγαγον προσχα προσγμαι προσήχθην: supply, add, bring to, apply

    ερερον –ου τό: sacrificial victim

    νόμιμος –η –ον: customary, lawful

    ἱέρεια –ας : priestess

    117

    Εμολπίδαι: the genos Eumolpidai

    πρόγονος –ου : ancestor

    κγαθός: crasis for καὶ ἀγαθός

    πολίτης –ου : citizen, freeman

    παραβαίνω παραβήσομαι παρέβην παραβέβαμαι παρεβάθην: go beside; transgress

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

    φίλος –ου : friend

    ξαίτησις: appeal, demand, intercession

    φελέω φελήσω φέλησα φέληκα φέλημαι φελήθην: help, assist, succor

    λειτουργία: a liturgy; a service, obligation

    λειτουργέω: to serve public offices at one's own cost

    τιμωρέω τιμωρήσω τιμωρησάμην τετιμώρηκα τετιμώρημαι τιμωρήθην: take vengeance upon

    118

    πολογία: a speech in defense, defense

    στή –ς : fem. of ἀστός

    συνοικω συνοικήσω συνκησα συνκηκα συνκημαι συνκήθην: to dwell together, live together

    μαρτυρέω μαρτυρήσω μαρτύρησα μεμαρτύρηκα μεμαρτύρημαι μαρτυρήθην: witness to

    δούλη –ης : slave

    Νικαρέτη: Nikarete

    παλλακή –ς : concubine, mistress

    νδογενής –ές: within, at home

    εσάγω εσάξω εσήγαγον εσαγήοχα εσγμαι εσήχθην: to lead in, bring before

    φράτηρ: a member of the same phratry

    κδίδωμι κδώσω ξέδωκε κδέδωκα κδέδομαι ξεδόθην: to give in marriage

    περιφανής –ές: visible from all sides; manifest, clear; adv. -νῶς conspicuously, notably, evidently

    ποφαίνω ποφαν πέφηνα ποπέφηνα ποπέφασμαι πεφάν(θ)ην: display, produce

    119

    πιδείκνυμι πιδείξω πέδειξα πιδέδειχα πιδέδειγμαι πεδείχθην: display, exhibit; show, prove

    πολογέομαι πολογήσομαι πελογησάμην ––– πολελόγημαι πελογήθην: defend oneself

    γαμέω γαμ γημα γεγάμηκα γεγάμημαι –––: marry

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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/116-119