THE REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
[*] 1218.
Direct Reflexives.—The reflexive pronouns are used
directly when they refer to the chief word (usually the subject) of the sentence or clause in which they stand.
““
γνῶθι σεαυτόν”
learn to know thyself”
P. Charm. 164e, ““
σφάττει ἑαυτήν”
she kills herself”
X. C. 7.3.14,
καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς βουλευσάμενοι τὰ ὅπλα παρέδοσαν καὶ σφᾶς αὐτούς after deliberating apart by themselves they surrendered their arms and themselves (their persons)
T. 4.38. Less commonly the reference is to the object, which often stands in a prominent place: ““
τοὺς δὲ περιοίκους ἀφῆκεν ἐπὶ τὰ_ς ἑαυτῶν πόλεις”
but the perioeci he dismissed to their own cities”
X. H. 6.5.21.
[*] 1219. The direct reflexives are regular in prose if, in the same clause, the pronoun refers emphatically to the subject and is the direct object of the main verb:
ἐμαυτὸν (
not ἐμὲ)
ἐπαινῶ I praise myself. The usage of poetry is freer: ““
στένω σὲ μᾶλλον ἢ ᾿μέ”
I mourn thee rather than myself”
E. Hipp. 1409.
[*] 1220. The reflexives may retain or abandon their differentiating force. Contrast the third example in 1218 with
παρέδοσαν σφᾶς αὐτούς they surrendered (themselves)
T. 7.82.
[*] 1221. The reflexives of the first and second persons are not used in a subordinate clause to refer to the subject of the main clause.
[*] 1222. The personal pronouns are sometimes used in a reflexive sense: ““
θρηνοῦντός τέ μου καὶ λέγοντος πολλὰ καὶ ἀνάξια ἐμοῦ”
wailing and saying much unworthy of myself”
P. A. 38e (contrast ““
ἀκούσει πολλὰ καὶ ἀνάξια σαυτοῦ”
you will hear much unworthy of yourself”
P. Cr. 53e),
δοκῶ μοι ἀδύνατος εἶναι I (
seem to myself to be)
think I am unable P. R. 368b (less usually
δοκῶ ἐμαυτῷ). So in Hom.:
ἐγὼν ἐμὲ λύ_σομαι I will ransom myself K 378. Cp.
1195.
[*] 1223.
ἐμέ, σέ, not
ἐμαυτόν, σεαυτόν, are generally used as subject of the infinitive: ““
ἐγὼ οἶμαι καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ τὸ ἀδικεῖν τοῦ ἀδικεῖσθαι κάκι_ον ἡγεῖσθαι”
I think that both you and I believe that it is worse to do wrong than to be wronged”
P. G. 474b.
[*] 1224. The use in 1222, 1223 generally occurs when there is a contrast between two persons, or when the speaker is not thinking of himself to the exclusion of others. Cp.
1974.
[*] 1225.
Indirect Reflexives.—The reflexive pronouns are used
indirectly when, in a dependent clause, they refer to the subject of the main clause.
Ὀρέστης ἔπεισεν Ἀθηναίους ἑαυτὸν κατάγειν Orestes persuaded the Athenians to restore him (
self)
T. 1.111, ““
ἐβούλετο ὁ Κλέαρχος ἅπαν τὸ στράτευμα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἔχειν τὴν γνώμην”
Clearchus wished the entire army to be devoted to himself”
X. A. 2.5.29. Cp.
sibi,
se.
[*] 1226. When the subject of the leading clause is not the same as the subject of the subordinate clause or of the accusative with the infinitive (
1975), the context must decide to which subject the reflexive pronoun refers: (
ὁ κατήγορος)
ἔφη . . . ἀναπείθοντα τοὺς νέους αὐτὸν . . . οὕτω διατιθέναι τοὺς ἐαυτῷ συνόντας κ.τ.λ. the accuser
said that, by persuading the young, he (Socrates)
so disposed his (i.e. Socrates')
pupils, etc.
X. M. 1.2.52.
[*] 1227.
ἑαυτοῦ, etc., are rarely used as indirect reflexives in adjectival clauses:
τὰ ναυά_για, ὅσα πρὸς τῇ ἑαυτῶν (
γῇ) ““
ἦν, ἀνείλοντο”
they took up the wrecks, as many as were close to their own land”
T. 2.92.
[*] 1228. Instead of the indirect
ἑαυτοῦ, etc., there may be used
a. The oblique cases of
αὐτός: ““
ἐπειρᾶτο τοὺς Ἀθηναίους τῆς ἐς αὐτὸν ὀργῆς παραλύ_ειν”
he tried to divert the Athenians from their anger against himself”
T. 2.65. When
ἑαυτοῦ, etc. precede,
αὐτοῦ, etc. are usual instead of the direct reflexive: ““
τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην ἀπεφαίνετο Σωκράτης πρὸς τοὺς ὁμι_λοῦντας αὐτῷ”
Socrates was wont to set forth his opinion to those who conversed with him”
X. M. 4.7.1.
b. Of the forms of the third personal pronoun,
οἷ and
σφίσι (rarely
οὗ, σφεῖς, σφῶν, and
σφᾶς). Thus, ““
ἠρώτα_ αὐτὴν εἰ ἐθελήσοι δια_κονῆσαί οἱ”
he asked her if she would be willing to do him a service”
Ant. 1.16, ““
τοὺς παῖδας ἐκέλευον τοῦ Κύ_ρου δεῖσθαι διαπρά_ξασθαι σφίσιν”
they ordered their boys to ask Cyrus to get it done for them”
X. C. 1.4.1, ““
κελεύουσι γὰρ ἡμᾶς κοινῇ μετὰ σφῶν πολεμεῖν”
for they urge us to make war in common with them”
And. 3.27,
ἔφη δέ, ἐπειδὴ οὗ ἐκβῆναι τὴν ψυ_χὴν . . . . . . ἀφικνεῖσθαι σφᾶς εἰς τόπον τινὰ δαιμόνιον he said that when his soul had departed out of him, they (he and others)
came to a mysterious place P. R. 614b. See
1195.
N. 1.—
σφεῖς may be employed in a dependent sentence if the pronoun is itself the subject of a subordinate statement, and when the reference to the subject of the leading verb is demanded by way of contrast or emphasis: ““
εἰσαγαγὼν τοὺς ἄλλους στρατηγοὺς . . . λέγειν ἐκέλευεν αὐτοὺς ὅτι οὐδὲν ἂν ἧττον σφεῖς ἀγάγοιεν τὴν στρατιὰ_ν ἢ Ξενοφῶν”
after bringing in the rest of the generals he urged them to say that they could lead the army just as well as Xenophon”
X. A. 7.5.9. Here
αὐτοί (
ipsi) is possible. In the singular
αὐτός is necessary.
N. 2.—Thucydides often uses the plural forms in reference to the
nearest subject:
τοὺς ξυμμάχους ἐδέδισαν σφῶν they were afraid of their own allies ( =
σφῶν αὐτῶν) 5. 14.
N. 3.—
ἑαυτοῦ, etc., are either direct or indirect reflexives,
οἷ and
σφίσι are only indirect reflexives.
[*] 1229.
οὗ, σφίσι, etc., and the oblique cases of
αὐτός are used when the subordinate clause does not form a part of the thought of the principal subject. This is usual in subordinate indicative clauses, and very common in
ὅτι and
ὡς clauses, in indirect questions, and in general in subordinate clauses not directly dependent on the main verb:
τῶν πρέσβεων, οἳ σφίσι (
1481)
περὶ τῶν σπονδῶν ἔτυχον ἀπόντες, ἠμέλουν they thought no more about their envoys, who were absent on the subject of the truce T. 5.44,
ἐφοβοῦντο μὴ ἐπιθοῖντο αὐτοῖς οἱ πολέμιοι they were afraid lest the enemy should attack them (
selves)
X. A. 3.4.1.
[*] 1230. The reflexive pronoun of the third person is sometimes used for that of the first or second: ““
δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἀνερέσθαι ἑαυτούς”
we must ask ourselves”
P. Ph. 78b, ““
παράγγελλε τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ”
give orders to your men”
X. C. 6.3.27.
a. In Homer
ὅς his is used for
ἐμός or
σός: ““
οὔτοι ἔγωγε ἧς γαίης δύναμαι γλυκερώτερον ἄλλο ἰδέσθαι”
I can look on nothing sweeter than my own land”
ι 28.
[*] 1231.
Reciprocal Reflexive.—The plural forms of the reflexive pronouns are often used for the reciprocal
ἀλλήλων, ἀλλήλοις, etc.:
ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς διαλεξόμεθα we will converse with (
ourselves)
one another D. 48.6.
[*] 1232. But the reciprocal must be used when the idea ‘each for or with himself’ is expressed or implied:
μᾶλλον χαίρουσιν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀλλήλων κακοῖς ἢ τοῖς αὑτῶν ἰδίοις ἀγαθοῖς ( =
ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ ἕκαστος ἀγαθοῖς)
they take greater pleasure in one another's troubles than each man in his own good fortune I. 4.168, ““
οὔτε γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς οὔτε ἀλλήλοις ὁμολογοῦσιν”
they are in agreement neither with themselves nor with one another”
P. Phae. 237c. Reciprocal and reflexive may occur in the same sentence without difference of meaning (
D. 48.9). The reflexive is regularly used when there is a contrast (expressed or implied) with
ἄλλοι:
φθονοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις they envy one another more than (they envy)
the rest of mankind X. M. 3.5.16.
αὐτός EMPHATIC OR REFLEXIVE WITH OTHER PRONOUNS
[*] 1233. Of the plural forms,
ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, etc. may be either emphatic or reflexive;
αὐτῶν ἡμῶν, etc. are emphatic only; but
σφῶν αὐτῶν is only reflexive (
αὐτῶν σφῶν is not used). In Hom.
αὐτόν may mean
myself,
thyself , or
himself, and
ἓ αὐτόν, οἷ αὐτῷ, etc. are either emphatic or reflexive.
[*] 1234.
ἡμῶν (
ὑ_μῶν, σφῶν)
αὐτῶν often mean ‘their own men,’ ‘their own side’:
φυλακὴν σφῶν τε αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων καταλιπόντες leaving a garrison (consisting)
of their own men and of the allies T. 5.114.
[*] 1235.
αὐτός, in agreement with the subject, may be used in conjunction with a reflexive pronoun for the sake of emphasis: ““
αὐτοὶ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν ἐχώρουν”
they marched by themselves”
X. A. 2.4.10, ““
αὐτὸς . . . ἑαυτὸν ἐν μέσῳ κατετίθετο τοῦ στρατοπέδου”
he located himself in the centre of the camp”
X. C. 8.5.8.
[*] 1236.
αὐτός may be added to a personal pronoun for emphasis. The forms
ἐμὲ αὐτόν, αὐτόν με, etc. are not reflexive like
ἐμαυτόν, etc. Thus, ““
τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐμοὺς ᾔσχυ_νε καὶ ἐμὲ αὐτὸν ὕ_βρισε”
he disgraced my children and insulted me myself”
L. 1.4. Cp.
αὐτῷ μοι ἐπέσσυτο he sprang upon me myself E 459. Cp. 329 D.
[*] 1237. The force of
αὐτός thus added is to differentiate. Thus
ἐμὲ αὐτόν means
myself and no other,
ἐμαυτόν means simply
myself without reference to others.
ὑ_μᾶς αὐτούς is the usual order in the reflexive combination; but the differentiating
you yourselves (
and no others) may be
ὑ_μᾶς αὐτούς or
αὐτοὺς ὑ_μᾶς.
Part I: Letters, Sounds, Syllables, Accent
Part IV: Syntax
