κῶς δ’ ἂν εἴη χρῆμα κατηρτημένον μουναρχίη,
τῇ ἔξεστι ἀνευθύνῳ ποίεειν τὰ βούλεται;
I just have no idea how to translate the second part of the sentence, even though I know what it means.
One of Dareios helpers is just going on about how monarchy sucks and how much better democracy is.
The first part of the sentence is (I hope):
In which way could monarchy be a well-fitting need, ...?
Now for the second part... I just don't know what to do with that at all. The relative clause is my problem...
τὰ βούλεται; - the things that she (the monarchy) wants, my commentary says that the subject is μουναρχίη .
but the rest ...
I think that ἔξεστι ποίεειν τὰ βούλεται; is probably an ACI, 'it is necessary that the things that she wants are done'
But I don't know how this fits in with the relative pronoun at all, especially as it's in the dative.
( ἀνευθύνῳ means irresponsible)
I'm totally at a loss here
Herodot, Histories book 3
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[size=150]τῇ ἔξεστι ἀνευθύνῳ ποίεειν τὰ βούλεται;[/size]
Just my thoughts:
I think[size=150] τῇ[/size] refers to monarchy, [size=150]ἀνευθύνῳ[/size] is a dativus connected to the verb [size=150]ἔξεστι[/size] and the rest is just "to do , that what he wants".
I would translate:
with which (the monarchy) it is permitted to an irresponsible person to do what he wants.
But I would then ignore your commentary stating that the monarchy is the subject of [size=150]βούλεται[/size].
Regards,
Adelheid
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Hehehe, if only it weren't for the commentary... well, maybe there's a mistake in the commentary but then... hehehe, it's a very confusing commentary, maybe I misread it too, I'm notorious for not understand the commentary .
Hmm... plus I just noticed that the ACI wouldn't work the way i thought it would, as then the infinitive would have to be passive.
Thanks Adelheid, now I understand the sentence...
Hmm... plus I just noticed that the ACI wouldn't work the way i thought it would, as then the infinitive would have to be passive.
Thanks Adelheid, now I understand the sentence...
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Re: Herodot, Histories book 3
I would agree with the commentary. In my mind, ἀνευθύνῳ agrees with τῇ in the feminine (for feminine of ἀνεύθυνος is the same as the masculine), so : "how could monarchy be a well-fitting thing, for which it is permitted to do what it wants without being responsible for anything?" Herodotus means that being "uncontrolled", a monarch comes rapidly "out of control", "mad".Emma_85 wrote: κῶς δ’ ἂν εἴη χρῆμα κατηρτημένον μουναρχίη,
τῇ ἔξεστι ἀνευθύνῳ ποίεειν τὰ βούλεται;
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