Antiphon, Against the Stepmother for Poisoning, ed. Kenneth John Maidment, 8

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[8] What reply does he mean to make to me? He was fully aware that once the slaves were examined under torture his mother was doomed; and he thought that her life depended upon the avoiding of such an examination, as he and his companions imagined that the truth would in that event be lost to sight. How, then, is he going to remain true to his oath as defendant,¹ if he claims to be in full possession of the facts after refusing to make certain of them by accepting my offer of a perfectly impartial investigation of the matter by torture?

Against the Stepmother for Poisoning. Antiphon. ed. Kenneth John Maidment. London. 1941.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Prosecution Of The Stepmother For Poisoning (English) (Antiphon. Minor Attic Orators, Vol. 1. Maidment, Kenneth John, translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1941 (printing); 1960 (reprint).)

Editions (1)

Φαρμακείας κατὰ τῆς μητρυιᾶς Perseus (Antiphon. Minor Attic Orators, Vol. 1. Maidment, Kenneth John, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1941 (printing); 1960 (reprint).) — 8 focus

[8] τί ποτε ἀπολογήσεσθαι μέλλει μοι; ἐκ μὲν γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἀνδραπόδων βασάνου εὖ ᾔδει ὅτι οὐχ οἷόν τʼ ἦν αὐτῇ σωθῆναι, ἐν δὲ τῷ μὴ βασανισθῆναι ἡγεῖτο τὴν σωτηρίαν εἶναι· τὰ γὰρ γενόμενα ἐν τούτῳ ἀφανισθῆναι ᾠήθησαν. πῶς οὖν εὔορκα ἀντομωμοκὼς ἔσται φάσκων εὖ εἰδέναι, ὃς οὐκ ἠθέλησε σαφῶς πυθέσθαι ἐμοῦ ἐθέλοντος τῇ δικαιοτάτῃ βασάνῳ χρήσασθαι περὶ τούτου τοῦ πράγματος;

Notes on the current edition

Against the Stepmother for Poisoning

1. A curiously loose expression. The oath taken by both parties in cases of murder was always a διωμοσία, (cf. Antiph. 1.28 ), never as here, an ἀντωμοσία

Antiphon Against the Stepmother for Poisoning 8

ed. Kenneth John Maidment

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