PAIS

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Sat Dec 4 19:07:47 EST 1999


To: Christopher Hutson,

CH: << Thanks, Steven, for the interesting dialogue on PAIS. >>

And thanks also to you, its been fun.

CH: << Well, I can agree with you and D&A on splitting this very fine hair. 
PAIS does not *mean* "son," but in this context the reference clearly is to 
a PAIS who is a hUIOS, not a DOULOS, and that was my point. I think we are 
on the same track here. >>

I'm not for sure I understand why you added "who is a hUIOS," since every 
PAIS is either a hUIOS or a QUGATHR.

SCM: << For the term PAIS to mean "son" here, it would have to have 
something like the possessive pronoun "his" added. >>

CH: << Hmmm.  I'm not sure that the addition of "my" or "his" would clinch 
it either way.  You would have to show me that such usage is consistent in 
our literature. >>

If the possessive pronoun doesn't have to be explicit, it would have to be 
implicit, else it would be impossible to refer to "his son."

CH: << Jos., Life 429.  "[Titus] gave orders for the chastisement of a 
slave (DOULOS), a eunuch and my son's tutor (PAIDAGWGON TOU PAIDOS MOU)." 
Here "my PAIS" clearly means "my son." ... the  Jos, Vita 429, shows that 
PAIS MOU can be equivalent to hUIOS MOU, don't you think? >>

No one has suggested differently, the only suggestion has been that hUIOS 
MOU would be more common than PAIS MOU if one was referring to one's son.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Disclaimer: "I'm just a simple house-husband (with no post-grad degree), 
what do I know?"




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