sentence fragments A.Ag. Χορός 1047-49

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C. S. Bartholomew
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sentence fragments A.Ag. Χορός 1047-49

Post by C. S. Bartholomew »

Χορός 1047-49
σοί τοι λέγουσα παύεται σαφῆ λόγον.
ἐντός δ’ ἂν οὖσα μορσίμων ἀγρευμάτων
πείθοι’ ἄν, εἰ πείθοι’· ἀπειθοίης δ’ ἴσως.
Do we have three clauses on one line?

σοί τοι λέγουσα “It’s you she's talking to, right?”

παύεται “she stopped” (talking) or “she paused”— C. Collard

σαφῆ λόγον "what she said is clear"

The next line is a circumstantial participle construct introducing the third line.

ἐντός δ’ ἂν οὖσα μορσίμων ἀγρευμάτων

“since you are trapped in the net of fate”

πείθοι’ ἄν, εἰ πείθοι’· ἀπειθοίης δ’ ἴσως.

“perhaps you will obey, if you are so inclined; but perhaps you will not.” H.W. Smyth

Other versions treat the first πείθοι’ ἄν as something slightly more tentative that an imperative.

“Please obey her, if you’re going to obey; but perhaps you will disobey.” C. Collard
C. Stirling Bartholomew

NateD26
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Re: sentence fragments A.Ag. Χορός 1047-49

Post by NateD26 »

LSJ just read παύεται with the participle, but I don't understand how it makes sense here.
I can see why the commentators would read them separately.

Smyth didn't even incorporate it in his translation (unless the pause is implicit in his use
of perfect verb):
"It is to you she has been speaking and clearly."
Nate.

C. S. Bartholomew
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Re: sentence fragments A.Ag. Χορός 1047-49

Post by C. S. Bartholomew »

NateD26 wrote:LSJ just read παύεται with the participle, but I don't understand how it makes sense here.
I can see why the commentators would read them separately.

Smyth didn't even incorporate it in his translation (unless the pause is implicit in his use
of perfect verb):
"It is to you she has been speaking and clearly."
Nate,

Collard is the only translation I have seen which does incorporate it. I had the same thought about Smyth, a more subtle approach than Collard but i like the way Collard shows you the syntax of the original here.

σοί τοι λέγουσα παύεται σαφῆ λόγον.

It's you she's speaking to! She's pausing, but what she says is clear. — Christopher Collard
C. Stirling Bartholomew

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Paul Derouda
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Re: sentence fragments A.Ag. Χορός 1047-49

Post by Paul Derouda »

C. S. Bartholomew wrote:
NateD26 wrote:LSJ just read παύεται with the participle, but I don't understand how it makes sense here.
I can see why the commentators would read them separately.

Smyth didn't even incorporate it in his translation (unless the pause is implicit in his use
of perfect verb):
"It is to you she has been speaking and clearly."
Nate,

Collard is the only translation I have seen which does incorporate it. I had the same thought about Smyth, a more subtle approach than Collard but i like the way Collard shows you the syntax of the original here.

σοί τοι λέγουσα παύεται σαφῆ λόγον.

It's you she's speaking to! She's pausing, but what she says is clear. — Christopher Collard
I think the Loeb translation has it just right:

"She's just been talking to you, you know, and she's spoken very clearly." (italics mine)

The point isn't that she stopped talking per se, but that she was just talking to Cassandra, who was not paying attention.

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