TRIAL OF AN OLD GREEK CORN-RING 381 



And it seems to me an awful tiling that they don't want to contribute to 

 the war-taxes, when necessary — and that's a thing everybody is going to know 

 about — and plead poverty; but where there was a death-penalty and it was to 

 their interests to keep things " dark," this they say they did in defiance of the 

 law out of love for you. And you all know that such talk as that does not 

 become them at all; for their interests and those of other people are radically 

 different. For they make their biggest profits when they sell corn higher to 

 the State on some report of evil. And so glad are they to see your mishaps that 

 they know about them before other people and make up stories and circulate 

 them themselves, saying that the ships in the Black Sea have been wrecked or 

 those which have put to sea have been captured by the Spartans, or the ports 

 have been blockaded, or the truces are about to be annulled; and have come to 

 such a pitch of hostility that they plot against us at the same critical period 

 that the enemy does. For when you especially need grain these fellows " snap 

 it up " and refuse to sell so that we may not haggle over the price but may 

 think ourselves lucky if we get off with buying from them at any price what- 

 ever; so that sometimes, even in time of peace, we are besieged by them. . . . 

 Frequently, before now, you have inflicted the most severe penalties on the 

 officials — and that too, though they were citizens — because they could not con- 

 trol the rascality of these men. What, pray, ought the malefactors themselves 

 to suffer at your hands when you killed those who were unable to guard them ? 



Calling upon the jurymen to regard this as a " test case " — as the 

 people surely will — to chastise the guilty and protect their victims, 

 with an appeal to justice and an argument to catch the crowd, our 

 senator closes this speech of such vital interest to the people of consti- 

 tution-loving and law-enforcing Athens. 



You ought to consider that it's impossible for you to vote acquittal; for if 

 you acquit men who confess they " combined " against the merchants, you'll 

 seem to be plotting against the importers yourselves. But if they had made 

 any other defence no one could have found fault with a jury who acquitted 

 them; for "it's up to you" to believe whichever party you wish. But now, 

 won't you seem to be doing something awful if you let men go scot-free who 

 confess they violated the law? 



Now, gentlemen of the jury, I think it's clear to everybody that law-suits 

 on such matters are of the most general interest to the citizens, so that they 

 will learn what opinion you hold about them, thinking that if you condemn these 

 fellows to death, the rest will be more orderly and law-abiding, but should you 

 let them go scot-free, you will be voting them full immunity to do whatever 

 they please. You ought, gentlemen of the jury, to chastise them, not only for 

 the past but as a warning for the future; for in that case even, they will be 

 barely endurable. . . . And should they beg and implore you, you would not 

 justly take pity on them but far more on those of the citizens who are dying 

 through their rascality, and on the importers against whom they have " com- 

 bined," whom you will please and make more zealous if you punish these fellows. 

 But if you do not, what opinion do you think they will have when they learn 

 that you acquitted the hucksters, who admitted they conspired against the 

 importers? 



I don't know what more I ought to say; for about other malefactors, when 

 they are on trial, you must get your information from the accusers, but all of 

 you know the rascality of these fellows. At any rate, if you convict these men 

 you will "do the square thing" and you'll buy your corn lower; but if you 

 don't, it will be higher. 



