Socrates is talking with Euthyphro about the judicial trials that each separately is involved in. Euthryphro declares himself deeply learned in the divine laws concerning piety. Socrates, feigning innocence, poses a question for Euthyphro:
Translation: So, what about this, Euthyphro, you amazing man, isn’t it better for me to become your pupil, and before the [actual] trial begins, to challenge Meletus himself concerning these points [ that Socrates and Euthyphro have just been discussing]
I’m especially interested in this phrase: τῆς γραφῆς τῆς. The only reason I know for repeating the definite article is to put the subsequent preposition phrase in the attributive position. Assuming that I’ve got this right, what is gained by doing this? Or, if I’m wrong, please give me some pointers to study.
Yes that’s right. That second της ties προς Μελητον to the preceding της γραφης, and does not extend further. πρὸ τῆς γραφῆς τῆς πρὸς Μέλητον is a single self-contained phrase, lit. “before the indictment with regard to Meletus” (meaning the indictment that M has brought). An equivalent alternative phrasing would have been πρὸ τῆς πρὸς Μέλητον γραφῆς (sandwiching πρὸς Μέλητον within της γραφης), but he spreads it out.
Then αὐτὰ ταῦτα προκαλεῖσθαι αὐτόν “to challenge him on these very points” (αὐτὰ ταῦτα internal accusative).
Small detail: κράτιστόν not better but best.
μαθητῇ σῷ: σῷ emphatic, “a pupil of yours”
Note the legal terminology and syntax hereabouts: γραφὴν σέ τις γέγραπται (middle) “someone has brought an indictment against you” (γραφὴν internal acc.).
Many thanks mwh for the explanation the attributive position. That idea has remained somewhat abstract for me. I also needed the prompts on comparison of adjectives, and possessive pronouns.
πρὸ τῆς-γραφῆς τῆς-πρὸς-Μέλητον. If the use of the latter article seems too abstract for you, you can break this down literally, as “before the indictment, the πρὸς-Μέλητον (indictment).” It would be possible to have other material intervening between τῆς γραφῆς and τῆς πρὸς Μέλητον (a verb, for instance); the της with προς Μιλητον would still anchor προς Μιλητον to της γραφης.
If on the other hand there were no της with προς Μιλητον, then προς-Μιλητον would not be attributive, but would be a free-floating element within the sentence, untethered from της-γραφης, and the sentence would make little sense.
(And σῷ is an adjective, not a pronoun. Possessives can be tricky!)