Lysias, On The Refusal Of A Pension to the Invalid, W.R.M. Lamb (Translator), 9

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[9] The depth of my poverty, I believe, can be revealed more clearly by my accuser than by anyone else on earth. For if I were charged with the duty of producing tragic drama, and should challenge him to an exchange of property,¹ he would prefer being the producer ten times over to making the exchange once. Surely it is monstrous that he should now accuse me of having such great affluence that I can consort on equal terms with the wealthiest people, while, in the event of such a thing as I have suggested, he should make that choice. Why, what could be more villainous?

On The Refusal Of A Pension to the Invalid. Lysias. W.R.M. Lamb (Translator). London. 1930.

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Current edition Perseus

On The Refusal Of A Pension (English) (Lysias. Lamb, W.R.M., translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1930.)

Editions (1)

Πρὸς τὴν εἰσαγγελίαν περὶ τοῦ μὴ δίδοσθαι τῷ ἀδυνάτῳ ἀργύριον Perseus (Lysias. Lamb, W.R.M., editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1930.) — 9 focus

[9] δοκεῖ δέ μοι τῆς πενίας τῆς ἐμῆς τὸ μέγεθος ὁ κατήγορος ἂν ἐπιδεῖξαι σαφέστατα μόνος ἀνθρώπων. εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ κατασταθεὶς χορηγὸς τραγῳδοῖς προκαλεσαίμην¹ αὐτὸν εἰς ἀντίδοσιν, δεκάκις ἂν ἕλοιτο χορηγῆσαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἀντιδοῦναι ἅπαξ. καὶ πῶς οὐ δεινόν ἐστι νῦν μὲν κατηγορεῖν ὡς διὰ πολλὴν εὐπορίαν ἐξ ἴσου δύναμαι συνεῖναι τοῖς πλουσιωτάτοις, εἰ δὲ ὧν ἐγὼ λέγω τύχοι τι γενόμενον, τοιοῦτον εἶναι; καὶ τί² πονηρότερον;

Notes on the current edition

On The Refusal Of A Pension to the Invalid

1. See note on Lys. 3.20 . (A wealthy citizen, such as the speaker here, had to undertake certain public services, which he could only avoid by challenging some other citizen, whom he considered wealthier than himself, either to exchange his property with him, or to undertake the service.)

Lysias On The Refusal Of A Pension to the Invalid 9

W.R.M. Lamb (Translator)

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