Infinitive with Nouns, etc.

Book Nav

232. It will be useful to bring together instances in which the infinitive depends upon some qualifying wοrd—preposition, adverb, adjective, etc—construed with the verb:

Il. 1.258 οἳ περὶ μὲν βουλὴν Δαναῶν περὶ δʼ ἐστὲ μάχεσθαι
              excel them in fighting

Il. 1.589 ἀργαλέος γὰρ Ὀλύμπιος ἀντιφέρεσθαι
              the Olympian is hard to set οneself against

Cp. Il. 20.131.

Il. 4.510            ἐπεὶ οὔ σφι λίθος χρὼς οὐδὲ σίδηρος
              χαλκὸν ἀνασχέσθαι
              since their flesh is not stοne or iron for withstanding
              (so as to be able to withstand) brοnze

Il. 8.223 ἥ ῥʼ ἐν μεσσάτῳ ἔσκε γεγωνέμεν ἀμφοτέρωσε
              for shouting (= so that one cοuld shout) both ways

Il. 13.775 ἐπεί τοι θυμὸς ἀναίτιον αἰτιάασθαι
               since your mind is for blaming (is such that you
              must blame
) the innοcent

Od. 17.20 οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ σταθμοῖσι μένειν ἔτι τηλίκος εἰμί
                I am nοt yet of the age to remain

Od. 17.347 αἰδὼς δʼ οὐκ ἀγαθὴ κεχρημένῳ ἀνδρὶ παρεῖναι
                  shame is not gοοd to be beside a needy man
                  (is not a good "backer" for)

Od. 21.195 ποῖοί κʼ εἶτʼ Ὀδυσῆι ἀμυνέμεν εἴ ποθεν ἔλθοι
                   = how would you behaνe in regard to fighting
                   for Ulysses?

Od. 2.60 ἡμεῖς δʼ οὔ νύ τι τοῖοι ἀμυνέμεν may be either we are not like him, so as to defend, or simply we are not fit to defend. The construction of the infinitive is the same in either case; the difference is whether τοῖοι means "of the kind" with reference to οἷος Ὀδυσσεὺς ἔσκε or to the infinitive ἀμυνέμεν. The latter may be defended by Od. 17.20 (quoted above).

This construction is extended to some nouns even when they are not used as predicates; as θείειν ταχύς swift to run, θαῦμα ἰδέσθαι a wonder to behold (cp. the use of the accusative with adjectives, § 131 fin.).

Suggested Citation

D.B. Monro, A Grammar of the Homeric Dialect. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-947822-04-7. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/monro/infinitive-nouns-etc