A Reading Course in Homeric Greek, Book 2

A Reading Course in Homeric Greek

282 βέλτερον : understand πού ἐστιν. καὐτή : crasis (§35).

284 τοί is the relative pronoun (= οἳ).

286 νεμεσῶ = νεμεσάω, which could either be pres. subj. (but equal to a fut. ind. in meaning, as

often in Homer), or pres. ind. Commentators have taken it both ways. ῥέζοι : opt., as if in

the protasis of a Should-Would condition (§285a in Book 1).

287 πατρὸς καὶ μητρὸς : explains φίλων (epexegesis). ἐόντων : translate “(while still) being

a live.”

288 πρίν γ’ ἀμφάδιον γάμον ἐλθεῖν : “before (she) has arrived at a public marriage.” See New

Grammar, below (§66). γάμον is not a direct obj. of ἐλθεῖν, but acc. of the goal of motion

(§18d in Book 1).

66. NEW GRAMMAR: πρίν introducing an infinitive clause

When πρίν introduces an infinitive clause in Homeric Greek, it means “before” or “until,” and the

infinitive, which is usually aorist, is best translated as a finite verb. (The subject of this finite verb

will be determined from the context.)

πρίν γ’ ἀμφάδιον γάμον ἐλθεῖν

before (she) has arrived at a public marriage

πρίν γ’ ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην

until (we) give back to her dear father the quick-eyed girl

The subject of the infinitive, when it is expressed, is accusative:

πρίν γε τὸν ἐς Τροίην ἀναβήμεναι

before he went off to Troy