εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν:
Why the infinitive?
Richard Ross
infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
Purpose, I'd say: νοῦς σωφρονεῖν
Corrections are welcome (especially for projects).
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
εἴθ᾽ ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν:
Just follow what the words naturally tell you: if (only) you both had the mind to be wise.
Just follow what the words naturally tell you: if (only) you both had the mind to be wise.
(Occasionally) Working on the following tutorials:
(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose
(P)Aristotle, Theophrastus and Peripatetic Greek
Intro Greek Poetry
Latin Historical Prose
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
The infin is tacked on to an utterance that is already potentially complete. “If only the two of you had (i.e. might acquire) sense, so as to be sensible.” It doesn't depend directly on νοῦς. This kind of infin can be called epexegetic, but I prefer to think of it as consecutive. You could have ωστε with it. It conveniently fills out the trimeter. Very Sophoclean.
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
Neophytos Doukas:
Text:
Εἴθ’ ὑμῖν ἀμφοῖν νοῦς γένοιτο σωφρονεῖν.
Τούτου γὰρ οὐδεν σφῷν ἔχω λῷον φράσαι.
Paraphrase:
Δῴη ὑμῖν ἀμφοῖν νοῦν ὁ θεός· ἄμεινον γὰρ τούτου ἕτερον εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”
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Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
So he injects God, and takes σωφρονεῖν as redundant. Which it pretty well is.
(And if he wrote ὑμῖν in the text he couldn't scan.)
(And if he wrote ὑμῖν in the text he couldn't scan.)
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
Does the dual take a 3rd person singular?
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
I'm not sure about your question. Are you thinking that ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν is the subject and puzzled that γένοιτο doesn't agree in number and person with it? In the Greek, the subject of γένοιτο is νοῦς, which determines the number and person of the verb. ὑμὶν ἀμφοῖν are dative "of possession". In translation, the syntax has to be rearranged: "both of you" is the subject, the verb is "have" (or something like that) and "sense" is the direct object. Does that answer your question?
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Re: infinitive, Sophocles Ajax 1264
υμιν παραδεισος εστιν To you there is a garden = You have a garden.
ειθ’ υμιν παραδεισος ειη Would that to you there were a garden = If only you had a garden!
ειθ’ υμιν παραδεισος γενοιτο If only you’d get a garden!
ειθ’ υμιν αμφοιν παραδεισος γενοιτο If only you’d both get a garden!
ειθ’ υμιν παραδεισος ειη Would that to you there were a garden = If only you had a garden!
ειθ’ υμιν παραδεισος γενοιτο If only you’d get a garden!
ειθ’ υμιν αμφοιν παραδεισος γενοιτο If only you’d both get a garden!