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2532. The relatives οἷος, ὅσος, ἡλίκος, ὅστις δή, ὁστισοῦν (and some others) and a following nominative with the copula may be attracted to the case of the antecedent. Thus, χαριζόμενος τοιούτῳ ἀνδρὶ οἷος δὺ εἶ showing favour to such a man as you are is commonly condensed to χαριζόμενος οἵῳ σοι ἀνδρί (X. M. 2.9.3). Here the whole relative clause (with copula omitted) is attracted. The antecedent, if expressed, is often incorporated (2536) in the relative clause.

πρὸς ἄνδρας τολμηροὺς οἵους καὶ Ἀθηναίους (for οἷοι καὶ Ἀθηναῖοί εἰσι) to bold men such as the Athenians T. 7.21, ἀνίστη Ἀγριᾶνας . . . καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἔθνη Παιονικά he called out the Agrianes and all the other Paeonian tribes 2. 96, χειμῶνος ὄντος ““οἵου λέγειςwhen the weather is such as you describeX. A. 5.8.3, ἀνέλαμψεν οἰκία_ . . . ὅτου δὴ ἐνάψαντος (for ἐνάψαντός τινος ὅστις δὴ ἦν) the house burst into flames, some one or other having set it on fire 5. 2. 24.

a. οἷος is often attracted with superlatives: ὄντος πάγου οἵου δεινοτάτου (for τοιούτου οἷός ἐστι δεινότατος) when the frost was tremendous P. S. 220b. Cp. 1087.

b. The article may appear in this construction with οἷος and ἡλίκος, the relative clause being treated like a substantive: ““τοῖς οἵοις ἡμῖνto such as we areX. H. 2.3.25.

c. The subject of the relative clause rarely stands in the nominative, not being attracted along with οἷος. Thus, ““κιναίδους οἵουσπερ σύrascals just like youAes. 2.151. This occurs only when the number of the subject is different from that of the attracted relative. When the article precedes, as in Σόλων ἐμί_σει τοὺς οἷος οὗτος ἀνθρώπους Solon detested men like him (D. 19.254), editors generally read τοὺς οἵους οὗτος.

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  • Cross-references to this page (1):
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.2.3
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