Septem: λέγοιτ' ἂν ὧν ἄνη τις

Greek Learning Greek
1

In Aeschylus’s Septem, Eteocles says to the chorus: λέγοιτ’ ἂν ὧν ἄνη τις
Line 713 Hutchinson, 700 Tucker and Verrall.

Tucker translates it as: Say on, but to a purpose
Verrall translates it as: Ye must ask then a possible thing
Smyth (old Loeb): Recommend something that can be accomplished

I’m confused by ἄνη τις. Doesn’t τις have to be nominative and thus the subject? The translations all imply λέγοιτε. I was thinking λέγοιτο. Meaning something like: Let something able-to-be-accomplished be spoken.

Is there some other way that the nominative ἄνη τις can be construed?

Mark

2

ὧν ἄνη τις – of which there is some ἄνη

3

It’s just λεγοιτε αν ων ανη τις [εστι], or, more fully, λεγοιτε αν [τι τουτων] ων ανη τις [εστι]. “You should say something of (from among ) those things of which there is some fulfillment.” τουτων would not be idiomatic Greek – I put it in to make clear how the Greek fits together.(Pardon the inelegance of the English.)

λεγοιτε αν is a polite command. I think it’s λεγοιτε – Eteocles is addressing the chorus in the 2d pers. plur. in this passage.

ανη is an obscure noun derived from the verb ανω. LSJ lists only this occurrence and one from Calimachus.

Cross posted with jeidsath.

Edit: changed των to τουτων.

4

Thanks to you both! I totally missed the implied εστι.

Mark