[*] 2942.
οὔτε (μήτε） is usually repeated:
οὔτε . . . οὔτε (
μήτε . . . μήτε)
neither . . . nor (
nec . . . nec).
οὔτε . . . οὔτε is the negative of
τὲ . . . τέ, and unites single words or clauses.
““
οὔτε ἔστιν οὔτε ποτὲ ἔσται”
neither is nor ever shall be”
P. Phae. 241c, ““
οὔτε Χειρίσοφος ἧκεν οὔτε πλοῖα ἱκανὰ ἦν οὔτε τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἦν λαμβάνειν ἔτι”
neither had Chirisophus come nor were there enough boats nor was it possible any longer to secure provisions”
X. A. 5.3.1.
After a negative clause: ““
οὐκ ἔπειθεν οὔτε τοὺς στρατηγοὺς οὔτε τοὺς στρατιώτα_ς”
he could not persuade either the generals or the soldiers”
T. 4.4.
a. οὔτε . . . μήτε is found when each negative is determined by a different construction, as ““
ἀναιδὴς οὔτ᾽ εἰμὶ μήτε γενοίμην”
neither am I nor may I become shameless”
D. 8.68.
b. When
οὔτε . . . οὔτε stands between
οὐδὲ . . . οὐδέ the members thus correlated are subordinate to those expressed by
οὐδὲ . . . οὐδέ. Cp.
Aes. 1.19.
[*] 2943. Sometimes the first
οὔτε is omitted in poetry:
νόσοι δ᾽ οὔτε γῆρας disease nor old age Pindar, Pyth. 10. 41, ““
ἑκόντα μήτ᾽ ἄ_κοντα”
willingly nor unwillingly”
S. Ph. 771. Cp. “my five wits nor my five senses” (Shakesp.).
[*] 2944. For the first
οὔτε the poets sometimes have
οὐ, as ““
οὐ νιφετὸς οὔτ᾽ ἂρ χειμών”
not snow nor storm”
δ 566.
[*] 2945.
οὔτε . . . τέ on the one hand not . . . but,
not only not . . . but (cp.
neque . . . et). The
τέ clause often denotes the contrary of that set forth in the
οὔτε clause (
so far from). Thus,
οὔτε διενοήθην πώποτε ἀποστερῆσαι ἀποδώσω τε so far from ever thinking to deprive them of their pay
I will give it to them
X. A. 7.7.48,
ὤμοσαν . . . μήτε προδώσειν ἀλλήλους σύμμαχοί τε ἔσεσθαι they swore that they would not betray one another and that they would be allies 2. 2. 8. So
οὔτε . . . οὔτε . . . τέ. τὲ . . . οὔτε is not used.
a. Sometimes the negative may be added in the
τέ clause: ““
οὔτε ἐκεῖνος ἔτι κατενόησε τό τε μαντεῖον οὐκ ἐδήλου”
neither did he stop to consider and the oracle would not make it plain”
T. 1.126.
[*] 2946.
οὔτε . . . τε οὐ S. Ant. 763.
οὔτε . . . τε . . . οὔτε E. H. F. 1341.
[*] 2947.
οὔτε . . . δέ is used when the second clause is opposed to the first; as ““
οὔτε πλοῖά ἐστιν οἷς ἀποπλευσόμεθα, μένουσι δὲ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ μιᾶς ἡμέρα_ς ἔστι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια”
we have no vessels by which we can sail away; on the other hand, if we stay here, we haven't provisions even for a single day”
X. A. 6.3.16. Cp.
E. Supp. 223,
P. R. 388e, 389 a.
[*] 2948.
οὔτε . . . οὐ is rare in prose; as ““
οὔτε νιφετός, οὐκ ὄμβρος”
neither rain nor snow”
Hdt. 8.98. Cp.
S. Ant. 249.
οὔτε . . . οὐ . . . οὔτε A. Pr. 479.
ου᾽ . . . οὔτε is generally changed to
οὐ . . . οὐδέ in Attic prose.
[*] 2949.
οὔτε . . . οὐδέ corresponds to the sequence of
τὲ . . . δέ in affirmative clauses. The emphatic
οὐδέ here adds a new negative idea as after any other preceding negative; and is most common after
οὔτε . . . οὔτε:
neither . . . nor . . . no,
nor yet (
nor . . . either).
οὐδέ is often followed by an emphasizing particle, as
αὖ, γέ, μήν. Thus, ““
οὔτε πόλις οὔτε πολι_τεία_ οὐδέ γ᾽ ἀνήρ”
neither a State nor a constitution nor yet an individual”
P. R. 499b, ““
μήτε παιδεία_ . . . μήτε δικαστήρια μήτε νόμοι μηδὲ ἀνάγκη μηδεμία”
neither education nor courts of justice nor laws, no nor yet restraint”
P. Pr. 327d.
[*] 2950. A subordinate clause with
οὐδέ may come between
οὔτε . . . οὔτε. Thus, ““
οὔτε γὰρ ὡς ὀφείλοντά με κατέλειπεν ὁ πατὴρ . . . ἀπέφηνεν οὐδὲ . . . παρέσχηται μάρτυρας οὔτ᾽ αὖ τὸν ἀριθμὸν . . . ἐπανέφερεν”
for neither did he show that my father left me in debt, nor yet has he adduced witnesses, nor did he put into the account the sum”
D. 27.49.
