Ναὶ μὰ τόν
yes by the ...
Translated by Catharine Roth13 Dec 2003Vetting: high6 revisions
Translation
"Yes by my shriveled hide", that is skin. Callimachus in Hecale [sc. uses this phrase. He goes on]: "yes by this tree, dry though it is."1 The ancients were not inclined to swear by the gods, but by random things. Thus also Menander [writes]: "I call to witness this Apollo and the doors."2 And Homer [writes]: "yes by this staff."3 And Hekale said, "Yes by the ..." and does not add the [name of] the god. This [form of] speech trains [people] in piety.
[*nai ma\ ta/s ] also [belongs] to this pattern and custom, as if one should say, "by the Graces."4
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Greek original · Adler’s text
Ναὶ μὰ τόν· ναὶ μὰ τὸ ῥικνὸν σῦφαρ ἐμόν, ὅ ἐστι δέρμα. Καλλίμαχος ἐν Ἑκάλῃ. ναὶ τοῦτο δένδρεον αὖον ἐόν περ. οἱ ἀρχαῖοι οὐ προπετῶς κατὰ τῶν θεῶν ὤμνυον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν προστυγχανόντων· ὡς καὶ Μένανδρος· μαρτύρομαι τὸν Ἀπόλλω τοῦτον καὶ τὰς θύρας. καὶ Ὅμηρος· ναὶ μὰ τόδε σκῆπτρον. καὶ Ἑκάλη εἶπε, ναὶ μὰ τόν· καὶ οὐκέτι ἐπάγει τὸν θεόν. ῥυθμίζει δὲ ὁ λόγος πρὸς εὐσέβειαν. τοιούτου σχήματός τε καὶ ἤθους καὶ τὸ ναὶ μὰ τάς. ὡς εἴπερ εἴποι τις, μὰ τὰς Χάριτας.
Betacode
*nai\ ma\ to/n: nai\ ma\ to\ r(ikno\n su=far e)mo/n, o(/ e)sti de/rma. *kalli/maxos e)n *(eka/lh|. nai\ tou=to de/ndreon au)=on e)o/n per. oi( a)rxai=oi ou) propetw=s kata\ tw=n qew=n w)/mnuon, a)lla\ kata\ tw=n prostugxano/ntwn: w(s kai\ *me/nandros: martu/romai to\n *)apo/llw tou=ton kai\ ta\s qu/ras. kai\ *(/omhros: nai\ ma\ to/de skh=ptron. kai\ *(eka/lh ei)=pe, nai\ ma\ to/n: kai\ ou)ke/ti e)pa/gei to\n qeo/n. r(uqmi/zei de\ o( lo/gos pro\s eu)se/beian. toiou/tou sxh/mato/s te kai\ h)/qous kai\ to\ nai\ ma\ ta/s. w(s ei)/per ei)/poi tis, ma\ ta\s *xa/ritas.
Notes (4)
- cf. nu 96, nu 97.
- 1Callimachus, Hecale fr.260, lines 51-52, with comment from the scholia there; cf. scholion on Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 1.669 (and sigma 1694). ↩
- 2Menander [the comic poet] fr. 740 Kock, 801 Koerte, now 884 K.-A. ↩
- 3Homer, Iliad 1.234; cf. mu 1. ↩
- 4Here the expression is in the feminine plural. ↩
Linked from5 entries
- μ1ΜάbyHomer uses this as having the status of a syllable. Sometimes however he uses nai/ instead of ma/, as in "yea by this scepter," when [someone] swears. But when [someone] makes a denial on oath, he adds the [particle] of…
- μ12Μὰ γῆν μὰ παγίδας μὰ νεφέλας μὰ δίκτυαby earth (and) by snares (and) by clouds (and) by netsThus they used to swear by random things, [for example] by springs, by rivers. Aristophanes in Birds [sc. illustrates this].
- ν92ΝαίyesAdverb of affirmation. It is also used in oaths with a lowered accent, as in nai\ tw\ qew/ ["by the two goddesses"], that is "by the goddesses."
- ν96Ναὶ μὰ τόνyes by the ..."And yes by the ..., if one of the Persian [army] had appeared, the whole Roman [army] would have perished...".
- ν97Ναὶ μὰ τόνyes by the ..."The noble man used to rebuke one who erred and reproach one who acted unjustly and restrain him from his injustice with paternal -- [saying] 'yes by the ...' -- frankness."
Neighbouring entries
Revision history6 revisions · last 16 Oct 2020
- tweaked translation — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- Revised — David Whitehead
- coding — Catharine Roth
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Catharine Roth