Plb. 6.9.5

Greek Learning Greek
1

ὅταν δ᾽ ἐπιγένωνται νέοι καὶ παισὶ παίδων πάλιν ἡ δημοκρατία παραδοθῇ…

But as soon as a new generation has arisen, and the democracy has descended to their children’s children…

But when a new generation arises and the democracy falls into the hands of the grandchildren of its founders…

Mais quand une génération nouvelle arrive encore et que la démocratie, cette fois, passe aux mains des petits-enfants de ces fondateurs…

All three translators find granchildren in this phrase, but I can’t see it. Is παισὶ partitive? I hope not. Even if it were, I wouldn’t understand.

Thoughts?

2

παισὶ is dative: indirect object of παραδοθῇ.

παραδοθῇ is aorist passive subjunctive of παραδίδωμι.

“and when democracy has been handed down/handed over/transmitted to the children of the children”

πάλιν because it’s first handed down to the children, then a second time to the grandchildren!

3

lol. I was reading παισὶ (children) as πασὶ (all). Ugh. Thanks. (Ignore accents. Font challenged as always.)