Pro\j qoukudi/dou qiasw/taj :)

[Demetrius]

[face=spionic]e)/rrwsqe.[/face]
I'd like to ask you a question about a difficult -and famous- point in Thucydides. In [face=spionic]Qoukudi/dou I(storiw=n[/face] V.89.10 (from Melians' dialogue), we read [face=spionic]ta\ dunata\ d' ec w=)n e(ka/teroi a)lhqw=j fronou=men diapra/ssesqai[/face]. Which verb is the phrase [face=spionic]ta\ dunata\[/face] related to? Isn't [face=spionic]diapra/ssesqai[/face] the object of [face=spionic]fronou=men[/face]? Of course, in order to answer my question, one must bear in mind the whole text of this chapter. Thank you in advance.

[chad]

hi demetrius, luck for you there are 2 commentaries for thucydides 5 on perseus. here are links to the commentaries on 5.89 dealing with your qn:

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/pt ... =&loc=5.89

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/pt ... =&loc=5.89

so ta\ dunata/ is the object of the inf. diapra/ssesqai. in between is a clause expanding on what ta\ dunata/ is (i.e. what we each rightly think to be possible/practical). i think that's right, but i haven't read thucydides and i'm not used to his complex style, which is too hard for me.

[Demetrius]

Thanks a lot!