Demosthenes, Against Stephanus II, Augustus Taber Murray (Translator), 20

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[20]

(To the clerk.)

Read the law.

The Law

If one be born the son of an heiress, two years after he has reached the age of manhood¹ he shall assume control of the estate, and he shall make due provision for his mother’s maintenance.

The law, then, appoints that sons who have reached the age of manhood shall be guardians of their mother and shall make due provision for their mother’s maintenance. But it is clear that I was on a military expedition and in command of a trireme in your service,² when this man married my mother.

Against Stephanus II. Demosthenes. Augustus Taber Murray (Translator). London. 1939.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Apollodorus Against Stephanus, Charged with False Testimony II (English) (Demosthenes, Vol. IV: Private Orations, Vol 2. Murray, A. T., translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1939 (printing).)

Editions (1)

κατὰ Στεφάνου ψευδομαρτυριῶν β΄ Perseus (Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. III. Rennie, W., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1931.) — 20 focus

[20] λέγε τὸν νόμον.

ΝΟΜΟΣ.

καὶ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐπικλήρου τις γένηται καὶ ἅμα ἡβήσῃ ἐπὶ δίετες, κρατεῖν τῶν χρημάτων, τὸν δὲ σῖτον μετρεῖν τῇ μητρί.

οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν νόμος κελεύει τοὺς παῖδας ἡβήσαντας κυρίους τῆς μητρὸς εἶναι, τὸν δὲ σῖτον μετρεῖν τῇ μητρί. ἐγὼ δὲ φαίνομαι στρατευόμενος καὶ τριηραρχῶν ὑμῖν, ὅτε οὗτος συνῴκησεν τῇ μητρί.

Notes on the current edition

Against Stephanus II

1. That is at the age of eighteen years (see note b on p. 9 of vol. 1.).

2. Hence he had obviously come to manhood.

Demosthenes Against Stephanus II 20