Lysias - continued
What happened in my House that Night
(22) She agreed she would do this. And after this four or five days went by ... as I shall demonstrate to you with important evidence. First I want to go through what happened on the final night. Sostratus was a a relative of mine and a friend. I met him as he was coming from the country after sunset. Knowing that he would not find anything at home, having arrived so late, I asked him to have supper with me. And having gone back home to my place, we went up to the upper room, and started to have dinner.
(23)When it was all right with him, he went off home, and I went to sleep. But Eratosthenes, gentlemen, arrives, and the girl wakes me up immediately and tells me that he is inside. And I, telling her to mind the door, came downstairs quietly and went out, and went round to one friend and another, and some I didn't even find at home, others not even in town.
(24) I walked on, rounding up as many as possible from those who were in. Taking torches from the nearest tavern we went in, the door having been opened and seen to by the girl. Pushing open the door of the bedroom, the first of us who entered saw him still lying next to my wife, those who came behind saw him standing up naked on the bed.
(25) And I, gentlemen, hit him and knocked him down. I pinioned his hands behind his back and tied him up, and asked him why he had come into my house and committed a crime. And he admitted he was in the wrong, but started begging and beseeching me not to kill him, but make some money for myself.
(26) I said: "It is not I that shall kill you, but the law of the city, which you broke, and considered less important than your pleasures, when you chose to commit such a crime against my wife and my children rather than obey the laws and be a decent citizen."
(27) Thus, gentlemen, that man received what the laws prescribe for those who do such deeds. He was not dragged off the street, nor had he taken refuge at the hearth, as these people allege. For how could he - seeing he was a man who had been hit and knocked down on the spot in the bedroom, and I had him in an arm-lock, and there were so many people inside, whom he couldn't have got a way from, and he had no sword or club or anything else to defend himself with? (28) But, gentlemen I believe that you also know that those who do not do what is right do not admit that their enemies are telling the truth, but lying themsleves and creating distractions of this kind produce anger for those who listen to the ones acting justly. First read me the law.
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