Xenophon, Constitution of the Lacedaimonians, Ch. 2.1-2
Posted: July 28th, 2012, 11:54 pm
I'm having a little difficulty with this passage of Xenophon.
The source of the text is found below:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... %2Fs#note1
The text itself:
[...1] τῶν μὲν τοίνυν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων οἱ φάσκοντες κάλλιστα τοὺς υἱεῖς παιδεύειν, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα αὐτοῖς οἱ παῖδες τὰ λεγόμενα ξυνιῶσιν, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς παιδαγωγοὺς θεράποντας ἐφιστᾶσιν, εὐθὺς δὲ πέμπουσιν εἰς διδασκάλων μαθησομένους καὶ γράμματα καὶ μουσικὴν καὶ τὰ ἐν παλαίστρᾳ. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τῶν παίδων πόδας μὲν ὑποδήμασιν ἁπαλύνουσι, σώματα δὲ ἱματίων μεταβολαῖς διαθρύπτουσι: σίτου γε μὴν αὐτοῖς γαστέρα μέτρον νομίζουσιν. [2] ὁ δὲ Λυκοῦργος, ἀντὶ μὲν τοῦ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστον παιδαγωγοὺς δούλους ἐφιστάναι, ἄνδρα ἐπέστησε κρατεῖν αὐτῶν ἐξ ὧνπερ αἱ μέγισται ἀρχαὶ καθίστανται, ὃς δὴ καὶ παιδονόμος καλεῖται
My translation:
Section 1:
On one hand, in other Greek states, those who claim to rightly raise sons immediately appoint slaves [to be] pedagogos (left untranslated) over them as soon as the children understand what is spoken to them.
Section 2 is where I'm having difficulty.
What or who is ἰδίᾳ referring to?
ἕκαστον --- "each"/ "every" --- each or every what?
Is τοῦ referring to the infinitive ἐφιστάναι, thus "the appointment" or "the appointing"?
How do you translate ὧνπερ? As "their"?
Here are bits and pieces of my translation.
On the other hand, Lycurgus, instead of the appointment ??of?? slaves to be pedagogos (left untranslated) for his own ??[what]??, appointed a man to control (or "to be master of") them , ... the greatest offices..., and who is indeed called «παιδονόμος» (paidonomos).
Also, please offer your translation if you would be so kind. It would benefit me to study it (as close to the Greek as possible, with some polish of course).
Thanks.
The source of the text is found below:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... %2Fs#note1
The text itself:
[...1] τῶν μὲν τοίνυν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων οἱ φάσκοντες κάλλιστα τοὺς υἱεῖς παιδεύειν, ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα αὐτοῖς οἱ παῖδες τὰ λεγόμενα ξυνιῶσιν, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς παιδαγωγοὺς θεράποντας ἐφιστᾶσιν, εὐθὺς δὲ πέμπουσιν εἰς διδασκάλων μαθησομένους καὶ γράμματα καὶ μουσικὴν καὶ τὰ ἐν παλαίστρᾳ. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τῶν παίδων πόδας μὲν ὑποδήμασιν ἁπαλύνουσι, σώματα δὲ ἱματίων μεταβολαῖς διαθρύπτουσι: σίτου γε μὴν αὐτοῖς γαστέρα μέτρον νομίζουσιν. [2] ὁ δὲ Λυκοῦργος, ἀντὶ μὲν τοῦ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστον παιδαγωγοὺς δούλους ἐφιστάναι, ἄνδρα ἐπέστησε κρατεῖν αὐτῶν ἐξ ὧνπερ αἱ μέγισται ἀρχαὶ καθίστανται, ὃς δὴ καὶ παιδονόμος καλεῖται
My translation:
Section 1:
On one hand, in other Greek states, those who claim to rightly raise sons immediately appoint slaves [to be] pedagogos (left untranslated) over them as soon as the children understand what is spoken to them.
Section 2 is where I'm having difficulty.
What or who is ἰδίᾳ referring to?
ἕκαστον --- "each"/ "every" --- each or every what?
Is τοῦ referring to the infinitive ἐφιστάναι, thus "the appointment" or "the appointing"?
How do you translate ὧνπερ? As "their"?
Here are bits and pieces of my translation.
On the other hand, Lycurgus, instead of the appointment ??of?? slaves to be pedagogos (left untranslated) for his own ??[what]??, appointed a man to control (or "to be master of") them , ... the greatest offices..., and who is indeed called «παιδονόμος» (paidonomos).
Also, please offer your translation if you would be so kind. It would benefit me to study it (as close to the Greek as possible, with some polish of course).
Thanks.