Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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[*] 3042. Pleonasm (πλεονασμός excess), or redundancy, is the admission of a word or words which are not necessary to the complete logical expression of the thought. Such words, though logically superfluous, enrich the thought by adding greater definiteness and precision, picturesqueness, vigour and emphasis; and by expressing subtle shadings of feeling otherwise impossible. Cp. “All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth.”

a. Adverbs or adverbial expressions combined: of time, as πάλιν αὖ, αὖθις αὖ πάλιν, πάλιν μετὰ ταῦτα ὕστερον, ἔπειτα μετὰ ταῦτα, διὰ τέλους τὸν πάντα χρόνον; of manner, as κατὰ ταὐτὰ ὡσαύτως, μάτην ἄλλως, εἰς δυνατὸν ὅτι μάλιστα; of infer- ence, as τοιγάρτοι διὰ ταῦτα, ἐκ τούτου . . . διὰ ταῦτα; of verification, as ἀληθῶς τῷ ὄντι; and various other expressions, as ἴσως τάχ᾽ ἄν, λόγῳ εἰπεῖν.

b. Adverb and adjective combined (usually poetical): κεῖτο μέγας μεγαλωστί huge he lay with his huge length II 776.

c. Adjective and verb: ““ὡς δὲ μὴ μακροὺς τείνω λόγους” but not to speak at length” E. Hec. 1177.

d. Adjective and substantive in the dative: ““νῆσος μεγάθει μὲν οὐ μεγάλη” an island not large in size” Hdt. 5.31.

e. Verb with an abstract substantive in the dative or accusative (1516, 1564): ““βασιλεὺς . . . φύσει πεφυ_κέναι” to be a true-born king” X. C. 5.1.24.

f. Compound verb or substantives with substantives: ““οἶκον καλῶς οἰκονομεῖν” to build a house well” X. M. 4.5.10, ““ἡ τῶν νεογνῶν τέκνων παιδοτροφία_” the rearing of young children” X. O. 7.21. Here the force of the first member of the compound is quiescent.

g. Compound verb and adverb: ““προύγραψα πρῶτον” I wrote first” T. 1.23, ““ἀπαγαγὼν δ᾽ ὑ_μᾶς ἄπωθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κλέμματος” having diverted your attention away from the fraud” Aes. 3.100.

h. Verb and participle (2147 b): τί δὴ λέγοντες διέβαλλον οἱ διαβάλλοντες; in what words then did my calumniators calumniate me? P. A. 19b.

i. Amplification by synonymous doublets (especially common in Demosthenes): ““ἀξιῶ καὶ δέομαι” I beg and beseech” D. 18.6, ἐναργὲς καὶ σαφές visible and clear 14. 4.

j. Parallelism of positive and negative: ““ὡς ἔχω περὶ τούτων, λέξω πρὸς ὑ_μᾶς καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι” I will tell you and I will not conceal my opinion on these matters” D. 8.73, ““οὐκ ἄκλητοι, παρακληθέντες δέ” not unbidden but invited” T. 6.87.

k. A person and a characteristic or quality connected by καί or τέ; as ““καταδείσαντες τοῦτον καὶ τὸ τούτου θράσος” fearing him and his audacity” D. 21.20.

l. A relative clause takes up a preceding expression: καὶ εὐχὴν δέ τινες αὐτοῦ ἐξέφερον ὡς εὔχοιτο κτλ. and some reported also a prayer he made, etc. (lit. how he prayed) X. A. 1.9.11.

m. ‘Polar’ expressions may be placed here. These are opposites placed in pairs so as to intensify such ideas as all, no one, at all times, everywhere, everything possible. Thus, ““καὶ ἐν θεοῖς καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις” both among the gods and among men” P. G. 508a, ““οὐδὲν οὔτε μέγα οὔτε μι_κρόν” nothing either great or small = absolutely nothing” P. A. 19c, ““ἐν γῇ καὶ θαλάττῃ” on land and sea” D. 18.324, ““οὔτε δοῦλος οὔτ᾽ ἐλεύθερος” nor bond nor free” T. 2.78, ““ῥητὰ καὶ ἄρρητα” fanda nefanda” D. 18.122. For other cases of pleonasm, see the Index.