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[*] 268. In a few cases Plato has μή with the subjunctive in a cautious question with a negative answer implied. As μὴ ἄλλο τι ᾖ τοῦτο means this may possibly be something else, so the question μὴ ἄλλο τι ᾖ τοῦτο; means can this possibly be something else? The four examples given by Weber are:— Μή τι ἄλλο ᾖ παρὰ ταῦτα; “ can there be any other besides these?” Rep. 603C. Ἆρα μὴ ἄλλο τι ᾖ θάνατος ἢ τοῦτο; “ is it possible that death can prove to be anything but this?” Phaed. 64C. So μή τι ἄλλο ᾖ ἤ, κ.τ.λ.; Parm. 163D. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐμὴ περιεργία ᾖ καὶ τὸ ἐρωτῆσαί σε περὶ τούτου; but can it be that even asking you about this is inquisitiveness on my part? Sisyph. 387 C (this can be understood positively, it may be that it is, etc.). In XEN. Mem. iv. 2, 12 , the same interrogative construction occurs with μὴ οὐ: μὴ οὖν οὐ δύνωμαι ἐγὼ τὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἔργα ἐξηγήσασθαι; do you suspect that I shall be unable to explain the works of Justice? In PLAT. Phil. 12D we have πῶς γὰρ ἡδονή γε ἡδονῇ μὴ οὐχ ὁμοιότατον ἂν εἴη; for how could one pleasure help being most like another? Here εἴη ἄν takes the place of ᾖ, and πῶς shows that the original force of μή is forgotten.
Macmillan. London, Melbourne, Toronto. 1889. reprint edition:. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1965.
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