24.16

Insolent behavior is not permitted for the disabled, poor, or elderly. The defendant claims to belong to all three categories.

οὐ γὰρ...εἰκὀς: “it is not reasonable for laborers and men who experience extreme poverty to act outrageously.” Supply ἐστί with εἰκός. The impersonal phrase takes an accusative and infinitive construction. The phrase governs the syntax of the entire sentence, which is constructed from a pair of antitheses, each with three components: poor v. rich, disabled v. physically robust, and old v. young. For further analysis see interpretive essay to this chapter.

λίαν ἀπόρως διακειμένους: “men who experience extreme poverty.” The speaker recalls the similar phrase from the previous chapter (λίαν ἀσελγῶς διακείμενος); on the use of the adverb λίαν see the note at its appearance in Chapter 15.

πολλῷ πλείω: “far more,” lit. “more by much.” πλείω = Attic contract of πλείο(ν)α, the accusative singular comparative. The dative πολλῷ, when used in combination with a comparative adjective, marks the amount by which one thing differs from another (S. 1513).

τῶν ἀναγκαίων: “than basic needs.” Genitive of comparison.

τοῖς σώμασιν: “in body.” Dative of specification.

αὑτῶν: “their own.” Reflexive pronoun: note the rough breathing.

προβεβηκότας: “advanced” > acc. masc. pl. perf. act. participle of προβαίνω.

τῇ ἡλικίᾳ: “in years.” Dative of specification.

νέαις ταῖς διανοίαις χρωμένους: “possessing a youthful mental attitude.”