previous next

[189] ἀθεμίστια ᾔδη. Sometimes we find “οἶδα” used with the genitive when the notion of experience is present, e. g. “τόξων εἰδώς” Il.12. 363, “τεκτοσυνάων” Od.5, 250, in such a connection generally with the addition of “εὖ” or “σάφα”. Where knowledge (scientia） rather than experience is implied, an accusative commonly follows, as in the phrase “μήδεα” or “πεπνυμένα μήδεα εἰδώς, δίκας εἰδώς” Od.2. 38; 9.215; “παλαιά τε πολλά τε εἰδώς” Od.2. 188; 7.157; 24.51. Often the neuter plural of an adjective is used with “εἰδώς” to express the character or disposition, and to imply consequently the habits and practice. This usage with the participle, as e. g. “κεδνὰ ἰδυῖα” Od.1. 428, “λυγρὰ ἰδυῖα” 11. 432, “φίλα εἰδώς 3. 277, ὀλοφώια εἰδώς 4. 460, ἀπατήλια εἰδώς” 14. 288, is peculiar to the Odyssey. The use of the neuter adjective with the finite verb, as here, is also found in Il.5. 326; 15.207; 16.73; 24. 41; Od.13. 405.It is like the later use of the adjective with “φρονεῖν”, which is actually found in Il.6. 162“ἀγαθὰ φρονέοντες” = ‘with right mind;’ different in sense from “ἀγαθὰ φρονέων” in Od.1. 43.Here we may translate ‘of lawless mood;’ or, following the language of the Psalms, ‘with his mind set upon unrighteousness.’

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.

hide References (14 total)
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: