Against Diogeiton (2-5)

I am married to their sister, a child of Diogeiton’s daughter; and after many appeals I at first prevailed on both parties to submit the case to the arbitration of their friends, as I held it most desirable that their affairs should not be known to anyone else. But since Diogeiton would not allow himself to be advised by any of his own friends regarding the property which he was plainly convicted of holding, but preferred to be prosecuted, to sue against the validity of judgements, and to encounter the utmost risks, rather than do the just thing which would relieve him of all their complaints, I entreat you,

if I prove that the guardianship of their grandfather has been conducted more disgracefully than any heretofore held in the city by persons who had no bond of relationship, to give them the support of justice: otherwise, believe this man entirely, and reprobate us henceforward. I will now try to inform you on the matter from the beginning.

Some time later, when Diodotus was enrolled for infantry service, he summoned his wife, who was his niece, and her father, who was also his father-in-law and his brother, and grandfather and uncle of the little ones, as he felt that owing to these connections there was nobody more bound to act justly by his children: he then gave him a will and five talents of silver in deposit;