In Moss' A First Greek Reader, story #25, Alcibiades Trips Pericles in a Definition of Law, I am having trouble translating the second line below. Is it an indefinite clause or a conditional clause? Or do I ignore the particle and translate it as "Certainly, I know it, Alcibiades."? After searching grammars for a similar construction without any success, I pose the question to someone more knowledgeable than I. Thanks.
Α. οἶσθα, ὦ Περίκλεις, τί νόμος ἐστίν;
Π. μάλιστα, εἴ τι οἶδα, ὦ Ἀλκιβιάδη.
Α. ἀλλὰ λέξον μοι τί ἐστιν·
A. Do you know Pericles, what a law is?
P. Certainly, ???????????, Alcibiades.
A. Well tell me what it is,
Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question
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Re: Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question
εἴ τι οἶδα -- [I know what nomos is,] if I know something, i.e., if I know anything [at all].
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Re: Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question
It's a usage from Xenophon's Memorabilia:
http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi ... m.%203.8.3
http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi ... m.%203.8.3
It seems more correct in Xenophon than in Moss, I think.Ἀριστίππου δὲ ἐπιχειροῦντος ἐλέγχειν τὸν Σωκράτην, ὥσπερ αὐτὸς ὑπ’ ἐκείνου τὸ πρότερον ἠλέγχετο, βουλόμενος τοὺς συνόντας ὠφελεῖν ὁ Σωκράτης ἀπεκρίνατο οὐχ ὥσπερ οἱ φυλαττόμενοι μή πῃ ὁ λόγος ἐπαλλαχθῇ, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἂν πεπεισμένοι μάλιστα πράττειν τὰ δέοντα. ὁ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἤρετο εἴ τι εἰδείη ἀγαθόν, ἵνα, εἴ τι εἴποι τῶν τοιούτων, οἷον ἢ σιτίον ἢ ποτὸν ἢ χρήματα ἢ ὑγίειαν ἢ ῥώμην ἢ τόλμαν, δεικνύοι δὴ τοῦτο κακὸν ἐνίοτε ὄν. ὁ δὲ εἰδὼς ὅτι, ἐάν τι ἐνοχλῇ ἡμᾶς, δεόμεθα τοῦ παύσοντος, ἀπεκρίνατο ᾗπερ καὶ ποιεῖν κράτιστον, ἆρά γε, ἔφη, ἐρωτᾷς με, εἴ τι οἶδα πυρετοῦ ἀγαθόν; οὐκ ἔγωγ’, ἔφη. ἀλλ’ ὀφθαλμίας; οὐδὲ τοῦτο. ἀλλὰ λιμοῦ; οὐδὲ λιμοῦ. ἀλλὰ μήν, ἔφη, εἴ γ’ ἐρωτᾷς με εἴ τι ἀγαθὸν οἶδα ὃ μηδενὸς ἀγαθόν ἐστιν, οὔτ’ οἶδα, ἔφη, οὔτε δέομαι.
“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.”
Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com
Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com