24.10

The defendant begins to address the accusation that his use of a horse is disqualifying evidence of physical infirmity. The defendant sidesteps the accusation by arguing that his horse-riding is evidence of his poverty 

The defendant next addresses the second major piece of evidence that the challenger has brought against him, primarily that the use of a horse demonstrates a degree of physical fitness that would not make him eligible for the benefit. [read full essay]

ἱππικῆς: “horsemanship”; supply τέχνης (LSJ ἱππικός II.2).

ἧς...μνησθῆναι: “which this man has had the audacity to mention.” The case of the relative pronoun ἧς, whose antecedent is ἱππικῆς, is determined by the infinitive μνησθῆναι (“to mention”), which takes a genitive noun as its object (LSJ μιμνήσκω B II).

οὗτος ἐτόλμησε: “this man has the gall.” In an attempt to distract the listener from the specifics of the accusation that he is physically able to ride a horse (which he does not rebut), the defendant attacks the character of the challenger instead. 

οὗτος: commonly used to refer to an opponent in Attic oratory. A sense of contempt, then, is also present.

οὔτε...δείσας οὔτε...αἰσχυνθείς: fear and shame are interrelated emotional states, since shame is, to a certain degree, a specific fear of bringing disrepute on oneself and one’s family and wider community.

τὴν τύχην: the “fate” referenced here would result in the challenger one day becoming disabled himself and thus in need of the benefit.

οὐ πολὺς ὁ λόγος: supply ἐστί: “there isn’t much to say.” A humorously pithy statement in contrast to the amount of words dedicated to attacking the challenger.

πάντας οἶμαι...ζητεῖν καὶ...φιλοσοφεῖν: indirect statement with πάντας (“everyone”) the accusative subject of both infinitives.

πάντας τοὺς ἔχοντάς τι δυστύχημα: i.e. everyone with disabilities.

τοῦτο ζητεῖν καὶ τοῦτο φιλοσοφεῖν: “[everyone] seeks after this thing and gives careful thought to it.” The two neuter demonstratives (τοῦτο...καὶ τοῦτο) refer to the action described in the following subordinate clause initiated by ὅπως. The balance of demonstrative pronouns highlights the variation in actions.

φιλοσοφεῖν: a very rare appearance of the term in Attic oratory, whose use is perhaps designed to ennoble the care and attention that a person with disability gives to the negotiation of their impairment.

ὅπως....μεταχειριοῦνται: “how they will manage,” indirect question. μεταχειριοῦνται > 3rd pl. future mid. ind. of μεταχειρίζω.

ὡς ἀλυπότατα: “with as little discomfort as possible,” superlative adverbial accusative phrase (G. 234 and 633f).

τὸ συμβεβηκὸς πάθος: “the current misfortune,” descriptive participle in the attributive position. συμβεβηκὸς > acc. neut. perf. act. Participle of συμβαίνω.

ὧν: “of these men,” connective relative pronoun linking this sentence closely with the preceding sentence has the force of a demonstrative (G. 612a). Partitive genitive with εἷς.

εἷς ἐγώ: supply εἰμί.

περιπεπτωκὼς: “Since I’ve encountered…” > nom. masc. sg. perf. act. ptcpl. of περιπίπτω, “to encounter” + dat. (LSJ περιπίπτω II.3). Causal participle.

ῥᾳστώνην: “accomodation.”

εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς τὰς μακροτέρας τῶν ἀναγκαίων: “for the longer of my required trips.” The prepositional phrase expresses purpose. Supply ὁδῶν with τῶν ἀναγκαίων which acts as a partitive genitive, i.e. the longer journeys out of all the required trips the defendant makes.