Question:Xen. Mem. 4.1.5

[chibibaiyun]

Xen. Mem. 4.1.5---(the last sentence) ἠλίθιος δὲ καὶ εἴ τις οἴεται διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον, μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενος, δόξειν τι ἀγαθὸς εἶναι ἤ, μηδὲν ἀγαθὸς εἶναι δοκῶν, εὐδοκιμήσειν.

My question is that whether could I translate the underlined part closely as "without knowing anything, to be reputed to be some good one, or without being reputed to be good at all, to have a good reputation"?
That sounds odd; the translation by E. C. Marchant, "without knowledge he will be reputed good at something, or will enjoy a good reputation without being reputed good at anything in particular", reads better, yet by the grammar could we put as "---good at something---without being reputed good at anything in particular"?

Thanks!

[modus.irrealis]

That sounds odd; the translation by E. C. Marchant, "without knowledge he will be reputed good at something, or will enjoy a good reputation without being reputed good at anything in particular", reads better, yet by the grammar could we put as "---good at something---without being reputed good at anything in particular"?

Yes -- the accusative τι and μηδέν here are used with ἀγαθός to tell you good at what -- in Smyth's grammar this is called the accusative of respect. (And then "being reputed to be good at nothing" ~~ "without being reputed to be good at anything in particular".)

[chibibaiyun]

Thanks! you remind me correctly! That must be the accusative aspect!