Antiphon, On the murder of Herodes, ed. Kenneth John Maidment, 65

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[65] The utmost that I who am not guilty can reply is that I am not guilty; whereas the criminal can easily reveal the facts, or at least make a good guess. Criminals no sooner commit a crime than they invent an explanation to suit it¹; on the other hand, an innocent man can scarcely guess the answer to what is a mystery to him. Each of you yourselves, I am sure, if asked something which he did not happen to know, would simply reply to that effect; and if told to say more, you would find yourselves, I think, in a serious difficulty.

On the murder of Herodes. Antiphon. ed. Kenneth John Maidment. London. 1941.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

On the Murder of Herodes (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)

Περὶ τοῦ Ἡρῷδου φόνου Perseus (Antiphon. Minor Attic Orators, Vol. 1. Maidment, Kenneth John, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1941 (printing); 1960 (reprint).) — 65 focus

[65] ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ τῷ μὴ εἰργασμένῳ τοσοῦτον τὸ μακρότατον¹ τῆς ἀποκρίσεώς ἐστιν, ὅτι οὐκ εἴργασμαι· τῷ δὲ ποιήσαντι ῥᾳδία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀπόδειξις, καὶ μὴ ἀποδείξαντι εὖ εἰκάσαι. οἱ μὲν γὰρ πανουργοῦντες ἅμα τε πανουργοῦσι καὶ πρόφασιν εὑρίσκουσι τοῦ ἀδικήματος· τῷ δὲ μὴ εἰργασμένῳ² χαλεπὸν περὶ τῶν ἀφανῶν εἰκάζειν. οἶμαι δʼ ἂν καὶ ὑμῶν ἕκαστον, εἴ τίς τινα ἔροιτο ὅ τι μὴ τύχοι εἰδώς, τοσοῦτον ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδεν. εἰ δέ τις περαιτέρω τι κελεύοι³ λέγειν, ἐν πολλῇ ἂν ἔχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπορίᾳ δοκῶ.

Notes on the current edition

On the murder of Herodes

1. i.e., a culprit is the first to suggest that someone else is to blame.

Antiphon On the murder of Herodes 65

ed. Kenneth John Maidment

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