[32]
It is not that by descending to abuse I
may lay myself open to retaliation in your presence,1 while I give those who from the first have fallen foul of
me an excuse for making further profit out of Philip. Nor do I wish to indulge
in idle talk. But I think that one day Philip's policy will cause you more
distress than it does now,
1 The Greek is difficult, and editors are of many minds. The usual meaning of λόγον ποιεῖν, “to grant a hearing,” seems impossible here. Perhaps the literal meaning is “cause speech against myself in your presence on equal terms,” i.e. give my enemies an opening to reply in the same style, which, Demosthenes hints, would be an insult to his audience.
Demosthenes. Demosthenes with an English translation by J. H. Vince, M.A. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1930.
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