Source edition
Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. II, Part 2. Rennie, W., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This oration, attributed to Demosthenes, is a special plea (paragraphe) delivered by the defendant, Nicobulus, against the plaintiff, Pantaenetus, set against the backdrop of financial loans and property disputes involving the Laurium silver mines in Athens. Nicobulus argues that the current lawsuit is inadmissible because a formal release and discharge (aphesis and apallage) had already been legally agreed upon between the parties. Throughout the speech, the defendant reconstructs the complex transactions involving mining workshops and slaves, demonstrating that Pantaenetus's various charges of assault and mining law violations are both false and outside the court's jurisdiction. He exposes the plaintiff's deceitful tactics, including a manipulative challenge regarding slave torture under examination (basanos) and his past abuse of the legal system in a similar lawsuit against another citizen. While addressing potential prejudices of the jury toward his own aloof demeanor, Nicobulus concludes by emphasizing the absolute legal finality of mutual agreements, urging the court to uphold the sanctity of contracts.