Use of οποσος

[stephenesherman]

In Hellenica, III.3.7, it reads "και ταυτα οπλα παντ` ειη, οποσοις ανθρωποι εργαζονται γην (κτλ.)"

The clause is in Indirect Discourse, "λεγειν δ`αυτον εφη οτι ...," so the optative verb 'ειη` is not a problem.

Brownson's translation is, "All those tools with which men work the land, etc. were likewise weapons."

Is there an omitted antecedent? Or an understood ειμι verb? I'm struggling with οποσιος, which should have a quantitative sense. Translating very literally, would we get, "and as many tools [as there are] with which men work the land, etc. were likewise weapons?"

[NateD26]

I think ὅσος would have been the common choice, but due to the subordinate statement
referring to secondary tense, we have opt. and the indefinite ὁπόσος. The dative case
appears to be required by the verb inside the comparative(?)* clause.

If the verb inside the comparative clause is the same as that of the leading one,
then it is commonly omitted (Smyth 2464).

* I use the term "comparative" even though I'm not sure it is the case here. The construction
alone seems to fit the bill, sans comparatives or superlatives.

To me, your translation is spot on.

[stephenesherman]

Thanks very much.