Now my conversation just mentioned had been held at Philius’s bank: yet Ctesicles and his follow-officers,i.e., the generals, who made the selection of men for military service. on a report from somebody that I was abusing them, although the terms of the law only forbid the abuse of a magistrate at session of his court,—decided unlawfully to punish me. They imposed the fine, but instead of attempting to exact it, at the expiration of their term of office they recorded it on a register which they handed over to the clerks of the TreasuryIn the temple of Pallas on the Acropolis.

So much for their operations; but the clerks of the Treasury, taking a very different view from theirs, demanded an explanation from the persons who had handed over the record, and inquired into the grounds of the charge. Hearing what had occurred, and impressed by the strange treatment I had received, they at first urged them to let me off, pointing out that it was not reasonable that any of our citizens should be registered as public debtors out of personal enmity; then, failing to dissuade them, they took upon themselves the risk of a trial before you, and ruled that the penalty was null and voidA gap follows in the text, which should show that witnesses were called.

Well, that I was let off by the Treasury clerks, you now know. But although I consider that merely on the strength of this demonstration I ought to stand cleared of the impeachment, I will put in a yet stronger array both of laws and of other justifications. Now, please, take the law.

You have heard how the law expressly enjoins the punishment of those who utter abuse at a session of the court. But I have produced witnesses to the fact that I did not enter the magistrates’ hall, and that, as the fine was unjustly imposed on me, I neither owe it nor in justice ought to pay it.

For if it is evident that I did not go into the court, and the law enjoins that the fine is to be due from those who misbehave inside it, it is manifest that I have done no wrong, but because of enmity, and for no such act, have been fined against all reason. They knew in their own hearts that they had done wrong;