Delphi Complete Works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Illustrated) (Delphi Ancient Classics Book 79)

by Dionysius of Halicarnassus

  (7) σαφῶς γὰρ ἄν, εἰ πείθοιμι ὑμᾶς καὶ τῷ δεῖσθαι βιαζοίμην ὀμωμοκότας, θεοὺς ἂν διδάσκοιμι μὴ ἡγεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς εἶναι.

  Plato Apol. c. 24.

  (8) καὶ ἐς τύχας πρὸς πολλῷ δυνατωτέρους ἀγωνιζόμενοι καταστῆναι.

  Thucyd. i. 69.

  (9) οὐδ’ ἐκλογίσασθαι πώποτε πρὸς οἵους ὑμῖν Ἀθηναίους ὄντας καὶ ὅσον ὑμῶν καὶ ὡς πᾶν διαφέροντας ὁ ἀγὼν ἔσται.

  id. i. 70.

  ὑμῖν is probably to be connected with ὁ ἀγὼν ἔσται. Its present position has the effect of marking the contrast between ὑμῖν and Ἀθηναίους, and further of breaking the monotony of the accusative-endings οἵους Ἀθηναίους ὄντας. It should, however, be remembered that in a highly inflected language like Greek a noun may stand in a vague general case relation (genitive, dative, or accusative) to the whole sentence in a way that is impossible in an uninflected language. This may be so here, and in some of the other passages quoted.

  (10) ῥηθήσεται δὲ οὐ παραιτήσεως μᾶλλον ἕνεκα ἢ μαρτυρίου καὶ δηλώσεως πρὸς οἵαν ὑμῖν πόλιν μὴ εὖ βουλευομένοις ὁ ἀγὼν καταστήσεται.

  id. i. 73.

  Similarly ὑμῖν (‘you will find,’ etc.) is to be taken with ὁ ἀγὼν καταστήσεται. It is contrasted with πόλιν and paves the way for βουλευομένοις.

  (11) ἔνθ’ ὅ γε τοὺς ἐλεεινὰ κατήσθεε τετριγῶτας·

  μήτηρ δ’ ἀμφεποτᾶτο ὀδυρομένη φίλα τέκνα.

  Hom. Il. ii. 314-15.

  Connect ἐλεεινὰ τετριγῶτας, and ἀμφεποτᾶτο φίλα τέκνα.

  (12) ὡς οὖν δεινὰ πέλωρα θεῶν εἰσῆλθ’ ἑκατόμβας.

  id. ib. ii. 321.

  Connect θεῶν ἑκατόμβας.

  (13) καίτοι σ’ ἐγὼ ‘τίμησα τοῖς φρονοῦσιν εὖ.

  Soph. Antig. 904.

  εὖ with ἐτίμησα. The line occurs in the suspected portion of the Antigone. But, so far as this particular point is concerned, cp. the order of μόνος in —

  τὰ κοινὰ χαίρων οὐ δίκαια δρᾷ μόνος.

  Eurip. Ion 358.

  (14) τίνος δ’ Ἀτρεῖδαι τοῦδ’ ἄγαν οὕτω χρόνῳ

  τοσῷδ’ ἐπεστέφοντο πράγματος χάριν,

  ὅν γ’ εἶχον ἤδη χρόνιον ἐκβεβληκότες;

  Soph. Philoct. 598.

  Here strict lucidity is sacrificed to emphasis. τίνος must be joined with πράγματος (not with τοῦδε).

  (15) στέμματ’ ἔχων ἐν χερσὶν ἑκηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος

  χρυσέῳ ἀνὰ σκήπτρῳ.

  Hom. Il. i. 14.

  (16) περὶ τούτων δ’ ὄντος τουτουὶ τοῦ ἀγῶνος, ἀξιῶ καὶ δέομαι πάντων ὁμοίως ὑμῶν ἀκοῦσαί μου περὶ τῶν κατηγορημένων ἀπολογουμένου δικαίως, ὥσπερ οἱ νόμοι κελεύουσιν, οὓς ὁ τιθεὶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς Σόλων κτλ.

  Demosth. de Cor. § 6.

  δικαίως qualifies ἀκοῦσαι: cp. the position of γενναίως in de Cor. § 97 (quoted in Introduction supra). The present order is not only emphatic, but also serves to connect δικαίως closely with ὥσπερ κτλ., and thus to a certain extent actually to avoid ambiguity.

  (17) σκέψασθ’ ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ θεωρήσατε ὅσῳ καὶ ἀληθέστερον καὶ ἀνθρωπινώτερον ἐγὼ περὶ τῆς τύχης τούτου διαλεχθήσομαι.

  Demosth. de Cor. § 252.

  (18) τὸ μὲν τοίνυν προελέσθαι τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ τὸ τῶν οἰηθέντων Ἑλλήνων, εἰ πρόοιντο ἡμᾶς, ἐν εὐδαιμονίᾳ διάξειν, αὐτῶν ἄμεινον πράττειν τῆς ἀγαθῆς τύχης τῆς πόλεως εἶναι τίθημι.

  id. ib. § 254.

  (19) τοῦ μὲν οὖν γράψαι πράττοντα καὶ λέγοντα τὰ βέλτιστά με τῷ δήμῳ διατελεῖν καὶ πρόθυμον εἶναι ποιεῖν ὅ τι ἂν δύνωμαι ἀγαθόν, καὶ ἐπαινεῖν ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἐν τοῖς πεπολιτευμένοις τὴν κρίσιν εἶναι νομίζω.

  id. ib. § 56.

  (20) οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἥψατ’ αὐτῶν | παρόντων ἡμῶν, κτλ.

  id. ib. § 30.

  The vertical stroke, here and elsewhere, may serve to indicate the possibility of a slight pause in utterance, and Aristotle’s remarks on the obscurity of Heracleitus may be recalled: τὰ γὰρ Ἡρακλείτου διαστίξαι (‘to punctuate’) ἔργον διὰ τὸ ἄδηλον εἶναι ποτέρῳ πρόσκειται, τῷ ὕστερον ἢ τῷ πρότερον, οἷον ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συγγράμματος· φησὶ γὰρ “τοῦ λόγου τοῦδ’ ἐόντος ἀεὶ ἀξύνετοι ἄνθρωποι γίγνονται”· ἄδηλον γὰρ τὸ ἀεί, πρὸς ὁποτέρῳ ‹δεῖ› διαστίξαι.

  Aristot. Rhet. iii. 5.

  (21) λοιπὸν τοίνυν ἦν καὶ ἀναγκαῖον ἅμα | πᾶσιν οἷς ἐκεῖνος ἔπραττ’ ἀδικῶν ὑμᾶς ἐναντιοῦσθαι δικαίως.

  Demosth. de Cor. § 69.

  (22) ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδὼς Αἰσχίνης οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐμοῦ | πομπεύειν ἀντὶ τοῦ κατηγορεῖν εἵλετο.

  id. ib. § 124.

  (23) συνέβαινε δ’ αὐτῷ | τῷ πολέμῳ κρατοῦντι, κτλ.

  id. ib. § 146.

  (24) τότε τοίνυν κατ’ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ὁ Παιανεὺς ἐγὼ Βάτταλος Οἰνομάου τοῦ Κοθωκίδου σοῦ | πλείονος ἄξιος ὢν ἐφάνην τῇ πατρίδι.

  id. ib. § 180.

  (25) εἰ γὰρ ὡς οὐ τὰ βέλτιστα ἐμοῦ πολιτευσαμένου | τουδὶ καταψηφιεῖσθε, ἡμαρτηκέναι δόξετε, οὐ τῇ τῆς τύχης ἀγνωμοσύνῃ τὰ συμβάντα παθεῖν.

  id. ib. § 207.

  (26) οὐκ ἂν οἷα σὺ νῦν ἔλεγες, τοιαῦτα κατηγόρει, παραδείγματα πλάττων | καὶ ῥήματα καὶ σχήματα μιμούμενος κτλ.

  id. ib. § 232.

  (27) σὺ τοίνυν ταῦτ’ ἀφεὶς ἐμὲ τὸν παρὰ τουτοισὶ πεπολιτευμένον αἰτιᾷ, καὶ ταῦτ’ | εἰδὼς ὅτι, καὶ εἰ μὴ τὸ ὅλον, μέρος γ’ ἐπιβάλλει τῆς βλασφημίας ἅπασι, καὶ μάλιστα σοί.

  id. ib. § 272.

  Here may be added, from R. Y. Tyrrell’s edition of Eurip. Bacchae , an interesting note suggested by the distance which parts μόσχων from ἀγελαῖα βοσκήματα in Bacch. 678: “The Greek writers are not nearly so sensitive about the order of words as we are. Surely we have something at least as strange in the order of words in 684 where ἐλάτης certainly depends on φόβην not on νῶτα. See Comm. on 860 for more curious inversions of the natural order; and compare in Soph. Oed. R. 1251 χ
ὤπως μὲν ἐκ τῶνδ’ οὐκέτ’ οἶδ’ ἀπόλλυται; O.C. 1427 τίς δὲ τολμήσει κλύων | τὰ τοῦδ’ ἕπεσθαι τἀνδρός; Perhaps the best instance in Greek of a violent hyperbaton is Ar. Thesm. 811 οὐδ’ ἂν κλέψασα γυνὴ ζεύγει κατὰ πεντήκοντα τάλαντα | ἐς πόλιν ἔλθοι τῶν δημοσίων ‘nor would a lady ride in her chariot to the town after pilfering the public exchequer to the tune of 50 talents.’” Probably the Greek authors, in such instances, were not blind to the liberties they were taking with the natural and lucid order of words; but they trusted to delivery’s artful aid. And about the order adopted in the passage quoted from the Thesmophoriazusae there seems to be a touch of intentional comedy.

  It is worth notice, in connexion with Thucydides and word-order, that the Vatican manuscript B, which is at its best from vi. 92 to the end of viii., frequently exhibits an order of words which is peculiar to it and may point to a reviser’s deliberate effort after greater lucidity. In reference to the text presented by the newly discovered Commentary on Thucydides ii., Grenfell and Hunt (Oxyrhynchus Papyri vi. ) say: “As usual, the text of the papyrus is of an eclectic character and does not consistently agree with either family [of the MSS. of Thucydides]; but it supports the ABEFM group seven times against only four agreements with the other [viz. CG]. Several new readings occur of which we append a list.”

  With regard to the 27 passages quoted above from various authors it may be remarked in general that, while in some of them there are real obscurities, in others the ambiguity is purely grammatical. And it might almost be laid down as a principle of Greek language that grammatical rules may be freely neglected where the neglect of them does not make the meaning seriously ambiguous, and is desirable in order to secure emphasis, euphony, or some similar object.

  APPENDIX B. ILLUSTRATIONS OF WORD-ORDER IN GREEK AND MODERN LANGUAGES

  A few modern translations of some short Greek passages may be appended, in order to exemplify some of the leading differences, in regard to word-order, between ancient and modern languages. From these it will be seen how much English, French, and German differ among themselves; and, indeed, how great is the variety presented by good English versions of one and the same Greek passage. Dionysius himself ( supra) refers to the opening of Plato’s Republic, and that opening passage may here be given at sufficient length to illustrate sentence-order and clause-order as well as word-order. Then will be added, from the de Corona (which Dionysius regards as the greatest of all speeches), the opening, the conclusion, and a famous piece of narrative.

  MODERN TRANSLATIONS

  I. Opening of Plato’s Republic

  (1) Κατέβην χθὲς εἰς Πειραιᾶ μετὰ Γλαύκωνος τοῦ Ἀρίστωνος προσευξόμενός τε τῇ θεῷ καὶ ἅμα τὴν ἑορτὴν βουλόμενος θεάσασθαι τίνα τρόπον ποιήσουσιν ἅτε νῦν πρῶτον ἄγοντες. καλὴ μὲν οὖν μοι καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων πομπὴ ἔδοξεν εἶναι, οὐ μέντοι ἧττον ἐφαίνετο πρέπειν ἣν οἱ Θρᾷκες ἔπεμπον. προσευξάμενοι δὲ καὶ θεωρήσαντες ἀπῇμεν πρὸς τὸ ἄστυ. κατιδὼν οὖν πόρρωθεν ἡμᾶς οἴκαδε ὡρμημένους Πολέμαρχος ὁ Κεφάλου ἐκέλευσε δραμόντα τὸν παῖδα περιμεῖναί ἑ κελεῦσαι. καί μου ὄπισθεν ὁ παῖς λαβόμενος τοῦ ἱματίου, Κελεύει ὑμᾶς, ἔφη, Πολέμαρχος περιμεῖναι. Καὶ ἐγὼ μετεστράφην τε καὶ ἠρόμην ὅπου αὐτὸς εἴη. Οὗτος, ἔφη, ὄπισθεν προσέρχεται· ἀλλὰ περιμένετε. Ἀλλὰ περιμενοῦμεν, ἦ δ’ ὃς ὁ Γλαύκων.

  (2) J’étais descendu hier au Pirée avec Glaucon, fils d’Ariston, pour faire notre prière à la déesse et voir aussi comment se passerait la fête, car c’était la première fois qu’on la célébrait. La pompe, formée par nos compatriotes, me parut belle, et celle des Thraces ne l’était pas moins. Après avoir fait notre prière et vu la cérémonie, nous regagnâmes le chemin de la ville. Comme nous nous dirigions de ce côté, Polémarque, fils de Céphale, nous aperçut de loin, et dit à son esclave de courir après nous et de nous prier de l’attendre. Celui-ci m’arrêtant par derrière par mon manteau: Polémarque, dit-il, vous prie de l’attendre. Je me retourne et lui demande où est son maître: Le voilà qui me suit, attendez-le un moment. Eh bien, dit Glaucon, nous l’attendrons.

  Victor Cousin.

  (3) Ich ging gestern mit Glaukon, dem Sohne des Ariston, in den Peiraieus hinunter; theils um die Göttin anzubeten, dann aber wollte ich auch zugleich das Fest sehen, wie sie es feiern wollten, da sie es jetzt zum ersten Mal begehen. Schön nun dünkte mich auch unserer Einheimischen Aufzug zu sein; nicht minder vortrefflich jedoch nahm sich auch der aus, den die Thrakier geschickt hatten. Nachdem wir nun gebetet und die Feier mit angeschaut hatten, gingen wir fort nach der Stadt. Wie nun Polemarchos, der Sohn des Kephalos, uns von fern nach Hause zu steigen sah, hiess er seinen Knaben laufen und uns heissen, ihn erwarten. Der Knabe also fasste mich von hinten beim Mantel und sprach: Polemarchos heisst Euch, ihn erwarten. Ich wendete mich um und fragte, wo denn er selbst wäre. Hier, sprach er, kommt er hinter Euch, wartet nur. Nun ja, wir wollen warten, sagte Glaukon.

  Friedrich Schleiermacher.

  (4) I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon the son of Ariston, to offer up prayer to the goddess, and also from a wish to see how the festival, then to be held for the first time, would be celebrated. I was very much pleased with the native Athenian procession; though that of the Thracians appeared to be no less brilliant. We had finished our prayers and satisfied our curiosity, and were returning to the city, when Polemarchus the son of Cephalus caught sight of us at a distance, as we were on our way towards home, and told his servant to run and bid us wait for him. The servant came behind me, took hold of my cloak, and said, ‘Polemarchus bids you wait.’ I turned round and asked him where his master was. ‘There he is,’ he replied, ‘coming on behind: pray wait for him.’ ‘We will wait,’ answered Glaucon.

  Davies and Vaughan.

  (5) I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon the son of Ariston, that I might offer up my prayers to the goddess; and also because I wanted to see in what manner they would celebrate the festival, which was a new thing. I was delighted with the procession of the inhabitants; but that of the Thracians was equally, if not more, beautiful. When we had finished our prayers and viewed the spectacle, we turned in the direction of the city; and at that instant Polemarchus the son of Cephalus chanced to catch sight of us from a distance as we were starting on our way home, and told his servant to run and bid us wait for him. The servant took hold of me by the cloak behind, and said: Polemarchus desires you to wait. I turned round, and asked him where his master was. There he is, said the youth, coming after you, if you will only wait. Certainly we will, said Glaucon.

  B. Jowett.

  (6) I went down to the Peiraeus yesterday with Glaucon, the son of Ariston. As this was the first celebration of the festival, I wished to make my prayers to the goddess and see the ceremony. I liked the procession of the residents, but I thought that the Thracian ordered theirs quite as successfully. We had offered our prayers and finished our sight-seeing, and were leaving for the city, when from some way off, Polemarchus, the son of Cephalus, saw that we were starting homewards, and sent his slave to run after us and bid us wait. The lad caught my cloak from behind and said: ‘Polemarchus bids you wait.’ I turned round and asked him where his master was. ‘He is coming behind,’ he said; ‘but will you please wait?’ ‘Surely we will,’ said Glaucon.

  A. D. Lindsay.

  II. Opening of Demosthenes’ Speech on the Crown

  (1) Πρῶτον μέ
ν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχομαι πᾶσι καὶ πάσαις, ὅσην εὔνοιαν ἔχων ἐγὼ διατελῶ τῇ τε πόλει καὶ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, τοσαύτην ὑπάρξαι μοι παρ’ ὑμῶν εἰς τουτονὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἔπειθ’ ὅπερ ἐστὶ μάλισθ’ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐσεβείας τε καὶ δόξης, τοῦτο παραστῆσαι τοὺς θεοὺς ὑμῖν, μὴ τὸν ἀντίδικον σύμβουλον ποιήσασθαι περὶ τοῦ πῶς ἀκούειν ὑμᾶς ἐμοῦ δεῖ (σχέτλιον γὰρ ἂν εἴη τοῦτό γε), ἀλλὰ τοὺς νόμους καὶ τὸν ὅρκον, ἐν ᾧ πρὸς ἅπασι τοῖς ἄλλοις δικαίοις καὶ τοῦτο γέγραπται, τὸ ὁμοίως ἀμφοῖν ἀκροάσασθαι. τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶν οὐ μόνον τὸ μὴ προκατεγνωκέναι μηδέν, οὐδὲ τὸ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἴσην ἀποδοῦναι, ἀλλὰ τὸ καὶ τῇ τάξει καὶ τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ, ὡς βεβούληται καὶ προῄρηται τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων ἕκαστος, οὕτως ἐᾶσαι χρήσασθαι.

  (2) Athéniens, j’adresse d’abord une prière à tous les dieux, à toutes les déesses. Si j’ai toujours voulu le bien de la république et de vous tous, fassent ces dieux qu’aujourd’hui, dans cette lutte, je trouve en vous la même bienveillance! Puissent-ils vous persuader aussi, comme le veulent votre intérêt, votre religion, votre gloire, que, sur la manière de m’entendre, ce n’est pas mon adversaire qu’il est juste de consulter, — ma condition en deviendrait trop dure, — ce sont les lois et votre serment! Votre serment, où sont écrites ces paroles, pleines d’équité, comme tout le reste: écouter également les deux parties. Cela ne veut pas dire seulement: nous n’apporterons aucune prévention, et nous donnerons à tous deux une faveur égale. Cela veut dire aussi: nous ne contraindrons personne, ni dans la disposition de ses moyens ni dans l’ordre de sa défense; quel que soit le plan adopté par celui qui vient plaider sa cause, nous lui permettrons de le suivre en toute liberté.