[*] 150. Causative middle. As the active is often used of what one does by an agent, so the middle is used of that which the subject has done for itself. This is an occasional use of the middle, but it is not a characteristic use, and must not be pressed as differentiating it from the active. “Θεμιστοκλῆς Κλεόφαντον τὸν υἱὸν ἱππέα μὲν ἐδιδάξατο ἀγαθόν,” PLATO, Men. 93D ; Themistocles had his son K. taught to be a good horseman, but ibid. 94 B: “τούτους . . . ἱππέας μὲν ἐδίδαξεν οὐδενὸς χείρους Ἀθηναίων” . PLATO , Meno, 93 D (see above). Protag. 325 B: “οἱ ἀγαθοὶ ἄνδρες . . . τὰ μὲν ἄλλα διδάσκονται τοὺς υἱεῖς . . . τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἄρα τοὺς υἱεῖς διδάσκονται”, but 324 D: “οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ ἀγαθοὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα τοὺς αὑτῶν υἱεῖς διδάσκουσιν, ἃ διδασκάλων ἔχεται”. THUC.1.132.2: “ἐπὶ τὸν τρίποδα . . . ἠξίωσεν” (sc. “Παυσανίας”) “ἐπιγράψασθαι αὐτὸς ἰδίᾳ τὸ ἐλεγεῖον τόδε”, but § 3: “τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐλεγεῖον οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἐξεκόλαψαν εὐθὺς τότε . . . καὶ ἐπέγραψαν ὀνομαστὶ τὰς πόλεις κτἑ”. HDT.1.50: “ἐποιέετο” [sc. “Κροῖσος”] “δὲ καὶ λέοντος εἰκόνα χρυσοῦ ἀπέφθου”, Croesus had an image of a lion made for himself out of refined gold. AR. Eq. 5: “πληγὰς ἀεὶ προστρίβεται τοῖς οἰκέταις” (see v. 64).
Syntax of Classical Greek from Homer to Demosthenes. Basil L. Gildersleeve. New York. American Book Company. 1900.
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