Against Aristogeiton

Not much is known about Aristogeiton other that what is found in the speeches against him.^[1] He was a prominent politician in Athens who had already been involved in a number of legal entanglements before the case from which Demosthenes' speeches were given.

The case against Aristogeiton in this suit was that he was a public debtor, and therefore disenfranchised.^[2] Aristogeiton had been fined five talents for a charge of graphe paranomon (proposing an illegal decree), and 1,000 drachmas for failing to win one fifth of the jurors' votes in a prosecution he himself had brought. Both of these debts had been doubled, as Aristogeiton had failed to pay them off promptly.^[3] Later, these debts had been taken on by his brother, Eunomos, and so Aristogeiton had resumed public life, arguing that he was no longer a debtor to the treasury. His prosecutors argued that, as Eunomos had not finished paying off the debt, Aristogeiton should still be disenfranchised.^[4] Aristogeiton also owed a third fine to the treasury, which he had challenged. At the time of the trial, the challenge had not yet been considered; the prosecutors therefore argued that Aristogeiton should still be considered as owing it, and therefore disenfranchised.^[5]

The prosecution of Aristogeiton was brought by Lycurgus.^[1] The second speech refers to the Battle of Chaeronea,^[6] which puts the terminus post quem of the speech at 338 BC;^[7] as the trial pre-dates Deinarchos' prosecution of Aristogeiton, it could have been no later than 324 BC.^[7]

The first speech against Aristogeiton assumes that the substance of the charges against Aristogeiton have already been proven by the preceding prosecution speakers. Instead of attempting to demonstrate Aristogeiton's guilt, it focuses on attacking him more broadly for his poneria (wickedness).^[5] The speaker relates a series of shocking anecdotes about Aristogeiton's conduct, which though not strictly relevant to the charges against him show Aristogeiton in a poor light.^[8] Following this, Demosthenes moves on to a more substantial point of law, which he says was not discussed by Lycurgus: he argues that a debt does not cease upon being challenged, but only when that challenge is upheld.^[9] The final section of the first speech consists of an examination of pleas which could be made in mitigation, along with an analysis of why they do not apply to Aristogeiton's case.^[9]

The second speech is much shorter than the first.^[1] Much of the speech discusses the importance of punishing lawbreakers in general – and Aristogeiton, as a prominent politician, in particular.^[10] The speech draws parallels with past politicians who were punished for breaking the law.^[10]