Section 140

	o{ti nuni; pa'si.....politw'n: Literally: that you now seem to all the Greeks (to be) the best and most prudent men, (as) not turning to revenge for what has happened, but to preservation of the city and unity of the citizens.
	ejlavttou" is the contracted nom. plur. form of the comparative adj. ejlavttwn.
	to; de; ta;" genomevna"....e[rgon ei\nai: Literally: but the successful settling (kalw'" qevsqai - a subject infinitive expression with diaforav" as its object) of differences that have occurred (genomevna") - this still seems, reasonably, to be the action of good and temperate men.
	ejpeidh; toivnun....uJpavrcei....ejcqrov": Literally: Since, then, with common consent from all, these (qualities) belong to you, both if anyone (= including anyone who) happens to be a friend, and if anyone (including anyone who) happens to be an enemy, ....
	mhde; aujtoi; dokei'n: Literally: and do not (be willing) to appear yourselves to have voted for this by chance rather than by design.

	i{na kajmoiv...mimhvsasqai: so that it may fall to me to imitate them... "A desire to emulate the noble deeds of one's ancestors was regarded as healthy..., and Andocides is trying to create a favourable impression of himself.." (Edwards)
	o{ti o{moioi....gegevnhtai: Literally: that they have been equal to those responsible for the most numerous and greatest benefits to the city.
	pollw'n e{neka....toiouvtou": Begin a new sentence here: They provided such things themselves for many reasons, ....
	eujnoiva": gen. with e{neka understood.
	kai; o{pw"....tugcavnonte": Literally: and in order that, if ever any danger or misfortune befell anyone (tiniv) of those (i.e. their descendants) they might be saved, obtaining forgiveness from you.

	kai; ga;r th'/ povlei...: kaiv here = just as. Andocides says that the exploits of his own ancestors should be remembered just as the noble exploits of your ancestors came to be of the greatest value to the whole city.
	ejpeidh; aiJ nh'e" diefqavrhsan: A reference to the destruction of the Athenian fleet at Aegospotami; see sec. 73.
	tovte ejcqroi; o[nte": The participial clause here has concessive force, as anticipated by o{mw": even though they were enemies at the time, ... The Spartan decision to spare Athens after its final defeat in 404 was taken against the protests of both Corinth and Thebes (clearly amongst those referred to as wanting to inflict irreparable destruction on the city).
	oi} uJph'rxan....@Ellavdi: who initiated the freedom of all Greece. A reference to the Athenian victory over the Persians in the battle of Marathon (490).

	hJ povli" dhmosiva/: the city as a whole
	ajxiw' kajmoi;....swthrivan genevsqai: I think it fitting that there is safety for me too
	kai; ejmoi; divkaion....th'" swthriva": (it is) also right for you to give a share of the safety to me too

	dia; ta;" th'" povlew" sumforav": What were the "misfortunes of the city" which allegedly caused Andocides' fall from a position of great wealth to one of great poverty? MacDowell suggests that Andocides may be referring to the confiscation of his property as a result of the events of 415, even though he claims that he had committed no offence.
	ejk tou' dikaivou: by honest means
	eijdovta me;n...eijdovta de;...: These accus. participles agree with polivthn at the beginning of this section.
	xevnon kai; mevtoikon ejn th'/ tw'n plhsivon: a foreigner residing in the territory of those nearby (i.e. neighbouring lands).

	ejpistavmenon de;.....ejpistavmenon d!: More accus. participles agreeing with polivthn at the beginning of the previous section.
	oi|ovn (ejsti) to; swfronei'n kai; (to;) ojrqw'" bouleuvesqai: Literally: (understanding) what kind of thing showing-self-control (to; swfronei'n) (is) and (what kind of thing) deliberating correctly ((to;) ojrqw'" bouleuvesqai) (is). More freely: I do understand what it means to show self control and make sound deliberations. For the construction of the subject infin. with tov, see Goodwin, Greek Grammar, sec. 1542.
	oi|ovn to; aJmartovnta kakw'" pra'xai: Literally: (understanding) what kind of thing suffering (to; kakw'" pra'xai) for one's mistakes (aJmartovnta) (is).
	suggenovmeno"...peiraqeiv": Andocides suddenly switches from accus. participles (in the series of those which agree with polivthn in sec. 144) to nom. participles. Some scholars see this purely as a grammatical slip. MacDowell prefers to assume that there is a short lacuna (i.e. a bit missing) in the text, since Andocides has been completely consistent up to this point. pleivstwn peiraqeiv": having made the acquaintance of a much greater number. peiraqeiv" is the aor. partic. pass. of peiravw. In the passive this verb can function as a deponent, and when used with the gen. case, can have the meaning "make the acquaintance of". pleivstwn is two steps up from polloi'" in the table of comparative adjectives. Though it is a superlative, its meaning can perhaps best be conveyed here by translating a much greater number.
	ajf! w|n: from which (experiences)
	ejmoi; xenivai....gegevnhtai: I have formed bonds of hospitality and friendship both with many kings and cities and other private individuals
	w|n ejme; swvsante" meqevxete: in which you will share if you acquit me. swvsante" here has conditional force.
	o{pou a]n...gegevnhntai: whenever the opportunity arises.

"Andocides now appeals to the jury on the basis of his family's pedigree." (Edwards)

	de; kaiv: and in fact
	ejavn me....provrrizon: If now you put an end to me, there is not one single member of my family still left to you: it is totally and completely gone. By using the pres. tenses e[stin and oi[cetai instead of the fut., Andocides highlights what he claims will be the immediate and total destruction of his family - if he is condemned. He further emphasises his point by adding a somewhat melodramatic touch through his use of the word provrrizon (utterly) which normally belongs within the realm of tragedy.
	oijkiva....aujth;n....th;n oijkivan: In the first case Andocides uses oijkiva to refer to his family, in the second case (aujthvn) and the third case (th;n oijkivan) to the actual house in which he lives.
	Kleofw'n oJ luropoiov": Cleophon the lyre-maker. He was the leading radical democrat in Athens from 410, after the overthrow of the oligarchic regime of the 400. He pursued a vigorous war policy, persuading his fellow-citizens not to make terms with Sparta. When finally his policy became unpopular, after serious Athenian reverses and when Athens itself was placed under siege by Sparta, he was brought to trial on a trumped up charge and executed in 404. His execution was considered to be one of the necessary steps before peace could be concluded with Sparta. His original occupation as a lyre-maker became a label commonly attached to him. It was a contemptuous reference to his once lowly status - and indeed a typical reflection on what was seen by conservative elements in the Athenian populace as the vulgar origins of the great majority of the prominent radical democrats of the period.
	ouj ga;r e[stin....ejkeivnwn: Literally: There is not one of you who, passing by our house, was ever reminded of having suffered any evil from them (i.e. the members of my family) either privately or publicly.

	oi} pleivsta"....ajpevdeixan: From what we know of the history of Andocides' family, this appears to be a highly exaggerated claim. strathgiva" is a cognate accus. after pleivsta" strathghvsante": having held very many commands. Similarly ajrcav" with a[rxante" below.
	crhvmata diaceirivsante": having held financial posts
	oujde;n pwvpote w\flon: they never failed the examination of their accounts. A reference to the eu[quna, the examination which, as we've noted earlier, each magistrate had to submit to at the conclusion of his term of office.
	oijkiva pasw'n ajrcaiotavth: It's not altogether clear what point Andocides is attempting to make here. This is partly due to the uncertainty as to whether oijkiva is a reference to his family, or to his house in the literal sense. With regard to the latter, MacDowell comments that he probably does not mean that the building is an architectural gem deserving to be scheduled as an Ancient Monument. More likely, he's claiming that his family has survived so long because it had been free from involvement in the political turmoil and troubles which had brought other families to ruin.
	oujd! e[stin o{pou....e[rgwn: Literally: nor is there (any occasion) when anyone of those men (i.e. members of my family) having come to trial demanded of you (any) favour for these deeds.

	eij aujtoi; teqna'si: though ( = just because) they are dead. Note that eij here has a concessive rather than a conditional meaning.
	tw'n pepragmevnwn aujtoi'" ejpilavqhsqe: Literally: Do not forget the things having been done by them. tw'n pepragmevnwn is gen. after ejpilavqhsqe, aujtoi'" is dat. of the agent after pepragmevnwn. ejpilavqhsqe is the 2nd sing. 2nd aor. midd. imperative of ejpilhvqw, which in the active means "cause (someone) to forget" and in the middle "forget".
	nomivsate ta; swvmata aujtw'n oJra'n: imagine that you see their very persons...
	tivna kai; ajnabibavsomai: Whom shall I bring forward (before you)? MacDowell notes that kai; implies that the answer is "no-one". Andocides is referring to the custom whereby an accused might bring into court his children and other members of his family to win the sympathy of the jury. In this case he seeks to play on the jury's sympathy by stressing that he must do without these usual supports. The offering and rejecting of a series of suggestions, one after the other, is technically known as hypophora.
	dehsovmenon: fut. infin. with the force of a purpose clause: in order to plead...

	uJmei'" me par! uJmw'n...swvsate: Literally: You, having begged me (i.e. my life) from you yourselves, save me. More freely: You must plead with yourselves for my life, and save it. (thus Maidment). That is to say, the jury is asked to act as a stand-in for the family members whom Andocides cannot produce by way of support for himself in court. They would thus have the dual role of Andocides' advocates on the one hand and his judges on the other. me is the obj. of both aijthsavmenoi and swvsate.
	kai; mh; bouvlesqe Qettalou;" kai; !Andrivou"....ajndrw'n: In 451/50 Pericles had a law passed which restricted citizenship to persons whose parents were both of citizenship-status. However, by the end of the 5th century Athens was faced with a serious shortage of manpower, as a result of war casualties and the disenfranchisement of many of its citizens on political grounds (e.g. oligarchic sympathisers). Therefore various measures were put forward to build up the citizen body. One of these measures made provision for individual foreigners who had done some distinguished service for Athens to be rewarded with citizenship. Perhaps Andocides had in mind some particular Thessalians and Andrians to whom this might have applied. But we have no known instances of this.
	tou;" de; o[nta" polivta"....ajpovllute: Literally: (Do not be about to make Thessalians and Andrians citizens...) but destroy those being citizens by-common-consent (ojmologoumevnw") for whom it is fitting to be good men and (if) wishing (to be good men) they will be able (to be). More freely: (Do not enfranchise Thessalians and Andrians...), while destroying those who already have acknowledged citizenship-status and who should be good men, and will be able to be good men if they are willing.
	w{st! ejmoi;....poiei'n: So if you are persuaded by me, you are not depriving yourselves of any good I shall have in my power to do for you.
	oujd! a]n...metamelhvsh/: Literally: not even if it is later regretted by you, (will you (be able to) do any more). oujd! (not even) is picked up by the following oujden. More freely: even if you later regret it, that is all you will be able to do.

	mh; toivnun.....eij" uJma'": Do not then deprive yourselves of what you may hope for from me, or me of my hopes in you.
	oi{tine" uJmi'n....e[dosan: who have already given you proof (e[legcon) of their outstanding nobility of conduct towards your people, ...
	deu'ro: This adverb is here used, as often, with the force of an imperative: (Come) here!
	#Anute: Anytus was at this time very prominent in the Athenian political scene. After mixed political fortunes in earlier years, he had fled into exile during the period of the rule of the Thirty, but had then played a leading role alongside Thrasybulus in the restoration of democracy in 403. He was now a very influential figure in Athens, and his support for Andocides could prove particularly valuable. Subsequently in 399 he became Socrates' chief accuser.
	Kevfale: Already referred to in sec. 115.
	fulevtai: Members of the same tribe as Andocides.
	oiJ hJ/rhmevnoi moi sundikei'n: Literally: those having been chosen to be advocates for me.

Epilogue

Scholars have yet to reach consensus on whether Andocides was in fact guilty of taking part in the profanation of the Mysteries and the mutilation of the hermae. Perhaps we can accept that he was innocent of the former; but the likelihood remains that he was guilty of the latter.

Be that as it may, Andocides' defence was successful. He won his case, and continued to be active in Athenian political life. In 392/1, he was part of an embassy sent to Sparta to negotiate terms of peace, after a new war had broken out in 395. The negotiations were unsuccessful and Andocides along with his fellow envoys were charged with bribery and other offences. To avoid facing trial he (along with the other envoys) once more went into exile, whereupon he disappears from the pages of history.