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 speech is an impeachment oration delivering a public prosecution against Nicomachus, who served as a state-law scriber (anagrapheus) in ancient Athens, accusing him of abusing his office and illegally altering the laws. The prosecutor first charges Nicomachus with remaining in office far beyond his term, arbitrarily rewriting the laws, and avoiding the mandatory audit of his service. He then exposes Nicomachus's past complicity in a conspiracy to overthrow the democracy, which led to the execution of the politician Cleophon, while pre-emptively defending himself against expected counter-accusations. Furthermore, Nicomachus is accused of financial and religious misconduct for recording unauthorized, expensive sacrifices that strained the state treasury and disrupted traditional rituals. Finally, the prosecutor urges the jurors to reject the pleas of influential figures who might lobby for the defendant, calling for a strict and just verdict to punish Nicomachus for the extensive damage he caused to the state.