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Iliad 1:98

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:05 am
by Bert
πρίν γ’ ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην
After seeing ἀπὸ I was looking for a word in the genitive but there isn't one. How do I translate this word, and why isn't it followed by a genitive?
Thanks in advance.

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 2:10 pm
by Paul
Hi Bert,

This is 'tmesis': ἀπὸ ... δόμεναι.

ἀπὸ, here adverbial, is never too far from its original meaning "from, away from".

Literally, then, "to give away from" ("from themselves", in this context).

Less literally, "to give back".

Cordially,

Paul