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Witnesses You hear them testify, not only that they lent the money at his request, but also that they have been repaid; for it was conveyed to them in the warship. Well now, it is easily concluded from my argument that in such emergencies he was not likely to spare his own resources. But the strongest evidence is this:
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Demus, son of Pyrilampes,This Demus has been famous in youth for his beauty: cf. Aristoph. Wasps 98, Plat. Gorg. 481d, Plat. Gorg. 513b. who was equipping a warship for Cyprus, requested me to go to Aristophanes; he said he had received a gold cup as a credential from the Great King, and would give it to Aristophanes in pledge for sixteen minae, so as to have means for equipping his warship; when he got to Cyprus, he would redeem it with a payment of twenty minae, since on the strength of that credential he would then obtain plenty of goods and also money all over the continent.
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Then Aristophanes, on hearing this proposal from Demus and a request from me,—although he was to have the gold cup in his hands and receive four minae as interest,— said that it was impossible, and he swore that he had already gone elsewhere to borrow more for these foreigners; since, but for that, nobody alive, he declared, would have been more delighted than he to take that credential forthwith and to comply with our request.
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To show the truth of this, I will produce to you witnesses.
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Witnesses
