[B-Greek] SIKELOS OMFAKIZETAI What kind of middle?
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Jan 1 12:42:54 EST 2011
On Jan 1, 2011, at 11:37 AM, Mark Lightman wrote:
> LSJ defines ὀμφακίζω (OMFAKIZW) "to be unripe, properly of grapes" and refers to
> Isaiah 18:5 where the active is found. Then it goes on to say "in Mid.,
> Σικελὸς ὀμφακίζεται the Sicilian steals sour grapes, proverb. of one who will
> steal anything worthless, Epich. 163 Ahr., cf. Aristaen. 2.7 Erasm. Adag. p.
> 240."
>
> I don't get how the middle is working here. If the active means to produce sour
> grapes, how does the middle come to mean steal sour grapes? I understand that
> this is a free translation, but what is going on here? Is this some special
> kind of a middle that I am unfamiliar with? Are there other examples?
>
> I don't really understand the syntax of the passage in Isaiah, either, where
> ὄμφαξ...ὀμφακίζουσα seems to be a (semitic?) redundancy.
I would guess that the syntax of the LXX passage would best be explained
as a pretty literal equivalent of the Hebrew text; perhaps Al Pietersma will
have something to say about this.
As for SIKELOS OMFAKIZETAI, I would think the sense is more, "reaps
his own sour grapes" -- a regular usage of the middle indicating that the
subject of the verb is also the beneficiary. The Sicilian will steal something
as useless as sour fruit with a view to his own interest. I guess that makes
this middle "common garden variety."
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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