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Andocides On his Return 4 [andoc. 2.4]



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[3] while if they do not identify their interests as individuals with yours

as a community, they can only be public enemies. Indeed when I secretly

communicated to the Council a proposal which would be of the very greatest

service to this city if carried into effect, and proved as much clearly and

conclusively to the members present, such of my present critics as were

among my audience found it as impossible as anyone else to show by argument

that any of my statements was incorrect; yet they are now trying to impugn

those statements.

[4] This proves, then, that they are acting not on their own initiative --

or they would have had no hesitation in opposing me originally -- but on

the instigation of others, of men such as are to be found in this city, who

would not allow you to receive a benefit from me for all the money in the

world. These others have not the courage to come into the open and make

good their assertions in person, as they are afraid of letting their own

possible shortcomings as patriots be examined too closely. Instead, they

send substitutes to address you, men to whom effrontery is second nature,

men who will utter or face the bitterest abuse with complete indifference.

[5] The entire strength of their case against me, one finds, lies in their

taunting me at every turn with my misfortunes; and that too when their

listeners know better than they, so that not a word which they have uttered

can bring them any true credit.



To my mind, gentlemen, he was a wise man who first said that every human

being is born to meet with good fortune and with bad; that to make a

mistake is to meet with great ill fortune:



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