Chapter V
The Infinitive.
[*] 741.
The infinitive is originally a verbal noun, expressing the
simple idea of the verb. As a verb, it has voices and tenses; it has a
subject (expressed or understood), which may define its number and
person; it may have an object and other adjuncts, and, further, it is
qualified by adverbs, and not by adjectives. It may have
ἄν in a potential sense. It
thus expresses the verbal idea with much greater definiteness than the
corresponding substantives; compare, for example,
πράττειν and
πρᾶξαι with
πρᾶξις, as expressions of the idea of
doing.
[*] 742.
The origin of the infinitive in a verbal noun is beyond
question. In the oldest Sanskrit certain verbal nouns in the dative
express purpose, that is, the object
to or
for which something is done, and are
almost identical in form with the equivalent infinitives in the older
Greek. Thus vidma/ne, dative of vidman,
knowledge (from root vid), may mean
for knowing or
in order to know (old English
for to know); and in Homer we have
ϝίδμεναι (= Attic
ἰδεῖν) from the same root
ϝιδ. So Sanskrit
dAva/ne, dative
of dAvan,
giving (from root da), is represented in Greek by the
Cyprian
δόϝεναι (= Attic
δοῦναι) from root
δο.
1 It is safe to assume, therefore, that the Greek infinitive
was originally developed in a similar way, chiefly from the dative of a
primitive verbal noun; that in the growth of the language this case-form
became obscured, its origin as a dative was forgotten, and it came to be
used for other cases of the verbal noun, especially the accusative; that
it was allowed to take an object, like the corresponding verb, and
afterwards a subject (in the accusative) to make the agent more
distinct; that in course of time, as its relation to the verb became
closer, it developed tenses like those of the verb, so as to appear as a
regular mood of the verb. The final step, taken when the use of the
definite article was established, was to allow the half-noun and
half-verb to have the article and so be declined like a noun in four
cases, while it still retained its character as a verb. This last step
was taken after Homer; but the earlier stages were already passed, more
or less decidedly, before the Homeric period, so that they cannot be
traced historically. Thus, although the infinitive in Homer retained
some of its uses as a dative more distinctly than the later infinitive,
it is hardly possible that those who used the Homeric language retained
any consciousness of the original dative; for the infinitive was already
established as an accusative and a nominative, it had formed its various
tenses to express present, past, and future time, and it could even be
used with
ἄν
(683). Indeed, the
condition in which the infinitive appears in indirect discourse in Homer
seems utterly inconsistent with any conscious survival of its force as a
dative (see examples in 683).
[*] 743.
The later addition of the article enlarged the uses of the
infinitive and extended it to new constructions, especially to the use
with prepositions. It thus gained a new power of taking adjuncts, not
merely single words, but whole dependent clauses. (See examples in 806.)
In all the constructions which were developed before the article came
into use with the infinitive, as when it is the subject or the object of
a verb, or follows adjectives or nouns, the infinitive continued to be
used regularly without the article, although even in these constructions
the article might be added to emphasise the infinitive more especially
as a noun, or to enable it to carry adjuncts which would otherwise be
cumbrous; in other words, all constructions in which the original force
of the noun had become obscured or forgotten before the article began to
be used generally remained in their original form. On the other hand,
newer expressions, in which the infinitive was distinctly felt as a noun
in the structure of the sentence, generally added the article to
designate the case.
[*] 744.
The subject of the infinitive, if expressed, is in the
accusative. The most indefinite infinitive, so far as it is a verb, must
at least have a subject implied; but as the infinitive has no person or
number in itself, its subject can remain more obscure than that of a
finite verb. Thus
καλόν ἐστιν
ἀποθανεῖν,
it is
glorious to die, may imply a subject in any
number or person, according to the context, while
ἀποθνῄσκεις or
ἀπέθανε is restricted to
thou or
he as its
subject. Still, in the former case,
ἀποθανεῖν must have an implied subject in the accusative;
and if this is not pointed out by the context, we can supply
τινά or
τινάς, as sometimes appears when a
predicate word agrees with the omitted subject, as in
φιλάνθρωπον εἶναι δεῖ (sc.
τινά),
one must be humane,
ISOC. ii. 15, and
δρῶντας ἥδιον θανεῖν (sc.
τινάς),
it is sweeter to die acting,
EUR. Hel.
814.The infinitive of indirect discourse, which seems to have
been developed originally by the Greek language, must always refer to a
definite subject, as it represents a finite verb in a definite mood,
tense, number, and person. Other infinitives, both with and without the
article, may have a subject whenever the sense demands it, although
sometimes the meaning of the leading verb makes it impossible to express
an independent subject, as in
πειρᾶται μανθάνειν,
he tries to
learn. In general, when the subject of the infinitive is the
same as the subject or object of the leading verb, or when it has been
clearly expressed elsewhere in the sentence, it is not repeated with the
infinitive.
2
Infinitive without the Article: Infinitive as Subject,
Predicate, or Appositive.
[*] 745.
The infinitive may be the subject nominative of a finite
verb, or the subject accusative of another infinitive. It is especially
common as subject of an impersonal verb or of
ἐστί. It may also be a predicate
nominative or accusative, and it may stand in apposition to a noun in
the nominative or accusative. E.g.
Συνέβη αὐτῷ ἐλθεῖν,
it
happened to him to go.
Οὐκ ἔνεστι τοῦτο
ποιῆσαι,
it is not possible to do this.
Ἀδύνατόν ἐστι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι.
Ἐξῆν αὐτῷ μένειν,
he might
have remained (i.e.
to remain was
possible for him).
Δεῖ
μένειν. Οὐ μὴν γάρ τι κακὸν βασιλευέμεν,
for it
is no bad thing to be a king.
Od. i. 392.
Ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡβᾷ τοῖς γέρουσιν
εὖ μαθεῖν.
AESCH. Ag. 584.
Πολὺ γὰρ ῥᾷον ἔχοντας
φυλάττειν ἢ κτήσασθαι πάντα πέφυκεν.
DEM. ii. 26.
(Compare i. 23, quoted in 790.)
Ἡδὺ πολλοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἔχειν;
Id. xix. 221.
Δοκεῖ οἰκονόμου ἀγαθοῦ εἶναι
εὖ οἰκεῖν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οἶκον.
XEN. Oec. i. 2.
Φησὶ δεῖν τοῦτο
ποιῆσαι,
he says that it is necessary to
do this. (Here
ποιῆσαι as accusative is subject of
δεῖν.)
Τὸ γνῶναι ἐπιστήμην που λαβεῖν ἐστιν,
to learn is to acquire knowledge (pred.
nom.).
PLAT.
Theaet. 209E.
Ξυνέβη τοὺς Ἀθηναίους
θορυβηθῆναι,
“it chanced that the Athenians fell into
confusion.”
THUC. v. 10.
Οὐ φάσκων ἄνεκτον εἶναι
ξυγκεῖσθαι κρατεῖν βασιλέα τῶν πόλεων.
Id. viii. 52.
(Here
κρατεῖν βασιλέα τῶν
πόλεων is subject of
ξυγκεῖσθαι, which is subject of
εἶναι, the whole being object of
φάσκων.)
Εἷς οἰωνὸς ἄριστος, ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ
πάτρης,
one omen is best,
to fight for our country.
Il. xii.
243.
For the subject infinitive in indirect discourse,
see 751.
Infinitive as Object.
[*] 746.
The infinitive may be the object of a verb, generally
appearing as the accusative of the direct object, sometimes as the
accusative of kindred meaning. Here belong
(1) the infinitive after verbs of
wishing, commanding, and the like (
not in indirect discourse), and
(2) the infinitive
in indirect discourse as the object of
verbs of
saying and
thinking.
For the infinitive in indirect discourse,
see 751.
Object Infinitive not in Indirect Discourse.
[*] 747.
The verbs which take the ordinary object infinitive are in
general the same in Greek as in English. Any verb whose action directly
implies another action or state as its object, if this object is to be
expressed by a verb and not by a noun, may take the infinitive.
Such are verbs signifying to
wish, ask,
advise, entreat, exhort, command, persuade, compel, teach, learn,
accustom, cause, intend, begin, attempt, effect, permit, decide,
dare, prefer, choose; those expressing
willingness, unwillingness, eagerness, caution, neglect, danger,
postponement, forbidding, hindrance, escape, etc.; and all
implying
ability, fitness, desert, qualification,
sufficiency, necessity, or their
opposites. E.g.
Διδάσκουσιν αὐτὸν
βάλλειν,
they teach him to shoot.
Ἔμαθον τοῦτο ποιῆσαι,
they learned to do this.
Βούλεται ἐλθεῖν. Παραινοῦμέν
σοι
πείθεσθαι. Αἱροῦνται πολεμεῖν.
Ἡ πόλις κινδυνεύει διαφθαρῆναι,
the city is in danger of being destroyed.
Δύναται ἀπελθεῖν. Τοῖς
ξυμμάχοις ἔφραζον ἰέναι ἐς τὸν Ἰσθμόν,
“they told the allies to go to the Isthmus.”
THUC. iii. 15.
Δέομαι ὑμῶν συγγνώμην μοι
ἔχειν. Εἶπε στρατηγοὺς ἑλέσθαι,
he proposed to choose generals.
Ἀπαγορεύουσιν αὐτοῖς μὴ τοῦτο
ποιῆσαι,
they forbid them to do
this (815,
THUC.
1).
Τί κωλύσει αὐτὸν
βαδίζειν ὅποι βούλεται;
what will prevent him from marching whither he
pleases?
Ἀξιῶ λαμβάνειν τοῦτο,
I claim the right to take this.
Ἀξιοῦται θανεῖν,
he is thought to deserve death.
Οὐ πέφυκε δουλεύειν,
he is not born to be a slave.
Ἀναβάλλεται τοῦτο
ποιεῖν,
he postpones doing this.
Λαοὺς δ᾽ Ἀτρεΐδης
ἀπολυμαίνεσθαι ἄνωγεν,
“and the son of Atreus ordered the hosts to purify
themselves.”
Il. i. 313.
Βούλομ᾽ ἐγὼ λαὸν σόον
ἔμμεναι ἢ ἀπολέσθαι,
I wish
that the people may be safe,
rather
than that they perish.
Il. i. 117.
Ἔπειθεν αὐτὸν
πορεύεσθαι.
XEN. An. vi. 2, 13.
Ἔδοξε πλεῖν τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην,
“it was decided that Alcibiades should sail.”
THUC. vi. 29.
Φυλακὴν εἶχε μήτ᾽ ἐκπλεῖν
μηδένα μήτ᾽ ἐσπλεῖν,
he kept
guard against any one's sailing out or in (815,
THUC. 1).
Id. ii. 69.
“
Τί δῆτα μέλλεις μὴ οὐ
γεγωνίσκειν τὸ πᾶν;”
“why do you hesitate to speak out the whole?”
AESCH. Prom.
627
.
This use of the infinitive is too familiar to need more
illustration. The tenses commonly used are the present and aorist
(87), for examples of
which see 96; for the perfect
see 109 and 110; for the exceptional future see
113; and for the infinitive with
ἄν (seldom used in this construction)
see 211. For
μή and
μὴ οὐ with the infinitive (as used above) see
815-817.
[*] 748.
The poets, especially Homer, allow an infinitive after many
verbs which commonly do not take this construction. The meaning of the
verb, however, makes the sense clear. E.g.
Ὀδύρονται οἶκόνδε νέεσθαι,
they mourn (i.e.
long)
to go home.
Il. ii. 290.
Ἐπευφήμησαν Ἀχαιοὶ αἰδεῖσθαι
ἱερῆα,
the Achaeans shouted with
applause, (
commanding)
that they should reverence the priest.
Il. i. 22.
Ὄφρα τις ἐρρίγῃσι κακὰ
ῥέξαι,
that one may shudder
(
dread)
to do evil.
Il. iii. 353.
Ἕκτορα μεῖναι μοῖρα
πέδησεν,
Fate bound (
fettered)
Hector to
remain.
Il. xxii. 5.
For the infinitive of direct object after verbs of
fearing and
caution,
see
373. For the infinitive (not in indirect discourse) after
χράω and other verbs meaning
to give an oracle,
see 98.
[*] 749.
When a noun and a verb (especially
ἐστί) form an expression which is
equivalent to any of the verbs above mentioned
(747), they may take the
infinitive. Some other expressions with a similar force may have the
infinitive. E.g.
Ἀνάγκη ἐστὶ
πάντας ἀπελθεῖν. Κίνδυνος ἦν αὐτῷ παθεῖν τι. Ὄκνος
ἐστί μοι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Φόβος ἐστὶν αὐτῷ ἐλθεῖν.
Οὐ μάντις εἰμὶ τἀφανῆ
γνῶναι,
I am not enough of a prophet to
decide, etc.
EUR. Hipp. 346. (Here
ability is implied in
μάντις εἰμί.)
Ἅμαξα ἐν
αὐταῖς ἦν, κώλυμα
οὖσα (
τὰς πύλας)
προσθεῖναι,
a wagon,
which
prevented them from shutting the gates.
THUC. iv. 67.So
ἐπεγένετο δὲ ἄλλοις τε
ἄλλοθι κωλύματα μὴ αὐξηθῆναι,
“obstacles to their increase.”
Id. i. 16.
(
See 815,
Id. 1.)
Τοῖς στρατιώταις ὁρμὴ ἐνέπεσε
ἐκτειχίσαι τὸ χωρίον.
Id. iv. 4.
Τὸ ἀσφαλὲς καὶ μενειν καὶ
ἀπελθεῖν αἱ νῆες παρέξουσιν,
“safety both to remain and to depart.”
Id. vi. 18.
Ἔχοντα τιθασεύεσθαι
φύσιν,
capable by nature of being
tamed (=
πεφυκότα
τιθασεύεσθαι).
PLAT. Polit. 264A.
Τίς μηχανὴ μὴ οὐχὶ πάντα
καταναλωθῆναι εἰς τὸ τεθνάναι; i.e.
how can it be effected that all things shall not be destroyed in
death?
Plat. Phaed.
72D. (
See 815,
2)
Δέδοικα μὴ πολλὰ καὶ
χαλεπὰ εἰς ἀνάγκην ἔλθωμεν ποιεῖν,
“lest we may come to the necessity of doing.”
DEM. i. 15.
Ὥρα ἀπιέναι,
it is time to go away (like
χρὴ ἀπιέναι,
we must go away).
PLAT. Ap. 42A.
Ἐλπίδας ἔχει τοῦτο
ποιῆσαι (=
ἐλπίζει τοῦτο
ποιῆσαι),
he hopes to do this.
But
ἐλπὶς τοῦ ἑλεῖν,
THUC. ii.
56(798).
Οἱ δὲ ζῶντες αἴτιοι
θανεῖν,
“and the living are those who caused them to die.”
SOPH. Ant.
1173.We might also have
αἴτιοι τοῦ τούτους θανεῖν or
αἴτιοι τὸ τούτους θανεῖν. (
See 101.) So in
phrases like
πολλοῦ (or
μικροῦ)
δέω ποιεῖν τι,
I want much (or
little)
of doing anything;
παρὰ μικρὸν ἦλθον ποιεῖν
τι,
they came within a little of doing
anything; where the idea of
ability,
inability, or
sufficiency
appears: so in
THUC.
vii. 70,
βραχὺ γὰρ
ἀπέλιπον διακόσιαι γενέσθαι. So
ἐμποδὼν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἐλθεῖν (=
κωλύει τοῦτον ἐλθεῖν),
it prevents him from going; where
τοῦ ἐλθεῖν may be used
(807).
The infinitive depending on a noun is generally an
adnominal genitive with the article
τοῦ. See the examples above,
and 798.
[*] 750.
In
laws, treaties, proclamations,
and
formal commands, the infinitive is often
used in the leading sentences, depending on some word like
ἔδοξε,
it is enacted, or
κελεύεται,
it is commanded;
which may be either expressed in a preceding sentence or understood.
E.g.
Ταμίας δὲ τῶν ἱερῶν
χρημάτων αἱρεῖσθαι μὲν ἐκ τῶν μεγίστων τιμημάτων: τὴν δὲ
αἵρεσιν τούτων καὶ τὴν δοκιμασίαν γίγνεσθαι καθάπερ ἡ τῶν
στρατηγῶν ἐγίγνετο,
and
(
it is enacted)
that treasurers of the sacred funds be chosen, etc.
Leg. 759E.
So in most of the laws (genuine or spurious) standing as quotations in
the text of the orators, as in
DEM. xxiii. 22:
δικάζειν δὲ τὴν ἐν Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ φόνου καὶ
τραύματος ἐκ προνοίας, κ.τ.λ. See
AR. Av. 1661.
Ἔτη δὲ εἶναι τὰς σπονδὰς
πεντήκοντα,
“and that the treaty shall continue fifty years.”
THUC. v. 18.
Ἀκούετε λεῴ: τοὺς ὁπλίτας
νυνμενὶ ἀνελομένους θὤπλ᾽ ἀπιέναι πάλιν οἴκαδε.
AR. Av.
448.
Infinitive in Indirect Discourse.
[*] 751.
The infinitive in indirect discourse is generally the object
of a verb of
saying or
thinking or some equivalent expression. It may also be the
subject of a passive verb of this class (as
λέγεται), or of such a verb as
φαίνεται,
it appears, or
δοκεῖ,
it
seems (see 754). Here each tense of the infinitive represents
the corresponding tense of the indicative (with or without
ἄν) or the optative (with
ἄν). (
See 664, 2.)
For examples
see 683 and 689. For the various tenses of the infinitive
with
ἄν, representing the
indicative or optative with
ἄν, see 204-210.
[*] 752.
Verbs of
hoping, expecting, promising,
swearing, and a few others of like meaning, form an
intermediate class between this construction and that of 747. For
examples of the infinitive (in both constructions) after these verbs,
see 136.
[*] 753.
1. Of the three common verbs signifying
to say,
φημί is
regularly followed by the infinitive in indirect discourse,
εἶπον by
ὅτι or
ὡς and the indicative or optative, while
λέγω allows either
construction. The active voice of
λέγω, however, generally has
ὅτι or
ὡς.
2. Exceptional cases of
ὅτι or
ὡς
after
φημί are very rare
and strange: one occurs in
LYS. vii. 19,
ὅς φησιν ὡς ἐγὼ μὲν παρειστήκειν οἱ δ᾽
οἰκέται ἐξέτεμνον τὰ πρέμνα. See also
XEN. Hell. vi. 3,
7 , and
PLAT. Gorg. 487 D (where a clause with
ὅτι precedes
φῄς).
3. Cases of
εἶπον with the infinitive of indirect discourse are less
rare, but always exceptional. See
Il. xxiv. 113,
Il. xviii. 9,
quoted in 683;
HDT. ii.
30;
THUC.
vii. 35;
PLAT. Gorg. 473 A,
εἶπον τὸ ἀδικεῖν τοῦ ἀδικεῖσθαι κάκιον
εἶναι. A remarkable case of
οὐ μή with the infinitive after
εἶπε occurs in
EUR. Phoen.
1590 (quoted in 296).
Εἶπον and the active voice of
λέγω take the infinitive chiefly as verbs
of
commanding
(747).
[*] 754.
After many verbs of this class in the passive both a personal
and an impersonal construction are allowed: thus, we can say
λέγεται ὁ Κῦρος ἐλθεῖν,
Cyrus is said to have gone, or
λέγεται τὸν Κῦρον ἐλθεῖν,
it is said that Cyrus went.
Δοκέω in the meaning
I seem (
videor)
usually has the
personal construction, as in
English; as
οὗτος δοκεῖ
εἶναι,
he seems to be. When an
infinitive with
ἄν follows
a personal verb like
δοκέω,
this must be translated by an impersonal construction, to suit the
English idiom: thus,
δοκεῖ τις ἂν
ἔχειν τοῦτο must be translated
it
seems that some one would have this, although
τις is the subject of
δοκεῖ, since we cannot use
would with our infinitive to translate
ἔχειν ἄν.
[*] 755.
When an indirect quotation has been introduced by an
infinitive, a dependent relative or temporal clause sometimes takes the
infinitive by assimilation, where we should expect an indicative or
optative. The temporal particles
ὡς, ὅτε, ἐπεί, ἐπειδή, as well as the relative
pronouns, are used in this construction. Herodotus uses even
εἰ,
if, and
διότι,
because, in the same way. E.g.
Μετὰ δὲ, ὡς οὐ παύεσθαι, ἄκεα
δίζησθαι (
λέγουσι),
and afterwards, when it did not
cease, they say that they sought for remedies.
HDT. i. 94.
(Here we should expect
ὡς οὐκ
ἐπαύετο.)
Ὡς δ᾽
ἀκοῦσαι τοὺς παρόντας, θόρυβον γενέσθαι (
φασίν),
they say that, when those present heard it, there was a tumult.
DEM. xix. 195.
Ἐπειδὴ δὲ γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τῇ
οἰκίᾳ τῇ Ἀγάθωνος, (
ἔφη)
ἀνεῳγμένην καταλαμβάνειν τὴν θύραν.
Symp. 174D.
Ἔφη δὲ, ἐπειδὴ οὗ ἐκβῆναι
τὴν ψυχὴν, πορεύεσθαι.
Rep. 614 B. So
ὡς φαίνεσθαι,
as
it appeared,
359 D.
Λέγεται Ἀλκμαίωνι, ὅτε δὴ
ἀλᾶσθαι αὐτὸν, τὸν Ἀπόλλω ταύτην τὴν γῆν χρῆσαι
οἰκεῖν.
THUC. ii. 102.
Καὶ ὅσα αὖ μετ᾽ ἐκείνων
βουλεύεσθαι, οὐδενὸς ὕστερον γνώμῃ φανῆναι (
ἔφασαν).
Id. i. 91. (Here
ἐβουλεύοντο would be
the common form.)
Ἡγουμένης δὴ
ἀληθείας οὐκ ἄν ποτε φαῖμεν αὐτῇ χορὸν κακῶν
ἀκολουθῆσαι, ἀλλ᾽ ὑγιές τε καὶ δίκαιον ἦθος, ᾧ καὶ
σωφροσύνην ἕπεσθαι.
PLAT. Rep. 490 C.
Εἰ γὰρ δὴ δεῖν
πάντως περιθεῖναι ἄλλῳ τέῳ τὴν βασιληίην, (
ἔφη)
δικαιότερον εἶναι Μήδων τέῳ περιβαλεῖν
τοῦτο,
for if he was bound
(=
εἰ ἔδει)
to give the kingdom to any other, etc.
HDT. i. 129.
Εἰ ὦν εἶναι τῷ θεῳ τοῦτο
μὴ φίλον,
if this were (=
εἰ ἦν)
not pleasing to God.
Id. ii. 64.So
iii. 108 (
εἰ μὴ γίνεσθαι
=
εἰ μὴ ἐγίνετο,
had there not occurred); vii. 229 (
εἰ ἀπονοστῆσαι,
if he had returned); ii. 172 (
εἰ εἶναι,
if he was); iii. 105 (
εἰ μὴ προλαμβάνειν =
εἰ μὴ προλαμβάνοιμεν).
Τιμᾶν δὲ Σαμίους ἔφη, διότι
ταφῆναί οἱ τὸν πάππον δημοσίῃ ὑπὸ Σαμίων.
Id. iii. 55.
[*] 756.
In some cases, particularly when the provisions of a
law are quoted, a relative is used with the
infinitive, even when no infinitive precedes. E.g.
Ἔθηκεν ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἐξεῖναι ἀποκτιννύναι,
“he enacted on what conditions it is allowed to
kill.”
DEM. xx. 158.
Καὶ διὰ ταῦτα, ἄν τις
ἀποκτείνῃ τινὰ, τὴν βουλὴν δικάζειν ἔγραψε, καὶ οὐχ
ἅπερ, ἂν ἁλῷ, εἶναι,
“and he did not enact what should be done if he
should be convicted.”
Id. xxiii. 26.
(Here
εἶναι, the reading
of Cod.
Σ, is amply
defended by the preceding example, in which all allow
ἐξεῖναι.)
Δέκα γὰρ ἄνδρας προσείλοντο αὐτῷ
ξυμβούλους, ἄνευ ὧν μὴ κύριον εἶναι ἀπάγειν στρατιὰν ἐκ
τῆς πόλεως.
THUC. v. 63.
[*] 757.
In narration, the infinitive often appears to stand for the
indicative. It depends, however, on some word like
λέγεται,
it is
said, expressed (or at least implied) in something that
precedes. E.g.
Ἀπικομένους δὲ
τοὺς Φοίνικας ἐς δὴ τὸ Ἄργος τοῦτο, διατίθεσθαι τὸν
φόρτον,
and (
they say)
that the
Phoenicians, when now they had come to this Argos, were setting out
their cargo for sale.
HDT. i. 1. (Here
διατίθεσθαι is
imperfect.)
“Ἀλλ̓, ὦ
παῖ,” φάναι τὸν Ἀστυάγην, “οὐκ ἀχθόμενοι
ταῦτα περιπλανώμεθα.” “Ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ,”
φάναι τὸν Κῦρον, “ὁρῶ,” κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τὸν
Ἀστυάγην ἐπερέσθαι, “καὶ τίνι δὴ σὺ τεκμαιρόμενος
λέγεις;” “Ὅτι σὲ,” φάναι,
“ὁρῶ,” κ.τ.λ. Πρὸς ταῦτα δὲ τὸν Ἀστυάγην εἰπεῖν,
κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τὸν Κῦρον εἰπεῖν, κ.τ.λ.
XEN. Cyr. i. 3,
5 and 6. (Here all these infinitives, and twelve others which
follow, depend on
λέγεται
in § 4.)
Καὶ τὸν κελεῦσαι
δοῦναι,
“and he commanded him to give it.”
Id. Cyr. i.
3,
Id. Cyr.
9.So in
HDT.
i. 24 the story of
Arion and the dolphin is told in this
construction, the infinitives all depending on
λέγουσι at the beginning.
Infinitive after Adjectives, Adverbs, and Nouns.
[*] 758.
The infinitive may depend on adjectives denoting
ability, fitness, desert, qualification, sufficiency,
readiness, and their
opposites;
and, in general, those expressing the same relations as the verbs which
govern the infinitive
(747). The omitted subject of the infinitive is the same as
the substantive to which the adjective belongs. E.g.
Δυνατὸς ποιεῖν,
able to do.
Δεινὸς λέγειν,
skilled in speaking.
Ἄξιός ἐστι ταῦτα
λαβεῖν,
he deserves to receive this.
Ἄξιος τιμᾶσθαι,
worthy to be honoured.
Οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν τοῦτο
ἰδεῖν,
he was not able to see this.
Πρόθυμος λέγειν,
eager to speak.
Ἕτοιμος κίνδυνον
ὑπομένειν,
ready to endure
danger.
Θεμιστοκλέα,
ἱκανώτατον εἰπεῖν καὶ γνῶναι καὶ πρᾶξαι.
LYS. ii. 42.
Αἱ γὰρ εὐπραξίαι δειναὶ
συγκρύψαι τὰ τοιαῦτα ὀνείδη.
DEM. ii. 20.
Κυρίαν ἐποίησαν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι
τῆς εὐταξίας,
they gave it
(the Areopagus)
power to superintend good order.
ISOC. vii. 39.
Βίην δὲ ἀδύνατοι ἦσαν
προσφέρειν.
HDT. iii. 138.
Μαλακοὶ καρτερεῖν,
“too effeminate to endure.”
PLAT. Rep. 556B.
Ταπεινὴ ὑμῶν ἡ διάνοια
ἐγκαρτερεῖν ἃ ἔγνωτε,
your
minds are too dejected to persevere, etc.
THUC. ii. 61. (In
the last two examples,
μαλακοί and
ταπεινή govern the infinitive by the idea of
inability implied in them.)
Χρήματα πορίζειν εὐπορώτατον
γυνή.
AR. Eccl. 236.
Σοφώτεροι δὴ συμφορὰς τὰς τῶν
πέλας πάντες διαθρεῖν ἢ τύχας τὰς οἴκοθεν.
EUR. Fr. 103.
“
Ἐπιστήμων λέγειν τε καὶ
σιγᾶν.”
PLAT.
Phaedr. 276 A.
“
Τἄλλα εὑρήσεις ὑπουργεῖν
ὄντας ἡμᾶς οὐ κακούς.”
AR. Pax
430.
For examples of nouns followed by the infinitive in a similar
sense,
see 749.
(See also 766.)
[*] 759.
The infinitive after
τοιοῦτος οἷος and
τοσοῦτος ὅσος depends on the idea of
ability, fitness, or
sufficiency which is expressed in these combinations. The
antecedent may be omitted, leaving
οἷος with the infinitive in the sense of
able, fit, likely, and
ὅσος in that of
sufficient. E.g.
Τοιοῦτοι οἷοι
πονηροῦ τινος ἔργου ἐφίεσθαι,
“capable of aiming at any vicious act.”
XEN. Cyr. i. 2,
3.
Τοιαύτας οἵας χειμῶνός τε
στέγειν καὶ θέρους ἱκανὰς εἶναι.
PLAT. Rep. 415E.
Ἔφθασε τοσοῦτον ὅσον Πάχητα
ἀνεγνωκέναι τὸ ψήφισμα,
it came
enough in advance (of the other ship)
for Paches to have already read the decree (the fact that he
had read it is inferred, but not
expressed: see 584).
THUC. iii. 49.
Εἶπεν ὡς ἐγώ εἰμι
οἷος ἀεί ποτε μεταβάλλεσθαι,
that I am (
such)
a man (
as)
to be always changing.
XEN. Hell. ii.
3, 45.
Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὥρα οἵα τὸ
πεδίον ἄρδειν,
“for it was not the proper season to irrigate the
land.”
Id. An. ii.
3,
Id. An.
13.
Νεμόμενοι τὰ αὑτῶν ἕκαστοι
ὅσον ἀποζῆν,
each cultivating
their own land enough (
to an extent
sufficient)
to live upon it.
THUC. i. 2.
Ἐλείπετο τῆς νυκτὸς ὅσον
σκοταίους διελθεῖν τὸ πεδίον,
“there was left enough of the night for crossing
the plain in the dark.”
XEN. An. iv. 1,
5.
This construction suggests at once the analogous use of
οὕτως ὥστε or
ὥστε alone, in the sense of
so as, with the infinitive (see 593).
Here, as with
ὥστε, the
subject of the infinitive is not restricted as it is in 758.
[*] 760.
In Homer, the pronominal adjectives
τοῖος, τοιόσδε, τοιοῦτος, τόσος,
τηλίκος, and
ποῖος, without a relative, sometimes take an infinitive in the
same way
(759); as
ἡμεῖς δ᾽ οὔ νύ τι τοῖοι
ἀμυνέμεν,
but we are not able to
keep it off,
Od. ii. 60;
ποῖοι κ᾽ εἶτ᾽ Ὀδυσσῆι ἀμυνέμεν;
Od. xxi.
195.See also
Il. vi. 463;
Od. iii. 205,
Od. vii. 309,
Od. xvii.
20.
[*] 761.
Certain impersonal verbs (like
ἔνεστι, πρέπει, προσήκει), which
regularly take an infinitive as their subject
(745), are used in the participle
in a
personal sense with the infinitive, the
participle having the force of one of the adjectives of 758. Thus
τὰ ἐνόντα εἰπεῖν is
equivalent to
ἃ ἔνεστι
εἰπεῖν,
what it is permitted to say;
τὰ προσήκοντα ῥηθῆναι is
equivalent to
ἃ προσήκει
ῥηθῆναι,
what is proper to be
said, as if it represented a personal construction like
ταῦτα προσήκει ῥηθῆναι,
these things are becoming to be said.
E.g.
Κατιδὼν τὸ πλῆθος
τῶν ἐνόντων εἰπεῖν,
“seeing the number of things that may be said.”
ISOC. v. 110.
Τὸν θεὸν καλεῖ οὐδὲν
προσήκοντ᾽ ἐν γόοις παραστατεῖν,
“she is calling on the God who ought not to be
present at lamentations.”
AESCH. Ag.
1079. (
Προσήκοντα
is used like adjectives meaning
fit,
proper.)
Φράζ, ἐπεὶ
πρέπων ἔφυς πρὸ τῶνδε φωνεῖν.
SOPH. O.T. 9.So
τὰ ἡμῖν παραγγελθέντα
διεξελθεῖν (=
ἃ
παρηγγέλθη ἡμῖν διεξελθεῖν).
PLAT. Tim. 90 E.
[*] 762.
In the same way
(761) certain adjectives, like
δίκαιος, ἐπικαίριος, ἐπιτήδειος,
ἐπίδοξος, may be used personally with the infinitive; as
δίκαιός ἐστι τοῦτο
ποιεῖν,
it is right for him to do
this (equivalent to
δίκαιόν ἐστιν αὐτὸν τοῦτο ποιεῖν). E.g.
Φημὶ πολλῷ μειζόνων ἔτι τούτων
δωρεῶν δίκαιος εἶναι τυγχάνειν,
“I say that I have a right to receive even far
greater rewards than these.”
DEM. xviii. 53.
Ἐδόκουν ἐπιτήδειοι εἶναι
ὑπεξαιρεθῆναι,
“they seemed to be convenient persons to be
disposed of.”
THUC. viii. 70.
Θεραπεύεσθαι ἐπικαίριοι,
“important persons to be taken care of.”
XEN. Cyr. viii.
2, 25.
Τάδε τοι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπίδοξα
γενέσθαι,
“it is to be expected that this will result from
it.”
HDT. i. 89.
Πολλοὶ ἐπίδοξοι τωὐτὸ τοῦτο
πείσεσθαί εἰσι,
“it is to be expected that many will suffer this
same thing.”
Id. vi. 12 (for
the future infinitive see 113).
[*] 763.
Any adjective may take an infinitive to limit its meaning to
a particular action; as
αἰσχρὸν
ὁρᾶν,
disgraceful to look
upon. The infinitive is here regularly active or middle, even
when the passive would seem more natural. The omitted subject of the
infinitive (except when it is passive) is distinct from that of the
adjective. E.g.
Αἰσχρὸν γὰρ
τόδε γ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐσσομένοισι πυθέσθαι,
“for this is disgraceful even for future men to
hear.”
Il. ii.
119.So
Il.
i. 107 and 589.
Τοὺς
γὰρ ὑπὲρ τούτων λόγους ἐμοὶ μὲν ἀναγκαιοτάτους προειπεῖν
ἡγοῦμαι, ὑμῖν δὲ χρησιμωτάτους ἀκοῦσαι, i.e.
most necessary for me to speak, and most useful for
you to hear.
DEM. xxi. 24.
Φοβερὸν προσπολεμῆσαι,
“a terrible man to fight against.”
Id. ii. 22.
(
Οἰκία)
ἡδίστη ἐνδιαιτᾶσθαι,
“a house most pleasant to live in.”
XEN. Mem. iii. 8,
8.
Χαλεπώτατα εὑρεῖν,
hardest to find:
ῥᾷστα ἐντυγχάνειν,
“easiest to obtain.”
Ib. i. 6,
Ib. 9.
(
Πολιτεία)
χαλεπὴ συζῆν,
a form of government hard to live under:
ἄνομος δὲ (
μοναρχία)
χαλεπὴ καὶ βαρυτάτη ξυνοικῆσαι.
PLAT. Polit.
302B and
E.
Λόγος δυνατὸς
κατανοῆσαι,
a speech capable of
being understood (
which it is possible
to understand).
Plat. Phaed. 90D.
Ὁ χρόνος βραχὺς ἀξίως
διηγήσασθαι,
“the time is too short for narrating it properly.”
Menex. 239B.
Ἡ ὁδὸς ἐπιτηδεία πορευομένοις
καὶ λέγειν καὶ ἀκούειν,
“convenient both for speaking and for hearing.”
Symp. 173B.
Πότερον δὲ λούσασθαι
ψυχρότερον;
which of the two (
waters)
is colder for bathing?
XEN. Mem. iii.
13, 3.
(Passive.) (
Κύνες)
αἰσχραὶ
ὁρᾶσθαι (instead of
ὁρᾶν).
Cyn. iii. 3.
Ἔστι δ᾽ ὁ λόγος φιλαπεχθήμων
μὲν, ῥηθῆναι δ᾽ οὐκ ἀσύμφορος.
ISOC. xv. 115.
The infinitive with adjectives (here and in 758) shows
distinct traces of its origin as a dative, though this origin was
already forgotten.
See
742 (end) and 767.
[*] 764.
(
a) The infinitive after the
comparative with
ἤ depends
on the idea of
ability or
inability implied in the expression. E.g.
Τὸ γὰρ νόσημα μεῖζον ἢ
φέρειν,
“for the disease is too heavy to bear.”
SOPH.O.T.
1293. (
See
763, above.)
Ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη
φύσις ἀσθενεστέρα ἢ λαβεῖν τέχνην ὧν ἂν ᾖ ἄπειρος,
“human nature is too weak to acquire the art of
those things of which it has no experience.”
PLAT. Theaet.
149 C. (
See
758.)
(
b)
Ὥστε or
ὡς is sometimes expressed before this
infinitive; as in
XEN. Hell. iv. 8, 23 ,
ᾔσθοντο αὐτὸν ἐλάττω ἔχοντα δύναμιν ἢ
ὥστε τοὺς φίλους ὠφελεῖν, and
Cyr. vi. 4,
Cyr. 17,
τὰς ἀσπίδας μείζους ἔχουσιν ἢ ὡς ποιεῖν τι
καὶ ὁρᾶν. (
See 588.)
[*] 765.
The infinitive may be used after adverbs which correspond to
the adjectives of 763. E.g.
Συνεβουλεύετο αὐτῷ πῶς ἂν τοῖς μὲν εὔνοις κάλλιστα
ἰδεῖν ποιοῖτο τὴν ἐξέλασιν, τοῖς δὲ δυσμενέσι
φοβερώτατα,
he took counsel with him how
he might proceed forth in a manner most splendid for the friendly to
behold,
and most terrible for the
indisposed.
XEN. Cyr. viii.
3, 5.
[*] 766.
Certain nouns, which correspond in meaning to adjectives
which take the infinitive as in 763, may themselves have the same
construction. E.g.
Θαῦμα
ἰδέσθαι,
a wonderful thing to
behold (like
θαυμαστὸν
ἰδέσθαι).
Od. viii. 366.See the examples under 749.
[*] 767.
In Homer, verbs expressing
excellence or
fitness sometimes take
a limiting infinitive, like adjectives of similar meaning. E.g.
Ἕκτορος ἥδε γυνὴ, ὃς
ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι,
this is the
wife of Hector,
who was the
first (=
ἄριστος
ἦν)
in fighting.
Il. vi. 460.
Ὁμηλικίην ἐκέκαστο ὄρνιθας
γνῶναι καὶ ἀναίσιμα μυθήσασθαι,
“he excelled all of his age in knowledge of birds
and in declaring fate.”
Od. ii. 158.
Οἳ περὶ μὲν βουλὴν Δαναῶν,
περὶ δ᾽ ἐστὲ μάχεσθαι,
“ye who excel the Danai in counsel and excel them
in battle.”
Il. i. 258.
(Here
βουλήν shows that
μάχεσθαι was already
felt as a limiting accusative, notwithstanding its primitive force as a
dative.
See 763,
and 742, end.)
[*] 768.
Even in Attic Greek a limiting infinitive, like the Homeric
infinitive just mentioned
(767), is sometimes found. Especially
ἀκούειν, ἀκοῦσαι,
in sound, and
ὁρᾶν,
ἰδεῖν,
in appearance, are
used in this way. E.g.
Δοκεῖς
οὖν τι διαφέρειν αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν χαλκέως φαλακροῦ καὶ
σμικροῦ;
“ do you think that they differ at all in
appearance from a bald little tinker?”
PLAT. Rep. 495E.
Ἀκοῦσαι παγκάλως ἔχει,
“it is very fine to hear.”
DEM. xix. 47.
Πράγματα παρέξουσιν
(
οἱ ἵπποι)
ἐπιμέλεσθαι,
“the horses will be troublesome to tend.”
XEN. Cyr. iv.
5. 46.
[*] 769.
The Homeric use of
ὁμοῖος,
equal,
like, with the infinitive belongs here. E.g.
Λευκότεροι χιόνος, θείειν δ᾽
ἀνέμοισιν ὁμοῖοι, (
horses)
whiter than snow, and like the winds in
swiftness (lit.
to run).
Il. x. 437.
Οὐ γάρ οἵ τις ὁμοῖος
ἐπισπέσθαι ποσὶν ἦεν, ἀνδρῶν τρεσσάντων,
“for none was like him for following with his feet
when men fled.”
Il. xiv.
521.
Infinitive of Purpose.
[*] 770.
The infinitive may express a
purpose.
E.g.
Τρώων ἄνδρα
ἕκαστον (
εἰ)
ἑλοίμεθα οἰνοχοεύειν,
“if we should choose every man of the Trojans to
be our cup-bearers.”
Il. ii. 127.
Χέρνιβα δ᾽ ἀμφίπολος προχόῳ
ἐπέχευε φέρουσα, νίψασθαι, i.e.
brought and poured water for washing.
Od. i.
136.So
Il.
i. 338,
δὸς
ἄγειν, and
Il. 107,
Il. 108.
Τὴν ἐξ Ἀρείου πάγου βουλὴν
ἐπέστησαν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς εὐκοσμίας, i.e.
to guard good order.
ISOC. vii. 37.
Οἱ ἄρχοντες, οὓς ὑμεῖς
εἵλεσθε ἄρχειν μου,
the
rulers,
whom you chose to rule me.
PLAT. Ap. 28E.
Δέκα δὲ τῶν νεῶν προὔπεμψαν
ἐς τὸν μέγαν λιμένα πλεῦσαί τε καὶ κατασκέψασθαι, καὶ
κηρῦξαι, κ.τ.λ., i.e.
they sent them
to sail and examine, and to proclaim, etc.
THUC. vi. 50.
Τοὺς ἱππέας παρείχοντο
Πελοποννησίοις ξυστρατεύειν.
Id. ii. 12.
Ξυνέβησαν τοῖς Πλαταιεῦσι
παραδοῦναι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ ὅπλα, χρήσασθαι
ὅ τι ἂν βούλωνται, i.e.
to do with them whatever they pleased.
Id. ii. 4.
Εἰ βουλοίμεθά τῳ ἐπιτρέψαι
ἢ παῖδας παιδεῦσαι ἢ χρήματα διασῶσαι,
“if we should wish to entrust to any one either
children to instruct or money to keep.”
XEN. Mem. i. 5, 2.
Θεάσασθαι παρῆν τὰς γυναῖκας
πιεῖν φερούσας,
women
bringing (
something)
to drink.
Id. Hell. vii.
2. 9.
Τὴν πόλιν καὶ
τὴν ἄκραν φυλάττειν αὐτοῖς παρέδωκαν,
“they delivered the city and the citadel to them
to guard.”
Ib. iv. 4.
15.
Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ὑμᾶς
λάθῃ, τοῦτον ἀφίετε τοῖς θεοῖς κολάζειν.
DEM. xix. 71.
“
Ἡ θύρα ἡ ἐμὴ ἀνέῳκτο
εἰσιέναι τῷ δεομένῳ τι ἐμοῦ.”
XEN. Hell.
v. 1, 14
“
Οὐκ εἶχον ἀργύριον
ἐπισιτίζεσθαι,”
“they had no money to buy provisions.”
Id. An. vii.
1, 7
“
Ἀριστάρχῳ ἔδοτε ἡμέραν
ἀπολογήσασθαι,”
“i.e., a day to defend himself in.”
Id. Hell.
i. 7,28
“
Ἐμαυτόν σοι ἐμμελετᾶν
παρέχειν οὐ πάνυ δέδοκται,”
“i.e. to practise on.”
PLAT.
Phaedrus 228 E.
“
Οἷς ἐνευδαιμονῆσαι τε ὁ
βίος ὁμοίως καὶ ἐντελευτῆσαι ξυνεμετρήθη,”
“for enjoyment as well as for death.”
THUC. ii.
44.
[*] 771.
Here, as in 763, the infinitive is generally active or
middle, even where the passive would seem more natural; as
κτανεῖν ἐμοί νιν ἔδοσαν,
“they gave her to me to be killed.”
EUR. Tro.
874.
[*] 772.
(
a) The infinitive is thus used
in prose chiefly after verbs signifying
to
choose or
appoint, to give or
take, to express the purpose for which
anything is given or taken; and also after those signifying
to send or
bring.
(See examples in 770.) With the last class the future participle is
still more common
(840). A final clause after
ἵνα etc. may also be used in the same sense.
(
b) In poetry, the same
construction occurs after verbs of
motion,
like
εἶμι, ἥκω, and
βαίνω; and also after
εἰμί, ἔπειμι, and
πάρειμι (
to be, to be at hand), expressed or
understood. E.g.
Ἀλλά τις εἴη
εἰπεῖν Ἀτρεΐδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι, ποιμένι λαῶν,
“but let some one go to tell Agamemnon.”
Od. xiv. 496.
Βῆ δὲ θέειν,
“and he started to run.”
Il. ii. 183.
Οὐδέ τις ἔστιν ἀρὴν καὶ
λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι,
“nor is there any one to keep off curse and ruin.”
Il. xxiv. 489.
Πολλοὶ δ᾽ αὖ σοὶ Ἀχαιοὶ
ἐναιρέμεν ὅν κε δύνηαι, i.e.
for
you to slay whomsoever you can.
Il. vi. 229.
Οὐ γὰρ ἔπ᾽ ἀνὴρ οἷος
Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκεν, ἀρὴν ἀπὸ οἴκου ἀμῦναι.
Od. ii. 59.
“
Μανθάνειν γὰρ ἥκομεν,”
“for we are come to learn.”
SOPH. O.C.
12.
(
c) Even in prose, the infinitive
occasionally occurs after
εἰμί in this sense, as in
PLAT.
Phaedr. 229A,
“
ἐκεῖ σκιά τ᾽ ἐστὶ, καὶ
πόα καθίζεσθαι ἢ ἂν βουλώμεθα κατακλιθῆναι”
,
there is grass to sit upon, etc.
See also
XEN. An.
ii. 1, 6 ,
πολλαὶ δὲ
καὶ πέλται καὶ ἅμαξαι ἦσαν φέρεσθαι ἔρημοι, i.e.
they were left to be carried away.
[*] 773.
In Homer and Herodotus
εἶναι is often introduced to denote a purpose, where in
Attic Greek a simple noun, connected directly with the leading verb,
would be sufficient. E.g.
Θώρηκα,
τόν ποτέ οἱ Κινύρης δῶκε ξεινήιον εἶναι, i.e.
which they gave him as a present (lit.
to be a present).
Il. xi. 20.
Λίθον εἵλετο
χειρὶ παχείῃ, τόν ῤ̔ ἄνδρες
πρότεροι θέσαν ἔμμεναι οὖρον ἀρούρης,
which former men had placed (
to be)
as a boundary of
the land.
Il. xxi. 405.
Δαρεῖος καταστήσας Ἀρταφέρνεα
ὕπαρχον εἶναι Σαρδίων.
HDT. v. 25.So in the passive
construction:
Γέλων ἀπεδέχθη
πάσης τῆς ἵππου εἶναι ἵππαρχος.
Id. vii. 154.
[*] 774.
Even in Attic prose, this use of
εἶναι
(773) sometimes
occurs; as in
DEM.
xxix. 25,
μνημονεύουσιν
ἀφεθέντα τοῦτον ἐλεύθερον εἶναι τότε,
they remember his having been then
manumitted (
so as)
to be a freeman. So
ἀφίησιν αὐτὰ δημόσια εἶναι,
he gives them up to be public property,
THUC. ii.
13.
[*] 775.
The simple infinitive in Homer may express a result as well
as a purpose, as
ὥστε is
seldom used there in the sense of
so as
(589). It thus
follows many expressions which would not allow it in Attic Greek. E.g.
Τίς τ᾽ ἄρ σφωε θεῶν ἔριδι
ξυνέηκε μάχεσθαι; i.e.
who brought
them into conflict, so as to contend?
Il. i. 8.So
i. 151; and
ἐριζέμεναι,
Il. ii. 214.
Ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ κοίλη νηῦς
ἤχθετο τοῖσι νέεσθαι,
when now
their ship was loaded,
so as (to
be ready)
to sail.
Od. xv.
457.
For the infinitive in consecutive sentences with
ὥστε or
ὡς, and
ἐφ᾽ ᾧ or
ἐφ᾽
ᾧτε, see 582-600; 608-610.
For the infinitive with
πρίν, see 626-631.
Absolute Infinitive.
Absolute Infinitive.
3
[*] 776.
The infinitive may stand absolutely in certain parenthetical
phrases, expressing a limitation or qualification of some word or of the
whole sentence.
[*] 777.
1. Most frequent are the simple
ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν and
ὡς εἰπεῖν,
so to
speak; and
ὡς
εἰπεῖν or
εἰπεῖν
with an adverb or other adjunct, sometimes with an object. E.g.
Καὶ ἔργου, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἢ
οὐδενὸς προσδέονται ἢ βραχέος πάνυ,
and of action,
so to
speak, they need either none or very little.
PLAT. Gorg.
450D. Plato uses
ὡς ἔπος
εἰπεῖν 77 times.
Ὡς
εἰπεῖν ἔπος,
“so to speak.”
AESCH. Pers.
714: so
EUR. Hipp. 1162,
EUR. Her. 167 (see
EUR. Or. 1).
Ὡς δὲ συντόμως εἰπεῖν,
“to speak concisely.”
ISOC. vii. 26:
so
PLAT. Tim. 25E.
Ὡς συνελόντι εἰπεῖν.
XEN. Mem.
iii. 8, 10.
Ὡς εἰπεῖν.
PLAT. Phaedr.
258E : so
PLAT. Rep. 619D.
Ὡς ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν,
“to speak simply.”
ISOC. iv. 154.
Ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ
εἰπεῖν.
Symp. 186C.
Ὡς τὸ ὅλον εἰπεῖν
γένος.
Crat. 192C.
Ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πᾶν
εἰπεῖν.
Leg. 667D. So
ὡς περὶ
ὅλης εἰπεῖν ψυχῆς,
Rep. 577E.
Ὥς γε τὸ δικαιότατον
εἰπεῖν.
Leg. 624A.
Ὡς πόλιν εἰπεῖν,
“speaking of a state.”
Rep. 577C.
Without
ὡς:
τὸ σύμπαν εἰπεῖν,
HDT. ii. 91;
THUC. i. 138,
THUC. vii. 49.
Ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς εἰπεῖν.
Id. vi. 82.
Σὺν θεῷ
εἰπεῖν.
PLAT. Prot. 317B.
Τὸ δ᾽ ὀρθὸν εἰπεῖν,
ἀνέπνευσα,
SOPH. O.T. 1220.
2. Other verbs of
saying are used
in the same way with
ὡς.
E.g.
Ὡς τορῶς φράσαι.
AESCH. Ag.
1584.
Ὡς ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα
λέγειν.
PLAT. Crat. 399D.
Ὥς γε ἐν τῷ νῦν παρόντι
λέγειν.
Leg. 857C.
Ὡς ἓν φράζειν.
Id. Polit. 282B
Ὡς πρὸς ὑμᾶς
εἰρῆσθαι, i.e.
between ourselves.
Rep. 595B.
Ὥς γε πρὸς σὲ εἰρῆσθαι
τἀληθῆ.
Prot. 339E.
Ὡς ἐν τύπῳ, μὴ δἰ
ἀκριβείας, εἰρῆσθαι.
Rep. 414A.
For
ὡς λόγῳ
εἰπεῖν in Herodotus,
see 782.
[*] 778.
Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν
or (less frequently)
ὡς ἐμοὶ
δοκεῖν means
in my opinion, it seems
to me. Other similar expressions are (
ὡς)
εἰκάσαι,
to make a guess;
(
ὡς)
συμβάλλειν,
to compare,
if we may
compare; (
ὡς)
ἀκοῦσαι,
to the ear;
ὡς ἰδεῖν or
ὅσον ἰδεῖν,
to the eye,
in
appearance;
ὅσον ἐμὲ εἰδέναι,
so far as my knowledge goes;
ὡς τεκμήρασθαι,
so far as one can judge. E.g.
Ἀλλ᾽ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν,
τάχ᾽ εἴσει,
but,
methinks, you will soon know.
AESCH. Pers.
246: so
SOPH.
El. 410.
Αὐτόχθονες δοκέειν ἐμοί
εἰσι.
HDT. i.
172.
Ἀπεπέμπετο ἡ στρατιὴ, ὡς
ἐμοὶ δοκέειν, ἐπὶ Λιβύης καταστροφῇ.
Id. iv. 167.
Δοκεῖν δ᾽ ἐμοί.
THUC. viii. 64:
so vii. 87.
Ἀληθῆ, ἔμοιγε
δοκεῖν.
PLAT. Men. 81 A. See
Rep. 432 B,
“
ὥς γε οὑτωσὶ δόξαι”
.
“
Χῶρος ὅδ᾽ ἱρὸς, ὡς
ἀπεικάσαι”
SOPH. O.C.
16.
“
Ὡς θύραθεν εἰκάσαι”
EUR. H.F.
713.
See
HDT. i. 34.
Ὡς μικρὸν μεγάλῳ
εἰκάσαι.
THUC. iv. 36.Once
εἰκάσαι alone:
SOPH. O.T. 82.
Ὕδωρ γε ἓν πρὸς ἓν
συμβάλλειν, i.e.
to compare the waters
one with the other.
HDT. iv. 50 (cf.
ἓν πρὸς ἕν,
THUC. ii. 97).
Ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο οὑτωσὶ μὲν
ἀκοῦσαι λόγον τιν᾽ ἔχον, i.e.
on
first hearing it.
DEM. xx. 18.
Ἄτοπα, ὡς οὕτω γ᾽
ἀκοῦσαι.
PLAT. Euthyph. 3 B.
Ὥς γε ἐντεῦθεν ἰδεῖν,
“as it looks from this point.”
Rep. 430 E.
Ὅσσον ἴδην.
Fr. 101.
Ὅσα γ᾽ ὧδ᾽ ἰδεῖν.
Pac. 856.
“
Οὐχ, ὅσον γέ μ᾽ εἰδέναι,”
“no, as far as I know.”
Aristoph.
Nub. 1252.
See also
Aristoph. Eccl. 350,
ὅ τι κἄμ᾽ εἰδέναι, and Thesm. 34,
ὥστε (
ὥς τε)
κἀμέ γ᾽ εἰδέναι, in the same sense.
“
Ὥς γε τῷ ποδὶ
τεκμήρασθαι.”
PLAT.
Phaedr. 230 B.
See also
ὥς γ᾽ ἐμοὶ
χρῆσθαι κριτῇ,
EUR. Alc. 801;
ὥς γε κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν δόξαν
ἀποφήνασθαι,
PLAT. Polit. 272 D. See further, for
Herodotus,
782.
[*] 779.
(
a) Here belong
ὀλίγου δεῖν and
μικροῦ δεῖν,
wanting little,
almost, and the rare
πολλοῦ
δεῖν,
far from. E.g.
Πολλῶν λόγων
γιγνομένων ὀλίγου δεῖν καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐκκλησίαν,
“when many speeches are made almost in every
assembly.”
DEM. ix. 1.
Μικροῦ δεῖν ὅμοιόν ἐστι τῷ
ὀνειδίζειν.
Id. xviii. 269; so
ISOC. iv. 144,
ISOC. viii. 44,
ISOC. 89.
Ἵν᾽ εἰδῆτε πολλοῦ δεῖν
ἄξιον ὄντα,
that you may know
that he is far from deserving, etc.
DEM. xxiii. 7 (the only case of
πολλοῦ δεῖν).
(
b) Here
δεῖν is often omitted, leaving
ὀλίγου or
μικροῦ in the sense of
almost. E.g.
“
Ὀλίγου φροῦδος γεγένημαι,”
“I am almost gone myself,”
AR. Nub.
722
, and
μικροῦ κατηκόντισαν
ἅπαντας,
“they came near shooting them all.”
DEM. xviii.
151.
[*] 780.
In many expressions
εἶναι is used absolutely, and it often seems to us
superfluous. The most common case is that of
ἑκὼν εἶναι,
so
far as being willing goes, or
willingly, used almost exclusively in negative sentences. E.g.
Οὔτε αὐτὸς ἔφη ἑκὼν
εἶναι δουλεύσειν.
HDT. viii. 116.See
THUC. ii. 89,
THUC. vi. 14.
Ἑκὼν γὰρ εἶναι οὐδὲν
ψεύσομαι,
“willingly I will tell no falsehood.”
Symp. 215A
Οὐκ ᾤμην γε κατ᾽ ἀρχὰς ὑπὸ
σοῦ ἑκόντος εἶναι ἐξαπατηθήσεσθαι.
Gorg. 499C.
(
Ἀνάγκη ἔχειν)
τὴν ἀψεύδειαν καὶ τὸ
ἑκόντας εἶναι μηδαμῇ προσδέχεσθαι τὸ ψεῦδος.
Id. Rep.
485C: see
336 E. One positive sentence occurs,
HDT. vii. 164.
[*] 781.
Other cases of absolute
εἶναι are
τὸ ἐπὶ
σφᾶς (
ἐπὶ ἐκείνοις,
ἐπὶ τούτοις, κατὰ τοῦτον)
εἶναι,
so far as
they were concerned, etc.
THUC. iv. 28,
THUC. viii. 48;
XEN. An. i. 6,
9 ,
XEN.
Hell. iii. 5, 9 ;—
κατὰ (
εἰς)
δύναμιν εἶναι,
ISAE. ii. 32;
PLAT. Polit.
300C ;—
κατὰ
τοῦτο εἶναι,
“so far as concerns this.”
Id. Prot.
317A;—
τὴν πρώτην
εἶναι,
at first,
HDT. i. 153.So
especially
τὸ νῦν εἶναι,
at present (
τό belonging to
νῦν): see
ISOC. xv. 270;
PLAT. Lach. 201
C,
PLAT.
Rep. 506 E; XEN
Cyr. v. 3,
Cyr. 42; also
τὸ τήμερον εἶναι,
to-day,
PLAT. Crat. 396 E In Aristotle's
τὸ τί ἦν εἶναι, the
εἶναι is probably
absolute, and
τί ἦν may
be a “philosophic” imperfect
(40), the expression meaning
the original essence (
the “
what was it?”).
Two expressions have
ὡς:
ὡς πάλαια
εἶναι,
considering their
antiquity,
THUC. i. 21; and
ὥς γε
διακόνους εἶναι πόλεως,
considering that they were servants of a state, i.e.
for servants,
PLAT. Gorg. 517 B.
[*] 782.
Herodotus has a remarkable variety of expressions of this
kind. Besides those already quoted, see the following:—
Τὸ Δέλτα ἐστὶ
κατάρρυτόν τε καὶ νεωστὶ, ὡς λόγῳ εἰπεῖν,
ἀναπεφηνός,
and recently,
so to speak, has appeared above water. ii. 15.
(
Ὡς λόγῳ εἰπεῖν is
peculiar to Herodotus.)
Καὶ ὡς
ἐμὲ εὖ μεμνῆσθαι τὰ ὁ ἑρμηνεύς μοι ἔφη,
so far as I remember rightly what the interpreter
told me, etc. ii. 125.
Ὡς ἐμὲ κατανοέειν,
as I
understand it. ii. 28.
Ὡς μέν νυν ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ δηλῶσαι, πᾶν εἴρηται: ὡς δὲ ἐν
πλέονι λόγῳ δηλῶσαι, ὧδε ἔχει. ii. 24 and 25.
Μετὰ δὲ, οὐ πολλῷ λόγῳ
εἰπεῖν, χρόνος διέφυ. i. 61.
Ὡς ἐμὲ συμβαλλόμενον εὑρίσκειν,
so far as I find by conjecture. vii.
24.
Ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκέειν
συμβαλλομένῳ. iv. 87.
Ὡς εἶναι ταῦτα σμικρὰ μεγάλοισι συμβάλλειν,
so far as I may (
εἶναι)
compare these
small things with great ones. iv. 99: see ii. 10.
Ὡς Σκύθας εἶναι,
for Scythians,
considering that they are Scythians. iv. 81.
Ὡς εἶναι Αἰγύπτου,
for Egypt, i.e.
for a land like Egypt. ii. 8.
Μεγάλα ἐκτήσατο χρήματα ὡς ἂν εἶναι
Ῥοδῶπιν,
she gained great sums of
money for a Rhodopis. ii. 135. (The force of
ἄν is very doubtful here; and
Ῥοδῶπιν is often
emended to
Ῥοδώπιος or
Ῥοδώπι, neither of
which is satisfactory.)
[*] 783.
The absolute infinitive was probably felt as a limiting
accusative; and in
Pac.
232,
ἐξιέναι γνώμην
ἐμὴν μέλλει, we might substitute
ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν for
γνώμην ἐμήν.
4
Ὡς as used here can hardly
be expressed in English; but it resembles some uses of
ὥστε and
ὡς with the infinitive after adjectives in
588. It cannot be demonstrative, as might be supposed from our
inadequate translation of
ὡς
εἰπεῖν,
so to speak.
Infinitive in Commands and Prohibitions for the Imperative.
Infinitive in Wishes and Exclamations.
[*] 784.
1. The infinitive is sometimes used in the sense of the
second person of the imperative, especially in Homer. E.g.
Τῷ νῦν μή ποτε καὶ σὺ γυναικί
περ ἤπιος εἶναι: μή οἱ μῦθον ἅπαντα πιφαυσκέμεν, ὅν κ᾽
ἐὺ εἰδῇς, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν φάσθαι, τὸ δὲ καὶ κεκρυμμένον
εἶναι,
now therefore be thou never
indulgent to thy wife, etc.
Od. xi. 441.So
Il. i. 20,
Il. 582,
Il. ii.
10,
Il.
xvii. 501;
Od. x. 297,
Od. xi. 72,
Od. xvii.
278,
Od.
xviii 106,
Od. xxii. 287.
“
Οἷς μὴ πελάζειν,”
“do not approach these
(= μὴ πέλαζε).”
AESCH. Prom.
712.
Πρὶν δ᾽ ἂν τελευτήσῃ,
ἐπισχεῖν μηδὲ καλέειν κω ὄλβιον,
wait,
and do not yet
call him happy.
HDT. i. 32.
Σὺ δὲ τὰς πύλας ἀνοίξας
ὑπεκθεῖν καὶ ἐπείγεσθαι,
and do
you open the gates,
and rush out and
press on.
THUC. v. 9.
Ἐὰν οἷοί τε γενώμεθα
εὑρεῖν, φάναι ἡμᾶς ἐξευρηκέναι,
“say that we have found it.”
PLAT. Rep. 473 A.
Τοῦτο παρ᾽ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς
βεβαίως γνῶναι,
“understand this in your own minds.”
DEM. viii. 39.
2. In the cases of the second person just given
(1), the subject is in
the nominative. But when the infinitive is equivalent to the third
person of the imperative, its subject is in the accusative, as if some
word like
δός,
grant, were understood. E.g.
Εἰ μέν κεν Μενέλαον Ἀλέξανδρος
κακαπέφνῃ, αὐτὸς Ἑλένην ἐχέτω: εἰ δέ κ᾽ Ἀλέξανδρον
κτείνῃ Μενέλαος, Τρῶας ἔπειθ᾽ Ἑλένην ἀποδοῦναι,
i.e.
let him keep Helen himself,—and
let the Trojans surrender Helen.
Il. iii.
281-285.
Τεύχεα συλήσας
φερέτω, σῶμα δὲ οἴκαδ᾽ ἐμὸν δόμεναι πάλιν (sc.
αὐτόν).
Il. vii. 78.
These examples follow the construction of the infinitive in
wishes
(785).
[*] 785.
The infinitive with a subject accusative is sometimes used
for the optative in the expression of a wish referring to the future.
This occurs chiefly in poetry. E.g.
Ζεῦ πάτερ, ἢ Αἴαντα λαχεῖν ἢ Τυδέος υἱόν,
Father Zeus,
may
the lot fall on Ajax or on the son of Tydeus (=
Αἴας λάχοι).
Il. vii. 179.
Ζεῦ ἄνα, Τηλέμαχόν μοι ἐν
ἀνδράσιν ὄλβιον εἶναι, καί οἱ πάντα γένοιθ̓
ὅσσα φρεσὶν ᾗσι
μενοινᾷ (
εἶναι =
εἴη is followed by
γένοιτο).
Od. xvii. 354.
Μὴ πρὶν ἐπ᾽ ἠέλιον δῦναι καὶ
ἐπὶ κνέφας ἐλθεῖν.
Il. ii. 413.
Αἰεὶ δὲ τοιαύταν αἶσαν
διακρίνειν ἔτυμον λόγον ἀνθρώπων.
PIND. Py. i. 67.
Θεοὶ πολῖται, μή με δουλείας
τυχεῖν (=
μὴ
τύχοιμι).
Sept. 253.
Δήμητερ, εὐδαιμονεῖν με Θησέα
τε παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν.
EUR. Supp. 3.
Ἑρμᾶ μ̓πολαῖε, τὰν γυναῖκα
τὰν ἐμὰν οὕτω μ᾽ ἀποδόσθαι τάν τ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ ματέρα,
“O that I could sell my wife and my mother at this
rate!”
AR. Ach. 816.
Ὦ Ζεῦ, ἐκγενέσθαι μοι
Ἀθηναίους τίσασθαι,
“may it be permitted me to punish the Athenians.”
HDT. v. 105.
Ὁκότεροι δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέων
νικήσωσι, τούτους τῷ ἅπαντι στρατοπέδῳ νικᾶν, i.e.
let their victory count for the whole army.
Id. ix. 48.
This construction, like the preceding (784, 2), is often
explained by an ellipsis of
δός,
grant; see
Il. iii. 351,
δὸς τίσασθαι.
Aristarchus supplied
γένοιτο or
εἴη.
[*] 786.
In two passages of the Odyssey, we find the infinitive in a
wish introduced by
αἲ
γάρ, once in the sense of the optative and once in that of a
past tense of the indicative, with the subject (understood) in the
nominative:—
Αἲ γὰρ, τοῖος ἐὼν
οἷός ἐσσι, . . . παῖδά τ᾽ ἐμὴν ἐχέμεν καὶ ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς
καλέεσθαι,
O that,
being such as you now are, you might have (=
ἔχοις)
my daughter and be called my son-in-law.
Od. vii. 311.
Αἲ γὰρ, οἷος Νήρικον
εἷλον, . . . τοῖος ἐών τοι χθιζὸς ἐφεστάμεναι καὶ ἀμύνειν
ἄνδρας μνηστῆρας: τῷ κε σφέων γούνατ᾽ ἔλυσα,
“O that I had stood by you yesterday and had
punished the suitors; then would I have loosened their knees.”
Od. xxiv.
376.So also
AESCH. Cho. 362-366, and 368.
These passages agree in construction with the second person
of the infinitive in commands (784, 1).
[*] 787.
The infinitive, with its subject accusative, may be used in
exclamations of surprise or indignation. E.g.
Ἐμὲ παθεῖν τάδε, φεῦ, ἐμὲ παλαιόφρονα,
κατά τε γᾶν οἰκεῖν, ἀτίετον, φεῦ, μύσος,
that I should suffer this,
alas! I, with my thoughts of old; and that I should
dwell in this land, alas! an unhonoured plague!
AESCH. Eum. 837.
Ἀλλὰ τούσδ᾽ ἐμοὶ ματαίαν
γλῶσσαν ὧδ᾽ ἀπανθίσαι κἀκβαλεῖν ἔπη τοιαῦτα,
that these should thus cast at me the flowers
of their idle tongues, etc.
Id. Ag. 1662.
“
Ὦ δυστάλαινα, τοιάδ᾽
ἄνδρα χρησιμὸν φωνεῖν”
SOPH. Aj.
410.
“
Τοιουτονὶ τρέφειν κύνα,”
“to keep a dog like that!”
AR. Vesp.
835.
Τοῦτον δὲ ὑβρίζειν: ἀναπνεῖν
δέ,
and that he should be thus
insulting,
and should draw his breath!
DEM. xxi. 209.
Compare
“
Mene incepto desistere victam!”
VERG. Aen. i.
37.
This infinitive often has the article
τό
(805).
Infinitive with the Article.
Infinitive with the Article.
5
[*] 788.
It has been seen that the infinitive without the article was
already established in the Homeric language, in nearly all the
constructions in which it was most frequently used in later times. In
this simple form it developed its various tenses, and their uses became
fixed, especially in indirect discourse; so that the infinitive
gradually came to be more of a verb and less of a noun.
When the definite article had become common with nouns, it
was soon prefixed to the infinitive, which thus, with all its attributes
as a verb unimpaired, was restored to new life as a neuter verbal
noun.
6
As a nominative and accusative, it could be used with
τό in all the constructions in
which the simple infinitive was already familiar as subject or object,
although here the older form was preferred except when it was desired to
emphasise the infinitive especially as a nominative or accusative. But
in other constructions (especially in the genitive, dative, and
accusative with prepositions), and in its wonderful capacity for
carrying dependent clauses and adjuncts of every kind, the articular
infinitive appears as a new power in the language, of which the older
simple infinitive gave hardly an intimation.
As might be expected, the articular infinitive found its
chief use in the rhetorical language, as in Demosthenes and in the
speeches of Thucydides. It appears first in Pindar (for
τό in
Od. xx. 52
and Frag. HES. clxxi. can hardly be the article), but always as a
subject nominative, with one doubtful exception. In the dramatists and
Herodotus it is not uncommon, being generally a nominative or accusative
with
τό, although it occurs
also as a genitive or dative with
τοῦ or
τῷ;
and it is found even with prepositions. In Thucydides (especially in the
speeches), we find the nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative all
used with the greatest freedom (in 135 cases), besides the accusative,
genitive, and dative with prepositions (in 163 cases). Its fully
developed power of taking dependent clauses must be seen in the Orators,
especially in Demosthenes.
7
Articular Infinitive as Subject or Object.
[*] 789.
Although the infinitive, as subject or object of a verb,
generally stands without the article, the article may be prefixed to
make the infinitive more prominent as a noun in the structure of the
sentence.
[*] 790.
The infinitive with
τό may stand as a subject, especially of
ἐστίν. E.g.
Τὸ γνῶναι ἐπιστήμην που λαβεῖν ἐστιν,
“to learn is to acquire knowledge.”
PLAT. Theaet.
209 E.
Τὸ δίκην διδόναι πότερον
πάσχειν τί ἐστιν ἢ ποιεῖν;
Gorg. 476
D. (In the last two examples the
subject infinitive has the article to emphasise it, while the
predicate infinitive stands alone.)
Τὸ δὲ παθεῖν εὖ πρῶτον
ἀέθλων.
PIND. Py. i. 99.
Οὔτοι ἡδύ ἐστι τὸ ἔχειν
χρήματα οὕτως ὡς ἀνιαρὸν τὸ ἀποβάλλειν.
XEN. Cyr. viii.
3, 42.
Πολλάκις δοκεῖ τὸ φυλάξαι
τἀγαθὰ τοῦ κτήσασθαι χαλεπώτερον εἶναι,
“to keep advantages often seems to be harder than
gaining them.”
DEM. i. 23 (cf.
ii. 26, quoted in 745, for both construction and sense).
Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἀδικεῖν, τὸ
πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ζητεῖν ἔχειν.
PLAT. Gorg. 483
C.
Ἀλλ᾽ οἶμαι, νῦν μὲν
ἐπισκοτεῖ τούτοις τὸ κατορθοῦν.
DEM. ii. 20.
Τὸ γὰρ θάνατον δεδιέναι οὐδὲν
ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἢ δοκεῖν σοφὸν εἶναι μὴ ὄντα: δοκεῖν γὰρ
εἰδέναι ἐστὶν ἃ οὐκ οἶδεν.
PLAT. Ap. 29
A. See also 29 C.
It will be seen by comparison that most of these examples
would admit the construction without the article by making the
infinitive less prominent as a subject nominative. Compare
οὔτε κλαίειν οὔτ᾽ ὀδύρεσθαι
πρέπει, AESCH
Sept. 656, with
τοῖς δ᾽ ὀλβίοις γε καὶ τὸ νικᾶσθαι
πρέπει,
Ag. 941.
[*] 791.
The infinitive with
τό can stand as an accusative of the direct object, sometimes
as an accusative of kindred meaning. The relation of such an infinitive
with
τό to the verb is
often less close than that of the simple infinitive in a similar case
(see 811). E.g.
Τλήσομαι τὸ
κατθανεῖν,
“I shall dare to die.”
AESCH. Ag. 1290.
Ἔστιν τις, ἔστιν, ὅς σε
κωλύσει τὸ δρᾶν,
“who will prevent you from acting.”
SOPH. Ph.
1241.So
ἐπισπεύδειν τὸ
δρᾶν,
SOPH. El. 467.
Τὸ σπεύδειν δέ σοι
παραινῶ.
Id. Ph. 620.
“
Τὸ δρᾶν οὐκ ἠθέλησαν,”
“they were unwilling to act (would not act).”
Id. O.C.
442.
Τὸ δ᾽ αὖ ξυνοικεῖν τῇδ᾽
ὁμοῦ τίς ἂν γυνὴ δύναιτο,
what
woman would be able to live with her? (
to live with her—what woman could do it?).
Id. Tr. 545.
Τὸ ὑπὸ οἴνου μὴ σφάλλεσθαι
ἐπιμελεῖσθαι,
“to take care not to be upset by wine.”
Lac. v. 7.
Αἰσχύνονται τὸ τολμᾶν.
PLAT. Soph.
247 C.
Συνεθίζεσθαι
ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὸ τὴν πατρίδα φιλεῖν.
LYCURG. 100.
Καὶ πῶς δὴ τὸ ἀρχιχοὺς
εἶναι ἀνθρώπων παιδεύεις;
XEN. Oec. xiii.
4: see also ix. 12. (So
παιδεύω τινά τι.)
Ἐπέσχον τὸ εὐθέως τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐπιχειρεῖν.
THUC. vii.
33 (cf.
τοῦτο
ἐπέσχον,
THUC. ii. 76).
Οὐδέ
τοι τῇ χειρὶ πείθομαι τὸ δρᾶν,
nor am I persuaded by your violence to act (as you bid me).
SOPH. Ph.
1253 (cf.
οὐ πείθομαί
σοι ταῦτα).
Καρδίας
ἐξίσταμαι τὸ δρᾶν,
I withdraw
from my resolution (i.e.
I
consent)
to do it.
Id. Ant.
1105: cf.
φρονεῖν
μετέγνω, i.e.
changed his purpose
(
and resolved)
to
contemplate,
AESCH. Ag. 221.
For
τὸ μὴ οὐ
with the infinitive after negatived verbs in this construction (e.g.
AR. Ran.
68),
see
815, 2,
and
814.
[*] 792.
The infinitive with
τό as an object accusative may follow verbs which would not
allow the simple infinitive in its place. E.g.
Τὸ τελευτῆσαι πάντων ἡ πεπρωμένη κατέκρινε,
τὸ δὲ καλῶς ἀποθανεῖν ἴδιον τοῖς σπουδαίοις ἀπένειμεν,
“Fate condemned all mankind to death; but a
glorious death she reserved for the virtuous.”
ISOC. i. 43.
Μόνον ὁρῶν τὸ παίειν τὸν
ἁλισκόμενον,
“seeing only the beating of the captive.”
XEN. Cyr. i. 4,
21.
Τὸ μὲν εὐνοέειν τε καὶ
προορᾶν ἄγαμαί σευ.
HDT. ix. 79.
The double character of the articular infinitive, as noun and
verb, permits it to stand as an object wherever the object accusative of
a noun would be allowed.
[*] 793.
A few of the verbs included in 747, which govern the genitive
of a noun, allow also the genitive of the infinitive with
τοῦ
(798), as well as
the simple infinitive. This applies chiefly to
ἀμελέω, ἐπιμελέομαι, and to the verbs of
hindrance etc. included in 807. E.g.
Ἀμελήσας τοῦ
ὀργίζεσθαι.
XEN. Mem. ii. 3, 9. (But
ἀμελήσας λέγειν,
PLAT. Phaed. 98
D. ) Most verbs of
desiring and
neglecting take only the simple infinitive.
Ἐπιμελέομαι, which
usually takes
ὅπως with
the future indicative
(339), allows also the simple infinitive (
THUC. vi. 54),
the infinitive with
τό (
Lac. v.
7), and the infinitive with
τοῦ (
Id. Mem. iii. 3,
Id. Mem. 11). (
See 361,
Id. Mem. 791, and 798.)
[*] 794.
The infinitive of indirect discourse after verbs of
saying and
thinking sometimes takes
τό. Here each tense of the infinitive preserves its time, and
even the infinitive with
ἄν occurs. E.g.
Ἦμεν
δ᾽ ἑτοῖμοι θεοὺς ὀρκωμοτεῖν τὸ μήτε δρᾶσαι μήτε τῳ
ξυνειδέναι τὸ πρᾶγμα βουλεύσαντι,
to swear that we neither had done it (
ἐδράσαμεν)
nor were
in the secret (
ξύνισμεν)
of any one who had plotted the
deed.
SOPH. Ant. 264.
Ἐξομεῖ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι;
“ will you swear that you have no knowledge?”
Ib. 535.
“
Καὶ τὸ προειδέναι γε τὸν
θεὸν τὸ μέλλον καὶ τὸ προσημαίνειν ᾧ βούλεται, τοῦτο
πάντες καὶ λέγουσι καὶ νομίζουσιν.”
XEN. Ap.
13.
See also
XEN. Hell. v. 2, 36
(814).
(With
ἄν.)
Τῆς ἐλπίδος γὰρ ἔρχομαι
δεδραγμένος, τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ἂν ἄλλο πλὴν τὸ μόρσιμον,
“for I come clinging to the hope that I could
suffer nothing except what is fated.”
SOPH. Ant.
235.For the articular infinitive with
ἄν in other constructions,
see 212.
Infinitive with τό, after Adjectives and Nouns.
[*] 795.
In some constructions in which the simple infinitive appears
to preserve most distinct traces of its origin as a dative, especially
after adjectives or nouns (758; 763; 766), the articular infinitive
takes
τό as an accusative.
E.g.
Τὸ δὲ βίᾳ πολιτῶν δρᾶν
ἔφυν ἀμήχανος,
“but I am helpless to act in defiance of the
citizens.”
SOPH. Ant. 79.
Μακρὸς τὸ κρῖναι ταῦτα χὠ
λοιπὸς χρόνος,
“a long time to settle this.”
Id. El. 1030
(cf.
χρόνος βραχὺς
διηγήσασθαι,
a time short for
narrating, under 763).
Τὸ
μὴ βλέπειν ἑτοίμα,
“ready to cease beholding the light.”
Ib. 1079
(see 758).
Τὸ προσταλαιπωρεῖν
οὐδεὶς πρόθυμος ἦν.
THUC. ii. 53.
Τὸ μὲν ἐς τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν
ἐσβάλλειν, κἂν μὴ ἐκπλεύσωμεν, THUC. i ῾κανοί εἰσι.
Id. vi. 17.
Ἐς δέον πάρεσθ᾽ ὅδε Κρέων
τὸ πράσσειν καὶ τὸ βουλεύειν,
“he is here at the right moment to act and advise.”
SOPH. O.T. 1416.
Αἴτιος τὸ σὲ ἀποκρίνεσθαι μὴ
τοῦτο.
PLAT. Lach. 190 E. (This is rare, but see
DEM. viii.
56,
DEM. ix. 63.
Αἴτιος generally has the
infinitive with
τοῦ,
DEM. 798, or the
simple infinitive,
DEM.
749.)
Ἡ ναυμαχία οὐχὶ δικαίαν ἔχει
τέκμαρσιν τὸ ἐκφοβῆσαι,
“the seafight offers no just ground for alarm.”
THUC. ii. 87.
“
Οὐδὲ τοὐξανιστάναι ἐστὶ
θάρσος,”
“nor have I courage to remove you.”
SOPH. O.C.
47.
The exact force given to these accusatives by those who used
them is not always clear; but they come nearest to the accusative of
respect or
limitation (as
εἶδος
κάλλιστος,
most beautiful in
form). Sometimes the infinitive with
τό has this force, where the simple
infinitive could not be used; as in
LYCURG. 91,
ἐπεί γε τὸ ἐλθεῖν τοῦτον, οἶμαι θεόν τινα
αὐτὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν ἀγαγεῖν τὴν τιμωρίαν,
for,
as to his
departure, I think that some God led him directly to
punishment.
[*] 796.
We occasionally find
τό with the infinitive in the Mss. in a similar loose
construction, where we should expect the infinitive with
τοῦ or
τῷ in apposition with a preceding genitive
or dative. See
THUC.
vii. 36,
τῇ πρότερον
ἀμαθίᾳ δοκούσῃ εἶναι, τὸ ἀντίπρῳρον ξυγκροῦσαι,
and viii. 87,
καταβοῆς ἕνεκα τῆς
ἐς Λακεδαίμονα, τὸ λέγεσθαι ὡς οὐκ ἀδικεῖ, where
most editors now read
τῷ
and
τοῦ against the Mss.
But Birklein defends the Mss. readings by HYPER. Epitaph. 2,
ἄξιον δέ ἐστιν ἐπαινεῖν τὴν μὲν
πόλιν ἡμῶν τῆς προαιρέσεως ἕνεκεν, τὸ προελέσθαι ὅμοια, .
. . τοὺς δὲ τετελευτηκότας τῆς ἀνδρείας, τὸ μὴ καταισχῦναι
τὰς τῶν προγόνων ἀρετάς, where the two infinitives with
τό explain
προαιρέσεως and
ἀνδρείας. (
See 804.)
[*] 797.
The infinitive with
τό appears in its greatest variety of meanings in the
construction of
τὸ μή or
τὸ μὴ οὐ after verbs
implying a negative
(811). See also 813 and 814.
Infinitive with τοῦ, τῷ, and τό, as a Noun, in various Constructions.
[*] 798.
The infinitive with
τοῦ appears as an adnominal genitive, a genitive after verbs
and adjectives and with comparatives, a partitive genitive, a genitive
absolute, and a genitive expressing cause, purpose, or motive. E.g.
Τοῦ πιεῖν ἐπιθυμία,
“the desire to drink.”
THUC. vii. 84.
Πόνους δὲ τοῦ ζῆν ἡδέως
ἡγεμόνας νομίζετε.
XEN. Cyr. i. 5, 12.
Πρὸς τὴν πόλιν προσβαλόντες ἐς
ἐλπίδα ἦλθον τοῦ ἑλεῖν, i.e.
hope of taking the city.
THUC. ii. 56
(see 749).
Τὸ γὰρ εὖ πράττειν
παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀφορμὴ τοῦ κακῶς φρονεῖν τοῖς ἀνοήτοις
γίγνεται,
“for doing well beyond their deserts sets fools to
thinking ill.”
DEM. i. 23.
Ἡ δὲ διαγνώμη αὕτη τῆς
ἐκκλησίας τοῦ τὰς σπονδὰς λελύσθαι,
“this vote of the assembly that the treaty had
been broken.”
THUC. i. 87.See
XEN. Cyr. i.
4, 4.
Δόξετε αἴτιοι
εἶναι, ἄρξαντες τοῦ διαβαίνειν,
“by having begun the passage of the river.”
XEN. An. i. 4,
15.
Ὀρεγόμενοι τοῦ πρῶτος ἕκαστος
γίγνεσθαι,
“being eager each to be first.”
THUC. ii. 65.
Παρεκάλει ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τοῦ ὡς
φρονιμώτατον εἶναι.
XEN. Mem. i. 2, 55 ; so iii. 3,
XEN. Mem.
11. (
See
793.)
Ἐπέσχομεν τοῦ
δακρύειν,
“we ceased to weep.”
PLAT. Phaed. 117
E. (See below,
E. 807.)
Καὶ γὰρ ἀήθεις τοῦ κατακούειν τινός εἰσιν,
“for they are unused to obeying any one.”
DEM. i. 23.See
xxix. 17.
Ἄξιος αὐτοῖς
ἐδόκεις εἶναι τοῦ τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀκούειν.
Id. xxi. 134.
Τοὺς καρποὺς, οἳ τοῦ μὴ
θηριωδῶς ζῆν ἡμᾶς αἴτιοι γεγόνασι,
the fruits of the earth,
which are the cause of our not living like beasts.
ISOC. iv. 28.
Κατηράσατο τῷ αἰτίῳ τοῦ μὴ
πάλαι ἀποδεδόσθαι τὸν μισθόν,
“he cursed him who was responsible for the wages
not having been paid long before.”
XEN. An. vii. 7,
48. (
Αἴτιος
may take the simple infinitive and even the infinitive with
τό.
See 749 and 795.)
Πολλάκις δοκεῖ τὸ φυλάξαι τἀγαθὰ
τοῦ κτήσασθαι χαλεπώτερον εἶναι.
DEM. i. 23.So
XEN. Cyr. i. 5,
13.
Νέοις τὸ σιγᾶν κρεῖττόν ἐστι
τοῦ λαλεῖν.
MEN. Mon. 387.
Τοῦ θαρσεῖν τὸ πλεῖστον
εἰληφότες, i.e.
having become most
emboldened.
THUC. iv. 34.
Οὐδὲν οὔτε ἀναιδείας οὔτε
τοῦ ψεύδεσθαι παραλείψει.
DEM. xxxvii. 45.
Εἰς τοῦτ᾽ ἐλήλυθε τοῦ
νομίζειν.
Id. xxii. 16.
Τὸ μεγάλου ἔργου ὄντος τοῦ
ἑαυτῷ τὰ δέοντα παρασκευάζειν μὴ ἀρκεῖν τοῦτο.
XEN. Mem. ii.
1, 8 (see 806).
Ζηλῶ σε μᾶλλον ἢ
᾿μὲ τοῦ μηδὲν φρονεῖν,
for want
of knowledge. I. A. 677. (
Μίνως)
τὸ λῃστικὸν
καθῄρει, τοῦ τὰς προσόδους μᾶλλον ἰέναι αὐτῳ,
“in order that revenues might come in to him more
abundantly.”
THUC. i. 4.So
ii. 22,
THUC. 32,
THUC. 75,
THUC. 93;
XEN. Cyr. i.
3, 9.
Τοῦ μὴ τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν,
“to escape doing what was just.”
DEM. xviii. 107.
Πρὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα φιλονεικοῦντα
λέγειν τοῦ καταφανὲς γενέσθαι.
PLAT. Gorg. 457
E. This final use appears first and chiefly in Thucydides.
[*] 799.
The infinitive with
τῷ may express
cause, manner, or
means; or it may follow verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs which take the dative. E.g.
Οὐδὲ τῷ δύνασθαι καὶ εἰωθέναι λέγειν
ἐπαρθείς.
LYS. xxxi. 2.
Οὐδενὶ τῶν πάντων πλέον
κεκράτηκε Φίλιππος ἢ τῷ πρότερος πρὸς τοῖς πράγμασι
γίγνεσθαι.
DEM. viii. 11.See xxiii. 9,
τῷ μὲν ἀκοῦσαι, τῷ δ᾽ ἔργῳ. Ἀλλὰ τῷ
φανερὸς εἶναι τοιοῦτος ὤν,
“by making it plain that he was such a man.”
XEN. Mem. i. 2,
3. So
Cyr. iv.
5,
Cyr. 9.
Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῷ γε κοσμίως ζῆν
ἄξιον πιστεύειν,
“to trust in an orderly life.”
ISOC. xv. 24.
“
Ἵνα ἀπιστῶσι τῷ ἐμὲ
τετιμῆσθαι ὑπὸ δαιμόνων,”
“
that they may distrust my having
been honoured by divine powers.”
XEN. Ap.
14.
Μεῖζον μέρος νέμοντες τῷ μὴ
βούλεσθαι ἀληθῆ εἶναι.
THUC. iii. 3.
Ἴσον δὲ τῷ
προστένειν.
AESCH. Ag. 253.
Τῷ ζῆν ἔστι τι ἐναντίον,
ὥσπερ τῷ ἐγρηγορέναι τὸ καθεύδειν.
PLAT. Phaed. 71
C.
Ὅμοιόν ἐστι τῳ
ὀνειδίζειν.
DEM. xviii. 269.
Τῷ πλουτεῖν ὑπήκοα,
“obedient to wealth.”
AR. Pl. 146.
Ἅμα τῷ τιμᾶσθαι.
PLAT. Rep. 468
D; so
ἅμα τῷ
τιμᾶν,
468 E
[*] 800.
The infinitive with the article, as genitive, dative, or
accusative, very often follows prepositions, or adverbs used as
prepositions. E.g.
Τοὺς γὰρ
λόγους περὶ τοῦ τιμωρήσασθαι Φίλιππον ὁρῶ γιγνομένους,
“for I see that the speeches are made about
punishing Philip.”
DEM. iii. 1.
Πρὸ τοῦ τοὺς ὅρκους
ἀποδοῦναι,
“before taking the oaths.”
Id. xviii. 26.
Ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς χάριν δημηγορεῖν
ἐνίους.
Id. iii. 3.
Ἀντὶ τοῦ πόλις εἶναι
φρούριον κατέστη.
THUC. vii. 28; so i. 69.
Ἀπὸ τοῦ πεῖραν διδοὺς ξυνετὸς
φαίνεσθαι.
Id. i. 138.
Ἕνεκα τοῦ πλείω ποιῆσαι τὴν
ὑπάρχουσαν οὐσίαν.
ISOC. i. 19.
Πρὸς τῷ μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς
πρεσβείας λαβεῖν,
“besides receiving nothing from the embassy.”
DEM. xix. 229.
Ἐν τῷ πολίτην
ποιεῖσθαι (
Χαρίδημον),
in making Charidemus a
citizen.
Id. xxiii. 188.
Ἐθαυμάζετο ἐπὶ τῷ εὐθύμως
ζῆν.
XEN. Mem. iv. 8, 2.
Ὅμως διὰ τὸ ξένος εἶναι οὐκ
ἂν οἴει ἀδικηθῆναι,
“on account of being a stranger.”
Ib. ii. 1,
Ib. 15.
Πάντων διαφέρων ἐφαίνετο καὶ
εἰς τὸ ταχὺ μανθάνειν ἃ δέοι καὶ εἰς τὸ καλῶς ἕκαστα
ποιεῖν.
Id. Cyr. i. 3,
Id. Cyr. 1.
Πρὸς τὸ μετρίων δεῖσθαι
πεπαιδευμένος.
Id. Mem. i. 2,
Id. Mem. 1; so
DEM. i. 4.
Παρὰ τὸ αἰσχρόν τι
ὑπομεῖναι.
PLAT. Ap. 28 C.
[*] 801.
The infinitive is not found with
ἀνά in any case, with
ἀμφί in accusative or dative, with
κατά in genitive, with
παρά in genitive or dative,
with
περί in dative, with
πρός in genitive, with
ὑπέρ in accusative, or
with
ὑπό in accusative or
dative.
[*] 802.
The genitive of the infinitive with
ὑπέρ is often equivalent to a final
clause. E.g.
Τὰς δεήσεις αἷς
κέχρηνταί τινες ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὰ μέτρια καὶ τὰ συνήθη μὴ
γίγνεσθαι ἐν τῇ πόλει (=
ἵνα μὴ γίγνηται),
the solicitations which some have employed in order that moderate
counsels and the ordinary principles may not prevail in the state.
AESCHIN. iii. 1.
Εἰς τὰς τριήρεις ἐμβάντες
ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ τὸ κελευόμενον ποιῆσαι (=
ἵνα μὴ ποιήσωσιν),
embarking on shipboard that they might avoid doing
what was bid.
DEM. xviii.
204.
[*] 803.
The article cannot ordinarily be omitted when the infinitive
follows a preposition.
(
a) A singular exception occurs
in a few cases of
ἀντί
with the simple infinitive in Herodotus. See
ὃς ἀντὶ μὲν δούλων ἐποίησας ἐλευθέρους
Πέρσας εἶναι, ἀντὶ δὲ ἄρχεσθαι ὑπ᾽ ἄλλων ἄρχειν
ἁπάντων, i. 210, where the antithesis of
ἀντὶ μὲν δούλων makes
ἀντὶ δὲ ἄρχεσθαι
more natural; also vi. 32 (with no antithesis). So vii. 170 (but with a
various reading
ἀντὶ
τοῦ).
(
b)
Πλήν,
except, as an adverb, may have the simple infinitive; as
τί ἄλλο πλὴν ψευδῆ
λέγειν,
SOPH. Ph. 100.So
πλὴν
γάμου τυχεῖν,
AESCH. Eum. 737.
[*] 804.
An infinitive, with the article in any case, may stand in
apposition to a noun in the same case. E.g.
Ἡ τῶν παίδων ἀρχὴ, τὸ μὴ ἐᾶν ἐλευθέρους
εἶναι, ἕως, κ.τ.λ.,
the
government of children,—
not
permitting them to be free, until, etc.
PLAT. Rep. 590 E.
Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἀδικεῖν, τὸ
πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ζητεῖν ἔχειν.
Gorg. 483 C.
Τοῦτο προσόμοιον ἔχουσι τοῖς
τυράννοις, τὸ πολλῶν ἄρχειν.
Id. Rep. 578 D.
Τί τούτου μακαριώτερον, τοῦ
γῇ μιχθῆναι;
XEN. Cyr. viii.
7, 25.
Δοκεῖ τούτῳ διαφέρειν ἀνὴρ
τῶν ἄλλων ζώων, τῷ τιμῆς ὀρέγεσθαι.
Id. Hier. vii.
3; so
Id.
Oec. xiv. 10.
For a few doubtful cases of the infinitive with
τό, in apparent apposition
with a genitive or dative,
see 796.
[*] 805.
The infinitive with
τό is used in exclamations of surprise or indignation. E.g.
“
Τὸ δὲ μηδὲ κυνῆν οἴκοθεν
ἐλθεῖν ἐμὲ τὸν κακοδαίμον᾽ ἔχοντα,”
“but to think that I, wretched fellow, should
come from home without even my cap!”
AR. Nub.
268.
“
Τῆς μωρίας: τὸ Δία
νομίζειν, ὄντα τηλικουτονί,”
“what folly! to believe in Zeus, now you are
so big!”
Ib.
819.
For the simple infinitive in these exclamations,
see 787.
[*] 806.
The infinitive with its subject, object, or other adjuncts
(sometimes including dependent clauses) may be preceded by the article
τό, the whole sentence
standing as a single noun, either as the subject or object of a verb, as
the object of a preposition, or in apposition with a pronoun like
τοῦτο. E.g.
Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ ἀπολωλεκέναι
κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον τῆς ἡμετέρας -ἀμελείας ἄν τις θείη
δικαίως: τὸ δὲ μήτε πάλαι τοῦτο πεπονθέναι, πεφηνέναι τέ
τινα ἡμῖν συμμαχίαν τούτων ἀντίρροπον, ἂν βουλώμεθα
χρῆσθαι, τῆς παρ᾽ ἐκείνων εὐνοίας εὐεργέτημ᾽ ἂν ἔγωγε
θείην.
DEM. i. 10.
Τὸ γὰρ πρὸς ἄνδρα θνητὸν καὶ
διὰ καιρούς τινας ἰσχύοντα γράφοντας εἰρήνην ἀθάνατον
συνθέσθαι τὴν κατὰ τῆς πόλεως αἰσχύνην, καὶ ἀποστερῆσαι
μὴ μόνον τῶν ἄλλων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν παρὰ τῆς
τύχης εὐεργεσιῶν τὴν πόλιν,
καὶ τοσαύτῃ περιουσίᾳ χρῆσθαι πονηρίας ὥστε μὴ μόνον
τοὺς ὄντας Ἀθηναίους ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὕστερόν ποτε
μέλλοντας ἔσεσθαι πάντας ἠδικηκέναι, πῶς οὐχὶ πάνδεινον
ἐστίν;
Id. xix.
55.
Simple Infinitive and Infinitive with τοῦ, after Verbs of Hindrance, etc.
Simple Infinitive and Infinitive with
τοῦ, after Verbs of Hindrance, etc.
8
[*] 807.
After verbs and other expressions which denote
hindrance or
freedom from anything, two forms are allowed, the simple
infinitive, and the genitive of the infinitive with
τοῦ.
Thus we can say (
a)
εἴργει σε τοῦτο ποιεῖν
(747) and (
b)
εἴργει σε τοῦ τοῦτο ποιεῖν
(798), both with
the same meaning,
he prevents you from doing
this. As the infinitive, after verbs implying a negation, can
take
μή to strengthen the
previous negation without otherwise affecting the sense (815, 1), we
have a third and a fourth form, still with the same meaning: (
c)
εἴργει σε μὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, and (
d)
εἴργει σε τοῦ μὴ
τοῦτο ποιεῖν,
he prevents you from
doing this. (For a fifth form,
εἴργει σε τὸ μὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, with the
same meaning,
see
811.)
If the leading verb is itself
negatived (or is interrogative with a negative implied), the
double negative
μὴ οὐ is
generally used instead of
μή in the form (
c) with the simple
infinitive, but probably never in the form (
d) with the genitive of the infinitive; as
οὐκ εἴργει σε μὴ οὐ τοῦτο ποιεῖν,
he does not prevent you from doing
this (815, 2), but
not
τοῦ μὴ οὐ τοῦτο ποιεῖν.
(See also 811, for
τὸ μὴ
οὐ.) E.g.
(
a)
Κακὸν δὲ ποῖον εἶργε τοῦτ᾽ ἐξειδέναι;
SOPH. O.T. 129.
Παιδὸς Φέρητος, ὃν θανεῖν
ἐρρυσάμην.
EUR. Alc. 11.
Ἐπὶ Ὀλύνθου ἀποπέμπουσιν,
ὅπως εἴργωσι τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἐπιβοηθεῖν.
THUC. i. 62.
Ἄλλως δέ πως πορίζεσθαι τὰ
ἐπιτήδεια ὅρκους ἤδη κατέχοντας ἡμᾶς (
ᾔδειν).
XEN. An. iii. 1,
20.
Εὐδοκιμεῖν ἐμποδὼν σφίσιν
εἶναι.
PLAT. Euthyd. 305 D.
Εἰ τοῦτό τις εἴργει δρᾶν
ὄκνος,
“if any hesitation prevents you from doing this.”
Soph. 242 A.
Τὴν ἰδέαν τῆς γῆς οὐδέν με
κωλύει λέγειν.
Plat. Phaed. 108 D.
Τὸν Φίλιππον παρελθεῖν οὐκ
ἐδύναντο κωλῦσαι.
DEM. v. 20.
(
b)
Τοῦ δὲ δραπετεύειν δεσμοῖς ἀπείργουσι;
XEN. Mem. ii. 1,
16.
Τὸ γὰρ ψευδόμενον φαίνεσθαι
καὶ τοῦ συγγνώμης τινὸς τυγχάνειν ἐμποδὼν μάλιστα
ἀνθρώποις γίγνεται.
Id. Cyr. iii. 1,
Id. Cyr. 9.
Εἶπεν ὅτι κωλύσειε
(
ἂν)
τοῦ καίειν ἐπιόντας.
Id. An. i. 6,
Id. An. 2.
Ἐπέσχομεν τοῦ δακρύειν.
PLAT. Phaed.
117 E (cf.
117 C, quoted in
811).
Ἀπεσχόμην τοῦ λαβεῖν τοῦ δικαίου
ἕνεκα.
DEM.
xix. 223.
(
c)
“
Θνητούς γ᾽ ἔπαυσα μὴ
προσδέρκεσθαι μόρον”
AESCH. Prom.
248.
“
Τοὐμὸν φυλάξει σ᾽ ὄνομα
μὴ πάσχειν κακῶς”
SOPH. O.C.
667.
Ὅπερ ἔσχε μὴ τὴν
Πελοπόννησον πορθεῖν,
“which prevented him from ravaging the
Peloponnesus.”
THUC. i. 73.
Διεκώλυσε μὴ διαφθεῖραι.
Id. iii. 49.
Ἐπεγένετο κωλύματα μὴ
αὐξηθῆναι.
Id. i. 16.
Πέμπουσι κήρυκα, ὑποδεξάμενοι
σχήσειν τὸν Σπαρτιήτην μὴ ἐξιέναι.
HDT. ix. 12.
“
Εἶργε μὴ βλαστάνειν.”
PLAT.
Phaedr. 251 B.
Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι
Ἕλλησι οὐδεμία ἔκδυσις μὴ οὐ δόντας λόγον εἶναι σοὺς
δούλους.
HDT. viii. 100. (
See 815,
HDT. 2; 816.)
Οὐ δυνατοὶ αὐτὴν ἴσχειν εἰσὶ Ἀργεῖοι μὴ
οὐκ ἐξιέναι.
Id. ix. 12.
“
Ὥστε ξένον γ᾽ ἂν οὐδέν᾽
ὄνθ᾽, ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν, ὑπεκτραποίμην μὴ οὐ συνεκσῴζειν.”
SOPH. O.C.
565.
Τί ἐμποδὼν μὴ οὐχὶ
ὑβριζομένους ἀποθανεῖν;
XEN. An. iii. 1,
13. (
Τί
ἐμποδών implies
οὐδὲν
ἐμποδών.)
Τίνος ἂν
δέοιο μὴ οὐχὶ πάμπαν εὐδαίμων εἶναι;
“ what would hinder you from being perfectly
happy?”
Id. Hell. iv.
1,
Id. Hell.
36.
(
d)
Πᾶς γὰρ ἀσκὸς δύο ἄνδρας ἕξει τοῦ μὴ
καταδῦναι, i.e.
will keep two men from
sinking.
XEN. An. iii. 5,
11.
Ὃν οὐδείς πω προθεὶς τοῦ μὴ
πλέον ἔχειν ἀπετράπετο.
THUC. i. 76.
Εἰ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐμποδών τι αὐτῷ
ἐγένετο τοῦ μὴ εὐθὺς τότε δικάσασθαι.
DEM. xxxiii. 25.
Ἠπίστατο τὴν πόλιν μικρὸν
ἀπολιποῦσαν τοῦ μὴ ταῖς ἐσχάταις συμφοραῖς
περιπεσεῖν.
ISOC. xv. 122.
Ἀποσοβοῦντες ἂν ἐμποδὼν
γίγνοιντο τοῦ μὴ ὁρᾶν αὐτοὺς τὸ ὅλον στράτευμα.
XEN. Cyr.
ii. 4, 23.
Εἰδότες ὅτι ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ εἰσι
τοῦ μηδὲν παθεῖν.
Ib. iii. 3,
Ib. 31 (cf.
THUC. vi. 18,
quoted in 749).
Τοῦ δὲ
μὴ (
κακῶς)
πάσχειν αὐτοὶ πᾶσαν ἄδειαν
ἤγετε,
“you were entirely free from fear of suffering
harm.”
DEM. xix. 149.
Ἐνούσης οὐδεμιᾶς ἔτ᾽
ἀποστροφῆς τοῦ μὴ τὰ χρήματ᾽ ἔχειν ὑμᾶς,
there being no longer any escape from the conclusion
that you have taken bribes (
from your
having bribes).
Id. xxiv. 9.
The last two examples show that the genitive of the
infinitive can take
μή,
even after nouns implying
hindrance or
freedom. In the two following, the addition of
μή is more
peculiar:—
Ἡ ἀπορία τοῦ μὴ
ἡσυχάζειν,
“the inability to rest.”
THUC. ii. 49.
Τῇ τοῦ μὴ ξυμπλεῖν
ἀπιστίᾳ,
through distrust of sailing
with them; i.e.
through unwillingness
to sail, caused by distrust.
Id. iii.
75.
[*] 808.
The infinitive with
τοῦ
μή can be used as a genitive in its ordinary negative
sense; as
οὔτε ἔστιν οὐδεμία
πρόφασις ἡμῖν τοῦ μὴ δρᾶν ταῦτα,
“no ground for not doing this.”
PLAT. Tim. 20
C. See also examples in 798.
[*] 809.
Although
μὴ οὐ
is more common than
μή
after negatives in the form (
c), the simple
μή sometimes occurs.
E.g.
Οὐ πολὺν χρόνον μ᾽
ἐπέσχον μή με ναυστολεῖν ταχύ.
SOPH. Ph. 349.
Οὐδέ μ᾽ ὄμματος φρουρὰν
παρῆλθε, τόνδε μὴ λεύσσειν στόλον.
Id. Tr.
226.
[*] 810.
The infinitive in the forms (
a),
(
c), and (
d), (but, according to Madvig, not in the form (
b), with
τοῦ without
μή) may follow negatives in the construction of 807. See the
examples.
Infinitive with τὸ
μή, or τὸ μὴ
οὐ.
[*] 811.
The infinitive with
τὸ
μή is used after many verbs and expressions which denote or
even imply
hindrance, prevention, omission,
or
denial, the
μή merely strengthening the negative idea
of the leading verb. If the leading verb is itself negatived, or is
interrogative with a negative implied,
τὸ μὴ οὐ is generally used with the
infinitive instead of
τὸ
μή (compare 807).
This infinitive with
τὸ
μή or
τὸ μὴ
οὐ is often less closely connected with the leading verb than
the simple infinitive (see 791), and it sometimes denotes merely the
result of a prevention or omission. It
is sometimes an object accusative, as after expressions of denial; but
it oftener resembles the accusative of respect or limitation. It adds a
fifth expression,
εἴργει σε τὸ
μὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, to the four already given in 807 as
equivalents of
he prevents you from doing
this; and a corresponding form,
οὐκ εἴργει σε τὸ μὴ οὐ τοῦτο ποιεῖν,
for
he does not prevent you from doing this.
E.g.
Τὸν πλεῖστον ὅμιλον
εἶργον τὸ μὴ προεξιόντας τῶν ὅπλων τὰ ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως
κακουργεῖν,
they prevented them from
injuring, etc. THUC.iii. 1.
Τὸ δὲ μὴ λεηλατῆσαι ἑλόντας σφέας τὴν
πόλιν ἔσχε τόδε,
“this prevented them from plundering the city.”
HDT. v. 101.
Οἷοί τε ἦσαν κατέχειν τὸ μὴ
δακρύειν,
“to restrain their tears.”
PLAT. Phaed. 117
C (cf.
117 E, quoted in
807).
Φόβος τε ξυγγενὴς τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν σχήσει,
“will check injustice.”
AESCH. Eum. 691.
Οὗτοί εἰσιν μόνοι ἔτι ἡμῖν
ἐμποδὼν τὸ μὴ ἤδη εἶναι ἔνθα πάλαι ἐσπεύδομεν.
XEN. An. iv.
8, 14.
Κίμωνα παρὰ τρεῖς ἀφεῖσαν
ψήφους τὸ μὴ θανάτῳ ζημιῶσαι, i.e.
by three votes they allowed Cimon to escape the
punishment of death.
DEM. xxiii. 205.
Τρεῖς δὲ μόναι ψῆφοι διήνεγκαν
τὸ μὴ θανάτου τιμῆσαι,
and only
three votes prevented you from condemning him to death (lit.
made the difference about condemning,
etc.).
Ib.
167.See
XEN. Cyr. v. 1, 25 , and
Ag. v. 4.
Φόβος γὰρ ἀνθ᾽ ὕπνου
παραστατεῖ τὸ μὴ βεβαίως βλέφαρα συμβαλεῖν ὕπνῳ,
i.e.
stands by to prevent my closing my eyes in
sleep.
AESCH. Ag.
15.
“
Οὐκ ἐναντιώσομαι τὸ μὴ οὐ
γεγωνεῖν πᾶν ὅσον προσχρῄζετε”
Prom.
786.
“
Οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ ταῦτ᾽
ἐπαρκέσει τὸ μὴ οὐ πεσεῖν ἀτίμως πτώματ᾽ οὐκ
ἀνασχετά,”
“this will not suffice to prevent him from
falling, etc.”
Ib. 918.
Λείπει μὲν οὐδ᾽ ἃ πρόσθεν
ᾔδεμεν τὸ μὴ οὐ βαρύστον᾽ εἶναι,
“they have no lack of being heavily grievous.”
SOPH. O.T. 1232.
Μήτοι, κασιγνήτη, μ᾽ ἀτιμάσῃς
τὸ μὴ οὐ θανεῖν τε σὺν σοὶ τὸν θανόντα θ᾽ ἁγνίσαι,
do not think me too unworthy to die with
thee, etc.
Id. Ant. 544. (Compare
Ant. 22, and
O. C. 49.)
Οὐκ ἀπεσχόμην τὸ μὴ οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦτο
ἐλθεῖν,
“I did not refrain from proceeding to this
subject.”
PLAT. Rep. 354
B; see
Crit. 43 C.
Οὐκ
ἀπέσχοντο οὐδ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ πλεονεκτεῖν
αὐτῶν πειρᾶσθαι.
XEN. Cyr. i. 6, 32.
Αὐτὴν μὲν οὐ μισοῦντ᾽
ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν τὸ μὴ οὐ
μεγάλην εἶναι
κεὐδαίμονα,
not grudging that city its
right to be great, etc.
AR. Av. 36. (Compare
μίσησέν μιν κυσὶ κύρμα
γενέσθαι,
Il. xvii. 272.)
Οὐδεὶς ἀντιλέγει τὸ μὴ οὐ λέξειν ὅ τι
ἕκαστος ἡγεῖται πλείστου ἄξιον ἐπίστασθαι,
no one objects to saying, etc.
Symp. iii. 3.
Μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι,
“do not omit to speak of it.”
SOPH. O.T. 283.
Οὐδένα δύνασθαι κρύπτειν τὸ
μὴ οὐχ ἡδέως ἂν καὶ ὠμῶν ἐσθίειν αὐτῶν,
“that no one is able to prevent people from
knowing that he would gladly even eat some of them raw.”
XEN. Hell. iii.
3, 6.
[*] 812.
The form
τὸ μὴ
is more common here when the leading verb is negative, where regularly
τὸ μὴ οὐ would be
used, than
μή for
μὴ οὐ in the corresponding
case
(809). E.g.
Οὐκ ἂν ἐσχόμην τὸ μὴ
ἀποκλῇσαι τοὐμὸν ἄθλιον δέμας.
SOPH. O.T. 1387.
Τίς σοῦ ἀπελείφθη τὸ μή σοι
ἀκολουθεῖν; i.e.
who failed to follow
you?
XEN. Cyr. v. 1,
25.
Ἄκος δ᾽ οὐδὲν ἐπήρκεσαν τὸ
μὴ πόλιν μὲν ὥσπερ οὖν ἔχει παθεῖν.
AESCH. Ag. 1170.
Καὶ φημὶ δρᾶσαι κοὐκ
ἀπαρνοῦμαι τὸ μή.
SOPH. Ant. 443.
Οὐδ᾽ ἄρνησις ἔστιν αὐτοῖς
τὸ μὴ ταῦθ᾽ ὑπὲρ Φιλίππου πράττειν,
“it is not even possible for them to deny that
they did these things in the interesi of Philip.”
DEM. xix. 163;
so xx. 135. So perhaps we may explain
τὸ μὴ ἐπιβουλεύειν in
HDT. i. 209 (see
§ 814).
[*] 813.
Although the infinitive with
τὸ μή is most frequently used (as in 811)
after verbs containing a negative idea, it can also have a negative
sense as the object of other verbs or with adjectives. See
τὸ μὴ σφάλλεσθαι
ἐπιμελεῖσθαι (quoted in 791), and
τὸ μὴ βλέπειν ἑτοίμα (quoted in 795),
in both of which the infinitive is really negatived by
μή. We must distinguish also
the use of
τοῦ μή with the
infinitive as an ordinary negative expression (see examples in 798) from
that which is explained in 807. Compare, likewise,
τὸ μὴ οὐ with the infinitive in 814 and
in 811. The nature of the leading verb will always make the force of the
negative plain. We have the same distinction, with the simple
infinitive, between
ἀναγκάζει σε
μὴ ἐλθεῖν,
he compels you not to
go
(747), and
εἴργει σε μὴ ἐλθεῖν,
he prevents you from going
(807).
[*] 814.
The infinitive with
τὸ
μὴ οὐ may be used in a
negative sense in various constructions with verbs and
expressions which do not have a negative meaning, provided these are
themselves negatived or are interrogative implying a negative. Though
τὸ μὴ οὐ is more
common here,
τὸ μή is also
allowed. E.g.
“
Κουδείς γέ μ᾽ ἂν πείσειεν
ἀνθρώπων τὸ μὴ οὐκ ἐλθεῖν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν,”
“and no man can persuade me not to go after
him.”
AR. Ran.
68.
Οὐ μέντοι ἔπειθέ γε τὸ μὴ
οὐ μεγαλοπράγμων τε καὶ κακοπράγμων εἶναι,
“but he did not persuade them that he was not full
of great and evil undertakings.”
XEN. Hell. v. 2,
36. (For similar expressions with
μὴ οὐ without
τό,
see 749 and
815, 2)
Τοῖς θεοῖς οὐδὲν ἂν ἔχοιμεν μέμψασθαι τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ
πάντα πεπραχέναι,
we cannot blame
the Gods for not
having done everything.
Id. Cyr. vii.
5. 42 (cf.
“
ταῦτ᾽ οὖν ὑμῖν μέμφομαι,”
AR. Nub.
525
).
Οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἔμοιγε
εἶναι φαίνεται τὸ μὴ οὐ βοηθεῖν τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις πάντα
ἄνδρα.
Leg. 891 A.
Ἄλογον τὸ μὴ οὐ
τέμνειν.
Soph. 219 E (see
817).
Τοῖς
δὲ οὐδὲ λόγος λείπεται τὸ μὴ οὐ πονηροῖς εἶναι.
DEM. xxiv.
69.9
Οὔκων ἐστὶ μηχανὴ
οὐδεμία τὸ μὴ ἐκεῖνον ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐμοί,
“there is then no way by which I can believe that
he is not plotting against me.”
HDT. i. 209
(cf.
PLAT. Phaed.
72 D).
“
Ἕξει τίνα γνώμην λέγειν
τὸ μὴ εὐρύπρωκτος εἶναι;”
AR. Nub.
1084.
Ἔφη οὐχ οἷόν τε εἶναι τὸ
μὴ ἀποκτεῖναί με,
“he said it was not possible not to condemn me to
death.”
PLAT. Ap. 29
C.
μὴ οὐ
with Infinitive and Participle, and (Rarely) with Nouns.
[*] 815.
1. The use of
μή
with the infinitive in the forms (
c) and
(
d) in 807 is to be referred to the
general principle, by which the infinitive after all verbs expressing a
negative idea (as those of
denying, distrusting, ,concealing, forbidding,
preventing, etc.) can always take
μή, to strengthen the negation implied in
the leading verb. Thus we say
ἀρνεῖται μὴ ἀληθὲς εἶναι τοῦτο,
he denies that this is true;
ἀπηγόρευε μηδένα τοῦτο
ποιεῖν,
he forbade any one to do
this. This
μή can,
however, be omitted without affecting the sense.
2. An infinitive which
for any
reason would take
μή
(either affecting the infinitive itself, as an ordinary negative, or
strengthening a preceding negation, as in the case just mentioned)
generally takes the double negative
μὴ οὐ, if the verb on which it depends is
itself negatived or is interrogative with a
negation implied. Thus the example given above,
ἀρνεῖται μὴ ἀληθὲς εἶναι τοῦτο, if
we negative the leading verb, generally becomes
οὐκ ἀρνεῖται μὴ οὐκ ἀληθὲς εἶναι
τοῦτο,
he does not deny that this is
true. So, when the original
μή really negatives the infinitive, as in
δίκαιόν ἐστι μὴ τοῦτον
ἀφιέναι,
it is just not to acquit
him, if we negative the leading verb, we commonly have
οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστι μὴ οὐ
τοῦτον ἀφιέναι,
it is not just not
to acquit him. E.g.
Ὡς οὐχ ὅσιόν σοι
ὂν μὴ οὐ βοηθεῖν δικαιοσύνῃ,
because (you said)
it would be impious
for you not to bring aid to Justice.
PLAT. Rep. 427 E.
Οὐκ ἂν πιθοίμην μὴ οὐ τάδ᾽
ἐκμαθειν σαφῶς,
“I cannot consent not to learn the whole.”
SOPH. O.T. 1065.
Ἄνδρα δ᾽ οὐκ ἔστι μὴ οὐ
κακὸν ἔμμεναι,
“it is not possible for a man not to be base.”
SIMON. v.
10.See also
PLAT. Phaed. 72 D (in 749). For examples in
which
μὴ οὐ strengthens
the negation of the leading verb,
see 807.
This applies also to the infinitive with
τὸ μή.
See 811 and 814.
[*] 816.
When
μή or
μὴ οὐ with the
infinitive follows a verb of
hindrance, etc.
(807), neither
μή nor
μὴ οὐ can be translated. When
μή really negatives the
infinitive (as in the examples last given),
μὴ οὐ must be translated by one negative.
In
PLAT. Rep. 368
B, the passage quoted in 427 E (
815, 2, above), Socrates had said
δέδοικα μὴ οὐδ᾽ ὅσιον ᾖ
. . . ἀπαγορεύειν καὶ μὴ βοηθεῖν, being prevented from
saying
μὴ οὐ βοηθεῖν by
the previous
μὴ οὐδ̓. In
XEN. Ap.
34 we have
οὔτε μὴ
μεμνῆσθαι δύναμαι αὐτοῦ οὔτε μεμνημένος μὴ οὐκ
ἐπαινεῖν.
[*] 817.
Verbs and expressions which contain such negative ideas as
impossibility, difficulty,
unwillingness, or
impropriety
sometimes take
μὴ οὐ
(instead of the simple
μή)
with the infinitive, to express a real negation, even when the leading
verb is not negatived. E.g.
Δήμου
ἄρχοντος ἀδύνατα μὴ οὐ κακότητα ἐγγίνεσθαι,
it is impossible that vice should not come
in (as if it were
οὐ
δυνατά).
HDT. iii. 82.
Δεινὸν ἐδόκεε εἶναι μὴ οὐ
λαβεῖν αὐτά.
Id. i. 187.
Ὥστε πᾶσιν αἰσχύνην εἶναι
μὴ οὐ συσπουδάζειν,
“so that all were ashamed not to join heartily in
the work.”
XEN. An. ii. 3,
11. So
ᾐσχύνετο μὴ
οὐ φαίνεσθαι,
Cyr. viii. 4,
Cyr. 5.
Αἰσχρόν ἐστι μὴ οὐχὶ
φάναι.
PLAT. Prot. 352 D.
Πολλὴ ἄνοια μὴ οὐχ
ἡγεῖσθαι.
Symp. 210B. So after
ἀνόητον,
ib. 218 C; after
ἄλογον,
id. Soph.
219E (see 814). For
χαλεπός followed by
μὴ
οὐ, see example under 819.
[*] 818.
Μὴ οὐ is
occasionally used with participles in negative sentences, in place of
the simple
μή, to express a
negative condition. The following cases are quoted:—
Οὔκων δίκαιον
εἶναι (
Δαρεῖον
ἀνδριάντα)
ἱστάναι
μὴ οὐκ ὑπερβαλλόμενον τοῖσι ἔργοισι, i.e.
he said that Darius had no right to set up his
statue (in front of that of Sesostris),
unless he surpassed him in his exploits (=
εἰ μὴ ὑπερβάλλεται).
HDT. ii. 110.
Καταρρώδησαν μὴ οὐ . . . τὴν
Μίλητον οἷοί τε ἔωσι ἐξελεῖν μὴ οὐ ἐόντες
ναυκράτορες,
they feared that they might
not be able to capture Miletus without being masters of the
sea (their thought was
εἰ
μὴ ναυκράτορές ἐσμεν).
Id. vi. 9.
Εἰνάτῃ δὲ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεσθαι
ἔφασαν μὴ οὐ πλήρεος ἐόντος τοῦ κύκλου,
they refused to march out on the ninth of the
month (
and thereafter)
until the moon should be full (
ἐὰν μὴ πλήρης ᾖ).
Id. vi. 106.
Δυσάλγητος γὰρ ἂν εἴην
τοιάνδε μὴ οὐ κατοικτείρων ἕδραν,
for I should be hard of heart
(817)
should I feel no pity for such a band of
suppliants (
εἰ μὴ
κατοικτείροιμι).
SOPH. O.T. 12.
Οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακρὰν ἴχνευον
αὐτὸς, μὴ οὐκ ἔχων τι σύμβολον,
for I should not have traced it far,
if I had attempted it by myself without any clue.
Ib. 220. (For
the force of the subordinate condition of
μὴ οὐκ ἔχων in its relation to the real
protasis in
αὐτός,
see 511.)
“
Ἥκεις γὰρ οὐ κενή γε,
τοῦτ᾽ ἐγὼ σαφῶς ἔξοιδα, μὴ οὐχὶ δεῖμ᾽ ἐμοὶ φέρουσά
τι,”
“i.e. you have not come empty-handed, —
(not at least) without bringing me some cause for alarm”
(i.e.
οὐκ εἰ μὴ
φέρεις).
Id. O.C.
359.
(
Μὴ οὐχὶ
φέρουσα adds a condition as a qualification to
κενή.)
Οὐκ ἄρα ἐστὶ φιλὸν τῷ φιλοῦντι οὐδὲν μὴ
οὐκ ἀντιφιλοῦν,
“unless it loves in return.”
Lys. 212
D. (Cf.
φίλοι δέ γε οὐκ
ἂν εἶεν μὴ περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενοι ἑαυτούς,
D. 215B. )
Τίς γὰρ ἂν ἠβουλήθη μικρὰ
κερδᾶναι, κ.τ.λ.; οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἷς μὴ οὐ συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ
συκοφαντοῦντι,
not a man
(
would have wished for this)
if he had not been conscious that he was a
sycophant (=
εἰ μὴ
συνῄδει). DEM. lviii. 13.
Οὔτε γὰρ ναυαγὸς, ἂν μὴ γῆς λάβηται φερόμενος, οὔποτ᾽
ἂν σώσειεν αὑτόν: οὔτ᾽ ἀνὴρ πένης γεγὼς μὴ οὐ τέχνην
μαθὼν δύναιτ᾽ ἂν ἀσφαλῶς ζῆν τὸν βίον (i.e.
εἰ μὴ μάθοι, corresponding
to
ἂν μὴ λάβηται).
Fr. 213.
[*] 819.
Μὴ οὐ
occasionally occurs with nouns, in the same general sense as with
participles, to express a negative condition to a negative statement.
E.g.
Αἵ τε πόλεις πολλαὶ καὶ
χαλεπαὶ λαβεῖν, μὴ οὐ χρόνῳ καὶ πολιορκίᾳ,
the cities were many,
and difficult (=
not easy, 817)
to capture except by time and siege.
DEM. xix. 123.
Τοιαύτης δὲ τιμῆς τυχεῖν οὐχ
οἷόν τε μὴ οὐ τὸν πολὺ τῇ γνώμῃ διαφέροντα,
“to attain such honour is not possible except for
one who is of far transcendent wisdom.”
ISOC. x. 47.
(If
τόν is omitted,
διαφέροντα as a participle
belongs under 818.)
[*] 820.
It may be noted that
μὴ
οὐ in poetry always forms one syllable.