A Social and Historical Commentary on Demosthenes’ Against Euboulides

Demosthenes’ Against Euboulides is a vibrant lawcourt speech which has rarely been given the attention it deserves in modern scholarship. The case focuses on the crucial issue of Athenian citizenship in the mid-fourth century BC and arose from the state’s decision to review citizen membership in every Attic deme. In the deme of Halimous, Euboulides was in charge of proceedings when the demesmen voted against a man named Euxitheos and thereby stripped him of his citizen rights. Euxitheos chose to appeal the decision before a jury and, seeking reinstatement as a citizen, he again faced Euboulides as his main opponent in court. Since citizenship was restricted to those whose parents were both Athenian, Euxitheos must defend the citizen status of both his father and his mother; specifically, he must account for his father’s strange accent and his mother’s humble employment in the marketplace, both of which have been used as evidence that they were of foreign extraction. As such, the speech stands as an important source for Athenian attitudes towards citizenship and status. Moreover, the speaker illuminates a number of topics vital to our understanding of classical Athenian legislation, politics, and society at that time. My thesis seeks to provide the historical context to the speech, and to explain the social and even cultural significance of all its aspects. Primarily, it examines Euxitheos’ life and family background, and the procedural elements of his appeal. Along with the commentary, I include both the Greek text and my own translation of the speech. In addition, I present an extensive introduction which covers key background issues such as the decree, process, and penalty relevant to this case