Saturday, March 14, 2009

Menander Monostichon 422

Ὁ μὴ δαρεὶς ἄνθρωπος οὐ παιδεύεται seems to get translated usually as "Male eruditur ille, qui non vapulat". I don't think that translation reflects the original Greek syntax very well. Smyth describes this syntax in his Greek Grammar (Harvard University Press, 1920) Sections 2280 and 2286. μὴ is used in the protasis because the "clause expresses something that is conceived or imagined ... the principle clause [apodosis] states the conclusion as a fact on the supposition that the protasis is true...."p.513

In light of his explanation, I render the monostichon in English as "If the man was not beaten, he is not educated" or "The man, who was not paddled, is not educated."

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