τἄνθρωπος

[Matthew Longhorn]

Wondering whether anyone can tell me why a writer may choose to employ the form in the post title above rather than keeping the article and the noun separate.
Context
Καὶ δὴ καὶ φυσιολογεῖν Μωυσῆς μετὰ τὴν ἑβδόμην ἤρξατο περὶ τῆς τἀνθρώπου κατασκευῆς λέγων οὕτως

It seems to keep the emphasis on κατασκευῆς but that is just a vague impression based on reduction in morphological bulk

[Matthew Longhorn]

Just spotted another example - τἀγαθοῦ

οἰόμενος δὲ συμφορᾷ περιπεσεῖσθαι παρακούσαντας ἀναπείθει κακοήθως τὴν γυναῖκα γεύσασθαι τοῦ φυτοῦ τῆς φρονήσεως ἐν αὐτῷ λέγων εἶναι τήν τε τἀγαθοῦ καὶ τοῦ κακοῦ διάγνωσιν

[Bruce McKinnon]

Matthew, are you able to identify for us the Biblical passages to which you are referring?

[Matthew Longhorn]

Apologies, they are from Josephus’ Antiquities. The first quote was from 1:34 and the second1:42

[Stephen Carlson]

Crasis of the article is also found in Papias, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τἀληθῆ διδάσκουσιν (ap. Eus. HE 3.39.3).

It is striking that in all these admittedly few cases, the article in crasis is preceded by an article (with or without an intervening enclitic τε).

[Matthew Longhorn]

Thanks Stephen, that is a helpful structural clue.

[Daniel Semler]

Hi Matthew,

Herbert Weir Smyth documents some rules concerning when it occurs. https://www.ccel.org/s/smyth/grammar/ht ... ni.htm#p22. Other grammars, more classical than NT, note that it's passing out of use. I'm guessing it occurs in Josephus because of his style which is said to be to Atticised though I'm no judge myself. I read somewhere it helps in poetry for metrical concerns.

Thx
D

[Matthew Longhorn]

Thanks Daniel, that is helpful link.

[Barry Hofstetter]

Crasis is very common in Attic Greek and also authors who have Atticizing tendencies. There is no special meaning or emphasis. BTW, you would never see τἄνθρωπος...

[Matthew Longhorn]

Hi Barry, thanks
Also, yep I realised after I posted that it couldn’t be in the form I gave but was too lazy to update. Given that it is a crasis of the article and the noun a masculine second declension nominative singular definitely doesn’t start with a tau on the article