Condition in Acts 17:27
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Sep 5 07:22:07 EDT 2002
At 4:42 PM -0700 9/4/02, Eric Zeller wrote:
>[Message heavily edited to remove MIME/HTML formatting; please use plain-text
>ASCII only for messages to be distributed to B-Greek. --cwc]
>
>Can anyone offer insight on what type of condition may be in view in
>Acts 17:27? It seems to be an incomplete condition where the protasis
>includes the optative mood, and the apodosis seems to be absent. Thanks
>for any assistance.
Text: Acts 17:26-27 EPOIHSEN TE EX hENOS PAN EQNOS ANQRWPWN KATOIKEIN EPI
PANTOS PROSWPOU THS GHS, hORISAS PROSTETAGMENOUS KARIOUS KAI TAS hOROQESIAS
THS KATOIKIAS AUTWN (27) ZHTEIN TON QEON, EI ARA GE YHLAFHSEIAN AUTON KAI
hEUROIEN, KAI GE OU MAKRAN APO hENOS hEKASTOU hHMWN hUPARCONTA.
I think Smyth addresses this instance pretty well in the section cited
below; I think the secondary sequence is sufficient to account for the
optative here (this is NOT really the same as a future less vivid
condition):
§2354. ei', ea_n, on the chance that.--ei or ean may set forth the motive
for the action or feeling expressed by the apodosis, and with the force of
on the chance that, in case that, in the hope that, if haply.
After primary tenses in the apodosis, we have ei with the indicative or
ea_n (pôs) with the subjunctive; after secondary tenses, ei with the
optative or, occasionally, ea_n (pôs) with the subjunctive. Homer has
sometimes the optative after primary tenses. The reference is to the future
as in final clauses.
The protasis here depends, not on the apodosis proper, but on the idea of
purpose or desire suggested by the thought. The accomplishment of the
purpose may be desired or not desired, and by the subject either of the
apodosis or of the protasis.
nun aut' encheiêi peirêsomai, ai ke tuchômi but now I will make trial with
my spear on the chance (in the hope) that I may hit thee E279, akouson kai
emou, ea_n soi eti tauta dokêi listen to me too on the chance (in the hope)
that you may still have the same opinion P. R. 358b, poreuomenoi es tên
Asia_n hôs basilea_, ei pôs peiseian auton going into Asia to the king in
the hope that somehow they might persuade him T. 2.67 , pros tên polin, ei
epiboêthoien, echôroun they advanced toward the city on the chance that
they (the citizens) should make a sally 6. 100.
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
Most months:: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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