HÉRÓDÉS MEGGYILKOLÁSA
Killing of Herodes

Summary/Abstract: By general agreement, the fifth oration of Antiphon is one of the most famous speeches in antiquity. As we learn, Herodes, an Athenian cleruch were traveling to Ainos together with a young, wealthy Mytilenean, Euxitheos. Their boat was forced by a storm into a small harbor near Methymna. They spent some hours drinking on another boat, then in the middle of the night Herodes left this boat, disappeared and was not seen again. In the present papers by discussing the facts and the structure of defendant’s argumentation concerning the mysterious death of Herodes we try to give with as much certainty as possible a brief description of the events. According to the procedural questions we assume that Herodes’ relatives have used an illegitimate procedure, an endeixis kakourgon against Euxitheos. Their motive was personal enrichment by an out-of-court settlement. We point out that after the first Mytilenean revolt (B. C. 428/27) the simple fact, that Euxitheos was a Mytilenean, is a crucial element in the case.

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