Mantitheus Against Boeotus II (11-15)

When these terms had been accepted—for why should I make my story a long one?—he went to meet her before the arbitrator, and Plangon, contrary to all that she had agreed to do, accepted the challenge, and swore in the Delphinium[*] an oath which was the very opposite of her former one, as most of you know well; for the transaction became a notorious one. Thus, my father was compelled on account of his own challenge to abide by the arbitrator’s award, but he was indignant at what had been done, and took the matter heavily to heart, and did not even so consent to admit these men into his house; but he was compelled to introduce them to the clansmen. The defendant he enrolled as Boeotus, and the other as Pamphilus.

As for me, he forthwith persuaded me, for I was about eighteen years of age, to marry the daughter of Euphemus, wishing to live to see children born to me. I, men of the jury, as before, so especially then, when these men were beginning to annoy him with lawsuits and were proving troublesome, thought that I, on the contrary, ought to strive to gladden him by doing everything whereby I could give him pleasure, and so obeyed him.

When I had married in this way, and he had lived to see my little daughter born, not many years later he fell sick and died. Then, although during my father’s lifetime, men of the jury, I had thought it my duty to oppose him in nothing, yet after his death I received these men into the house, and gave them a share of all the property, not as being really my brothers (for most of you are well aware of the manner in which they became such), but thinking that, as my father had been beguiled, it was my duty to obey your laws.

And when they had thus been received by me into the house, we proceeded to divide the inheritance; and upon my demanding that my mother’s marriage-portion be repaid to me, these men put in a counter-claim, and alleged that a portion of like amount was owing to their mother.[*] On the advice of friends who were present we divided all the rest of the property but kept apart the house and the domestic servants of my father,

in order that whichever party of us might establish his claim to the dowry should recover it from the value of the house; and from the slaves, who were common property, the defendants, should they wish to search out[*] any of my father’s effects, might make inquiry by torturing them, or by prosecuting their search in any other way they might please.

That I am speaking the truth in this also you will know from these depositions.

The Depositions