Regarding this claim some lying explanation may be offered to you: the defendant may either pretend that they knew nothing about it or else may accuse us of lying. Let us ignore the latter suggestion. As regards the former, when Endius gave your niece in marriage to Xenocles, did you, Nicodemus, allow the daughter borne to Pyrrhus by his legitimate wife to be married in the quality of the child of a mistress?

And did you fail to bring a denunciation in the archon's court for injury to the heiress thus maltreated by the adopted son and despoiled of her paternal inheritance, especially as this is the only class of public actions which involves no risk to the party who brings it, and anyone who wishes is allowed to defend the rights of heiresses?

For no fine can be inflicted for denunciations made to the archon, even if the informants fail to receive a single vote,The prosecutor in other public actions was liable to a fine of 1000 drachmas if he failed to obtain one-fifth of the votes. and there are no deposits or court feesπρυτανεῖα, deposits made by both parties in a suit and repayable to the successful litigant: παράστασις, fees payable by a prosecutor on entering upon certain suits. paid in any impeachments; but while the prosecutors may bring an impeachment without running any risk, extreme penalties are inflicted on those who are convicted in such impeachments.

If, then, the defendant's niece had been the child of our uncle by a legitimate wife, would Nicodemus have allowed her to be married in the quality of the child of a mistress? And, when this happened, would he not have lodged a denunciation before the archon that the heiress was being injured by him who thus gave her in marriage? If what you have now dared, Nicodemus, to depose, were true, you would have immediately have had punishment inflicted on him who was wronging her. Or will you pretend that you knew nothing of these circumstances either?

Next, did not the dowry which was given with her awake your suspicion? This alone might well have aroused your indignation and induced you to denounce Endius, namely, that he himself was claiming as his right a fortune of three talents, but thought fit, when he was giving Pyrrhus's legitimate daughter in marriage to another man, to bestow with her a portion of only a thousand drachmas.The MS. reading gives “3000 drachmas,” which does not accord with the statement of Isaeus 3.51, where the dowry is said to be less than a tenth of Pyrrhus's estate which amounted to three talents (18,000 drachmas). Would not this have aroused the defendant's indignation and would he not have denounced Endius? By heavens he would, if his story were true.