Agency & Passive Iliad example

c stirling bartholomew cc.constantine at worldnet.att.net
Fri Jun 15 12:10:00 EDT 2001


on 6/15/01 8:49 AM, c stirling bartholomew wrote:

>> Clay, isn't it one heck of a lot easier to understand EFHPTAI as middle
>> with KHDEA as the subject? That's the way I, at least, would understand
>> this text.
>> Remember that a neuter plural subject in earlier Greek is regularly used
>> with a singular verb.
> 
> Carl,
> 
> I was understanding  KHDEA as the subject but NOT the agent. Both Cunliffe and
> LSJ  list this instance EFHPTAI as a passive w/dative. Even if I we take
> EFHPTAI as a middle I cannot see how KHDEA can fill the semantic slot of
> agent. There still needs to be an agent unless we understand  KHDEA as a some

> sort of self animated entity. So I don't see that the middle/passive choice
> really impacts the agency issue much. Perhaps I am overlooking something.
> 
> Thanks for bringing up the subject. Your extensive and erudite discussions of
> middle/passive have been for the most part a little over my head.

Carl,

An additional thought. If we understand  EFHPTAI as describing a state and
not as an action brining an entity into a state then perhaps we can live
without an agent. Since saying that something is in the state of hanging
over something does not require an agent.

Clay



--  
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062





More information about the B-Greek mailing list