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An Examination of Diathesis and Its Didactic Practices in Latin Grammars from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages

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An Examination of Diathesis and Its Didactic Practices in Latin Grammars from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages Provided by the author(s) and NUI Galway in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite the published version when available. Title An examination of diathesis and its didactic practices in Latin grammars from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages Author(s) O'Rorke, Jason Publication Date 2016-12-21 Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6772 Downloaded 2021-09-29T21:56:48Z Some rights reserved. For more information, please see the item record link above. An examination of diathesis and its didactic practices in Latin grammars from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages A Thesis by Jason O’Rorke In Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor Philosophiae Classics School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies National University of Ireland, Galway December 2016 Research Supervisor: Dr. Jacopo Bisagni Head of Discipline: Prof. Michael Clarke Table of Contents Table of Contents Declaration Regarding the Work ........................................................................... iv Abstract .................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ vi Translator’s Notes ................................................................................................ vii List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................... viii Chapter One Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introductory remarks .......................................................................................... 1 1.2 Diathesis according to modern linguistic theory ................................................ 3 1.3 Diathesis according to the grammatikoί/grammatici ....................................... 5 1.4 Literature review ................................................................................................ 7 1.5 Structure and content of thesis .......................................................................... 9 1.6 The emergence of grammar in Antiquity ......................................................... 10 Chapter Two The grammatical tradition before Donatus: the origin and the development of the category of diathesis between the fourth century BC and the third century AD .................................................................................... 25 2.1 Introductory remarks ........................................................................................ 25 2.2 Dιάθεσις .......................................................................................................... 25 2.3 The term dιάθεσις in the works of Apollonius Dyscolus ............................... 26 2.4 Dιάθεσις in the Τέχνη Γραμματική ........................................................... 32 2.5 Latin equivalents to the term dιάθεσις ........................................................... 33 2.6 Genus .............................................................................................................. 35 2.7 Gender and diathesis ....................................................................................... 36 2.8 Significatio ...................................................................................................... 39 2.9 Active and passive............................................................................................ 41 2.10 Neuter ............................................................................................................. 45 2.11 Common ......................................................................................................... 50 2.12 Deponent ........................................................................................................ 52 _____________________________________________________________ i Table of Contents 2.13 Impersonal, inchoative, frequentative and defective...................................... 54 2.14 Concluding remarks ....................................................................................... 57 Chapter Three Donatus and the authors of the fourth century artes ........................................ 67 3.1 Introductory remarks ........................................................................................ 67 3.2 Donatus ............................................................................................................ 67 3.3 Charisius ........................................................................................................... 73 3.3.1 Genera A ............................................................................................. 77 3.3.2 Genera B and C .................................................................................... 78 3.3.3 Genera D ............................................................................................. 83 3.3.4 Significatio ........................................................................................... 94 3.3.5 Concluding remarks .............................................................................. 97 3.4 Diomedes ......................................................................................................... 99 3.5 Probus ............................................................................................................. 108 3.5.1 Probus’ use of terminology .................................................................. 110 3.5.2 Probus’ description of diathesis ........................................................... 113 3.6 Concluding remarks ....................................................................................... 118 Chapter Four Servius and authors of artes between the fifth and sixth centuries ............... 125 4.1 Introductory remarks ...................................................................................... 125 4.2 Servius ............................................................................................................ 125 4.2.1 Servius’ account of diathesis in the commentary on the Ars Minor ......... 127 4.2.2 Servius’ account of diathesis in the commentary on the Ars Maior ......... 128 4.3 ‘Sergii’ ........................................................................................................... 129 4.3.1 Serg.1 ................................................................................................ 130 4.3.2 Serg.2, Serg.3 and Serg.4: an introduction ............................................ 133 4.3.3 Serg.2’s description of diathesis .......................................................... 135 ___________________________________________________________________ ii Table of Contents 4.3.4 Serg.3’s description of diathesis .......................................................... 139 4.3.5 Serg.4’s description of diathesis .......................................................... 140 4.3.6 Concluding remarks ............................................................................ 141 4.4 Cledonius ....................................................................................................... 143 4.4.1 Cledonius’ account of diathesis in the commentary on the Ars Minor ..... 144 4.4.2 Cledonius’ account of diathesis in the commentary on the Ars Maior ..... 145 4.5 Pompeius ........................................................................................................ 146 4.5.1 Pompeius’ description of diathesis ....................................................... 148 4.6 Phocas ............................................................................................................ 153 4.6.1 Phocas’ description of diathesis ........................................................... 155 4.7 Consentius ...................................................................................................... 157 4.7.1 Consentius’ description of diathesis ..................................................... 159 4.8 Concluding remarks ....................................................................................... 165 Chapter Five Macrobius and Priscian: the incorporation of Greek grammatical thought into Latin grammar ............................................................................. 173 5.1 Introductory remarks ...................................................................................... 173 5.2 Macrobius ....................................................................................................... 173 5.2.1 De verborum Graeci et Latini differentiis vel societatibus ..................... 175 5.3 Priscian ........................................................................................................... 183 5.3.1 Priscian’s use of terminology .............................................................. 190 5.3.2 Priscian on diathesis ........................................................................... 192 5.3.3 An alternative classification of verbs ................................................... 202 5.3.4 Concluding remarks ............................................................................ 205 5.4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 211 Chapter Six Conclusion ..........................................................................................................
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