Ὡς in X. An. 1.6.3 according to CGCG ch.57

Greek Learning Greek
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ὁ δʼ Ὀρόντας νομίσας ἑτοίμους εἶναι αὑτῷ τοὺς ἱππέας γράφει ἐπιστολὴν παρὰ βασιλέα ὅτι ἥξοι ἔχων ἱππέας ὡς ἂν δύνηται πλείστους·

I’m struggling to understand the grammatical character of ὡς in this sentence. I understand what it says here, but I can’t figure out which category in chapter 57 “Overview of the uses of ὡς” in the Cambridge Grammar describes its usage in this sentence.

Thanks! —Mitch

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I don’t have access to the Cambridge Grammar, but Smyth 1086 says this about ὡς + superlative, with or without a form of δύναμαι:

1086. Strengthened Forms.—The superlative may be strengthened by prefixing ὅτι or ὡς, rarely ᾗ (also ὅσον or ὅπως in poetry): ὅτι πλεῖστοι as many men as possible, ὅτι τάχιστα as quickly as possible, ““ᾗ ἄριστον” the very best way” [X. C. 7.5.82] (ὅπως ἄριστα [A. Ag. 600]). ὅτι or ὥς is always added when a preposition precedes the superlative: ““ὡς εἰς στενώτατον” into as narrow compass as possible” [X. O. 18.8]. ὡς and ὅτι may be used together: ““ὡς ὅτι βέλτιστον ἐμέ γενέσθαι” for me to become as good as may be” [P. S. 218d].

**a.**With ὡς and ᾖ, rarely with ὅπῃ (not with ὅτι), a form of δύναμαι or οἷός τέ εἰμι, may be employed: ““διηγήσομαι ὑ_μῖν ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι διὰ βραχυτάτων” I will relate to you in the briefest terms I can” [I. 21.2].

This still doesn’t explain how this construction arose, if that’s what you’re unsure about. (I have just accepted it as fact.)

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Thanks that’s helpful – I missed taking note of the superlative. I was aware of how ὅτι can strengthen a superlative as I had already seen that in X. An. 1.1.6 and 1.1.11 but I didn’t know ὡς could do the same, plus the intervening ἂν δύνηται in the construction made it difficult to see what was goiing on. But the Smyth section you posted gives just such a construction!

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…and there it is — ὠς as an adverb with a superlative — right there in section 57.2 of CGCG.

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I have actually not yet encountered this construction with ὅτι in my reading, only ὥς, so it was enlightening for me to look it up!

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ἱππέας ὡς ἂν δύνηται πλείστους is a normal sort of phrasing, like the διηγήσομαι passage cited by Sm.1086 (Dem.17.3 as well as Isoc.21.2), cf. e.g. Pl.Rep.367b.

We can best make sense of the construction if we think of ὡς ἂν δύνηται
as an ordinary indefinite adverbial relative clause (Smyth 1768) then qualified by the superlative adverb or adjective. And that will explain why ὡς not ὅτι.

Mitch, you may add the relevant CGCG refs!

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OK I’ll try:

  • Indefinite subjunctive + ἄν used in relative clauses (CGCG 40.9)
  • Reduced clauses of comparison with relative adverbs of manner like ὡ (CGCG 50.37)
  • ὡ as an adverb strengthening a superlative (CGCG 57.2)

Hope I’ve got it right!