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 oration is a self-defense speech delivered in court by an Athenian citizen accused of destroying a sacred olive stump on his property. In response to the groundless accusation, the defendant first traces the history of the land's ownership and the disruptions of war to argue that no such stump existed when he acquired the property. He then points out that he had no reasonable motive to commit such a crime, which would have carried a high risk of exposure to neighbors and slaves, while highlighting the contradiction in the prosecutor's failure to report the act at the time. Furthermore, the defendant exposes the injustice of the charge by pointing out the prosecutor's refusal to test the truth through the interrogation of slaves under torture (basanos). Finally, he appeals for his innocence by emphasizing his exemplary citizenship and his extensive contributions to the city through public liturgies (leitourgia).