Epigram enigma

Greek Learning Greek
1

Mastronarde (p. 233) cites this epigram

πολλὰ πιὼν καὶ πολλὰ φαγὼν καὶ πολλὰ κάκ’ εἰπών
ἀνθρώπους κεῖμαι Τιμοκρέων Ῥόδιος.

There is no comment on ἀνθρώπους and I’m stumped.

2

I believe this usage came up elsewhere before. From the LSJ for λέγω: “λέγειν τινά τι say something of another, esp. κακὰ λ. τινά speak ill of him, revile him,” and in the εἶπον entry (but not quite the same thing): "3. call one so and so, “πολλοί τέ μιν ἐσθλὸν ἔειπον”

3

Thanks! That was fast and you made the epigram sparkle better. I was obtusely looking for a subject with κεῖμαι, when of course it doesn’t need one.

Ci-gît Piron qui ne fut rien
Pas même académicien

4

Well, I think that it was a mistake I made somewhere, so it stuck in my memory.

5

Here’s the syntax: It appears to be a use of two accusatives with one verb, one being an internal object (κακά) and the other being an external object (ανθρώπους). Check Smyth 1620 and 1622.
EDIT: changed grammar to syntax
P.S. The corresponding section in the CGCG is 30.13

6

“I was obtusely looking for a subject with κεῖμαι, when of course it doesn’t need one.”

But it has one: Τιμοκρέων Ῥόδιος.

7

It must have been a hoot for folks who didn’t like Timocreon, to devise an epitaph like that.

8

Here’s a Wikipedia article on him:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timocreon