Lysias, Accusation of Calumny 180
“These were the excuses you clearly made up about me and my relationship with Thrasymachos. And now that these excuses have escaped you, you stop at nothing to abuse me rather freely. I should have known then that it was my luck to endure these things, when you were shit-talking me to your associates. And then I have told you everything about Polykles, a man you are helping. Why didn’t I guard my words more carefully? I was a bit simple-minded, I guess. I believed that since I was your friend I wouldn’t be maligned by you because you were slandering everyone else to me! I thought I had some kind of contract from you in your terrible insults about each other.
Well, I am happily quitting your friendship, since, by the gods, I can’t see how I’ll suffer by not associating with you when I won nothing by being your friend.”
τοιαύτας προφάσεις προφασιζόμενοι τότε μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς καὶ Θρασυμάχου συνουσίας ἐστὲ φανεροί, νῦν δὲ ἐπειδὴ ἐκλελοίπασιν ὑμᾶς αἱ προφάσεις, ἐλευθεριώτερόν με κακῶσαι λείπετε ἤδη οὐδέν. χρῆν μὲν οὖν τότε με γιγνώσκειν ὀφειλόμενόν μοι ταῦτα παθεῖν, ὅτε καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ περὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἐλέγετε κακῶς· ἔπειτα καὶ περὶ Πολυκλέους, ᾧ νυνὶ βοηθεῖτε, πάντ᾿ εἴρηκα πρὸς ὑμᾶς. κατὰ τί δὴ ταῦτα <οὐκ> ἐφυλαττόμην; εὔηθές τι ἔπαθον. ᾤμην γὰρ ἀπόθετος ὑμῖν εἶναι φίλος τοῦ μηδὲν ἀκοῦσαι κακὸν δι᾿ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, διότι πρὸς ἐμὲ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐλέγετε κακῶς, παρακαταθήκην ἔχων ὑμῶν παρ᾿ ἑκάστου λόγους πονηροὺς περὶ ἀλλήλων.
Ἐγὼ τοίνυν ἑκὼν ὑμῖν ἐξίσταμαι τῆς φιλίας, ἐπεί τοι μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅ τι ζημιωθήσομαι μὴ ξυνὼν ὑμῖν·
