Attraction

Apparent violation of the concords is to be explained either by

a. Construction according to sense, where the agreement is with the real gender or number (e.g. 949 a, 950-953, 958, 996, 997, 1013, 1044, 1050, 1055 a, 1058 b); or by

b. Attraction, when a word does not have its natural construction because of the influence of some other word or words in its clause (e.g. 1060 ff., 1239, 1978, 2465, 2502, 2522 ff.). This principle extends to moods and tenses (2183 ff.).

The subject of a comparative clause with ὡς or ὥσπερ, the verb of which is omitted, is often attracted into the case (usually the accusative) of the other member of the comparison. Thus, οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἔστιν Ἀγόρατον Ἀθηναῖον εἶναι ὥσπερ Θρασύβουλον it is in no wise possible for Agoratus to be an Athenian as Thrasybulus is ( = Θρασύβουλος Ἀθηναῖός ἐστι) L. 13.72. Attraction into the dative is less common: Κῡ́ρῳ ἥδετο . . . ὥσπερ σκύλακι γενναίῳ ἀνακλάζοντι he was delighted with Cyrus, who set up a cry like a young and noble dog ( = σκύλαξ γενναῖος ἀνακλάζει) X. C. 1.4.15.

a. Usually, however, we have the nominative with the verb omitted: πέπεισμαί σε μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν ἂν ἑλέσθαι ἢ ζῆν ὥσπερ ἐγώ I am persuaded that you would prefer to die rather than live as I live X. M. 1.6.4.

The relatives οἷος, ὅσος, ἡλίκος, ὅστις δή, ὁστισοῦν (and some others) and a following nominative with the copula may be attracted to the case of the antecedent. Thus, χαριζόμενος τοιούτῳ ἀνδρὶ οἷος δὺ εἶ showing favour to such a man as you are is commonly condensed to χαριζόμενος οἵῳ σοι ἀνδρί (X. M. 2.9.3). Here the whole relative clause (with copula omitted) is attracted. The antecedent, if expressed, is often incorporated (2536) in the relative clause.

πρὸς ἄνδρας τολμηροὺς οἵους καὶ Ἀθηναίους (for οἷοι καὶ Ἀθηναῖοί εἰσι) to bold men such as the Athenians T. 7.21, ἀνίστη Ἀγριᾶνας . . . καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἔθνη Παιονικά he called out the Agrianes and all the other Paeonian tribes 2. 96, χειμῶνος ὄντος οἵου λέγεις when the weather is such as you describe X. A. 5.8.3, ἀνέλαμψεν οἰκίᾱ . . . ὅτου δὴ ἐνάψαντος (for ἐνάψαντός τινος ὅστις δὴ ἦν) the house burst into flames, some one or other having set it on fire 5. 2. 24.

a. οἷος is often attracted with superlatives: ὄντος πάγου οἵου δεινοτάτου (for τοιούτου οἷός ἐστι δεινότατος) when the frost was tremendous P. S. 220b. Cp. 1087.

b. The article may appear in this construction with οἷος and ἡλίκος, the relative clause being treated like a substantive: τοῖς οἵοις ἡμῖν to such as we are X. H. 2.3.25.

c. The subject of the relative clause rarely stands in the nominative, not being attracted along with οἷος. Thus, κιναίδους οἵουσπερ σύ rascals just like you Aes. 2.151. This occurs only when the number of the subject is different from that of the attracted relative. When the article precedes, as in Σόλων ἐμῑ́σει τοὺς οἷος οὗτος ἀνθρώπους Solon detested men like him (D. 19.254), editors generally read τοὺς οἵους οὗτος.

Inverse Attraction.—An antecedent nominative or (oftener) accusative may be attracted to the case of the relative. The attracted antecedent is often prefixed for emphasis to the relative clause, which thus separates it from the verb it governs or by which it is governed. Cp. urbem quam statuo vestra est, and “Him (= he whom) I accuse, By this, the city ports hath enter'd” (Shakespeare), where the antecedent is attracted into the case of the (omitted) relative.

τᾱ́σδε (for αἵδε) δ᾽ ᾱ̔́σπερ εἰσορᾷς . . . χωροῦσι but the women whom thou seest are coming S. Tr. 283, πολῑτείᾱν (for πολῑτείᾱ) οἵᾱν εἶναι χρή παρὰ μόνοις ἡμῖν ἐστιν we alone have an ideal constitution (lit. such as ought to be) I. 6.48, ἔλεγον ὅτι Λακεδαιμόνιοι ὧν δέονται πάντων (for πάντα) πεπρᾱγότες εἶεν they said that the Lacedaemonians had gained all they asked for X. H. 1.4.2.

a. The main clause may contain a resumptive demonstrative pronoun; as τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον, δ̀ν πάλαι ζητεῖς . . ., οὗτός ἐστιν ἐνθάδε this man whom you have long been searching for, this man is here S. O. T. 449.

b. The rare cases of the inverse attraction of the dative are suspected or admit another explanation (E. Med. 12, S. El. 653, X. Hi. 7.2).

c. So with adverbs: καὶ ἄλλοσε (for ἄλλοθι) ὅποι ἂν ἀφίκῃ ἀγαπήσουσί δε and elsewhere, wherever you go, they will love you P. Cr. 45c.

οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐ every one (lit. nobody who not) for οὐδείς ἐστιν ὅστις οὐ, commonly shows inverse attraction, is treated like a single pronoun, and inflected οὐδενὸς ὅτου οὐ, οὐδενὶ ὅτῳ οὐ, οὐδένα ὅντινα οὐ.

οὐδενὸς ὅτου οὐχὶ ἀλογώτερον than which there is nothing more irrational P. Charm. 175c, οὐδενὶ ὅτῳ οὐκ ἀποκρῑνόμενος replying to every one P. Men. 70c, περὶ ὧν οὐδένα κίνδῡνον ὅντιν᾽ οὐχ ὑπέμειναν οἱ πρόγονοι for which our ancestors underwent every danger D. 18.200.

a. Cp. οὐδαμῶν Ἑλληνικῶν τῶν οὐ πολλὸν μέζω his power was much greater than any Hellenic power Hdt. 7.145 (= οὐδαμά ἐστι τῶν), οὐδαμῶς ὡς οὐ φήσομεν it can in no wise be that we should say no P. Pol. 308b.