[776] πρίν μοι ... ἐπέστη （1） πρίν with infin. = our “before,” whether the sentence is affirmative or negative: ἦλθε πρὶν κληθῆναι, οὐκ ἦλθε πρὶν κληθῆναι. （2） πρίν with a finite mood （indic., subj., or opt.） = our “until” in negative sentences. Thus οὐκ ἦλθε πρὶν ἐκλήθη differs from οὐκ ἦλθε πρὶν κληθῆναι by implying that at last he was called, and then came. Here, the form of the sentence is affirmative （ἠγόμην）, and ἕως would therefore be more strictly correct. But the thought is negative （ “nothing happened to disturb me”）; hence πρίν. So Thuc. 3.29 “τοὺς ... Ἀθηναίους λανθάνουσι （”= οὐχ ὁρῶνται ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀ.） πρὶν δὴ τῇ Δήλῳ ἔσχον. Cp. Whitelaw in Trans. Cam. Phil. Soc. 1886, p. 26.
ἐπέστη a verb often used of enemies suddenly coming upon one: Isoc. 9.58 “μικροῦ δεῖν ἔλαθεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ βασίλειον ἐπιστάς”: Hdt. 4.203 “ἐπὶ τῇ Κυρηναίων πόλι ἐπέστησαν.”This text is part of:
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