Lycurgus, Against Leocrates, ed. J. O. Burtt, 9

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[9] παρεῖσθαι δὲ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν τοιούτων τιμωρίαν συμβέβηκεν, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὐ διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν τῶν τότε νομοθετούντων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μήτʼ¹ ἐν τοῖς πρότερον χρόνοις γεγενῆσθαι τοιοῦτον μηδὲν μήτʼ ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἐπίδοξον εἶναι γενήσεσθαι.² διὸ καὶ μάλιστʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες, δεῖ ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι μὴ μόνον τοῦ νῦν ἀδικήματος δικαστάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ νομοθέτας. ὅσα μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀδικημάτων νόμος τις διώρικε, ῥᾴδιον τούτῳ κανόνι χρωμένους κολάζειν τοὺς παρανομοῦντας· ὅσα δὲ μὴ σφόδρα περιείληφεν, ἑνὶ ὀνόματι³ προσαγορεύσας, μείζω δὲ τούτων τις ἠδίκηκεν, ἅπασι δʼ ὁμοίως ἔνοχός ἐστιν, ἀναγκαῖον τὴν ὑμετέραν κρίσιν καταλείπεσθαι παράδειγμα τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις.

Against Leocrates. Lycurgus. ed. J. O. Burtt. London. 1954.

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Current edition Perseus

Κατὰ Λεωκράτους (Greek) (Lycurgus. Minor Attic Orators, Vol. 2. Burtt, J. O., editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1954 (printing).)

Translations (1)

Against Leocrates Perseus (Lycurgus. Minor Attic Orators, Vol. 2. Burtt, J. O., translator. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1954 (printing).) — 9 focus

[9] The reason why the penalty for such offences, gentlemen, has never been recorded is not that the legislators of the past were neglectful; it is that such things had not happened hitherto and were not expected to happen in the future. It is therefore most essential that you should be not merely judges of this present case but lawmakers besides. For where a crime has been defined by some law, it is easy, with that as a standard, to punish the offender. But where different offences are not specifically included in the law, being covered by a single designation, and where a man has committed crimes worse than these and is equally chargeable with them all, your verdict must be left as a precedent for your successors.

Notes on the current edition

Against Leocrates

1. μήτʼ Bekker: μὴ codd.

2. γενήσεσθαι Valckenaer: γεγενῆσθαι codd., qui addunt ὥστε (ὡς Α) μήτε κατηγορίαν μήτε τιμωρίαν ἐνδέχεσθαι ἀξίαν, quae verba del. Taylor, coll. 8.

3. ἑνὶ ὀνόματι ἓν ὁ νόμος τι Blass.

Lycurgus Against Leocrates 9

ed. J. O. Burtt

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