μηδέ, οὐδέ

οὐδέ (μηδέ) is an adverb and a conjunction, and is to be broken up into the negative οὐ (μή) and δέ meaning and, even, also , or but.

Adverbial οὐδέ (μηδέ) not even, not . . . either, also . . . not, nor yet (ne . . quidem). Cp. the use of καί even, also in affirmative sentences; as οὐδ᾽ ὥς not even in that case (καὶ ὥς even in that case).

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τούτων στερήσονται but no; even of these shall they be deprived X. A. 1.4.8, ὅτ᾽ οὐδ᾽ οὕτω ῥᾴδιον ἦν when besides it was not so easy I. 18.65 (= καὶ οὐ also not). With οὐδ᾽ εἰ (ἐᾱ́ν) not even if οὐ belongs with the main clause, while δέ even goes with the dependent clause. Thus, οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἰ βούλοιντο, ῥᾳδίως πονηροὶ γένοιντο even if they wished, they could not easily become wicked X. C. 7.5.86 (= καὶ εἰ βούλοιντο, οὐκ ἂν γένοιντο). Similarly with a participle: οὐδὲ πεπονθὼς κακῶς ἐχθρὸν εἶναί μοι τοῦτον ὁμολογῶ I do not admit that this man is my enemy even though I have been ill-used D. 21.205.

οὐδέ (μηδέ) as a conjunction (and not, nor) connects two or more whole clauses.

In Attic prose οὐδέ is used only to join a negative clause to another clause itself negative; as οὐδεμία ἐλπὶς ἦν τῑμωρίᾱς οὐδὲ ἄλλη σωτηρίᾱ ἐφαίνετο there was no hope of assistance nor did any chance of safety appear T. 3.20.

a. A negative clause is joined to an affirmative clause by καὶ οὐ (μή). Thus, ἐμμενῶ τῇ ξυμμαχίᾳ . . . καὶ οὐ παραβήσομαι I will abide by the alliance and I will not violate it T. 5.47. καὶ οὐ (μή) may have an adversative force (but not).

N.—But in poetry and Ionic prose οὐδέ may continue an affirmative clause; as δεινὸν γὰρ οὐδὲ ῥητόν dread indeed and not to be uttered S. Ph. 756.

οὐδέ is used by the poets for but not, where Attic prose writers have ἀλλ᾽ οὐ or καὶ οὐ. Thus, ἔνθ᾽ ἄλλοις μὲν πᾶσιν ἑήνδανεν, οὐδέ ποθ᾽ Ἥρῃ οὐδὲ Ποσει- δάωνι then it was pleasing to all the others, but not to Hera or to Poseidon Ω 25, ἐμαῖσι οὐδὲ σαῖσι δυσβουλίαις by my folly but not by thine S. Ant. 1269 (cp. the negative form οὐκ ἐμὸν τόδ᾽ ἀλλὰ σόν this is not my part, but thine S. El. 1470). Cp. σοῦ τάδε κινδῡνεύεις, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐμοῦ ἀκηκοέναι you probably heard this from yourself and not from me P. Alc. 113c.

οὐδέ may stand in an apodosis corresponding to apodotic δέ (2837). Cp. S. O. C. 590.

οὐδέ may negative a preceding word also; as αἱ Φοίνισσαι νῆες οὐδὲ ὁ Τισσαφέρνης . . . ἧκον the Phoenician ships had not arrived nor had Tissaphernes T. 8.99. Cp. 2943. In such cases we usually find another negative, which goes with the verb; as ἁπλοῦν μὲν οὐδὲ δίκαιον οὐδὲν ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοι he could say nothing straightforward nor just D. 22.4.

οὐδὲ . . . οὐδέ commonly means not even . . . nor yet (or no, nor), the first οὐδέ being adverbial, the second conjunctive. οὐδὲ . . . οὐδέ is not correlative, like οὔτε . . . οὔτε, and hence never means neither . . . nor. Thus, οὐδὲ ἥλιον οὐδὲ σελήνην ἄρα νομίζω θεοὺς εἶναι; do I then hold that not even the sun nor yet the moon are gods? P. A. 26c, σύ γε οὐδὲ ὁρῶν γιγνώσκεις οὐδὲ ἀκούων μέμνησαι you do not even understand though you see, nor yet do you remember though you hear X. A. 3.1.27. οὐδὲ . . . οὐδέ both copulative (and not . . nor yet) in X. C. 3.3.50. οὐδὲ . . . οὐδὲ . . . δέ is the negative of καὶ . . . καὶ . . . δέ in X. A. 1.8.20.

a. So in both members of comparative sentences (cp. καί 2885); as ὥσπερ οὐδὲ γεωργοῦ ᾱ̓ργοῦ οὐδὲν ὄφελος, οὕτως οὐδὲ στρατηγοῦ ᾱ̓ργοῦντος οὐδὲν ὄφελος as there is no good in an idle tiller of the soil, so there is no good in an idle general X. C. 1.3.18.

οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδέ (negative of καὶ γὰρ καί); as οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐψεύσατο for neither did he deceive me even in this X. C. 7.2.20. Here the first οὐδέ negatives the whole sentence, the second οὐδέ negatives τοῦτο.

οὐ . . . οὐδέ: οὐδέ not even as well as nor (2933) may resume a preceding οὐ. Thus, ὕβριν γὰρ οὐ στέργουσιν οὐδὲ δαίμονες lit. not even the gods do not love insolence S. Tr. 280, οὐ μέντοι ἔφη νομίζειν οὐδ᾽ εἰ παμπόνηρος ἦν Δέξιππος βίᾳ χρῆναι πάσχειν αὐτόν he said however that he did not think that, even if Dexippus was a downright rascal, he ought to suffer by an act of violence X. A. 6.6.25, οὐ δεῖ δὴ τοιοῦτον . . . καιρὸν ἀφεῖναι οὐδὲ παθεῖν ταὐτὸν ὅπερ . . . πεπόνθατε we must not let such an opportunity go by nor suffer the same as you have suffered D. 1.8.

οὐ μέντοι οὐδέ not by any means however. On οὐ μὴν οὐδέ see 2768.

οὐδὲ . . . οὐ: οὐδέ may be resumed by οὐ; as οὐδέ γε ὁ ἰδίᾳ πονηρὸς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο δημοσίᾳ χρηστός nor can the man who is bad in his private life prove himself good in a public capacity Aes. 3.78.

οὐδὲ . . . οὔτε is rare (P. Charm. 171b).