What is ἄλλως doing here precisely? Is it signaling the contrast between what people think μαντεία is for versus the fact that was invented as a δέλεαρ βίου?............................τοῖς θεοῖσι χρὴ
θύοντας αἰτεῖν ἀγαθά, μαντείας δ᾿ ἐᾶν·
βίου γὰρ ἄλλως δέλεαρ ηὑρέθη τόδε,
κοὐδεὶς ἐπλούτησ᾿ ἐμπύροισιν ἀργὸς ὤν·
γνώμη δ᾿ ἀρίστη μάντις ἥ τ᾿ εὐβουλία.
Euripides, Helen 753-757
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Euripides, Helen 753-757
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”
Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com
Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com
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Re: Euripides, Helen 753-757
Prophecy was invented αλλως, i.e. without any (good) purpose. αλλως is often used in this elliptical sense. Here it effectively reinforces βιου δελεαρ, the phrase it’s embedded in. Prophecy (quite unlike Textkit) only ensnares people and makes them waste their time.