§ 209
a) A simple negative (οὐ or μή), combined with a predicate into a negative expression, is cancelled by a foregoing negative: Οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῳ οὐ διεδέξατο Πολυκλῆς τὴν ναῦν (Dem. 50, 68; succeeded to me in the ship). Οὐδὲ τὸν Φορμίωνα Ἀντίμαχος οὐχ ὁρᾷ (Dem. 36, 46; and A. sees Ph. very well). Μὴ οὖν, ὅτι καὶ Λακεδαιμονίους καὶ Φωκέας ἐξηπάτησε Φίλιππος, διὰ ταῦθ᾽ ὧν ὑμᾶς Αἰσχίνης ἐξηπάτησε, μὴ δότω δίκην (Dem. 19, 77; let not Æsch. escape the punishment).
REM. 1. There are, however, some passages in which (by a kind of anacoluthia) an οὐ is inserted after an interposed sentence, merely to repeat the negative which stands immediately before the interposed sentence: Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι ἡ σωφροσύνη οὐχ ὥςπερ ἡ ἀνδρεία καὶ ἡ σοφία ἐν μέρει τινὶ ἑκατέρα ἐνοῦσα ἡ μὲν σοφήν, ἡ δὲ ἀνδρείαν τὴν πόλιν παρείχετο, οὐχ οὕτω ποιεῖ αὕτη, ἀλλὰ δι᾽ ὅλης ἀτεχνῶς τέταται (Pl. Rep. 4, 432). Οὐδ᾽ ἃς προςεδόκων κἀλογιζόμην ἐγὼ πρώτας παρέσεσθαι δεῦρο, τὰς Ἀχαρνέων γυναῖκας, οὐχ ἥκουσιν (Arist. Lys. 61).
REM. 2. Οὐ μὰ τὸν Δί᾽, οὐ -- (in answers): No, by Zeus, not --. (Also, without further addition, merely: Οὐ μὰ τὸν Δί᾽, οὐ μὲν δή.)
b) A composite negation, which follows after another, simple or composite, with the same predicate, does not cancel the former, but continues it, either heightening and confirming it (e.g. οὐ -- οὐδέ, non -- ne -- quidem, οὐδέ -- οὐδέ, neque -- ne -- quidem, οὐ μέντοι οὐδέ, οὐ μὴν οὐδέ, yet also not), or distributively (e.g. οὐδείς -- οὔτε -- οὔτε) or repeating it with the indefinite pronominal notion (pronoun or adverb), often several times (e.g. οὐδέ -- οὐδεὶς οὐδέν, οὐδεὶς οὐδενὶ οὐδέν): Μὴ λανθανέτω σε μηδὲ τοῦτο (Xen. Cyr. 5, 2, 36). Τί δὲ σύ; πῶς ποιήσεις; οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τὸν σὸν ἑταῖρον δεῖ παρελθεῖν (Pl. Phæd. 278). Κλέαρχος ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πολεμίους οὐκ ἦγεν· ᾔδει γὰρ ἀπειρηκότας τοὺς στρατιώτας· οὐ μέντοι οὐδ᾽ ἀπέκλινε, φυλαττόμενος, μὴ δοκοίη φεύγειν (Xen. An. 2, 2, 16). Ἐξ οὗ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦμεν, οὐδεὶς οὔτε κίνδυνος οὔτε πόλεμος περὶ τηλικούτων τὸ μέγεθος ἡμῖν γέγονε, περὶ ὅσων νυνὶ βουλευσόμενοι συνεληλύθαμεν (Isocr. Archid. 7). Ἄνευ τούτου οὐδεὶς εἰς οὐδὲν οὐδενὸς ἂν ὑμῶν οὐδέποτε γένοιτο ἄξιος (Pl. Phil. 19).
REM. This last repetition of the negative with the several pronominal words is only used where the negative is emphatically urged as universal; otherwise it is said: Οὐδεὶς πώποτε κάλλιον θάνατον ἤνεγκεν ἢ Σωκράτης (Xen. Mem. 4, 8, 2). Οὔτε τῶν πολιτῶν τῶν Φλιασίων οὐδεὶς πάνυ τι ἐπιχωριάζει τὰ νῦν Ἀθήναζε οὔτε τις ξένος ἀφῖκται χρόνου συχνοῦ ἐκεῖθεν (Pl. Phæd. 57).
§ 210
With sundry verbs which contain a negative notion, and are constructed with the infinitive or acc. with inf., μή is attached to the infinitive, to give prominence to the negation (only the affirmative part of the verb being in the speaker's thoughts). (Μή with τίς becomes μηδείς.) Such verbs are those which denote a denial and a contradiction (ἀρνοῦμαι, ἐξαρνοῦμαι, ἔξαρνός εἰμι, ἀντιλέγω), a prohibition (ἀπαγορεύω, ἀπεῖπον, ἀποψηφίζομαι, ἀποχειροτονῶ), a desisting from or a retracting of an opinion or resolution (ἀπογιγνώσκω, ἀποδοκεῖ, μεταγιγνώσκω, ἀνατίθεμαι, also ἀπεύχομαι), an acquittal (ἀπολύω, ἀφίημι), a shunning or hindering and holding back or freeing from something (εὐλαβοῦμαι, φυλάττομαι, κωλύω, διακωλύω, ἐμποδών εἰμι, ἐναντιοῦμαι, εἴργω, ἀπέχω, ἀφαιροῦμαι, ἀποστερῶ, σώζω, &c.), lastly, a doubting of something (ἀπιστῶ, ἀπροςδόκητός εἰμι). Τῶν ἀποκτεινάντων Εὔφρονα οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἠρνοῦντο μὴ αὐτόχειρες γενέσθαι, εἷς δὲ ὡμολογήκει (Xen. Hell. 7, 3, 7). Ἀστυάγης ἀπηγόρευε μηδένα βάλλειν πρὶν Κῦρος ἐμπλησθείη θηρῶν (Xen. Cyr. 1, 4, 14). Μαντινεῖς ἀπεψηφίσαντο τοῖς ἱεροῖς χρήμασι μὴ χρῆσθαι (Xen. Hell. 7, 4, 33). Τιμόθεος Ἀριοβαρζάνει ἀπέγνω μὴ βοηθεῖν (Dem. 15, 9). Παυσανίας κριθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν ἀπελύθη μὴ ἀδικεῖν (Thuc. 1, 128). Εὐλαβεῖσθε ταῦτα μὴ πολλῶν ἐναντίον λέγειν (Pl. Euthyd. 304). Οἱ διακωλύσαντες ταῦτα μὴ γενέσθαι τίνες ἦσαν; (Andoc. 3, 21.) Οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐ παρῆσαν ταῖς ναυσίν, ἀπιστοῦντες τὸν Σιτάλκην μὴ ἥξειν (Thuc. 2, 101).
REM. 1. Μή, however, is sometimes omitted (e.g. Ὀκνήσουσι, μὴ ἀποδόξῃ ἡμῖν τὰς σπονδὰς ποιήσασθαι, Xen. An. 2, 3, 9: εὐλαβοῦμαι ἐμπεσεῖν, Pl. Rep. 10, 608), especially with verbs denoting a holding back, &c., and with κωλύω and its compounds, this is the most usual. On the genitive of the infinitive of the verbs which denote holding back, &c., with or without μή, see § 156, R. 3. With ἀντιλέγω, μεταγιγνώσκω, ἀνατίθεμαι the omission of μή gives a different sense: μεταγιγνώσκω ποιεῖν, resolve, with abandonment of my former purpose, to do. [1]
[1]: Ἀμφιςβητῶ, maintain (in controversy with a different opinion), e.g. ἀμφ. τὴν ἐμὴν τέχνην μείζονος ἀγαθοῦ αἰτίαν εἶναι, ἀμφ. μὴ ἀληθῆ σε λέγειν.
REM. 2. Verbs which denote denial, contradiction, and doubt, may also be followed by an οὐ in a sentence with ὡς, which οὐ belongs to the affirmative part of the principal verb (ἀρνοῦμαι ὡς οὐ = ἀρνοῦμαι μή, λέγω, ὅτι οὐ): Οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐδαμοῦ ἀντεῖπον, ὡς οὐκ ἀδικοῦσι τοὺς ἡμετέρους (τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων) ξυμμάχους (Thuc. 1, 86).
§ 211
a) After a principal verb, either directly negative or denying in the form of interrogation, the negative (both the usual one and the superfluous one mentioned in the preceding paragraph) is usually put twice by μὴ οὐ, the principal negative being repeated: Οὐδεὶς οἷός τ᾽ ἐστὶν ἄλλως λέγων μὴ οὐ καταγέλαστος εἶναι (Pl. Gorg. 509; can help being ridiculous). Ἀδύνατα ἦν (= οὐ δυνατόν), Ἀθηναίων Ὠρωπὸν ἐχόντων, μὴ οὐ μεγάλα βλάπτειν τὸ χωρίον τὴν Εὔβοιαν (Thuc. 8, 60). Εἰ ἀληθῆ ταῦτα, τίς μηχανὴ μὴ οὐχὶ πάντα καταναλωθῆναι εἰς τὸ τεθνάναι; (Pl. Phæd. 72 = οὐδεμία μηχανή.) Τίνα οἴει ἀπαρνήσεσθαι (= οὐδεὶς ἀπαρνήσεται) μὴ οὐχὶ ἐπίστασθαι τὰ δίκαια; (Pl. Gorg. 461.) (Ἥττων εἰμὶ καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου ὑμῶν, ὥςτε πολλοῦ δέω μὴ οὐ δύο γε φεύγειν. Pl. Euthyd. 297. Πολλοῦ δέω as denial.) Οὐδὲ τὸ χρηματίζεσθαι Εὐθύδημος καὶ Διονυσόδωρός φατον διακωλύειν οὐδὲν μὴ οὐ παραλαβεῖν τὴν σφετέραν σοφίαν (Pl. Euthyd. 304, hinder not the receiving). Εἰ γενησόμεθα ἐπὶ βασιλεῖ, τί ἐμποδὼν μὴ οὐχὶ πάντα τὰ δεινότατα παθόντας ὑβριζομένους ἀποθανεῖν; (Xen. An. 3, 1, 13.) Οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο κρύπτειν τὸ μὴ οὐχ ἡδέως ἂν καὶ ὠμῶν ἐσθίειν τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν (Xen. Hell. 3, 3, 7).
REM. Rarely μή alone (Οὐ δυνήσονται μὴ πείθεσθαι τοῖς Θηβαίοις, Xen. Hell. 6, 1, 1), except with article prefixed (τὸ μή, see § 156, R. 4); for here, after a denial, both τὸ μή and τὸ μὴ οὐ are used. With the genitive of the infinitive (τοῦ μή) οὐ is not added. (Ὥςτε μὴ οὐ after a principal verb negatived.)
b) In the same manner μὴ οὐ stands with the infinitive after expressions denoting a disapprobation of an action thought of (therefore a demand that it should be forborne), e.g. δεινόν, αἰσχρόν, αἰσχύνη ἐστίν, ἀνόητον, πολλὴ ἄνοιά ἐστιν, also αἰσχύνομαι: Πᾶσιν αἰσχύνη ἦν μὴ οὐ συσπουδάζειν (Xen. An. 2, 3, 11). Πολλὴ ἄνοια μὴ οὐχὶ ἕν τε καὶ ταὐτὸν ἡγεῖσθαι τὸ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς σώμασι κάλλος (Pl. Conv. 210.) (More rarely simple μή: Σοῦ προθύμου ὄντος αἰσχρὸν γίγνεται ἐμέ γε μὴ ἐθέλειν, Pl. Gorg. 458.)
c) Μὴ οὐ is also sometimes put (but in Attic prose rarely) with participles, or other accessory definitions denoting an exception from the negative or quasi-negative statement of the principal sentence: Αἱ πόλεις πολλαὶ καὶ χαλεπαὶ λαβεῖν αἱ τῶν Φωκέων μὴ οὐ χρόνῳ καὶ πολιορκίᾳ (Dem. 19, 123). More usually: Οὐ γὰρ ἦν πρᾶξαι μηδὲν μὴ διδόντα δῶρα (Thuc. 2, 97). (In the poets here and there with the participle merely in the sense without (doing, &c.) where the preceding principal verb is negatived: [Οὐ γὰρ ἂν μακρὰν ἴχνευον αὐτός, μὴ οὐκ ἔχων τι σύμβολον (Soph. Œd. T. 221). Ἥκεις γὰρ οὐ κενή γε . . . μὴ οὐχὶ δεῖμ᾽ ἐμοὶ φέρουσά τι, Œd. C. 361].) [1]
[1]: But see Schneidewin in l. and on v. 13. Comp. App. 296. - H. B.
§ 212
Of special negative expressions, which at the same time denote relations of connected sentences and clauses, the following are to be remarked: (1) οὐ μόνον, not only (ἀλλά), (2) μὴ ὅτι, not to say; not merely (μὴ ὅτι ἰδιώτης τις ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μέγας βασιλεύς); when a negative follows in the predicate common to both members, μὴ ὅτι denotes (not to say not, i.e.) not only not (non modo): Ἀπατούριος μὴ ὅτι δικάσασθαι ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐγκαλέσαι μοι ἐτόλμησεν (Isæ. 10, 1); the common negative may also be put first (οὐ -- μὴ ὅτι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ): Τὸ ἱμάτιον ἢ ἄλλο τι, ὧν κέκτησαι, οὐδενὶ ἂν μὴ ὅτι προῖκα δοίης ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἔλαττον τῆς ἀξίας λαβών (Xen. Mem. 1, 6, 11). After a negative clause μὴ ὅτι is (not to say, i.e.) much less (non modo): Οὐδ᾽ ἀναπνεῖν, μὴ ὅτι λέγειν τι δυνησόμεθα (Xen. Conv. 2, 26). [2] (3) For μὴ ὅτι, in the sense not only and not only not sometimes, but more rarely, οὐχ ὅτι is used: Τῇ τῶν Σκυθῶν βασιλείᾳ ἀδύνατα ἐξισοῦσθαι οὐκ ὅτι τὰ ἐν τῇ Εὐρώπῃ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐν Ἀσίᾳ ἔθνος ἓν πρὸς ἓν οὐκ ἔστιν (see § 209 a, R. 1), ὅ, τι δυνατὸν Σκύθαις ὁμογνωμονοῦσι πᾶσιν ἀντιστῆναι (Thuc. 2, 97). Οὐχ ὅτι στρατηγὸς ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὁ τυχὼν ἄνθρωπος (Dem. 23, 155). (4) In the sense not only not, we have also οὐχ ὅπως: Οὐχ ὅπως εὖ ποιήσας, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν εὖ ἔπαθες, ἀξιοῖς ἡμᾶς ἀποπέμψασθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἀποπορευομένους ἡμᾶς οὐδὲ καταυλισθῆναι, ὅσον δύνασαι, ἐπιτρέπεις (Xen. An. 7, 7, 8).
[2]: Also (with a single noun): μή τί γε (Ἄκροι πεττευταὶ τοσοῦτοι οὐκ ἂν γένοιντο, μή τι δὴ βασιλεῖς γε, Pl. Pol. 292).
REM. For particular constructions of the negative particles with adverbs of time or of place (e.g. οὔποτε, οὔπω, οὐκέτι, &c.), or with words which serve for transition, or to give a certain emphasis to the denial (e.g. οὐ γάρ, οὐ γὰρ ἀλλά, οὐ μήν, οὐμενοῦν, οὐδήπου, οὐ δῆτα, οὔτι), see the Lexicon [and Appendix]. (So for μόνον οὐ, ὅσον οὐ, only not, i.e. nearly, almost.)
§ 213 (472 b.)
The word οὐδείς (μηδείς) and some verbs and phrases of denial (e.g. ἀπαυδῶ) are sometimes by a less accurate turn of the sentence so put that in a subsequent adversative member the affirmative notion contained in them (πάντες, ἕκαστος, κελεύω, &c.) is understood. Λέγουσί τινες, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἑκὼν δίκαιος, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ ἀνανδρίας ἢ γήρως ἤ τινος ἄλλης ἀσθενείας ψέγει τὸ ἀδικεῖν (Pl. Rep. 2, 366). [3]
[3]: Ἀμελήσας, ὧνπερ οἱ πολλοί (viz. ἐπιμελοῦνται), χρηματισμοῦ τε καὶ οἰκοδομίας καὶ στρατηγιῶν (Pl. Apol. 36).