Loeb translates this as an impersonal construction: “It was manifest also that whenever a man conferred any benefit upon Cyrus or did him any harm, he [Cyrus] always strove to outdo him.”
But how can this be an impersonal construction if the neuter φανερὸν isn’t found here as per CGCG 36.8? And more confusingly, Tauber in his commentary says concerning this that “Greek strongly prefers personal constructions.” So would it be more accurate (though perhaps not better) to translate this as “He [Cyrus] was clearly trying to outdo anyone who [i.e. if they] did him any good or evil”?
The personal construction with φανερός, rather than an impersonal construction, is idiomatic Greek. See Smyth § 1982 and particularly the note at the end. But English doesn’t work like this, so an impersonal construction has to be used in English translation, or you could, as you suggested, use “clearly.” But this generalizing sentence calls for the simple preterite in English, “he clearly tried to outdo….”
Neither better nor more accurate. It’s just that ordinary Greek usage and ordinary English usage don’t precisely coincide. You wouldn’t say “he was clear trying” in English.
(Crossed with Hylander)
Excellent, thanks. Smyth § 1982 makes it clear. Funny CGCG doesn’t mention this so I made a note at the end of chapter 36.
But I should really buy a copy of Smyth so I can have it handy on my bookshelf to look up stuff and make annotations. Will the original 1915 edition suffice or should I shell out a hundred Canuck bucks for the Harvard 1956 hardcover revision done by Messing?
I’d have thought CGCG would give you all you need. It wins hands-down over Smyth, although its chronological coverage is less. But it’s true that Smyth is still the grammar that’s most cited. Messing’s revision was not substantial.
CGCG has been terrific but sometimes has gaps (as this thread illustrates) that Smyth seems to fill though it’s grammatical terminology feels dated sometimes.
You can certainly find used copies of Smyth for much less money. I saw a bunch on BookFinder.com for under $30 US. Having that grammar can be a time-saver because you can go right to the paragraph that is referenced in a commentary. Practically every commentary in English references Smyth.
