I have no lack of reasons for speaking in behalf of the plaintiff Nicias; for it so
 happens that he is my friend, that he is in need, that he is the victim of injustice, and
 that he has no ability as a speaker; for all these reasons, therefore, I am compelled to
 speak on his behalf. 
 
 The circumstances in which the transaction between Nicias and Euthynus came to be made I
 shall relate to you in as few words as I can. This Nicias, the plaintiff, after the Thirty
 Tyrants came into power and his enemies threatened to expunge his name from the number of
 those who were to have the rights of citizenship, and to include him in Lysander's A list of citizens deprived of civic rights and enrolled for
 military service under the Spartan general Lysander, who after taking Athens had set up
 the government of the Thirty. Cf. Xen. Hell. 2.3 . 
 list, being in fear of the state of affairs, mortgaged his house, sent his slaves outside
 of Attica, conveyed his furniture to my house, gave in trust three talents of silver to
 Euthynus, and went to live in the country. 
 
 Not long after this, desiring to take ship, he asked for the return of his money;
 Euthynus restored two talents, but denied that he had received the third. At that time
 Nicias was unable to take any further action, but he went to his friends and with
 complaints and recriminations told them how he had been treated. And yet he regarded
 Euthynus so highly and was in such fear of the government that he would sooner by far have
 been defrauded of a small sum and held his peace than have made complaints where no loss
 was suffered. 
 
 Such are the facts. But our cause presents difficulties. For Nicias, both when he was
 depositing the money and when he tried to get it back, had no one with him, either freeman
 or slave Transactions with a banker were generally
 conducted without witnesses; see Isoc. 17.2 . ; thus it
 is impossible either by torture of slaves or by testimony to get at the facts, but it is
 by circumstantial evidence that we must plead and you must judge which side speaks the
 truth. 
 
 I think that you all know that malicious prosecution is most generally attempted by
 those who are clever speakers but possess nothing, whereas the defendants lack skill in
 speaking but are able to pay money. Well, Nicias is better off than Euthynus, but has less
 ability as a speaker; so that there is no reason why he should have proceeded against
 Euthynus unjustly.