παρ´ … πυνθάνϵσθαι: The infinitive phrase functions as the subject of the quasi-impersonal verb χρῆναι (S. 1984-85).
παρ´ αὐτῶν: Prepositional phrase; παρά with the genitive here denotes source with the infinitive πυνθάνϵσθαι and means “from” (S. 1692.1.b). παρ´: An elision of παρὰ (S. 70). αὐτῶν: Plural, masculine, genitive demonstrative pronoun used substantively; the antecedent is πρϵσβύταις (S. 1204).
πυνθάνϵσθαι: Present, deponent infinitive of πυνθάνομαι (S. 383). The infinitive functions as the subject of the quasi-impersonal verb χρῆναι (S. 1984-85). The present tense of the infinitive denotes continual action (S. 1865).
ὥσπϵρ … πορϵύϵσθαι: Clause of comparison with two dependent clauses (S. 2462).
ὥσπϵρ: The adverb of comparison denotes that the action of the main verb is compared with an assumed case (S. 2087).
τινὰ ὁδὸν: Accusative direct object of the participle προϵληλυθότω (S.1554, 2040). τινὰ: Singular, feminine, accusative indefinite pronoun used as an adjective (S. 1266). The preceding paroxytone ὥσπϵρ receives no additional accent and the dissyllabic enclitic τινὰ retains its accent (S. 183.d). ὁδὸν: The noun lacks an article (S. 1126).
προϵληλυθότων: Plural, genitive, prefect, active circumstantial participle of προέρχομαι (S. 383). The participle here stand for the main verb in the clause and has been attracted to the case of αὐτῶν, to whom the comparison is being made (S. 2465). The perfect tense of the participle denotes completion with permanent results (S. 1872.d).
ἣν … πορϵύϵσθαι: Relative clause (S. 2488-2573).
ἣν: Singular, feminine, accusative relative pronoun; the antecedent is ὁδὸν (S. 338, 2501). Accusative direct object of the infinitive πορϵύϵσθαι (S.1554, 1967).
καὶ: Adverbial use of the particle meaning “also” (S. 2881).
ἡμᾶς … πορϵύϵσθαι: The infinitive phrase is the subject of the quasi-impersonal verb δϵήσϵι (S. 1984-85). ἡμᾶς: Plural, accusative personal pronoun ἡμϵῖς (S. 325). Accusative subject of the infinitive (S. 1972). πορϵύϵσθαι: Present middle infinitive of πορϵύω (S. 383). The present tense of the infinitive denotes continual action (S. 1865.a).
ἴσως: Adverb (S. 343, 1094).
δϵήσϵι: Third person, singular, future, active, indicative of the quasi-impersonal verb δϵῖ (L.S. δϵῖ). Main verb of the relative clause (S. 2173). Quasi-impersonal use of the verb; the infinitive phrase ἡμᾶςἴσως … πορϵύϵσθαι functions as the subject (S. 1984-85).
ποία τίς… ϵὔπορος: Indirect question dependent on πυνθάνϵσθαι (S. 2663).
ποία τίς: Predicate nominative modifying αὕτη, the supplied subject of ἐστι, after ἐστι (S. 939). ποία: Singular, feminine, nominative indirect interrogative pronomial adjective; the antecedent is ὁδὸν (S. 340, 1262). τίς: Singular, feminine, nominative indefinite pronoun used as an adjective; when the pronoun is used with ποῖος, it makes the question less definite (S. 1266, 1268, L.S. ποῖος 4). The enclitic pronoun loses its accent after the paroxytone ποία (S. 183.d). The acute accent is thrown back from the following enclitic ἐστι (S. 185).
ἐστι: Third person, singular, present, indicative of ἐιμί (S. 768). Main verb of the indirect question (S. 2173). After a primary tense (δοκϵῖ) the mood and tense of the direct question are retained (S. 2677). Supply αὕτη (the antecedent is ὁδός) as the subject (S. 931.a). When several enclitics occur in succession, each receives an accent from the following, only the last having no accent (S. 185).
τραχϵῖα καὶ χαλϵπή, ἢ ῥᾳδία καὶ ϵὔπορος: An anacoluthon; although not obscure, the adjectives added to the clause modifying ποία τίς do not follow from the structure of the original clause (ποία τίς ἐστι) (S. 3005). “Artificial or rhetorical anacoluthon is the result of a deliberate purpose to give to the written language the vividness, naturalness, and unaffected freedom of the easy flow of conversation, and is best seen in the dialogues of Plato” (S. 3007).
τραχϵῖα καὶ χαλϵπή: Two, singular, feminine, nominative predicate adjectives modifying ποία (S.911). καὶ: The conjunction connects the two adjectives (S. 2868). χαλϵπή: An acute, when not immediately followed by another word, does not change to a grave (S. 154).
ἢ: Disjunctive conjunction connecting the two sets of adjectives (S. 2856).
ῥᾳδία καὶ ϵὔπορος: Two, singular, feminine, nominative predicate adjectives modifying ποία (S. 911). καὶ: The conjunction connects the two adjectives (S. 2868).
καὶ δὴ καὶ σοῦ ἡδέως ἂν πυθοίμην, ὅ τί σοι φαίνϵται τοῦτο, ἐπϵιδὴ ἐνταῦθαἤδη ϵἶ τῆς ἡλικίας, ὃ δὴ ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ φασὶν ϵἶναι οἱ ποιηταί, πότϵρον χαλϵπὸν τοῦ βίου ἢπῶς σὺ αὐτὸ ἐξαγγέλλϵις. (328.e)
| ἄν: would.αὐτόν, αὐτήν, αὐτό: him, her, it.βίος, -ου, ὁ: life.γῆρας, -ος, τό: old age.δή: indeed, in fact, of course, certainly.ϵἰμί: to be.ἐνταῦθα (+ gen.): at this.ἐξαγγέλλω: to report, proclaim, make known.ἐπϵιδή: since, seeing that.ἐπί (+ dat.): upon, at, near.ἡδέως: gladly, pleasantly, with pleasure.ἤδη: now, presently.ἡλικία, -ας, ἡ: time of life, age. | καὶ δὴ καί: and especially, and in particular, and what is more.ὅς, ἥ, ὅ: who, which.ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ τι: whosoever, whichsoever.οὐδός, -οῦ, ὁ: threshold, verge.οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο: this man, woman, or thingποιητής, -οῦ, ὁ: poet.πότϵρον … ἤ: whether … or.πυνθάνομαι: to learn, hear.πῶς: how?σύ, σοῦ: you, of you.φαίνομαι: to appear to be.φημί: to say, affirm, assert.χαλϵπός, -ή, -όν: hard to deal with, difficult, irksome. |
καὶ δὴ καὶ: The conjunction connects the previous sentence with this one and marks a kind of climax (S. 2890). The first καί is conjunctional, the postpositive particle δή is intensive with καί, and the second καί is adverbial, emphasizing the following word (S. 2890) (D. καὶ δὴ καί, pg. 255).
σοῦ: Singular, genitive form of the personal pronoun σύ (S. 325). Genitive of source (S. 1410-11).
ἡδέως: Adverb of manner (S. 343, 1094).
ἂν πυθοίμην: Main verb of the complex sentence (S. 2173). ἂν: The potential optative with the particle ἄν states a future possibility, propriety, or likelihood, as an opinion of the speaker, here meaning “would” (S. 1824). πυθοίμην: First person, singular, aorist, deponent, optative of πυνθάνομαι (S. 383). The subject ἐγώ is not expressed but implied in the verb; the nominative of the personal pronoun is usually omitted except when emphatic (S. 929, 1190). The present and aorist are used