Source edition
Lysias. Lamb, W.R.M., editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1930.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a courtroom oration delivered by a physically disabled citizen in ancient Athens to defend his eligibility for a state pension. Speaking before the Athenian Council, the impoverished defendant confronts an accuser who seeks to strip him of his financial support. In the opening section, he exposes the accuser's malice and falsehoods, emphasizing the reality of his poverty and physical hardships. In the middle section, he addresses the accusations of being 'healthy' and 'arrogant'—specifically the charge that he rides horses—by logically and humorously explaining that riding is merely a practical necessity to compensate for his inability to walk. Finally, he refutes the claim that bad characters gather at his shop by pointing out that socializing in shops is a common Athenian custom, concluding with an appeal to his loyalty to the democracy to retain his pension. The oration vividly illustrates the social welfare system of ancient Athens and the witty self-defense of an ordinary citizen against prejudice.