Pharr §16 - Question
Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:20 pm
In number 2 of §16, we find the following:
καλαὶ θεαί εἰσι φίλαι ψυχῇ θεᾶς θαλάσσης δεινῆς.
My question is what to make of the bold genitive phrase. I can't tell which word δεινῆς is modifying — θεᾶς or θαλάσσης. Does anyone have a way of telling in such a situation? My guess would be that it modifies the closest one (θαλάσσης δεινῆς - the terrible sea). Would "of the terrible goddess of the sea" be rather δεινῆς θεᾶς θαλάσσης, or can we really make a prediction about these things?
I think that Attic or Koine would make this clearer: τῆς δεινῆς θεᾶς τῆς θαλάττης/θαλάσσης vs. τῆς θεᾶς τῆς δεινῆς θαλάττης/θαλάσσης. Using articles is so much more helpful.
Thanks a lot!
καλαὶ θεαί εἰσι φίλαι ψυχῇ θεᾶς θαλάσσης δεινῆς.
My question is what to make of the bold genitive phrase. I can't tell which word δεινῆς is modifying — θεᾶς or θαλάσσης. Does anyone have a way of telling in such a situation? My guess would be that it modifies the closest one (θαλάσσης δεινῆς - the terrible sea). Would "of the terrible goddess of the sea" be rather δεινῆς θεᾶς θαλάσσης, or can we really make a prediction about these things?
I think that Attic or Koine would make this clearer: τῆς δεινῆς θεᾶς τῆς θαλάττης/θαλάσσης vs. τῆς θεᾶς τῆς δεινῆς θαλάττης/θαλάσσης. Using articles is so much more helpful.
Thanks a lot!