Xenophon: Anabasis

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amans
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Xenophon: Anabasis

Post by amans »

Hi folks,

I've read a short passage from Xenophon's Anabasis book 1, but I do not really have any feel for where the narrative is at (bk. 1, 4,8 ).

I'd like to find a brief outline of the work. Does anybody know if there's, like, a synopsis one could see online somewhere?

Also, I have trouble understanding this phrase, where Cyrus gets to the river Chalos which is described thus:

τὸν χάλον ποταμόν, ὄντα τὸ εὖρος πλέθρου, ...

The participle sure refers to the river, but what kind of syntax explains the other two words? There is, surely, a relation?



Cheers :D

chrisb
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Location: Newcastle England

Post by chrisb »

[face=Verdana]Amans wrote:
Also, I have trouble understanding this phrase, where Cyrus gets to the river Chalos which is described thus:

to\n Xa/lon potamo/n, o)/nta to\ eu)=roj ple/qrou, ...

The participle sure refers to the river, but what kind of syntax explains the other two words? There is, surely, a relation?
The Greeks generally used the genitive of the measure of space, time and value. Just as we might say in English 'a journey of three hours', so Xenophon is saying 'the width being of a plethrum'. It doesn't sound nearly as good in English, but it sounded OK to them!

chrisb[/face]

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