ἄπορος

English (LSJ)

ον, first in Hdt. and Pi. (v.infr.),

   A without passage, having no way in, out, or through: hence,    I of places, impassable, πέλαγος, πηλός, Pl.Ti.25d, Criti.108e; ὁδός, ὀρη, X.An.2.4.4, 2.5.18.    II of states or circumstances, impracticable, difficult, Hdt. 5.3, etc.; ἄ. ἀλγηδών, πάθη, S.OC513 (lyr.), Ph.854; τἄπορον ἔτος ib.897; ἄ. χρῆμα E.Or.70; ἀγών, κίνδυνος, Lys.7.2 and 39 (Sup.); αἰσχύνη Pl.Lg.873c; σωτηρία λεπτὴ καὶ ἄ. ib.699b, cf. R.453d; φόβος Lg.698b; βίος Men.Kith.Fr.1.10; νύξ Longin.9.10:—ἄπορον, τό, and ἄπορα, τά, as Subst., ἐκ τῶν ἀπόρων in the midst of their difficulties, Hdt.8.53, cf. Pl.Lg.699b; εὔπορος ἐν τοῖς ἀ. Alex. 234.6; ἄπορα πόριμος A.Pr.904; ἐν ἀπόροις εἶναι to be in great straits, X.An. 7.6.11; εἰς ἄπορον ἥκειν, πεσεῖν, E.Hel.813, Ar.Nu.703; ἐν ἀπόρῳ εἴχοντο, ἦσαν, they were at a loss how to... Th.1.25, 3.22; ἐτεῇ οἷον ἕκαστον γιγνώσκειν ἐν ἀπόσρῳ ἐστί Democr.8: ἄπορόν [ἐστι] c. inf., Pi.O.10(11).40, Th.2.77, Aeschin.Socr.53, etc.; ἄπορά [ἐστι] Pi.O.1.52: Comp. -ώτερος, ἡ λῆψις Th.5.110.    2 hard to discover or solve, ἀνεξερεύνητον καὶ ἄπορον Heraclit.18; ἄ. ἐρωτήσεις, = ἀπορίαι IV, Plu.Alex.64, Luc.DMort.10.8; ζήτησις Pl.Plt.284b; λόγοι D.L. 7.44.    3 hard to get, scarce, ἐν δυστυχίῃ [φίλον εὑρεῖν] πάντων -ώτατον Democr.106; θῦμα Pl.R.378a; ἄπορα [ὀφλήματα] bad debts, D.50.9.    III of persons, hard to deal with, unmanageable, E.Ba. 800, Pl.Ap.18d (Sup.), cf. Th.4.32 (Sup.): c. inf., ἄ. προσμίσγειν, προσφέρεσθαι, impossible to have any dealings with, Hdt.4.46, 9.49; βορῆς ἄνεμος ἄ. against which nothing will avail, which there is no opposing, Id.6.44; ἄ. τὸ κακὸν καὶ ἀνίκητον Id.3.52.    2 without means or resources, helpless, ἔρημος, ἄ. S.OC1735 (lyr.), cf. Ar.Nu.629, etc.; ἄ. ἐπὶ φρόνιμα S.OT691 (lyr.); ἐπ' οὐδέν Id.Ant.360 (lyr.); ἄ. γνώμῃ Th.2.59.    3 poor,needy, Id.1.9, Pl.R.552a; opp. εὔπορος, Arist.Pol. 1279b9, 1289b30; ἄ. λειτουργεῖν too poor to undertake liturgies, Lys. 31.12, cf. PRyl.75.5 (ii A.D.), etc.; ἄ. καὶ τῶν ἐλαχίστων κατέστησαν D.Chr.17.18; also of states of life, δίαιτα ταπεινὴ καὶ ἄ. Pl.Lg. 762e.    IV Adv. -ρως Simon.46, etc.; τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀ. εἶχε πατρί E. IA55; ἀ. ἔχει μοι περί τινος Antipho 1.1; ἀ. ἔχειν, c. inf., D.H. 6.14; ἀ. διατεθῆναι Lys.18.23: Comp. -ώτερον Th.1.82; but -ωτέρως διακεῖσθαι Antipho 3.2.1: Sup. -ώτατα Pl.Ti.51b. etc.