Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question

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Pros
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Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question

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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,

Qimmik
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Re: Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question

Post by Qimmik »

εἴ τι οἶδα -- [I know what nomos is,] if I know something, i.e., if I know anything [at all].

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jeidsath
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Re: Moss, A First Greek Reader Translation Question

Post by jeidsath »

It's a usage from Xenophon's Memorabilia:

http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi ... m.%203.8.3
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.
It seems more correct in Xenophon than in Moss, I think.
“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

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