Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Preservation of Public Records
Aeschines, Against Ctesiphon 75 (tr. Chris Carey):
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It is a good thing, men of Athens, a good thing that we preserve the texts of public documents. This record is unchanging and does not shift its ground to suit political deserters but enables the people, whenever they wish, to recognize individuals who have long been dishonest but change tack and claim to be men of principle.
καλόν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καλὸν ἡ τῶν δημοσίων γραμμάτων φυλακή· ἀκίνητον γάρ ἐστι, καὶ οὐ συμμεταπίπτει τοῖς αὐτομολοῦσιν ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπέδωκε τῷ δήμῳ, ὁπόταν βούληται, συνιδεῖν τοὺς πάλαι μὲν πονηρούς, ἐκ μεταβολῆς δ᾽ ἀξιοῦντας εἶναι χρηστούς.
