μέν, Particle, used partly to express certainty on the part of the speaker or writer; partly, and more commonly, to point out that the word or clause with which it stands is correlative to another word or clause that is to follow, the latter word or clause being introduced byδέ.
A.
I. μένused absolutely to express certainty, not followed by correlativeδέ,indeed, of a truth, synonymous withμήν, as appears from the Ep. and Ion. formἦ μένin protestations and oaths (where Att. usedἦ μήν) , καί μοι ὄμοσσον, ἦ μ. μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν
2. an answering clause withδέis sts. implied,τὴν μὲν ἐγὼ σπουδῇ δάμνημ' ἐπέεσσιher can I hardly subdue, [butall others easily], Il. 5.893 ;ὡς μὲν λέγουσιasindeedthey say, [butas I believe not], E. Or. 8 ;καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἦν αὐτῷ πόλεμος(with noἔπειτα δέto follow), X. An. 1.9.14 ; soνῦν μέν ς' ἀφήσωI will let you gothis time, Herod. 5.81 : to give force to assertions made by a person respecting himself, wherein opposition to other persons is implied, ὡς μὲν ἐμῷ θυμῷ δοκεῖ
Od. 13.154
;δοκεῖν μέν μοι ἥξει τήμερον [τὸ πλοῖον] Pl. Cri. 43d : hence with the pers. Pron., ἐγὼ μέν νυν θεοῖσι ἔχω χάριν
, cf. 4.2.45 , etc.: with the demonstr. Pron., τούτου μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐγὼ σοφώτερός εἰμι
Pl. Ap. 21d
: generally, to emphasize the preceding word,πολλὴ μὲν ἡ μεταβολή μοι γέγονενgreatindeedhas been the change, Is. 1.1 , cf. Simon. 5.1 , etc.
3. μένis used alone in questions, when the answer is assumed,I take it,θέμις μὲν ἡμᾶς χρησμὸν εἰδέναι θεοῦ; E. Med. 676 , cf. Ion 520 (troch.), Hipp. 316 , S. Ant. 634 , Ar. Av. 1214 ;Ἕλλην μέν ἐστι καὶ Ἑλληνίζει; Pl. Men. 82b .
II. μένfolld. byδέin the correlative clause or clauses,on the one hand, on the other hand; commonly in Classical Gr., less freq. in later Gr. (rare inNT):
1. μέν . . , δέ. . (or when the correlative clause is neg.,μέν . . , οὐδέ. . , Il. 1.318 , 536 ), to mark opposition,
Hom. , etc.—The opposed clauses commonly stand together, but are freq. separated by clauses, parenthetic or explanatory; e.g.μένin Il. 2.494 is answered byδέin 511 , 527 sq.; in X. An. 1.9.2 ,πρῶτον μένis answered byἐπεὶ δέin <*> 6 ; in Id. Mem. 1.1.2 ,πρῶτον μένis answered byθαυμαστὸν δέin 1.2.1 .
2. to connect a series of clauses containing different matter, though with no opposition, Il. 1.18s q., 306 sq. (fiveδέ-clauses), 433 sq. (eightδέ-clauses), cf. X. An. 1.3.14 , 7.10s q.: freq. when the members of a group or class are distinctly specified,παῖδες δύο, πρεσβύτερος μὲν Ἀρταξέρξης, νεώτερος δὲ Κῦροςib. 1.1.1 ;τάφρος . . , τὸ μὲν εὖρος ὀργυιαὶ πέντε, τὸ δὲ βάθος ὀργυιαὶ τρεῖςib. 1.7.14 ;πρῶτος μέν . . , δεύτερος δέ . . , τρίτος δέ. . ib. 5.6.9 ;τότε μέν . . , τότε δέ. . , atonetime . . , atanother. . , ib. 6.1.9 , etc.: esp. with the Art. used as a Pron.,ὁ μέν . . , ὁ δέ . . ; τὸ μέν . . , τὸ δέ. . , etc.
3. the principal word is freq. repeated, οἳ περὶ μὲν βουλὴν Δαναῶν, περὶ δ' ἐστὲ μάχεσθαι
4. one of the correlative clauses is sts. independent, while the other takes thepart.or some other dependent form,ἐβλασφήμει κατ' ἐμοῦ . . , μάρτυρα μὲν . . οὐδένα παρασχόμενος . . , παρεκελεύετο δέ. . D. 57.11 ; οἱ ἀμφὶ βασιλέα, πεζοὶ μὲν οὐκέτι, τῶν δὲ ἱππέων ὁ λόφος ἐνεπλήσθη
5. μένandδέfreq. oppose two clauses, whereof one is subordinate to the other in meaning or emphasis,ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο θαυμάζω, εἰ Λακεδαιμονίοις μέν ποτε . . ἀντήρατε, . . νυνὶ δὲ ὀκνεῖτ' ἐξιέναι(forεἰ . . ἀντάραντες νυνὶ ὀκνεῖτε) D. 2.24 , cf. E. IT 116 , Lys. 34.11 , X. Mem. 2.7.11 , etc.: so in an anacoluthon,τρία μὲν ὄντα . . ναυτικά . . , τούτων δ' εἰ περιόψεσθε τὰ δύο, κτλ., Th. 1.36 .
6. μένis not always answered byδέ, but freq. by other equiv. Particles, asἀλλά, Il. 1.22 sq., 2.703 sq., Pi. O. 9.1 , A. Pers. 176 , X. An. 1.7.17 :—byμέντοι, Hdt. 1.36 , S. Ph. 350 , D. 21.189 , etc.:—byἀτάρ, Il. 6.84 , 124 , A. Pr. 342 , S. OT 1051s q., Pl. Tht. 172c , etc. (soμέν . . , αὐτάρin Ep. , Il. 1.50 , Od. 19.513 , etc.):— byαὖ, Il. 11.108 , Od. 4.210 :—byαὖθις, S. Ant. 165 :—byαὖτε, Il. 1.234 , Od. 22.5 :—by temporal Particles,πρῶτα μέν . . , εἶτα. . S. El. 261 ;πρῶτον μέν . . , μετὰ τοῦτο. . X. An. 6.1.5 - 7 ;μάλιστα μὲν δὴ . . , ἔπειτα μέντοι. . S. Ph. 350 , cf. OT 647 :—rarely byμήνwith neg., οὐδὲν μὴν κωλύει
Pl. Phdr. 268e
; οὐ μὴν αὐταί γε
Id. Phlb. 12d
.
b. when the opposition is emphatic,δέis sts. strengthd., asὅμως δέ. . S. OT 785 , Ph. 473 , 1074 , etc. (so ἀλλ' ὅμως
2. μὲν οὖνis freq. used with a correspondingδέ, so that each Particle retains its force, Od. 4.780 , Pi. O. 1.111 , S. OT 244 , 843 ; Ph. 359 , D. 2.5 , etc.: but freq. also abs.,so then, S. Ant. 65 ; ταῦτα μὲν οὖν παραλείψω
D. 2.3
; esp. in replies, sts. in strong affirmation, παντάπασι μὲν οὖν
Pl. Tht. 158d
;κομιδῇ μὲν οὖνib. 159e ;πάνυ μὲν οὖνib. 159b ;ἀνάγκη μὲν οὖνib. 189e ; also to substitute a new statement so as to correct a preceding statement,nay rather,κακοδαίμων; Answ.βαρυδαίμων μὲν οὖν! Ar. Ec. 1102 ;μου πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποψῶwipe your nose on my head: Answ.ἐμοῦ μὲν οὖν. .nayon mine, Id. Eq. 911 , cf. A. Pers. 1032 (lyr.), Ag. 1090 (lyr.), 1396 , S. Aj. 1363 , El. 1503 , OT 705 , Ar. Ra. 241 , Pl. Cri. 44b , Grg. 466a , 470b , Prt. 309d , etc.; also μὲν οὖν δή
S. Tr. 153
; καὶ δὴ μὲν οὖν
Id. OC 31
; cf.οὐμενοῦν: inNT μενοῦνandμενοῦνγε, to begin a sentence,yea rather,
3. byμέν τε, ifδέ τεfollows, the two clauses are more closely combined than byτε . . , τε. . , Il. 5.139 , al.;μέν τεis freq. answered byδέalone, 16.28 , al.; byἀλλά, αὐτάρ, 17.727 , Od. 1.215 , al.; perh. byἠδέ, Il. 4.341 :— Hom. also usesμέν τεabs., whenτεloses its force, as afterἦ, τίς, etc., Il. 2.145 , al.
4. μέν τοιin Hom. always occurs in speeches, whereτοιcan be regarded as the dat. of the Pron.: later,μέντοιis written as a single word, and is used:
a. with a conj. force,yet, nevertheless, A. Pr. 320 , 1054 (anap.), S. Tr. 413 , etc.; and sts. stands forδέ, answering toμέν,v.supr. A. 11.6 a.
b. as anAdv., in strong protestations,οὐ μέντοι μὰ Δία. . D. 4.49 ; in eager or positive assent,of course,φαμέν τι εἶναι. . ; Answ. φαμὲν μέντοι νὴ Δία
Pl. Phd. 65d
, al.: with a neg. to give emphasis to a question,οὐ σὺ μέντοι. . ;why, are you not . . ? Id. Prt. 309a , cf. Phdr. 229b , R. 339b , etc.: sts. to express impatience,ὄμνυμι γάρ σοι—τίνα μέντοι, τίνα θεῶν; Id. Phdr. 236d ;τί μ. πρῶτον ἦν, τί πρῶτον ἦν;naywhatwasthe first? Ar. Nu. 787 ; οὗτος, σὲ λέγω μ.
Id. Ra. 171
;σὺ μέντοι. . Luc. Alex. 44 : with imper., to enforce the command,τουτὶ μ. σὺ φυλάττου onlytake heed . . , Ar. Pax 1100 , cf. Av. 661 , X. An. 1.4.8 : in answers,γελοῖον μέντἂν εἴη nayit would be absurd, Pl. Tht. 158e ; summing up a long temporal clause, And. 1.130 .
c.
μέντοι γε
X. Cyr. 5.5.24
, etc.; οὐ μ. γε
Diog.Apoll. 5
: in later Gr.μέντοιγεstands first in the sentence, μ. οὐ θέλω
PLond. 3.897.13
(i A.D.); also γε μέντοι
A. Ag. 938
, S. OT 778 , 1292 , E. Hec. 600 ; ὅμως γε μ.
Ar. Ra. 61
.
d. καὶ μ. καίis used to add a point to be noted, Heraclit. 28 , Pl. R. 331d ; alsoκαί . . μ., νῦν σοι καιρός ἐστιν ἐπιδείξασθαι τὴν παιδείαν, καὶ φυλάξασθαι μέντοι. . andof courseto take care . . , X. An. 4.6.15 (v.l.), cf. 1.8.20 , Pl. Prt. 339c , Tht. 143a .
e. ἀλλὰ μέντοι well, if it comes to that, X. An. 4.6.16 ;well, of course, Pl. R. 331e , etc.; cf.μέντον.
C. forμένafter other Particles, see each Particle.
D. Position ofμέν. Likeδέ, it usu. stands as the second word in a sentence. But when a sentence begins with words common to its subordinate clauses,μένstands second in the first of these clauses, as ἥδε γὰρ γυνὴ δούλη μέν, εἴρηκεν δ' ἐλεύθερον λόγον
S. Tr. 63
;οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐτάξαντο μέν . . , ἡσύχαζον δέ. . Th. 4.73 , cf. 113 , etc. It also attaches itself to words which mark opposition, asπρῶτον μέν, τότε μέν, ἐγὼ μέν, even when these do not stand first: sts. however it precedes them, ὡς μὲν ἐγὼ οἶμαι
Pl. Phdr. 228b
; ὡς μέν τινες ἔφασαν
X. Cyr. 5.2.28
. It generally stands between the Art. and Noun, or the Prep. and its Case: but if special stress is laid on the Noun, this is sts. neglected, as οἱ Τεγεᾶται μὲν ἐπηυλίσαντο, Μαντινῆς δὲ ἀπεχώρησαν
1. when, besides the opposition of two main clauses, a subordinate opposition is introduced into the first,ὁ μὲν ἀνὴρ τοιαῦτα μὲν πεποίηκε τοιαῦτα δὲ λέγει, ὑμῶν δέ. . X. An. 1.6.9 , cf. 5.8.24 , Th. 8.104 , D. 18.214 , 23.208 .
