“ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν”

Here you can discuss all things Ancient Greek. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Greek, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
Constantinus Philo
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 1404
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:04 pm

“ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν”

Post by Constantinus Philo »

is this always used in plural, or can it be used in sing as well, νυκτός?
Semper Fidelis

phalakros
Textkit Fan
Posts: 296
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 9:51 pm

Re: “ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν”

Post by phalakros »

Yes, νύκτες usually plural in expressions for “midnight,” μέσαι νύκτες, ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν, etc., referring to the three different watches of the night. The singular is much rarer. I don’t think it ever occurs in Attic prose.

User avatar
jeidsath
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 5332
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:42 pm
Location: Γαλεήπολις, Οὐισκόνσιν

Re: “ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν”

Post by jeidsath »

You'll see the singular in NT/LXX, etc. for the "middle night". A weird way to put it, when you think about precisely what it's saying. Maybe coming in from the Hebrew LXX translation? But there are more instances in Ionic prose (Herodotus, Hippocrates).

This is pretty unique, from Xenophon's econ-paper: "ἐν μέσῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ"

Also, notice the LSJ entry for νύξ. Phalakros could provide a useful service here if he'd like to break down why a student should suspect the primarily plural use in Attic prose, just going by this entry. Or I can, if he'd like instead.
μέσαι νύκτες midnight, Sapph.52, Pl.R.621b; περὶ μ. νύκτας X.An.7.8.12; ἐν μέσῳ νυκτῶν Id.Cyr.5.3.52; πρωΐτερον μέσων νυκτῶν Th.8.101; ἔξω μέσων ν. D.54.26.
3. in pl., watches of the night, ib.256; three such, παροίχωκεν δὲ πλέων νὺξ τῶν δύο μοιράων, τριτάτη δ’ ἔτι μοῖρα λέλειπται Il.10.252; τρίχα νυκτὸς ἔην, for τρίτον μέρος τῆς νυκτὸς ἦν, it was the third watch, i. e. next before morning, Od.12.312.
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

Post Reply