ODYSSEY Study Group 13 September 2011

DJG David Goldfarb
HMU Hilde Munro
LXD Lorcan Despanais
MB Mark Brunkahl
ML Mark Lightman

Odyssey υ-93 μερμήριζε δ᾽ ἔπειτα, δόκησε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸν ἤδη γιγνώσκουσα παρεστάμεναι
κεφαλῆφι.

DJG And he considered anxiously, and it seemed to his heart that now she knew
him and was standing by his head.

HMU then he pondered and in his heart it seemed to him that she had already
recognized him and was standing by his head.

LXD and when he was turning it over in his mind, it seemed to him in his
heart that, already recognizing him, she stood by his head.

MB and then he considered, and it appeared to him in his mind as if she
already understood and would stand next to his head.

ML Then he was conflicted. But she seemed, to his way of thinking, by now,
knowing him, to be standing by his head.>

Is Penelope the subject of δόκησε? If it's impersonal, why is γιγνώσκουσα not accusative?
Mark Lightman

Mark Brunkahl repied:
I must confess that I had great diffifulties with the whole last assignment.
Maybe it has something with this: When the subject of the infinitive is
identical with that of main verb it is out in the nominative, e.g. ἄξιος εἶναι
νομίζει: "she hopes to be worthy (herself)" while
ἄξιον εἶναι νομίζει αὐτόν : "she hopes him to be worthy". So if the participle
is understood adjectively this could account for the nominative.
If you want to do some research along these lines yourself I can only say that
I found this in my grammar under the header of "Substantives with Infinitives".

Otherwise I can only say: The participle is correct because Homer said so!
Mark Brunkahl
Am Mittwoch, 14. September 2011 06:04:09 schrieb Mark Lightman:

Hilde Munro repied:
Looking at other occurrences of δοκέω in Homer, used both personally and
impersonally, I found several examples with the nominative where we might
have expected the accusative. (By the way, this looking up process is made a
lot easier by the Chicago Homer.)
I do not think that Mark B.'s idea works here, as Penelope is not the
subject of both clauses.

Here are some examples:

Ιl.23.459/60 ἄλλοι μοι δοκέουσι παροίτεροι ἔμμεναι ἵπποι, ἄλλος δ᾽
ἡνίοχος ἰνδάλλεται

Il.23.470/7 δοκέει δέ μοι ἔμμεναι ἀνὴρ Αἰτωλὸς γενεήν, ...

Od.01.227/28 ὥς τέ μοι ὑβρίζοντες ὑπερφιάλως δοκέουσι δαίνυσθαι κατὰ δῶμα.

Od.02.033 ἐσθλός μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, ὀνήμενος.

Od.08.388 ὁ ξεῖνος μάλα μοι δοκέει πεπνυμένος εἶναι.

Od.17.415/16 οὐ μέν μοι δοκέεις ὁ κάκιστος Ἀχαιῶν ἔμμεναι, ἀλλ᾽ ὤριστος,

Od.18.382 καί πού τις δοκέεις μέγας ἔμμεναι ἠδὲ κραταιός,
Hilde

Lorcan replied: Methinks you are more nearly correct, Mark, on this verse than most of
us who may have been misled by dokei's usual habit of being
impersonal. The giggly participle is, of course, the feminine
nominative, modifying the feminine subject implicit in the aorist
indicative active verb (and also of the perfect active infinitive).
Lorcan ---- POSTSCRIPTUM: I meant Mark Lightman in my reply. Also The main verb of the second clause (which is co-ordinate and not dependent) is the 'governing verb' and has the same subject as the infinitive, and that is why the subject of the infinitive is not in the accusative. viz: Smyth, GREEK GRAMMAR, #1973 & #937