Hello everyone, seem to be having some slight difficulties with this…
τί οὖν; ἔφη ὁ Κῦρος, βούλοισθ᾽ ἂν ἀποτελοῦντες ὅσαπερ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀρμένιοι ἐξεῖναι ὑμῖν τῆς Ἀρμενίας γῆς ἐργάζεσθαι ὁπόσην ἂν θέλητε;
Why is ἐξεῖναι (ἔξεστι) in the infinitive?
This is how I see (butcher, rather) the sentance.
βούλοισθ᾽ ἂν | ἐργάζεσθαι | ὁπόσην ἂν θέλητε | τῆς Ἀρμενίας γῆς | ὅσαπερ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀρμένιοι ἐξεῖναι ὑμῖν
I can’t understand why ἐξεῖναι isn’t 3rd person plural.
OK, I think I see my confusion…
βούλοισθ᾽ ἂν | ἐξεῖναι ὑμῖν ἐργάζεσθαι | ὁπόσην ἂν θέλητε τῆς Ἀρμενίας γῆς | ἀποτελοῦντες ὅσαπερ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀρμένιοι (αποτελουνται)
There is no finite verb within the ὅσαπερ clause, this, being dependent on the participle.
Yes that’s it (except sc. not αποτελοῦνται but αποτελοῦσιν). “Would you want to be allowed …” (εξειναι impersonal, “Wd you want it to be permitted you to …”). The participle is conditional (representing ει or εφ’ᾧ).
Thanks, and as εξεστι is impersonal it couldn’t have been third person plural as I was thinking.