Source edition
Lysias. Lamb, W.R.M., editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1930.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a courtroom oration in which the speaker, Eupiletus, defends himself against the charge of murdering Eratosthenes, whom he caught committing adultery with his wife. Set in ancient Athens, the speech is delivered directly by the defendant to the judges. Eupiletus begins by describing his domestic life and how he discovered his wife's infidelity through a series of suspicious events and a maidservant's confession. He then recounts how he caught Eratosthenes in the act one night and executed him on the spot in accordance with Athenian law. To counter the prosecution's claim that it was a premeditated trap, he cites specific laws concerning adultery and rape to prove the legality of his actions. Finally, he emphasizes that he had no prior malice or conspiracy, portraying his act solely as an enforcement of the city-state's laws, and appeals for an acquittal.