οὐ γὰρ ἥκω καταλέξων ὑμῖν ὅσα στασιάζοντες ἂν κινδυνεύοιτε καίπερ ὄντα φοβερώτατα· ἐδήλωσα δὲ καὶ μάλ' ἐναργώς ἢν πεισθέντες πόλεμον αἴρησθε, περὶ ἐλάσσονος ἢ τοῦ μηδενὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ὑμῖν ἐσόμενον, ἔσται γὰρ δήπου περὶ τοῦ αὐτούς τε καὶ τοὺς προσήκοντας ἀπολωλέναι. ἦν δ' ἐμοὶ ταῦτα προϊσχομένῳ ἡσυχάζειν μὴ πεισθῆτε, ἤδη λείπεται μόνον εὔχεσθαι τῷ θεῷ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κ. τ. λ. XVI. PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL CONSTRUC TIONS. I. The principal Impersonal Verbs fall under the following classes: those denoting (α) The state of the weather: ὕει, νίφει, βροντᾷ. (6) Propriety, possibility : δεῖ, χρή, προσήκει, ἔξεστι, ἐνδέχεται, ἐγχωρεῖ, φύσιν or δίκην ἔχει. (c) Circumstances: καλῶς ἔχει, μέλει, μεταμέλει, πολλοῦ or ὀλίγου δεῖ, προχωρεῖ μοι it is going on successfully (i.e. I am succeeding). (d) Appearance, 'it seems,' and with an Infinitive, resolution, ' it seems good, δοκεῖ. So ἔοικε and δηλοῖ. Notice in the construction of these that an Accusative may be used when an Infinitive follows; e.g. ἔξεστί σε εὐδαίμονα γενέσθαι. II. Some verbs take both personal and impersonal constructions ; eg. συμβαίνει, δοκεῖ, ἀγγέλλομαι (ήγε 54 PERSONAL CONSTRUCTION. γέλθη ἡ μάχη ἰσχυρὰ γεγονέναι, καὶ πολλοὺς τεθνάναι). But III. Greek, as a rule, prefers the personal construction. (1) ὡς ἔοικας in a parenthesis, οὐκ ἐπαινέτης εἶ, ὡς ἔοικας, τῶν τοιούτων ἀνδρῶν (Plato). (2) With ὤφελον, and with δίκαιος, ἄξιος, ἀμήχανος, δῆλος, φανερός, ἐπιτήδειος, δυνατός, ἐπίδοξος.—eg. ἐπίδοξος γενέσθαι ἐπιεικής (Plato) it is likely he will do well.' Here, however, our idiom he is likely to do well' coincides with the Greek. Translate 'It is the right of an enemy to avail himself of advantages by οἱ πολέμιοι δίκαιοί εἰσι χρῆσ σθαι τοῖς καιρίοις. 'It was fitting that he should be put to death' ἐπιτήδειος ἦν τεθνάναι. • It is unpleasant to associate with them χαλεποί εἰσι συγγενέσθαι. “It is natural for man to sin' πεφύκασιν ἄν θρωποι ἁμαρτάνειν. XVII. NEGATIVES. To appreciate the all-important distinction between οὐ and μή (and their compounds) the distinction, i.e., between a fact (external to this or that particular mind) and a thought or supposition about anything (as to the reality of which nothing is stated)—the broad difference that while où denies absolutely, expressing that it is not,' μý expresses 'one thinks it is not' I. Study carefully the excellent instances of their use in Farrar, 274-295, and Clyde, 48. II. Always ask yourself in reading any Greek author, Why is this où rather than μý, or μý rather than où? and do not be satisfied unless you can bring the passage under some definite rule for their use. And in composition ask yourself,-What is the idea in the English which I am going to render? What is the general character of the whole paragraph, and of its component sentences? Is it a fact that I have to translate, or a concept? Is there a wish or a condition, a prohibition or a purpose? Are there relatives used indefinitely or vague abstract terms of a negative character, such as 'dishonourable,' ‘invisible,'—or uncertain indications of place or time? Does a question expect an answer in the negative, as, 'He is not dead, is he?' In all such cases as these last μn must be employed. It largely supplements in Greek the finer uses of the Latin Subjunctive. It may be as well, however, to draw attention to a few uses of the negative, some obvious and simple enough, but yet often missed by beginners, others presenting somewhat more difficulty. Observe the fondness of the Greeks for negatives, and their apparent redundancy in some cases. By this tendency to accumulate negatives, Farrar suggests that we may perhaps explain the use of où μý with 2nd Person of Fut. Ind. as a strong prohibition. οὔκουν καλεῖς αὐτὸν καὶ μὴ ἀφήσεις ' call him, do, and don't let him go.' The objection to the old explanation is that it confuses the distinction between où and μn. In its other construction, with Aor. Subj. où μý. μý is a strong negation usually explained by an ellipse of δέος before μή. The Repetition of Negatives (which must be of the same character throughout,—où or μý) strengthens the negation if they belong to the same predicate, e.g. περὶ τοῦ μηδενὶ δεῖν μηδὲν διδόναι, μηδ' ἂν ὁτιοῦν πράξη (Dem.) that we should give no reward to any one however deserving.' Otherwise, 'two negatives make an affirmative, as οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐππᾶς. Caution I. With certain words always use μn. one idea. Madvig is here followed. nisi si. Apparent exception: OÙK Ễσľ ČOTIS οὐκ ἂν εἰκότως ἐπιτιμήσειέ μοι. (Dem.) ὅστις is not indefinite 'whoever,' but 'who'-there is no one who, oùк av έπIT.='would not justly rebuke me. So in οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐ. (c) After verbs of fearing where μn=lest, and verbs of suspecting, surmising, taking heed, where un whether-not. Notice the shades of meaning given by mood and tense in the following:1 δέδοικα μὴ ποιῇς ‘I fear you are point of doing' (vereor ne facias). on the μὴ ποιήσῃς ‘I am afraid you will do it' (ne feceris). un Tosis that you are doing it.' (?) un roles I fear you were doing it.' μὴ ἐποίησας ‘I fear you did it. μὴ πεποίηκας ‘I fear you have done it.' μὴ ποιήσεις (rare) I fear you are going to do it' (ne facturus sis). (d) After wσTE with the Infinitive (but woTE with the Indicative takes où). Obs. With the Infinitive où is joined after verbs of feeling, saying, and narrating, i.e. where the sentence can be broken up into the Indicative with oт. Otherwise un is usual with the Inf. Notice the difference 1 From Shilleto's Dem. de Falsâ Legatione, Appendix A. |