To Andronicus. (358)
This Antiochus here is a man who barely survived. When Demetrius was governing Phoenicia, a groom brought out a skittish horse and gave it to him. The moment he mounted, he was thrown off and lay there in the middle of the marketplace while the horse ran off carrying the pack. That, perhaps, was the profit earned by those who raised the fine beast.
The grooms really ought to have died for their clever scheme -- for Antiochus himself would have died from the fall if some god had not come to his defense. But thanks to Antiochus's moderation, the matter came down to a dispute over money.
The guilty parties thought twenty-five gold pieces would settle the charge, but since Antiochus claims he lost a hundred gold pieces' worth, the matter stands at an impasse. It is for you to determine what is just, to help the victim, and to teach the offenders a lesson.
This Antiochus here is a man who barely survived. When Demetrius was governing Phoenicia, a groom brought out a skittish horse and gave it to him. The moment he mounted, he was thrown off and lay there in the middle of the marketplace while the horse ran off carrying the pack. That, perhaps, was the profit earned by those who raised the fine beast.
The grooms really ought to have died for their clever scheme -- for Antiochus himself would have died from the fall if some god had not come to his defense. But thanks to Antiochus's moderation, the matter came down to a dispute over money.
The guilty parties thought twenty-five gold pieces would settle the charge, but since Antiochus claims he lost a hundred gold pieces' worth, the matter stands at an impasse. It is for you to determine what is just, to help the victim, and to teach the offenders a lesson.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.