Many indeed are the reasons, men of Athens, which urged me to prefer this
indictment against Neaera, and to come before you. We have suffered grievous
wrongs at the hands of Stephanus and have been brought by him into the most
extreme peril, I mean my father-in-law, myself, my sister, and my wife; so that
I shall enter upon this trial, not as an aggressor, but as one seeking
vengeance. For Stephanus was the one who began our quarrel without ever having
been wronged by us in word or deed. I wish at the outset to state before you the
wrongs which we have suffered at this hands, in order that you may feel more
indulgence for me as I seek to defend myself and to show you into what extreme
danger we were brought by him of losing our country and our civic rights.
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