Antiphon, On the murder of Herodes, ed. Kenneth John Maidment, 69

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[69] Once more, a slave, not twelve years old, recently attempted to murder his master. Had he had the courage to stay where he was, instead of taking to his heels in terror at his victim’s cries, leaving the knife in the wound, the entire household¹ would have perished, as no one would have dreamed him capable of such audacity. As it was, he was caught, and later confessed his own guilt.

Then again, your Hellenotamiae² were once accused of embezzlement, as wrongfully as I am accused today. Anger swept reason aside, and they were all put to death save one. Later the true facts became known.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

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).) — 69 focus

[69] τοῦτο δʼ ἐντὸς οὐ πολλοῦ χρόνου παῖς ἐζήτησεν οὐδὲ δώδεκα ἔτη γεγονὼς τὸν δεσπότην ἀποκτεῖναι. καὶ εἰ μὴ φοβηθείς, ὡς ἀνεβόησεν, ἐγκαταλιπὼν τὴν μάχαιραν ἐν¹ τῇ σφαγῇ ὤχετο φεύγων, ἀλλʼ ἐτόλμησε μεῖναι, ἀπώλοντʼ ἂν οἱ ἔνδον ὄντες² ἅπαντες· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν ᾤετο τὸν παῖδα τολμῆσαί ποτε τοῦτο· νῦν δὲ συλληφθεὶς αὐτὸς ὕστερον κατεῖπεν αὑτοῦ.

τοῦτο δὲ περὶ χρημάτων αἰτίαν ποτὲ σχόντες οὐκ οὖσαν, ὥσπερ ἐγὼ νῦν, οἱ Ἑλληνοταμίαι οἱ³ ὑμέτεροι, ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἅπαντες ἀπέθανον⁴ ὀργῇ μᾶλλον ἢ γνώμῃ, πλὴν ἑνός, τὸ δὲ πρᾶγμα ὕστερον καταφανὲς ἐγένετο.

Notes on the current edition

On the murder of Herodes

1. i.e., of slaves.

2. Nothing further is known of the incident. The Hellenotamiae were ten in number and administered the funds of the Delian League.

Antiphon On the murder of Herodes 69

ed. Kenneth John Maidment

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