Gryllus Maior
Active member
There is a great deal of confusion in these threads advanced by those with little or no knowledge of Greek in general, and also a surprising ability to "interpretret creatively" what secondary sources (grammars and so forth) actually say. What did Smyth actually say about the anarthrous predicate nominative?
1150. A predicate noun has no article, and is thus distinguished from the subject: καλεῖται ἡ ἀκρόπολις ἔτι ὑπʼ Ἀθηναίων πόλις the acropolis is still called ‘city’ by the Athenians T. 2. 15.
Organizationally, Smyth will normally state a general principle, and then list variations and exceptions. Above is the general principle, which covers a great many passages throughout ancient Greek literature. The example could also easily be rendered "The acropolis is still called 'the city' by the Athenians." He then goes on:
1151. Predicate comparatives and superlatives, possessive pronouns, and ordinals have no article: ᾤμην τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ γυναῖκα πᾱσῶν σωφρονεστάτην εἶναι I thought that my wife was (the) most virtuous of all L. 1. 10, Χαιρεφῶν ἐμὸς ἑταῖρος ἦν Chaerephon was a friend of mine P. A. 21 a. Cp. 1125 d.
Most people will find this uncontroversial. Smyth then goes on to show exceptions:
1152. Even in the predicate the article is used with a noun referring to a definite object (an individual or a class) that is well known, previously mentioned or hinted at, or identical with the subject: οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι ἐπιχειροῦσι βάλλειν τὸν Δέξιππον ἀνακαλοῦντες τὸν προδότην the rest try to strike Dexippus calling him ‘the traitor’ X. A. 6. 6. 7, οὗτοι ἦσαν οἱ φεύγοντες τὸν ἔλεγχον these men were those who (as I have said) avoided the inquiry Ant. 6.27. οἱ τιθέμενοι τοὺς νόμους οἱ ἀσθενεῖς ἄνθρωποί εἰσι καὶ οἱ πολλοί the enactors of the laws are the weak men and the multitude P. G. 483 b, ὑπώπτευε δὲ εἶναι τὸν διαβάλλοντα Μένωνα he suspected that it was Menon who traduced him X. A. 2. 5. 28 (here subject and predicate could change places). So also with ὁ αὐτός the same (1209 a), θᾱ̓́τερον one of two (69), τοὐναντίον the opposite.
It's important to note that these are very specific contexts which do not negate the general principle stated in 1150 above.
The heading for this section in Smyth is "the article and a predicate noun." Note that Smyth does not distinguish between "equative" verbs and other types of intransitive verbs, and his examples include both. The fact that the noun is predicate is good enough for it to be included under these rules.
1150. A predicate noun has no article, and is thus distinguished from the subject: καλεῖται ἡ ἀκρόπολις ἔτι ὑπʼ Ἀθηναίων πόλις the acropolis is still called ‘city’ by the Athenians T. 2. 15.
Organizationally, Smyth will normally state a general principle, and then list variations and exceptions. Above is the general principle, which covers a great many passages throughout ancient Greek literature. The example could also easily be rendered "The acropolis is still called 'the city' by the Athenians." He then goes on:
1151. Predicate comparatives and superlatives, possessive pronouns, and ordinals have no article: ᾤμην τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ γυναῖκα πᾱσῶν σωφρονεστάτην εἶναι I thought that my wife was (the) most virtuous of all L. 1. 10, Χαιρεφῶν ἐμὸς ἑταῖρος ἦν Chaerephon was a friend of mine P. A. 21 a. Cp. 1125 d.
Most people will find this uncontroversial. Smyth then goes on to show exceptions:
1152. Even in the predicate the article is used with a noun referring to a definite object (an individual or a class) that is well known, previously mentioned or hinted at, or identical with the subject: οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι ἐπιχειροῦσι βάλλειν τὸν Δέξιππον ἀνακαλοῦντες τὸν προδότην the rest try to strike Dexippus calling him ‘the traitor’ X. A. 6. 6. 7, οὗτοι ἦσαν οἱ φεύγοντες τὸν ἔλεγχον these men were those who (as I have said) avoided the inquiry Ant. 6.27. οἱ τιθέμενοι τοὺς νόμους οἱ ἀσθενεῖς ἄνθρωποί εἰσι καὶ οἱ πολλοί the enactors of the laws are the weak men and the multitude P. G. 483 b, ὑπώπτευε δὲ εἶναι τὸν διαβάλλοντα Μένωνα he suspected that it was Menon who traduced him X. A. 2. 5. 28 (here subject and predicate could change places). So also with ὁ αὐτός the same (1209 a), θᾱ̓́τερον one of two (69), τοὐναντίον the opposite.
It's important to note that these are very specific contexts which do not negate the general principle stated in 1150 above.
The heading for this section in Smyth is "the article and a predicate noun." Note that Smyth does not distinguish between "equative" verbs and other types of intransitive verbs, and his examples include both. The fact that the noun is predicate is good enough for it to be included under these rules.