Theophrastus · Fragments §57b.1

Ambiguity of Every Triangle as Universal and Particular

Passage 49 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus' example from his On the Number of Ways Something is Spoken of is cited to show that knowing "every triangle" has angles equal to two right angles can be understood in two ways: either universally or as all particulars.

§57b.1Fr. 57b Οὗ καὶ αὐτοῦ Θ. ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν Ποσαχῶς μέμνηται, οἷον ἐπίστασθαι πᾶν τρίγωνον ὅτι δυσὶν ὀρθαῖς ἴσας ἔχει τὰς τρεῖς γωνίας· ἢ γὰρ ὡς καθόλου ἢ ὡς καθʼ ἕκαστα πάντα.

This itself is also mentioned by Theophrastus in his On the Number of Ways Something is Spoken of; for example, knowing that every triangle has its three angles equal to two right angles; for it is either as a universal or as all particular things.

Notes

§57b.1Οὗ — A connective use of the relative pronoun, functioning as the genitive object required by the verb `μέμνηται` (from `μιμνήσκομαι`, 'to mention'). It refers back to the general topic discussed in the preceding chunk, such as the loss of ambiguity in combined terms.
§57b.1πᾶν τρίγωνον — An instance of prolepsis (anticipation), where the noun phrase that logically functions as the subject of the `ὅτι` clause is pulled forward as the accusative object of the governing infinitive `ἐπίστασθαι`.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §57b.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:57b.1

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