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 forensic oration delivered in Athens, prosecuting Epicrates and his fellow envoys for corruption and embezzling public funds during their diplomatic mission. The prosecutor fiercely accuses the defendants of betraying the state's interests to amass private wealth, leaving the city in financial distress. In the first half of the speech, the speaker exposes the corrupt practices of the envoys and argues that sentencing such powerful figures to death is necessary to serve as a powerful deterrent to others. In the second half, the orator warns the jurors against being swayed by the emotional pleas for sympathy from the defendants and their supporters. Ultimately, the speech concludes with a strong appeal to the judges to prioritize the laws and justice of the state, demanding a decisive guilty verdict and the harshest punishment.