1-3

The speech begins with a brief introduction by Theomnestos (§1–15). Although Theomnestos is technically the one bringing the suit against Neaira, the bulk of the speech is delivered by Apollodoros.

Theomnestos gives his reasons for joining Apollodoros in prosecuting Stephanos.

1

γράψασθαι: that is, to bring a legal charge called a γραφή. There were two main types of suits in classical Athenian courts: δίκαι (private suits, which could be brought only by the injured party) and γραφαί (public suits, which could be brought by anyone, for crimes thought to injure the community as a whole).

τὴν γραφὴν ταυτηνί: object of γράψασθαι, the cognate or internal accusative (G. 536, S. 1563 ff.). In the Attic dialect the demonstrative οὗτος can be strengthened by the suffix -ι: οὑτοσί, αὑτηί, τουτί, “this man here, this woman here.” This so-called deictic iota (G. 210, S. 333.g) appears frequently in this speech. 

εἰσελθεῖν < εἰσέρχομαι

καὶ γάρ: when γάρ follows καί, translate it as “indeed,” rather than “for.”

ἠδικήμεθα < ἀδικέω

μέγαλα: adverbial accusative (G. 536–540, S. 1606-1611); in this instance, a neuter accusative adjective used as adverb (G. 230, S. 1609)

κατέστημεν < καθίστημι

ὅ τε κηδεστής: Apollodoros, the prime mover of the suit. Apollodoros is both brother-in-law and father-in-law to Theomnestos, since he is married to Theomnestos’ sister, and Theomenestos is married to Apollodoros’ daughter. See Introduction and Stemma.

ὑπάρχων < ὑπάρχω, “as one taking the initiative”

ἀγωνιοῦμαι < ἀγωνίζομαι, “to contend in court,” (pass.) “to be on trial”

τόν ἀγῶνα τουτονί: another cognate or internal accusative

παθών < πάσχω

πεπόνθαμεν < πάσχω

ἀμυνομένῳ: modifies μοι

ὡς: adverbial, “how”

ἀτιμίας: literally, ἀ-τιμία means “lack of honor,” but here it has its technical sense of “disenfranchisement.” The reasons for this potential ἀτιμία are explained further in §5-8.

2

ψηφισάμενου < ψηφίζομαι: literally, “to cast a pebble [ψῆφος]”; here, as often, it refers to a vote to pass a decree. Part of a genitive absolute, governing indirect statement.

Ἀθηναῖον: take as the predicate.

Πασίωνα καὶ ἐκγόνους τοὺς ἐκείνου: take as the accusative subjects of the indirect statement. Pasion was a slave whose masters were bankers; he was manumitted by his masters for his good service, and eventually granted his citizenship for generous donations of shields and triremes to the state.

δωρεᾷ: naturalization is often described in the orators as a gift.

τῷ υἱεῖ τῷ ἐκείνου: the son of Pasion. See Stemma.

ἡγουμένου < ἡγέομαι; takes an indirect statement

τῇ ἀληθείᾳ: “in truth, truly,” modifying οἰκείους, here in the sense “of the same family”

κοινωνεῖν: takes a genitive object

ὄντων: the substantive τὰ ὄντα often means “property.”

γυναῖκα: take as the predicate.

ἀδελφιδῆν: it was not uncommon in Greece for uncles to marry nieces (nor, for that matter, for first cousins to marry).

3

λαγχάνει: citizens were selected by lot for the Boule (the council of Athens), 50 from each of the city’s 10 tribes. The term of office was one year.

δοκιμασθείς < δοκιμάζω: the δοκιμασία was an examination for office-holding, conducted by the Boule, to ascertain whether a candidate was fit to serve.

ὀμόσας < ὄμνυμι

τὸν νόμιμον ὅρκον: after passing the δοκιμασία, the successful candidate was required to swear an oath, the content of which changed over time.  Excavation has revealed the underpinning of the stone identified as the Oath stone (lithos) of the Athenians, on the steps of the Royal Stoa.

συμβάντος < συμβαίνω

καιροῦ…καὶ πολέμου: this crisis refers to two events of 349/8 BCE: when Olynthos turned to Athens for help against King Philip II of Macedon, and when Ploutarchos, tyrant of Eretria in Euboia, asked for assistance against rebels trying to overthrow him. [map]

ἐν ᾧ … Χερρονήσου: a very long relative clause

ἦν ἢ κρατήσασιν ὑμῖν: “it was possible for you, if you won....” ἦν < ἐστί, used impersonally (LSJ εἰμί VI). κρατήσασιν is a participle used conditionally. ἤ indicates that this is one alternative, and finds its correlate ἤ a couple of lines down.

μεγίστοις: take as the predicate.

τῶν Ἑλλήνων: partitive genitive

τά τε ὑμέτερα: i.e., territories previously possessed by the Athenians that had been taken over by Philip; especially meant here is Amphipolis, which Philip took in 357.

κεκομίσθαι: “to have recovered” (LSJ κομίζω II.8).

ἢ ὑστερίσασι…προεμένοις: “or, if you came too late...and abandoned...,” participles used conditionally; προεμένοις < προ-ἵημι

τούτους: the allies

ἀπολέσαι...δοκεῖν...κινδυνεύειν: infinitives dependent on the earlier ἦν, “it was possible to destroy...to seem...to risk (losing).”

Λήμνου…Χερρονήσου: this stands in apposition to ὑπολοίπων (“remaining [possessions]”). Lemnos, Imbros, Skyros, and the Chersonese, raided by Philip in 351-49, were all key locations for Athens in their connections with the Black Sea region, from which they got most of their grain. [map]