Theomnestes

Theomnestes (* around 380 BC ), son of Deinias from the Demos Athmonon , was a citizen of Athens . He is known as the nominal accuser of a court case, the accusation speech of which was handed down in the canon of the works of Demosthenes ( Pseudo-Demosthenes 59).

Theomnestes was the brother-in-law of the rich orator and politician Apollodorus through the marriage of one of his sisters . The family bond was deepened, as was not unusual at the time, through a marriage between a daughter from the union of his sister and Apollodorus. Theomnestes stood for his brother-in-law and father-in-law between 343 and 340 BC. BC as a prosecutor against Neaira in a trial. It had to be clear to all observers that Theomnestus was only the deputy of Apollodorus. He also indirectly admitted that in the opening of the speech. He stated that he was bringing the lawsuit against Neaira to her partner Stephanos to meet, who allegedly almost ruined the family with his lawsuits brought against Apollodorus in the years before.

The initiation of proceedings by Theomnestes was a tactical ruse by Apollodorus. The outcome of proceedings before the Athenian courts could not always be foreseen, since the courts consisted of lay judges drawn by lot, who with a speech by the prosecutor, the defense and possible testimony (at the time of the mentioned process, however, they could only agree or agree with the statements of the prosecutor or defense counsel) contradict but not make your own statements) had to be convinced. What was dangerous was that a prosecutor would have to risk a penalty of 1000 drachmas , which would have to be paid if at least 10% of the judges were not convinced, and a ban on trial for a certain period of time. Since Apollodorus frequently tried it, he could not afford to receive such a punishment. Thus his brother-in-law and son-in-law Theomnestes took the risk of the trial.

However, he did not have to present the entire application, but handed over a tenth of the speech to Apollodoros, as he, as the synegoros (friend or related litigator), was better versed both in the speech and in the laws of the city. The speech had previously been written by Apollodorus anyway.

literature

• Debra Hamel : Trying Neaira. The true story of a courtesan's scandalous life in ancient Greece . University Press, New Haven, 2003, ISBN 0-300-09431-0 .
  • German: The case of Neaira. The true story of a hetaera in ancient Greece . Primus-Verlag, Darmstadt 2004, ISBN 3-89678-255-X .