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 prosecuting the son of the famous Athenian politician Alcibiades (Alcibiades the Younger) for the crime of evading military service (astrateia). At the outset, the prosecutor severely condemns the defendant for neglecting his duty as a hoplite and illegally serving in the cavalry without passing the required examination. The speech then criticizes the defendant's attempts to secure an acquittal through his family's status and the influence of powerful relatives and generals, while exposing his private life of debauchery and misconduct. Furthermore, the prosecutor details the treasonous acts committed against Athens by the defendant's famous father and the dishonor of his lineage, portraying the defendant as an ancestral enemy of the city. Ultimately, the oration concludes with a strong appeal to the jurors to reject any leniency and deliver a guilty verdict in accordance with the law.