A fragment of Xenophon on the death of Socrates

[christophershelt]

To My Colleagues at Textkit--
Once again I am hopeful of finding out the meaning of a sentence, this time from Xenophon, though I am not sure which work, nor where exactly it came from. The topic is common knowledge, though: the death of Socrates in 399 B.C.E. I will include the whole passage, for clarity, but the very last sentence is a mystery, although I think I know what it is saying, because I read my Plato years ago.

2) π?ῶτον μὲν οὖν, τεκμή?ιον ο?κ ἔχουσιν ὡς ο? νομίζει τοὺς θεο?ς.
θ?ει τε γὰ? πολλάκις μὲν οἴκοι, πολλάκις δὲ ?πὶ τῶν κοινῶν τῆς πόλεως βωμῶν.
Σωκ?άτης δὲ ὥσπε? ?γίγνωσκεν, οὕτως ἔλεγεν.
τὸ δαιμόνιον, ἔφη, σημαίνει ?μοί.
καὶ πολλοῖς π?οηγό?ευε τὰ μὲν ποιεῖν, τὰ δὲ μὴ ποιεῖν.

Therefore, in the first place, they do not have proof that, as they say, he
does not believe in the gods.
For, on the one hand, he often sacrifices to the gods at home, and, on the
other hand, //he// often //sacrifices// upon the common altars of the city.

Just as Socrates knew, thus he said.

The good spirit, he said, signals to me.

And it is here that I have to paraphrase because I'm not familiar with this one verb π?οηγό?ευε. "And often it tells me what to do and what not to do." But, I'm guessing. Can anyone help me with this? I tried Liddell Scott, but the verb is one I can't seem to find. I am probably being lazy, but I am curious, nonetheless.

Christopher Shelton

[Skylax]

π?οηγό?ευε is the active imperfect 3rd singular from π?οαγο?ε?ω "tell in advance"

Regards,
S.

[IreneY]

its most usual meaning is to give a prophecy but in this case it is more like to give councel