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 delivered in Athens concerning the legal status of a man named Pancleon. The speaker initially brought a lawsuit against Pancleon, assuming him to be a resident alien (metoikos), but the defendant asserted that he was a citizen of Plataea, a privileged ally of Athens. To verify this claim, the speaker conducted a thorough investigation, querying residents of the Deceleia deme, the Plataean community, and people in the marketplace. Through these inquiries, the speaker uncovered testimonies indicating that Pancleon was actually a runaway slave. The second half of the speech highlights a violent struggle over his seizure as a slave, his suspicious behavior in past legal proceedings, and his eventual flight to hostile Thebes. By presenting these facts, the speaker concludes his argument by demonstrating that Pancleon is neither a Plataean citizen nor a free man.