[Perseus Project]



Andocides On his Return 7 [andoc. 2.7]



Text reference:



Author Information | Help for Texts and Text Tools | Copyright Statement

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greek text with morphological links

Go to Previous section; Next section



[6] and that while those who make the fewest mistakes are the luckiest,

those who repent of them soonest show most good sense. Nor is this the

peculiar lot of some men only; it is the common fate of humanity to make

mistakes and suffer misfortune. So do but remember the frailty of man in

passing judgement upon me, gentlemen, and your feelings for me will be more

kindly. Indeed I do not deserve ill-will so much as sympathy for the past.

[7] Owing to -- shall I say my own youthful folly, or the influence of

others who persuaded me into such a piece of madness? -- I was luckless

enough to be forced to choose between two of the most painful alternatives

imaginable. On the one hand, I could refuse to disclose the authors of the

outrage. In that case I not only trembled for my own fate, but caused the

death of my father, who was entirely innocent, as well as my own -- he was

inevitably doomed, if I refused to speak. On the other hand, I could

purchase my own life and liberty and avoid becoming my father's murderer --

and what would a man not bring himself to do to escape that? -- but only by

turning informer.



[8] Of the alternatives before me, then, I chose that which meant years of

sorrow for myself, but immediate release for you from the distress of the

moment. Remember your peril: remember your helplessness: remember how you

stood in such fear of one another that you ceased going abroad even into

the Agora, because you each expected arrest. That such a state of things

should have occurred at all proved to be due only in small part to me; that

it ended, on the other hand, proved to be due to me alone.



Next section