[*] 2852.
εἴτε (from
εἰ ¨ τέ), a disjunctive particle, generally doubled:
εἴτε . . . εἴτε whether . . . or (
2675),
if . . . or (
siue . . . siue), giving equal value to each supposition.
a. With the subjunctive we find
ἐά_ν τε (
ἤν τε, ἄ_ν τε). Hom. has
εἴτε . . . εἴτε, but not
ἤν τε . . . ἤν τε, with the subjunctive. In the same sense Hom. has
ἢ . . . ἤ and
ἤτε . . . ἤτε with the subjunctive.
[*] 2853. There are various forms of
εἴτε clauses:
a. Both
εἴτε clauses may have the same finite verb in common, which verb is used only once; as ““
εἴτε βούλεσθε πολεμεῖν ἡμῖν εἴτε φίλοι εἶναι”
whether you wish to wage war upon us or to be our friends”
X. C. 3.2.13.
b. Each
εἴτε clause has its own verb and its own main clause; as
ἐκέλευσέ σε, εἴτε πάντας αἰτιᾷ, κρί_ναντα σὲ αὐτὸν χρῆσθαι ὅ τι ἂν βούλῃ, εἴτε ἕνα τινὰ ἢ δύο . . . αἰτιᾷ, τούτους ἀξιοῦσι παρασχεῖν σοι ἑαυτοὺς εἰς κρίσιν the army
requests that, if you accuse all, you pass sentence on them and treat them as you may think best; or,
if you accuse one or two, they think it right that these men should surrender themselves to you for judgment X. A. 6.6.20.
c. One main clause refers to both
εἴτε clauses; as ““
ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἀνὴρ . . . εὐδαίμων ἐστὶ . . . ἐά_ν τε μέγας καὶ ἰσχυ_ρός, ἐά_ν τε σμι_κρὸς καὶ ἀσθενὴς ᾖ”
the good man is happy whether he is large and strong or small and weak”
P. L. 660e.
d. Neither
εἴτε clause has a verb, which is to be supplied from the main clause; as
λέγοντες, εἴτ᾽ ἀληθὲς εἴτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ οὖν μάτην (
ἔλεγον)
saying,
whether truly or after all, it may be, falsely S. Ph. 345.
e. One
εἴτε clause has its own verb, while the other gets its verb from the main clause (rare); as
ἐμοὶ σὺ . . . φαίνῃ . . . χρησμῳδεῖν, εἴτε παρ᾽ Εὐθύφρονος ἐπίπνους γενόμενος (
χρησμῳδεῖς), ““
εἴτε καὶ ἄλλη τις μοῦσα πάλαι σε ἐνοῦσα ἐλελήθει”
you seem to me to utter prophecies, whether you were inspired by Euthyphron or whether some other muse has long been present in you without your knowing it”
P. Crat. 428c.
[*] 2854.
Variations: εἴτε . . . ἤ (common):
εἴτε Λυ_σία_ς ἤ τις ἄλλος πώποτε ἔγραψεν ἢ γράψει κτλ.
whether Lysias or anybody else whoever wrote or will write, etc.
P. Phae. 277d.
ἢ . . . εἴτε: only in poetry (
S. Aj. 175).
εἴτε . . . εἰ δέ: when the second member is more important (
P. L. 952c). On
ει᾽ . . . εἴτε see 2675 d. On
εἴτε for
εἴτε . . . εἴτε see 2675 b, N. 2.
[*] 2855.
εἴτε may be strengthened by
ἄρα, δή, καί, or
οὖν. οὖν is usually placed after the first
εἴτε; like
καί, it may stand after the second also. When
καί stands only after the second
εἴτε, its clause is weaker than the first (
D. 18.57).
