In using an argument like this, gentlemen of the jury, he is accusing, not excusing, himself, since he is admitting that I need not pay the debts. For if he says that he did not know the full amount owing, surely he cannot claim that he informed me of the debts beforehand; and I am not bound to pay those of which the seller did not notify me. You knew that Midas owed this money, Athenogenes, as I think we all realize for several reasons, and chiefly because you summoned Nicon to give security for me This passage was restored by Blass, partly following Revillout, to give the following meaning: because you summoned Nicon to give security for me, knowing that I could not meet the debts alone without his help. And indeed I cannot, but I want to get to grips with this claim of yours that you did not know who had invested what sums, or what the individual debts were. Let us consider it in this way. For Nicon see § 8.