III. explanation,

1. plea, pretext, ground, ἐκ τίνος λ.; A.Ch.515; “ἐξ οὐδενὸς λ.”
.....S.Ph.731; “ἀπὸ παντὸς λ.” Id.OC762; “χὠ λ. καλὸς προσῆν”
.....Id.Ph.352; “σὺν ἀφανεῖ λ.” Id.OT657 (lyr., v.l. λόγων）“; ἐν
.....ἀφανεῖ λ.” Antipho 5.59; “ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ λ.” Hdt.6.124; κατὰ τίνα
.....λ.; on what ground? Pl.R.366b; οὐδὲ πρὸς ἕνα λ. to no purpose,
.....Id.Prt. 343d; ἐπὶ τίνι λ.; for what reason? X.HG2.2.19; τὸν λ.
.....τοῦτον this ground of complaint, Aeschin.3.228; τίνι δικαίῳ λ.;
.....what just cause is there? Pl.Grg.512c; τίνι λ.; on what account?
.....Act.Ap.10.29; κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἠνεσχόμην ὑμῶν reason would
.....that . . , ib.18.14; λ. ἔχειν, with personal subject, εἶχον ἄν τινα λ.
.....I (i.e. my conduct) would have admitted of an explanation,
.....Pl.Ap.31b; τὸν ὀρθὸν λ. the true explanation, ib.34b.

b. plea, case, in Law or argument (cf. VIII. I), τὸν ἥττω λ. κρείττω
.....ποιεῖν to make the weaker case prevail, ib.18b, al., Arist.Rh.1402
.....a24, cf. Ar.Nu.1042 (pl.); personified, ib.886, al.; “ἀμύνεις τῷ τῆς
.....ἡδονῆς λ.”Pl.Phlb.38a; “ἀνοίσεις τοὺς λ. αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν θεόν”
.....LXXEx.18.19; ἐχειν λ. πρός τινα to have a case, ground of act-
.....ion against . . , Act.Ap.19.38.