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 work is a courtroom speech delivered in ancient Athens, in which the plaintiff, Mantitheus, demands that his half-brother Boeotus change his name, as Boeotus has also taken the name "Mantitheus." After their father recognized Boeotus as his son, the two half-brothers came to share the exact same name, which caused severe confusion in both public and private life. The plaintiff details the practical disadvantages and chaos resulting from this duplication, citing examples such as the sortition for public offices, military service, lawsuits, and registration of debts to the state. Furthermore, Mantitheus argues his priority to the name, demonstrating that he was legally registered first as the eldest son during their father's lifetime, whereas Boeotus has no right to claim their grandfather's name. Pointing out that Boeotus had previously accepted the name "Boeotus" in prior legal proceedings, the plaintiff urges the jurors to render a just verdict in his favor according to the laws and oaths.