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(1) Callicles (the man against whom this speech is directed) and the man being sued by him were neighbors, with their two farms separated by a road down the middle. When a heavy rain occurred, the water running from the road on to Callicles’ farm completely ruined it. (2) For this reason, he is prosecuting his neighbor for damages; for he says that a watercourse had been made on Tisias’ farm to receive water from the road, but now that it has been dammed up, it has become the cause of damage done to his property. (3) But Tisias’ son demonstrates, first, that the dam was very old and was not built by him; he says that the watercourse was dammed up back when Callicles’ father was still alive. Then he proves that the farm is not a watercourse. (4) But he also rips to shreds the alleged “damages” that occurred to Callicles as insignificant and not worth such a large trial. He also says that Callicles, in short, has not been wronged at all, but that he has had his heart set on his farm and for this reason is fabricating all these false accusations.

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