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SOME NEGATIVE PHRASES

2763. μὴ ὅτι, οὐχ ὅπως, rarely οὐχ ὅτι and μὴ ὅπως, not to speak of, to say nothing of, not only, not only not, so far from (Lat. tantum aberat ut) are idiomatic phrases probably due to an (early, and later often unconscious) ellipsis of a verb of saying. Thus, οὐ λέγω (or οὐκ ἐρῶ) ὅπως, μὴ εἴπω (λέγε or εἴπῃς) ὅτι I do (will) not say that, let me not say that, do not say that. μὴ ὅτι, etc. are often used where these verbal forms cannot be supplied by reason of the form of the sentence.

a. οὐχ ὅτι (οὐχ ὅπως, μὴ ὅτι) . . . ἀλλὰ (καί not only . . . but (also). Thus, ““οὐχ ὅτι μόνος Κρίτων ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ φίλοι αὐτοῦnot only was Crito in peace, but his friends alsoX. M. 2.9.8, οἶμαι ἂν μὴ ὅτι ἰδιώτην τινά, ἀλλὰ τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα_ εὑρεῖν κτλ. I think that not merely any private person but the Great King would find, etc. P. A. 40d.

b. οὐχ ὅπως (rarely οὐχ ὅτι) or μὴ ὅτι . . . ἀλλὰ (καί) is shown by the context to mean not only not (so far from) . . . but (also). Thus, ““οὐχ ὅπως χάριν αὐτοῖς ἔχεις, ἀλλὰ μισθώσα_ς σαυτὸν κατὰ τουτωνὶ_ πολι_τεύειnot only are you not grateful to them, but you let yourself out for hire as a public man to their prejudiceD. 18.131; μὴ ὅτι P. R. 581e.

c. οὐχ ὅπως (rarely οὐχ ὅτι) or μὴ ὅτι (μὴ ὅπως) . . . ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ (μηδέ) or ἀλλ̓ου᾽ (μή) is shown by the context to mean not only not (so far from) . . . but not even. Thus, ““οὐχ ὅπως τῆς κοινῆς ἐλευθερία_ς μετέχομεν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ δουλεία_ς μετρία_ς τυχεῖν ἠξιώθημενnot only do we not share in the general freedom, but we were not thought worthy of obtaining even a moderate servitudeI. 14.5, ““νομίζει ἑαυτὸν μὴ ὅτι Πλαταιέα_ εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐλεύθερονhe considers himself not only not a Plataean but not even a free manL. 23.12.

N. When a negative precedes, the meaning may be not only . . . but not even; as ““τὴν οἰκία_ν . . . οὐδενὶ ἂν μὴ ὅτι προῖκα δοίης, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἔλα_ττον τῆς ἀξία_ς λαβώνyou would offer your house to no one not only gratis, but not even for a lower price than it is worthX. M. 1.6.11.

d. μὴ ὅτι (less often οὐχ ὅπως) in the second of two balanced clauses, after an expressed or implied negative in the first clause, means much less (Lat. nedum; as οὐδὲ πλεῖν, μὴ ὅτι ἀναιρεῖσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας δυνατὸν ἦν it was not possible even to sail, much less to rescue the man (i.e. to say nothing of rescuing) X. H. 2.3.35. The preceding negative may be contained in a question or be otherwise implicit. Thus, δοκεῖ σοι ῥᾴδιον εἶναι οὕτω ταχὺ μαθεῖν . . . ὁτιοῦν πρᾶγμα, μὴ ὅτι τοσοῦτον κτλ.; does it appear to you to be easy to learn so quickly any subject whatever, much less a subject of so great importance? P. Crat. 427e; cp. D. 54.17.

The rare οὐχ ὅτι in the second member means though (P. Pr. 336d).

e. μή τί γε, in the orators instead of μὴ ὅτι, after a negative means much less, after a positive much more. Cp. D. 19.137, 8. 27.

2764. ου᾽ μόνον . . . ἀλλὰ καί (negative ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ) not only . . . but also (Lat. non solum . . . sed etiam). καί may be omitted: usually when the ἀλλά clause either includes the first clause or is strongly contrasted with it. Thus, ““ἱ_μάτιον ἠμφίεσαι οὐ μόνον φαῦλον, ἀλλά τὸ αὐτὸ θέρους τε καὶ χειμῶνοςyou put on a cloak that is not merely wretched but is the same both summer and winter alikeX. M. 1.6.2; cp. D. 18.26.

2765. τι μή, ὅσον μή except, unless. τι (sometimes written ὅτι) μή, and ὅσον μή, ὅσα μή are used, without any verb, to limit a preceding assertion (cp. εἰ μή 2346 a).

““οὐ γὰρ ἦν κρήνη, τι μὴ μία ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἀκροπόλειfor there was no spring, except one on the acropolis itselfT. 4.26, πείθουσα δὲ ἐκ τούτων μὲν ἀναχωρεῖν, ὅσον μὴ ἀνάγκη αὐτοῖς χρῆσθαι philosophy persuading the soul to withdraw from them, except so far as she has to make use of them P. Ph. 83a, ““τῆς γῆς ἐκράτουν ὅσα μὴ προϊόντες πολὺ ἐκ τῶν ὅπλωνthey were masters of the country, so far as they could be without advancing far from their campT. 1.111 (ὅσα κρατεῖν ἐδύναντο).

2766. μόνον οὐ (lit. only not), ὅσον οὐ (of time) almost, all but (Lat. tantum non). Thus, ““μόνον οὐ διεσπάσθηνI was almost torn in piecesD. 5.5, ““ἐνόμιζε . . . ὅσον οὐκ ἤδη ἔχειν τὴν πόλινhe thought that he already was all but in possession of the cityX. H. 6.2.16.

2767. ου᾽ μὴν ἀλλά, οὐ μέντοι ἀλλά nevertheless, notwithstanding, cp. Lat. uerum tamen; the colloquial ου᾽ γὰρ ἀλλά has about the force of nay, for indeed, cp. Lat. non enim . . . sed. These elliptical phrases require a verb or some other word to be supplied from the context or general run of the thought; but they often resist strict analysis since the contrasted idea is too vague to be supplied. Thus, ἵππος . . . μι_κροῦ κἀ_κεῖνον ἐξετραχήλισεν: οὐ μὴν (ἐξετραχήλισεν) ἀλλὰ ἐπέμεινεν Κῦρος the horse was within a little of throwing him also over its head; (not that it did throw him however, but = ) nevertheless Cyrus kept his seat X. C. 1.4.8, ἀεὶ μὲν οὖν οἵ θ᾽ ἡμέτεροι πρόγονοι καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι φιλοτί_μως πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἶχον, οὐ μὴν (scil. περὶ κακῶν) ἀλλὰ περὶ καλλίστων . . . ἐφιλονί_κησαν while our ancestors and the Lacedaemonians were continually jealous of each other (not indeed about base objects but = ) nevertheless they were rivals about the noblest objects I. 4.85, καὶ γὰρ ἂν δόξειεν οὕτω γ᾽ εἶναι ἄλογον: οὐ μέντοι (scil. ἄλογόν ἐστιν) ἀλλ᾽ ἴσως ἔχει τινὰ λόγον and in fact put thus it would seem to be unreasonable; (it is not however unreasonable but = ) nevertheless perhaps it has some sense P. Ph. 62b, μὴ σκῶπτέ μ᾽, ὦδέλφ᾽, οὐ γὰρ ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κακῶς don't mock me, brother; nay, for really I am in a bad way Ar. Ran 58 (lit. for it is not so but, i.e. it is not a case for mocking, but). In these phrases ἀλλά seems to show traces of its original force of otherwise (2775).

2768. ου᾽ μὴν οὐδέ nor (yet) again, not however that corresponds to the positive οὐ μὴν (μέντοι) ἀλλά. Thus, ““οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ βαρβάρους εἴρηκεnor again has he spoken of barbariansT. 1.3, οὐ μὰ_ν οὐδ᾽ Ἀχιλεύς no, nor even Achilles B 703, ““οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἀναισθήτως αὐτοὺς κελεύω τοὺς . . . ξυμμάχους ἡμῶν ἐᾶν βλάπτεινnot however that I bid you tamely permit them to injure our alliesT. 1.82.

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