| Previous SubSect
| Next SubSect
|
τέ
τέ alone sometimes in prose links whole clauses or sentences which serve to explain, amplify, supplement, or to denote a consequence of, what precedes (
a. This use of τέ (τέ
N.—In poetry τέ alone (cp. σκῆπτρον τι_μά_ς τε
καθαρωτέρα_ οὖσα πρεπόντως τε μᾶλλον ἠμφιεσμένη
2969
τέ (or καί) meaning
Homer often, and Herodotus sometimes, adds τέ to relative pronouns and conjunctions introducing subordinate clauses, which are usually postpositive. So after ὅς, ὅσος, οἷος, ὡς, ὅτε, ἐπεί, ἔνθα, ὅθι, etc. Thus, φίληθεν ἐκ Διός, ὅς τε θεοῖσι . . . ἀνάσσει
This connective force is also seen when τέ stands in the principal clause, sometimes both in the principal and in the subordinate clause, e.g. ὅς κε θεοῖς ἐπιπείθηται, μάλα τ' ἔκλυον αὐτοῦ
Homer has τέ after the coördinating conjunctions καί, δέ, οὐδέ, ἀλλά, ἤ; after ἦ, μέν, πέρ, γάρ, and before ἄρα in questions.
2973
τὲ . . . τέ usually serves to connect clauses, less frequently single words. In English and often suffices, but as . . . so is often in place. τὲ . . . τέ is more common in poetry than in prose, but in prose more common than τέ standing alone. Thus, πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε ἐμοί τε γὰρ πολέμιοι Ἀσσύριοι, σοί τε νῦν ἐχθί_ονές εἰσιν ἢ ἐμοί
περὶ ὧν εἰδέναι τε κάλλιστον μὴ εἰδέναι τε αἴσχιστον
a. One clause may be negative, the other affirmative (
τὲ καί or τὲ . . . καί often serves to unite complements, both similars and opposites. τὲ . . . καί is not used when one clause is subordinate to another. The two words or clauses thus united may show a contrast, or the second may be stronger than the first. τέ is commonly separated from καί by one or more words. τὲ . . . καί is weaker than καὶ . . . καί, and will not easily bear the translation both . . . and. It is rare in colloquial Attic. Thus, ἄρχειν τε καὶ ἄρχεσθαι
τό τ' ἄρχειν καὶ τὸ δουλεύειν
βίᾳ τε κοὐχ ἑκών
γυμνάσαι . . . ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἵππους
ἀπεκρί_νατο διὰ βραχέων τε καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ἐρωτώμενα
τὲ . . . καί is often used of actions coincident in time, or of actions standing in a causal relation to each other; as ἡμέρα_ τε σχεδὸν ὑπέφαινε καὶ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἧκον οἱ ἄρχοντες
τὲ . . . καί is sometimes used of alternatives (for εἴτε . . . εἴτε). Thus, θεοῦ τε γὰρ θέλοντος . . . καὶ μὴ θέλοντος
2977
We find τὲ . . . καὶ . . . τέ, τὲ . . . καὶ . . . τὲ . . . τέ . . . τἔ, τὲ . . . τὲ . . . καί, τὲ . . . τὲ . . . καὶ . . . τέ, τὲ . . . καὶ . . . καὶ . . . τέ. But in prose τέ before and after καί is rare.
2978When τέ follows τὲ . . . καί, τέ does not point back to καί, but denotes an addition to the preceding member (τείχη τε περιελόντες καὶ ναῦς παραδόντες φόρον τε ταξάμενοι
καί τε is Epic; elsewhere the καί of καὶ . . . τε belongs to the whole clause (
ἄλλως τε καί χαλεπὸν οἶμαι διαβαίνειν ἄλλως τε καὶ πολεμίων πολλῶν ἔμπροσθεν ὄντων
πάντων . . . ἀποστερεῖσθαι λυ_πηρόν ἐστι . . . , ἄλλως τε κἂ_ν ὑπ' ἐχθροῦ τῳ τοῦτο συμβαίνῃ
τά τ' ἄλλα ἐτἱ_μησε καὶ μυ_ρίους ἔδωκε δα_ρεικούς
τὲ . . . δέ is used when a writer begins as if he were going simply to add the second member (
Rare combinations are, e.g.:
ἢ . . . τέ instead of ἢ . . . ἤ. Thus, ἢ παῖδες νεαροὶ χῆραί τε γυναῖκες
τὲ . . . οὐδέ (μηδέ) with τέ instead of οὔτε (μήτε); as
Position of τέ.—τέ usually follows the word with which the sentence or sentence-part to be connected is most concerned. Apart from many irregularities there are certain exceptions to this rule which are commonly observed.
a. τέ may come between two words which go closely together, as between article (preposition, attributive genitive) and its noun. Thus, τό τε βαρβαρικὸν καὶ τὸ Ἑλληνικόν
εἶμι πρός τε λουτρὰ καὶ λειμῶνας
ἡ πόλις. τε καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ νόμοι
b. τέ connecting an entire clause stands as near as possible to the beginning. Cp.
c. τέ may stand after a word or expression which, though common to two members of a clause, is placed either at the beginning (especially after a preposition) or in the second member. Thus, ἅ τε δεῖ φίλια καὶ (ἃ δεῖ) πολέμια ἡμᾶς νομίζειν
ἔν τε τῷ θερμοτέρῳ καὶ ψυ_χροτέρῳ
ἅπα_σι φίλον ἄνδρα τε σοφώτατον
d. The freer position of τέ is often due to the fact that several words are taken as forming a single notion. Thus, ἡ καλλίστη δὴ πολι_τεία_ τε καὶ ὁ κάλλιστος ἀνήρ
| Previous SubSect
| Next SubSect
|
Herbert Weir Smyth [n.d.], A Greek Grammar for Colleges; Machine readable text [info] [word count] [Smyth].
