§ 1  I am almost obliged to the accuser, members of the Boule, because he has got up this suit. For I have not had any pretext on which to give an account of my life, but now I have seized this opportunity. And in my speech I will try to show that he is falsifying, and that up to this day I have lived rather to deserve praise than jealousy; for he seems to me to have trumped up this suit through nothing else than jealousy.

§ 2  And from what kind of baseness do you think a man would abstain who grudges (giving to) those whom others pity? For not for money does he inform against me, nor seeks to punish me as a private enemy, for I never had any dealings with him as a friend or enemy.

§ 3  Now then, members of the Boule, he is evidently jealous, because in spite of this misfortune I am a better citizen than he. For I think, members of the Boule, that necessarily misfortunes of the body are nobly remedied by pursuits of the mind. For if I have the disposition corresponding with this trouble, and conduct myself otherwise, how shall I differ from this man?

§ 4  About these things let me speak as I have done, and about what it is my interest to speak, I will speak with as few words as possible. For the accuser says that it is not just for me to receive the pension from the state, for I am sound of body and am not helpless, and understand a trade so as to live without (the pension).

§ 5  And as proofs of my bodily strength he instances the fact that I ride horseback, and of my skill in my trade that I can associate with men able to be extravagant. I believe all of you are acquainted with my success in my trade and the rest of my livelihood, what it may be; yet I will mention these in few words.

§ 6  My father left me nothing, and only within three years I have ceased supporting my mother as she died. I have no children to care for me. But I have a trade which can assist me a little, which I myself work at with difficulty, as I am not able to buy a slave to relieve me at it. I have no other income than this, and if you take it from me, I shall run the risk of coming into the hands of a cruel fate.

§ 7  As you can help me justly, members of the Boule, do not ruin unjustly. Do not take from me in my old age and weakness what you gave me when young and strong; do not receive harshly those who are pitied even by their enemies, when formerly you seemed to be most charitable to those that had no trouble. Do not have the heart to wrong me and so bring discouragement on others in like condition.

§ 8  For it would be absurd, members of the Boule, that if when I merely had this misfortune, then it appeared I was receiving this pension, and that now when old age and disease and their consequences had come upon me, then I should be deprived of it.

§ 9  It seems to me that the accusers more clearly than any one else shows my utter poverty. For I should be appointed as choragus for tragedies and should call on him to exchange with me, he would prefer to be choragus ten times rather than exchange once with me. And is it not strange for him to charge me now of being able through my success to associate on an equality with the wealthiest man, and to be so (poor) if anything of the sort should happen as I said? and even more wretched?

§ 10  And about my horsemanship, which he dares mention to you, neither fearing fate nor ashamed before you, there is not much to say. For I knew, members of the Boule, that all men having such a calamity seek something like this, and study this problem, how to manage their deformities with the least pain to themselves. I am one of these, and I hit upon this relief for my infirmities for the long journeys I am obliged to take.

§ 11  It is easy to learn, members of the Boule, what is the best proof that I ride on account of my infirmity and not from arrogance. For if I had wealth, I should ride on a cushioned saddle, and not on other people's horses; but now since I cannot buy such a one, I have to use other people's horses often.

§ 12  Now is it not inconsistent, members of the Boule, that this very man if he had seen me on a cushioned saddle would have held his peace, (for what could he have said?) but because I ride borrowed horses that he tries to persuade you that I am sound? And that I use two crutches while others use but one, (why does he) not charge me that this is a mark of sound men? But that I ride he uses as a proof to you that I am sound. But both of these I employ for the same reason.

§ 13  He surpasses all in shamelessness so much that he tries to persuade you, he alone against so many (of you), that I am not a cripple. If he persuades any of you, members of the Boule, what hinders my drawing lots for the nine archons, and your taking my obol from me as being sound, and giving it to him as a cripple? For surely you will not take away a gift from a man as being sound while they prevent his drawing lots as being unsound.

§ 14  But really you do not have the same opinion as this man, nor does he (hold it) in his better moments. For he comes here to dispute as if my infirmity were an inheritance, and he tries to persuade you that I am not such as you all see (me to be); but you, as if right for reasonable men, trust the evidence of your own eyes rather than his words.

§ 15  But he says I am insolent and violent and licentious in my disposition, just as if he were more likely to be speaking the truth if he calls dreadful names, but will not accomplish this if he speaks mildly and remains by the facts. But I think, members of the Boule, that you clearly know what sort of men are apt to be insolent and what not.

§ 16  For it is not likely that the poor and needy should be insolent, but those who have much more than they need; nor those who are infirm in body, but those who rely on their own strength; nor those well advanced in years, but those who are yet young and have youthful minds.

§ 17  For the rich buy off dangers with their wealth, but the poor are forced to prudence by their lack of resources; and the young expect pardon from their elders, and both blame the old equally for lapses; (18) and it is for the strong without any cause to be insolent to whomsoever they wish, but it is not possible for the weak if insulted to defend themselves against those who provoke them, nor if they wish to be violent can they overcome their victims. So that the accuser seems to me to speak about my violence as a joke, not in earnest, not really wishing to persuade you that I am such, but wishing to make fun of me, as if doing a fine thing.

§ 19  And besides he says that many men gather about me who are of base character, who have lost their property and plan against those who wish to save their own (property). Remember all of you that in saying this he charges me no more than any who have trades, nor those who enter my shop more than those (who go into the shop) of other artisans.

§ 20  For each of you has been in the habit of going, one to a perfume shop, another to the barber shop, one to a shoemaker's shop, others here and there, most of all to the shops set up near the Agora, and very few to those far from it. So if any of you charges those who come to my shop with bad conduct, evidently you charge those who frequent other men's shops, and if these, then all the Athenians; for you are all accustomed to go about and spend your time somewhere or other.

§ 21  I do not know that I ought to weary you longer by accurately making my defense against each thing which has been said. For if I have spoken about the main points, why should I like him speak earnestly about trivial matters? But I beg you, members of the Boule, to have the same mind toward me now as formerly.

§ 22  Do not for this man strip me of the only thing which fate has given me in exchange for civil rights. Let him not alone persuade you to take back what you all gave me in common. For since, members of the Boule, God has deprived us of the highest offices, the city voted this pension, thinking that the fortune should be alike for unfortunate and fortunate.

§ 23  Should I not be most wretched if I should be deprived through this misfortune of the finest and best things, and through this accuser of what the city intended for those in this condition? Do not, members of the Boule, pass this vote. For why should I find you of such a disposition?

§ 24  Because some one in a trial ever lost his property through me? But no one could prove that. Because I am meddlesome, and harsh and quarrelsome? But I do not chance to have such conditions of life for such actions.

§ 25  But that I am violent and disorderly? But not even he would say that if he did not wish to lie about this as the other things. But that being in power in the reign of the Thirty I maltreated many of the citizens? But after the democracy I fled to Chalcis on the Euripus, and though I could have been a citizen among them without fear, I preferred to run my risk with you all.

§ 26  And now, members of the Boule, having done no wrong, may I not find you such towards me as to those who have committed many offenses, but cast the same vote for me that the other councils (have cast), remembering that I am not giving account of money of the state which I have managed, nor that I am not rendering an account of any office which I have held, but I am making the argument for an obol only.

§ 27  And so you will understand the justice of the matter, and I with justice from you will have this favor, and this man for the future will learn not to plot against those weaker than himself, but to get ahead of men like himself.