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DEMOSTHENES 27. AGAINST APHOBUS I
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DEMOSTHENES . AGAINST APHOBUS I introduction Like Lysias 32, this case involves a suit against guardians for mismanagement of an estate. Demosthenes’ father (also named Demosthenes ) died in 376, leaving a large estate for his only son, then age seven. He appointed three guardians to manage the estate: Aphobus, Demophon, and Therippides. He also directed his wife, Cleobule, to marry Aphobus and his daughter to marry Demophon when she was old enough, and he provided a substantial dowry for each. When the younger Demosthenes came of age, however, he received only a small fraction of the estate’s original value, although (he claims) it should have increased during this period. Demosthenes therefore brought suits against the three guardians for ten talents each, but after winning these, he had to bring additional suits to collect what was owed him (Dem. 27–31). This first speech opens his prosecution of one of the guardians and contains the principal statement of his case against them. It was delivered in 364/3, when he was twenty years old. He begins by professing his inexperience and his reluctance to go to law—a common type of excuse at the beginning of prosecution speeches, but in this case justified. He then gives an outline of his family situation and of the dispositions made by his dying father, including the appointment of the three guardians. He claims that when he came of age, they handed over to him only about 70 minas’ worth of property, although they had themselves registered the estate as being of a much higher value for the purpose of paying the tax called eisphora. The next part of the speech is the most important: the listing of all the elements of Demosthenes senior’s estate, including the value of against aphobus i 301 The Value of Demosthenes’ Father’s Estate (in drachmas) Income-producing assets Slaves making knives 19,000 Slaves making beds 4,000 Money on loan 6,000 Nonincome-producing assets Ivory, iron, wood 8,000 Dye, copper 7,000 House 3,000 Contents of house 10,000 Cash 8,000 Loan to Xuthus 7,000 Deposit at Pasion’s bank 2,400 Deposit at Pylades’ bank 600 Loan to Demomeles 1,600 Other loans 6,000 Total assets 82,600 Annual income from those assets Manufacture of knives 3,000 Manufacture of beds 1,200 Interest on loans 720 Total annual income 4,920 each item and the amounts of income produced. For us, this makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Athenian society and economics. Demosthenes’ estimates of the value of the various items are given in the table. (To facilitate calculation all the sums are converted to drachmas.) Demosthenes claims that by the time he came of age, the estate, including ten years’ accumulated income, ought to have been worth about 30 talents, but it is difficult for us to check this claim. He calls for the testimony of witnesses to be read out to confirm many of his figures, but, as often in Athenian speeches, those statements have not been preserved, and we cannot be sure how conclusive their confirma- The figures are discussed by Davies 1971: 126–131. [34.229.151.93] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 13:49 GMT) 302 demosthenes 27 tion was. He does seem to press some of his points rather hard, especially where the income is concerned; for example, he assumes that the manufacture of knives and of beds produced the same amount of profit every year and makes no allowance for difficulties in production or changes in market conditions from time to time. Thus, his case may be overstated to some extent; nevertheless, it does appear to be a strong one. The later part of the speech deals with some subsidiary points, including the guardians’ failure to produce Demosthenes senior’s written will; their failure to let the estate on lease, which would have absolved them from responsibility for its administration; and the absurd story that Demosthenes senior left the large sum of 4 talents hidden away in the keeping of his wife. Demosthenes concludes with a passage of pathos, pointing out that he, with his mother and sister, will be left in poverty if he loses the case. The speech as a whole is a remarkably accomplished debut by the young orator. demosthenes 27. against aphobus i [1] If Aphobus had been willing to do the right thing, men of the jury...