[66] ἐξελθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἐπαίνετος καὶ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ κύριος γενόμενος γράφεται πρὸς τοὺς θεσμοθέτας γραφὴν Στέφανον τουτονί, ἀδίκως εἱρχθῆναι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὃς κελεύει, ἐάν τις ἀδίκως εἵρξῃ ὡς μοιχόν, γράψασθαι πρὸς τοὺς θεσμοθέτας ἀδίκως εἱρχθῆναι, καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ἕλῃ τὸν εἵρξαντα καὶ δόξῃ ἀδίκως ἐπιβεβουλεῦσθαι, ἀθῷον εἶναι αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἐγγυητὰς ἀπηλλάχθαι τῆς ἐγγύης· ἐὰν δὲ δόξῃ μοιχὸς εἶναι, παραδοῦναι αὐτὸν κελεύει τοὺς ἐγγυητὰς τῷ ἑλόντι, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ δικαστηρίου ἄνευ ἐγχειριδίου χρῆσθαι ὅ τι ἂν βουληθῇ, ὡς μοιχῷ ὄντι.

[67] κατὰ δὴ τοῦτον τὸν νόμον γράφεται αὐτὸν ὁ Ἐπαίνετος, καὶ ὡμολόγει μὲν χρῆσθαι τῇ ἀνθρώπῳ, οὐ μέντοι μοιχός γε εἶναι· οὔτε γὰρ Στεφάνου θυγατέρα αὐτὴν εἶναι ἀλλὰ Νεαίρας, τήν τε μητέρα αὐτῆς συνειδέναι πλησιάζουσαν αὑτῷ, ἀνηλωκέναι τε πολλὰ εἰς αὐτάς, τρέφειν τε ὁπότε ἐπιδημήσειεν, τὴν οἰκίαν ὅλην· τόν τε νόμον ἐπὶ τούτοις παρεχόμενος, ὃς οὐκ ἐᾷ ἐπὶ ταύτῃσι μοιχὸν λαβεῖν ὁπόσαι ἂν ἐπ᾽ ἐργαστηρίου καθῶνται ἢ πωλῶνται ἀποπεφασμένως, ἐργαστήριον φάσκων καὶ τοῦτο εἶναι, τὴν Στεφάνου οἰκίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν ταύτην εἶναι, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων αὐτοὺς εὐπορεῖν μάλιστα.

[68] τούτους δὲ τοὺς λόγους λέγοντος τοῦ Ἐπαινέτου καὶ τὴν γραφὴν γεγραμμένου, γνοὺς Στέφανος οὑτοσὶ ὅτι ἐξελεγχθήσεται πορνοβοσκῶν καὶ συκοφαντῶν, δίαιταν ἐπιτρέπει πρὸς τὸν Ἐπαίνετον αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἐγγυηταῖς, ὥστε τῆς μὲν ἐγγύης αὐτοὺς ἀφεῖσθαι, τὴν δὲ γραφὴν ἀνελέσθαι τὸν Ἐπαίνετον.

    Epainetos brought a suit for false imprisonment against Stephanos, stating that Phano was not Stephanos’ daughter but Neaira’s by another man, that Neaira knew of Epainetos’ relationship with Phano, and that sleeping with a prostitute (which is essentially what Phano was) was not adultery. Stephanos submitted the matter to arbitration.

    66

    ερχθναι (and εἵρξῃ, below) < ἔργω. It was generally illegal for an individual to imprison a free person, but it was allowed (albeit temporarily) if the latter was caught in an act of adultery.

    γράψασθαιερχθναι: the first infinitive is governed by κελεύει; the second is governed by γράψασθαι.

    δόξ: impersonal: “it is decided”

    θον εναι ατόν: i.e., the falsely imprisoned man gets off scot-free.

    παραδοναι ατν κελεύει τος γγυητάς: sc. ὁ νόμος as the subject of κελεύει; τοὺς ἐγγυητάς is the object of κελεύει; αὐτόν is the object of παραδοῦναι.

    τ λόντι: although ὁ ἑλών is generally used in legal contexts to refer to the successful prosecutor, here it likely refers to the person who literally seized (< αἱρέω) the adulterer in flagrante (see a similar use of the participle in §87). Cf. Kapparis (1999: 66), who argues that in this instance, ὁ ἑλών refers to the successful defendant, explaining that this deviation from the normal meaning of the term has to do with the “peculiarity” of the case, where it was the prosecutor (the alleged adulterer) who faced a greater danger than the defendant (who captured him).

    νευ γχειριδίου: this does not mean that the captor cannot punish the adulterer physically, simply that he cannot use a blade. We hear in comedy of anal penetration with a radish and depilation of pubic hair as common (humiliating) punishments for adulterers.

    χρσθαι: supply as subject the man’s captor; supply as object the imprisoned man.

    μοιχ: dative agreeing with (dat.) understood object of χρῆσθαι

    67 

    χρσθαι: here, with sexual sense (+ dat.)

    Στέφανου θυγατέρα ατν εναι: αὐτήν is the subject of εἶναι in indirect statement governed by an understood verb of saying; take Στέφανου θυγατέρα predicatively.

    μητέρα: subject of συνειδέναι

    πλησιάζουσαν: agrees with (an understood) Phano

    νηλωκέναιτρέφειν: supply as subject Epainetos.

    πιδημήσειεν: “he visited (Athens)”

    τόν τε νόμονDilts prints another τόν after τόν τε νόμον, following Hude.

    π τούτοις: “in addition” (LSJ ἐπί B.I.e)

    παρεχόμενος: “bringing forward (as supporting evidence)”

    ταύτσι: Blass restored this old (Ionic) dative feminine plural form, since this appears to be a quotation from a Solonic law (on which see Lysias 10.19 and Plutarch, Solon 23.1).

    ργαστηρίου: literally a workshop, this is a common euphemism for brothel.

    καθνται < κάθημαι: “sitting in brothels” is a common way of describing prostitutes.

    πωλνται: ”walk up and down (the streets)” < πωλέομαι, an old poetic word not generally seen in classical prose. πωλέομαι makes more sense than the passive of πωλέω, “are sold,” since the two groups being discussed are brothel prostitutes and streetwalkers, both of whom were sold.

    ποπεφασμένως: “openly” (< ἀποφαίνω)

    68

    δίαιτανπρς τν παίνετον: “(private) arbitration vis-à-vis Epainetos”; Stephanos did this because he realized he might not win the case for unlawful imprisonment.

    πιτρέπει: “referred” the arbitration, see §45 and LSJ ἐπιτρέπω I.A.3.

    ἀνελέσθαι < ἀναιρέω; in middle, ”rescind” (LSJ ἀναιρέω B.III); take τὸν Ἐπαίνετον as the subject.

    66

    ξέρχομαι ξελεύσομαι ξλθον ξελήλυθα ––– –––: go/come out, go forth

    παίνετος: Epainetos

    θεσμοθέτης: a lawgiver; at Athens, οἱ θεσμοθέται = the six junior archons

    ργω/εργω ερξω ερξα –– εργμαι ερχθην: to shut in, imprison

    μοιχός –ο : an adulterer, paramour, debaucher

    πιβουλεύω πιβουλεύσω πεβούλευσα πιβεβούλευκα ––– –––: plot against

    θος: unpunished, scot-free

    γγυητής –ο : one who gives security, a surety

    γγύη: a pledge put into the hand: surety, security

    δικαστήριον –ου τό: a court of justice

    γχειρίδιον τό: dagger; (later) handle, tool, manual

    67

    σύνοιδα: be aware, know

    πλησιάζω πλησιάσω πλησασα πεπλησακα ––– πλησιάσθην: to draw near; have sex with

    ναλίσκω ναλσω νήλωσα νήλωκα νήλωμαι νηλθην: to use up, to spend, lavish

    πιδημέω πιδημήσω πεδήμησα πιδεδήμηκα: come to stay in a city, visit

    λος: whole, entire, complete

    πόσος –η –ον: as many as, as great as

    ργαστήριον –ου τό: a factory, workshop

    κάθημαι καθήσομαι ––– ––– ––– ––– imp: καθήμην: be seated, sit; reside

    πωλέομαι ππραμαι πωλήθην: to go up and down, go to and fro

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

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

    ργαστήριον: workshop; brothel

    ργασία : work, business, trade; prostitution

    επορέω επορήσω επόρησα/ηπόρησα επόρηκα/ηπόρηκα επορήθην/ηπορήθην: to prosper, thrive, be well off

    68

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

    πορνοβοσκέω: to keep a brothel

    συκοφαντέω συκοφαντήσω συκοφάντησα σεσυκοφάντηκα σεσυκοφάντημαι συκοφαντήθην: to accuse falsely, slander, calumniate

    δίαιτα –ης : arbitration

    πιτρέπω πιτρέψω πέτρεψα πιτέτροφα πιτέτραμμαι πετράφθην (or πετράπην): turn to, transfer, leave to

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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/66-68