themselves, and grinding down their poorer fellow citizens: while by my
law each must pay down a sum calculated in proportion to his property; and
a man came to be charged with two warships, who had previously been one of
sixteen subscribers to a single one (for they used now to call themselves
no longer captains of their ships, but subscribers). Thus there was
nothing that they were not willing to give, if only the new plan could be
brought to nothing, and they could escape being compelled to do their duty
fairly. (_To the clerk_.) {105} Now read me, first, the decree[n] in
accordance with which I had to meet the indictment; and then the lists of
those liable under the former law, and under my own, respectively. Read.

[_The decree is read_.]

{106} Now produce that noble list.

[_A list is read_.]

Now produce, for comparison with this, the list under my own law.

[_A list is read_.]

Was this, think you, but a trifling assistance which I rendered to the
poor among you? {107} Would the wealthy have spent but a trifling sum to
avoid doing their duty fairly? I am proud not only of having refused all
compromise upon the measure, not only of having been acquitted when I was
indicted, but also of having enacted a law which was beneficial, and of
having given proof of it in practice. For throughout the war the armaments
were equipped under my law, and no trierarch ever laid the suppliants'
branch[n] before you in token of grievance, nor took sanctuary at
Munychia; none was imprisoned by the Admiralty Board; no warship was
abandoned at sea and lost to the State, or left behind here as
unseaworthy. Under the former laws all these things used to happen; {108}
and the reason was that the obligation rested upon the poor, and in
consequence there were many cases of inability to discharge it. I
transferred the duties of the trierarchy from the poor to the rich; and
therefore every duty was properly fulfilled. Aye, and for this very reason
I deserve to receive praise--that I always adopted such political measures
as brought with them accessions of glory and honour and power to the city.
No measure of mine is malicious, harsh, or unprincipled; none is degrading
or unworthy of the city. The same spirit will be seen both in my domestic
and my international policy. {109} For just as in home affairs I did not
set the favour of the rich above the rights of the many, so in
international affairs I did not embrace the gifts and the friendship of
Philip, in preference to the common interests of all the Hellenes.

It still remains for me, I suppose, to speak about the proclamation, and
about my examination. {110} The statement that I acted for the best, and
that I am loyal to you throughout and eager to do you good service, I have
proved, I think, sufficiently, by what I have said. At the same time I am
passing over the most important parts of my political life and actions;
for I conceive that I ought first to render to you in their proper order
my arguments in regard to the alleged illegality itself: which done, even
if I say nothing about the rest of my political acts, I can still rely
upon that personal knowledge of them which each of you possesses.

{111} Of the arguments which the prosecutor jumbled together in utter
confusion with reference to the laws accompanying his indictment,[n] I am
quite certain that you could not follow the greater part, nor could I
understand them myself; but I will simply address you straightforwardly
upon the question of right. So far am I from claiming (as he just now
slanderously declared) to be free from the liability to render an account,
that I admit a life-long liability to account for every part of my
administration and policy. {112} But I do not admit that I am liable for
one single day--you hear me, Aeschines?--to account for what I have given