This reissue of Charles Kahn's classic work includes a substantial new introductory essay, which presents a reformulation of the theory of syntactic and semantic unity for the system of uses of the verb be in Greek (conceived primarily as a verb of predication), and hence a defense of the conceptual unity for the notion of Being in Greek philosophy.
The book offers a systematic description of the use and grammar of the verb to be in Ancient Greek, before the philosophers took it over to express the central concepts in Greek logic and metaphysics. Evidence is taken primarily from Homer but supplemented by specimens from classical Attic prose. Topics discussed include the original status of the verb in Indo-European, as well as the logical and syntactic relations among copula, existential, and veridical uses.
ἄλλος ἄλλα λέγει
ὁ μὲν "Kahn's book is one of the most expansive, detailed, and fundamental works on the verb ''be'' in classical Greek. Its insights are indispensable to anyone who wants to be freed from an anachronistic understanding of this all important Greek verb and see it in the light in which the ancients saw it themselves".
ὁ δὲ "As pompous and unimportant a book as you will ever come across. Kahn tortues his readers with his awkward and inelegant prose as well as his inane and frankly quite obvious analysis. He counts on the esoteric nature of his subject to befundle the reader in to buying his self made image of faux intelligence".
Description:
This reissue of Charles Kahn's classic work includes a substantial new introductory essay, which presents a reformulation of the theory of syntactic and semantic unity for the system of uses of the verb be in Greek (conceived primarily as a verb of predication), and hence a defense of the conceptual unity for the notion of Being in Greek philosophy.
The book offers a systematic description of the use and grammar of the verb to be in Ancient Greek, before the philosophers took it over to express the central concepts in Greek logic and metaphysics. Evidence is taken primarily from Homer but supplemented by specimens from classical Attic prose. Topics discussed include the original status of the verb in Indo-European, as well as the logical and syntactic relations among copula, existential, and veridical uses.
ἄλλος ἄλλα λέγει
ὁ μὲν "Kahn's book is one of the most expansive, detailed, and fundamental works on the verb ''be'' in classical Greek. Its insights are indispensable to anyone who wants to be freed from an anachronistic understanding of this all important Greek verb and see it in the light in which the ancients saw it themselves".
ὁ δὲ "As pompous and unimportant a book as you will ever come across. Kahn tortues his readers with his awkward and inelegant prose as well as his inane and frankly quite obvious analysis. He counts on the esoteric nature of his subject to befundle the reader in to buying his self made image of faux intelligence".