ἐχόμενον δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐστὶν ἐπελθεῖν περὶ χρόνου.
I take the meaning to be: “For the one who follows closely what has been said it is possible to discuss time.” If this is correct, why is ἐστὶν enclitic?
p.s. Or is the meaning: “What follows closely what has been said is to discuss time.”?
I think your last suggestion is correct. For the first meaning ἑχόμενον would need to be in the dative, and, I suppose, have an article. And then it would mean something like “for one clinging to what has been said…”, since I don’t think the meaning “follow” can be used metaphorically as in “follow an argument”. But I’m also somewhat unsure about the possible uses of ἔχω, so someone may correct me.
Thank you, I thought (probably mistakenly) that ἐχόμενον could be taken as an accusative of respect.
LSJ has this:
"C Med., hold oneself fast, cling closely, …
- come next to, follow closely, ib. 1.8.4; ἕπεσθαι ἐχομένους ὅτι μάλιστα τῶν ἁρμάτων Id. Cyr. 7.1.9; of peoples or places, to be close, border on, c. gen., Hdt. 4.169, Th. 2.96, etc.; freq. in part., τὴν ἐχομένην [τῶν νεωρίων] στοάν Aen. Tact. 11.3; οἱ ἐ. the neighbouring people, Hdt. 1.134; ὁ ἐχόμενος the next man, Aen.Tact. 22.27; of Time, τὸ ἐχόμενον ἔτος the next year, Th. 6.3; ὁ ἐ. διαλογισμός PRev.Laws 16.15 (iii B.C.); τὰ ἐχόμενα τούτοις what follows, Pl. Grg. 494e (without τούτοις Isoc. 6.29)."