Demosthenes 18.107

[Paul Derouda]

I'm trying to read Demosthenes' fiendishly difficult On the Crown, again. Here's a bit I'm stuck with.

ἆρα μικρὰ βοηθῆσαι τοῖς πένησιν ὑμῶν δοκῶ, ἢ μίκρ᾽ ἀναλῶσαι ἂν τοῦ μὴ τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν οἱ πλούσιοι; οὐ τοίνυν μόνον τῷ μὴ καθυφεῖναι ταῦτα σεμνύνομαι, οὐδὲ τῷ γραφεὶς ἀποφυγεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ συμφέροντα θεῖναι τὸν νόμον καὶ τῷ πεῖραν ἔργῳ δεδωκέναι.

τῷ πεῖραν δεδωκέναι: Goodwin explains this as "on the law having given a test of itself (sc. τὸν νόμον αὑτοῦ)". What I find difficult is that as far as I understand, the subject of θεῖναι is the speaker, Demosthenes. Or is it so? How can the subject just change like that?

[Qimmik]

These are self-contained articular infinitives. It does seem a little strained, but not impossible. The infinitive phrase is short and follows immediately after its subject τὸν νόμον, which, although the object of the preceding infinitive phrase (θεῖναι), is accusative in both clauses.

"I take pride not just in that I didn't allow these things or that I stood trial [γραφεὶς -- "having been indicted" for my role in enacting the law] and was acquitted, but also in that I made the law beneficial and in that it was successful [passed the test] in practice/implementation."

Glad to see you're going through your trial by fire in Attic prose. After this you should be ready to read anything.

[Paul Derouda]

Thanks!

I'd like to say I make slow and steady progress, but unfortunately I haven't had so much time lately, so I can't even call it steady... After this, something really easy, maybe Plato if I can find something easy enough.