On a Wound by Premeditation

Last updated April 25, 2023

Lysias

Lysias ^[1] is one of the "Canon of Ten" Attic orators He is known for being a Greek professional speech writer. He was born in 445 B.C. and died around 380 B.C. Lysias was the son of Cephalus, who was a wealthy man who settled in Athens. When Lysias came back to Athens in 414 B.C, it is believed that he taught rhetoric, which is considered the art of persuasion, or discourse. In 404, there were thirty tyrants, who were issued to govern the city of Athens, and they decided to seize Lysias and his brother, Polemarchus, as aliens. Polemarchus died, but lysias escaped to Megara. While Athena was on its way back to democracy, he returned and started to write speeches for litigants.

It is said that Lysias actually really enjoyed writing these speeches. He wanted to assure that he could serve his clients in the best way. He knew that he was good at efficiently and eloquently getting the message across. With this understanding of his skill, he had a desire to make his clients, who entrusted him with their cases, to sound intelligent when talking in court.^[2]

Works

Lysias is known to be a literary artist.^[2] It has been said that his writing is original, vivid, clear, simple, and almost humorous. Lysias wrote a total of thirty-four speeches in his lifetime. There are some speeches that he would have to orally present, however, a lot of them did tend to be written for others.

"On a Wound by Premeditation" is one of many of his speeches. We do not have the entire speech and date is uncertain. This speech and " Against Simon " go hand in hand, as they are both about older men and their relationship with their younger beloved.^[3] "On a Wound by Premeditation" is specifically dispute over sexual favors of a slave girl. This speech was most likely orally read at the Areopagus, which cases like arson, wounding with intent to kill, and homicide would be tried.

Perseus Digital Library has a copyright free translation of this whole speech by W.R.M Lamb.^[4]^[5] They broke it up into twenty sections:


Section	Original Text	Translation
1	θαυμαστόν γε, ὦ βουλή, τὸ διαμάχεσθαι περὶ τούτου, ὡς οὐκ ἐγένοντο ἡμῖν διαλλαγαί, καὶ τὸ μὲν ζεῦγος καὶ τὰ ἀνδράποδα, καὶ ὅσα ἐξ ἀγροῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν ἔλαβε,¹ μὴ ἂν δύνασθαι ἀρνηθῆναι ὡς οὐκ ἀπέδωκε, φανερῶς δὲ περὶ πάντων διαλελυμένον ἀρνεῖσθαι τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀνθρώπου, μὴ κοινῇ ἡμᾶς χρῆσθαι συγχωρῆσαι.	It is surprising, gentlemen of the Council, that the fact of our reconcilement is so keenly disputed, and that, while he cannot deny his having restored the yoke of oxen, the slaves, amid all the goods on the estate that he received under the exchange,¹ he denies, in face of the settlement clearly made on every point, that we agreed to share the woman between us.
2	καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀντίδοσιν δι᾽ ἐκείνην φανερός ἐστι ποιησάμενος, τὴν δ᾽ αἰτίαν δι᾽ ἣν ἀπέδωκεν ἃ¹ ἔλαβεν, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλην ἔχοι εἰπεῖν （βουλόμενος τἀληθῆ λέγειν） ἢ ὅτι οἱ φίλοι περὶ πάντων ἡμᾶς τούτων συνήλλαξαν.
3	ἐβουλόμην δ᾽ ἂν μὴ ἀπολαχεῖν αὐτὸν κριτὴν Διονυσίοις, ἵν᾽ ὑμῖν φανερὸς ἐγένετο ἐμοὶ διηλλαγμένος, κρίνας τὴν τιμὴν φυλὴν νικᾶν: νῦν δὲ ἔγραψε μὲν ταῦτα εἰς τὸ γραμματεῖον, ἀπέλαχε δέ.
4	καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῆ ταῦτα λέγω, Φιλῖνος καὶ Διοκλῆς ἴσασιν: ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἔστ᾽ αὐτοῖς μαρτυρῆσαι μὴ διομοσαμένοις περὶ τῆς αἰτίας ἧς ἐγὼ φεύγω, ἐπεὶ σαφῶς ἔγνωτ᾽ ἂν ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἦμεν αὐτὸν οἱ κριτὴν ἐμβαλόντες καὶ ἡμῶν ἕνεκα ἐκαθίζετο. ἀλλ᾽ ἦν, εἰ βούλεται, ἐχθρός:
5	δίδωμι γὰρ αὐτῷ τοῦτο: οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει. οὐκοῦν ἦλθον αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ἀποκτενῶν, ὡς οὗτός φησι, καὶ βία εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσῆλθον. δὶα τί οὖν οὐκ ἀπέκτεινα, ὑποχείριον λαβὼν τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τοσοῦτον κρατήσας ὥστε καὶ τὴν ἄνθρωπον λαβεῖν; φρασάτω πρὸς ὑμᾶς. ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἔχει εἰπεῖν.
6	καὶ μὴν οὐδείς γε ὑμῶν ἀγνοεῖ ὅτι θᾶττον ἂν ἐγχειριδίῳ πληγεὶς ἀπέθανεν ἢ πὺξ παιόμενος. φαίνεται τοίνυν οὐδ᾽ αὐτὸς αἰτιώμενος τοιοῦτόν τι ἔχοντας ἡμᾶς ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ὀστράκῳ φησὶ πληγῆναι. καίτοι φανερὸν ἤδη ἐξ ὧν εἴρηκεν, ὅτι οὐ πρόνοια γεγένηται.
7	οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἤλθομεν, ἀδήλου ὄντος εἰ παρὰ τούτῳ εὑρήσομεν ὄστρακον ἢ ὅτῳ¹ αὐτὸν ἀποκτενοῦμεν, ἀλλ᾽ οἴκοθεν ἔχοντες ἂν ἐβαδίζομεν. νῦν δὲ ὁμολογούμεθα πρὸς παῖδας καὶ αὐλητρίδας καὶ μετ᾽ οἴνου ἐλθόντες. ὥστε πῶς ταῦτ᾽ ἐστὶ πρόνοια; ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οἶμαι οὐδαμῶς.
8	ἀλλ᾽ οὗτος ἐναντίως τοῖς ἄλλοις δύσερώς ἐστι, καὶ ἀμφότερα βούλεται, τό τε ἀργύριον μὴ ἀποδοῦναι καὶ τὴν ἄνθρωπον ἔχειν. εἶτα ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνθρώπου παρωξυμμένος ὀξύχειρ λίαν καὶ πάροινός ἐστιν, ἀνάγκη δὲ ἀμύνασθαι. ἡ δὲ τοτὲ μὲν ἐμὲ περὶ πολλοῦ τοτὲ δὲ τοῦτόν φησι ποιεῖσθαι, βουλομένη ὑπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων ἐρᾶσθαι.
9	καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐκόλως εἶχον καὶ νῦν ἔτι ἔχω: ὁ δ᾽ εἰς τοῦτο βαρυδαιμονίας ἥκει, ὥστε οὐκ αἰσχύνεται τραύματ᾽ ὀνομάζων τὰ ὑπώπια καὶ ἐν κλίνῃ περιφερόμενος καὶ δεινῶς προσποιούμενος διακεῖσθαι ἕνεκα πόρνης ἀνθρώπου, ἣν ἔξεστιν αὐτῷ ἀναμφισβητήτως ἔχειν ἐμοὶ ἀποδόντι τἀργύριον.
10	καὶ φησὶ μὲν δεινῶς ἐπιβουλευθῆναι καὶ πρὸς ἅπανθ᾽ ἡμῖν ἀμφισβητεῖ, ἐξὸν δ᾽ ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρώπου βασανισθείσης τὸν ἔλεγχον ποιήσασθαι οὐκ ἠθέλησεν: ἣ πρῶτον μὲν τοῦτ᾽ ἂν κατεῖπεν, πότερα κοινὴ ἡμῖν ἦν ἢ ἰδία τούτου, καὶ πότερα τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ ἀργυρίου ἐγὼ συνεβαλόμην ἢ οὗτος ἅπαν ἔδωκε, καὶ εἰ διηλλαγμένοι ἢ ἔτι ἐχθροὶ ἦμεν,
11	ἔτι δὲ εἰ μεταπεμφθέντες ἤλθομεν ἢ οὐδενὸς καλέσαντος, καὶ εἰ οὗτος ἦρχε χειρῶν ἀδίκων ἢ ἐγὼ πρότερος τοῦτον ἐπάταξα. τούτων καθ᾽ ἓν ἕκαστον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδὲν ἦν ὅ τι οὐ ῥᾴδιον τοῖς τε ἄλλοις ἐμφανὲς καὶ τούτοις ποιῆσαι.
12	ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὔτε πρόνοια ἐγένετο οὔτε ἀδικῶ τοῦτον, ὦ βουλή, ἐκ τοσούτων τεκμηρίων καὶ μαρτυριῶν ὑμῖν ἐπιδέδεικτα
13	ἀλλὰ ψεύδεται καὶ οὐκ ἀληθῆ λέγει. ἢ δεινόν γε, εἰ εἰς μὲν λύσιν τοῦ σώματος ἔδωκα τὸ ἀργύριον ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἐξῆν ἄν μοι χρῆσθαι αὐτῇ ὅ τι ἐβουλόμην, κινδυνεύοντι δέ μοι περὶ τῆς πατρίδος οὐδὲ πυθέσθαι παρ᾽ αὐτῆς τἀληθῆ ἐκγενήσεται περὶ ὧν εἰς τὴν κρίσιν καθέστηκα: καὶ μὲν δὴ πολὺ ἂν δικαιότερον ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ αἰτίᾳ βασανισθείη ἢ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων λύσει πραθείη, ὅσῳ παρὰ μὲν ἐκείνων βουλομένων ἀπολῦσαι ἔστι καὶ ἄλλοθεν εὐπορήσαντι κομισθῆναι, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς γενόμενον οὐ δυνατόν: οὐ γὰρ ἀργύριον λαβεῖν προθυμοῦνται, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος ἐκβαλεῖν ἔργον ποιοῦνται.
14	ὥσθ᾽ ὑμῖν προσήκει μὴ ἀποδέχεσθαι αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀξιοῦντος βασανισθῆναι τὴν ἄνθρωπον, ὅτι αὐτὴν ἐλευθέραν ἐσκήπτετο εἶναι, ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον συκοφαντίαν καταγιγνώσκειν, ὅτι παραλιπὼν ἔλεγχον οὕτως ἀκριβῆ ἐξαπατήσειν ὑμᾶς ῥᾳδίως ᾠήθη.
15	οὐ γὰρ δήπου τήν γε τούτου πρόκλησιν πιστοτέραν ὑμᾶς νομίζειν δεῖ τῆς ἡμετέρας, ἐφ᾽ οἷς αὑτοῦ οἰκέτας ἠξίου βασανίζεσθαι. ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ᾔδεσαν, ἐλθόντας ἡμᾶς ὡς τοῦτον, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμολογοῦμεν. εἰ δὲ μεταπεμφθέντες ἢ μή, καὶ πότερον πρότερος ἐπλήγην ἢ ἐπάταξα,
16	ἐκείνη μᾶλλον ἂν ᾔδει. ἔτι δὲ τοὺς μὲν τούτου οἰκέτας ἰδίους ὄντας τούτου εἰ ἐβασανίζομεν, ἀνοήτως ἄν τι τούτῳ χαριζόμενοι καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐμοῦ κατεψεύσαντο: αὕτη δὲ ὑπῆρχε κοινή, ὁμοίως ἀμφοτέρων ἀργύριον κατατεθηκότων, καὶ μάλιστα ᾔδει: διὰ ταύτην ἅπαντα τὰ πραχθέντα ἡμῖν γεγένηται: καὶ οὐ
17	λήσει οὐδέν᾽ ὅτι ταύτης ¹ ἔγωγ᾽ ἄνισον εἶχον βασανισθείσης, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπεκινδύνευον τοῦτο: πολὺ γὰρ περὶ πλείονος τοῦτον ἢ ἐμὲ φαίνεται ποιησαμένη, καὶ μετὰ μὲν τούτου ἐμὲ ἠδικηκυῖα, μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ δ᾽ οὐδεπώποτε εἰς τοῦτον ἐξαμαρτοῦσα. ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἐγὼ μὲν εἰς ταύτην κατέφυγον, οὗτος δὲ οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν αὐτῇ.
18	οὔκουν δεῖ ὑμᾶς, ὦ βουλή, τηλικούτου ὄντος τοῦ κινδύνου, ῥᾳδίως ἀποδέχεσθαι τοὺς τούτου λόγους, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνθυμουμέν¹ ὑπολόγῳ ταύτας τὰς προκλήσεις ποιεῖσθαι. καὶ μὴ ζητεῖτε τούτων ἔτι μείζους πίστεις: οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔχοιμι εἰπεῖν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ταύτας, ὡς οὐδὲν εἰς τοῦτον προὐνοήθην. ²
19	ἀγανακτῶ δ᾽, ὦ βουλή, εἰ διὰ πόρνην καὶ δούλην ἄνθρωπον περὶ τῶν μεγίστων εἰς κίνδυνον καθέστηκα, τί κακὸν πώποτε τὴν πόλιν ἢ αὐτὸν τοῦτον εἰργασμένος, ἢ εἰς τίνα τῶν πολιτῶν ὁτιοῦν ἐξαμαρτών; οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔμοιγέ ἐστι τοιοῦτον πεπραγμένον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀλογώτατον ¹ πάντων κινδυνεύω πολὺ μείζω συμφορὰν ἐμαυτῷ διὰ τούτους ἐπαγαγέσθαι.
20	πρὸς οὖν παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ θεῶν τῶν τόδε τὸ χωρίον ἐχόντων ἱκετεύω ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, ἐλεήσατέ με, καὶ μὴ περιίδητε ἐπὶ τούτῷ γενόμενον, μηδὲ ἀνηκέστῳ συμφορᾷ περιβάλητε: οὐ γὰρ ἄξιος οὔτ᾽ ἐγὼ φεύγειν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ, οὔτε οὗτος τοσαύτην δίκην παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ λαβεῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν φησιν ἠδικῆσθαι, οὐκ ἠδικημένος.

Sources

Carey, Christopher. Trials from Classical Athens. New York: Routledge, 1997. ( ISBN 978-0415107617)
Todd, S.C. Lysias (The Oratory of Classical Greece). Austin: University of Texas Press, 2000. ( ISBN 978-0292781665)
Lamb, W.R.M. Lysias (Loeb Classical Library No. 244). Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1930. ( ISBN 978-0-674-99269-6)

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References

↑ "Lysias | Greek writer | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
1 2 "Sir Richard C. Jebb, The Attic Orators from Antiphon to Isaeos, Lysias: Style". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
↑ Marren, Marina (2020-01-01). ""Against Simon" and "On a Wound by Premeditation": Lysias' Court Speech Writing Career as the Legal Background of the Phaedrus". The Journal of Greco-Roman Studies.
↑ "Search Results for: W. R. M. Lamb | Harvard University Press". www.hup.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
↑ "Lysias, On a Wound by Premeditation, section 1". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-20.

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[1] "Lysias | Greek writer | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.

[:0-2] 1 2 "Sir Richard C. Jebb, The Attic Orators from Antiphon to Isaeos, Lysias: Style". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-10.

[3] Marren, Marina (2020-01-01). ""Against Simon" and "On a Wound by Premeditation": Lysias' Court Speech Writing Career as the Legal Background of the Phaedrus". The Journal of Greco-Roman Studies.

[4] "Search Results for: W. R. M. Lamb | Harvard University Press". www.hup.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-21.

[5] "Lysias, On a Wound by Premeditation, section 1". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-20.

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