[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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