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 is a court speech delivered by the defendant against his relatives, Nausimachus and Xenopeithes, who have brought a new lawsuit despite a previous settlement that released him from all guardianship-related claims. The speaker begins by arguing that the lawsuit is inadmissible because the plaintiffs had previously agreed to a formal release and settlement. He then demonstrates the logical contradictions in the plaintiffs' new claims regarding debt collection, showing them to be impossible based on family history and relations with the debtors. Furthermore, he invokes the law on the five-year statute of limitations (prothesmia) and emphasizes the binding force of releases and settlements. Finally, the speaker exposes the plaintiffs' extravagance and malicious intent, urging the jury to protect the defendant's property and reject the unjust suit.