Abstract

Theocritus I. 49: δ', π πρ πντα δλον κεύθοισα, τ παιδον ο πν νσειν φατ πρν κρτιστν π ξηροȋσι καθξ. For a very long time I have held a view of this sentence which differs very greatly from any which I have seen advocated elsewhere. Mr. Campbell's discussion in the last number of C. Q. will render it possible to abbreviate my presentation of it. For many of Mr. Campbell's criticisms on page 99 are, I believe, sound, if occasionally overstated. Many will agree, with some hesitations, in his methods of disproving the rendering ‘set him breakfasting upon dry stuff’ on page 98. This has always seemed to me a bad rendering for quite other reasons. Unfortunately for my purpose, which is not to expose modern misrenderings, but to find out what κρτωτν means, much is immaterial. Mr. Campbell's real objections to κρτιστν seem to be confined: To an alleged ‘active’ sense. To an alleged equivalence with a ‘present’ participle. To a violation of a law which he attributes to Mehlhorn. ‘It is the only occurrence of κρατζομαι outside Comedy and Late Prose.’