ZBORNIK - Matica srpska

eference a fact: Time demands life. It does not say by what right.
Since in the texts concerning life or soul demanded as quoted above
this is explained in so far as God, gods or nature gave it, consequently
they have right to demand it back, here it is striking that
time demands life without any justification. Stoics of course identified
Chronos with Kronos on the strength that like Kronos he too
devours his children: Everything what comes into being through
time is destroyed in turn by time, 19 but I wonder, if we ought to
think of this. Compelling it is not, so everybody could give an
answer at will. However it may be, this is a case where life is
possibly not demanded back, only demanded. This leads us to the
last word of the poem: 'Apaiteì.
Let us have a closer look at it. Most of its meanings and nuances
can be reduced to two ones: to demand back what belongs to
somebody 20 and to demand what is due to somebody — as he
thinks, rightly or wrongly —, what is expected by him. The semantic
field or more exactly the field of nuances of the second meaning
is rather broad. Revolting soldiers demand more pay and other
advantages which are not their legal due. 21 Peisthetairos demands
the supreme power Zeus being in a tight corner, i. e. not on a too
legal basis. 22 The executor demands the taxes, formally legally —
whether also in reality, is to be asked. 23 One can demand an account
juridically or informally, 24 one can demand an assumption (postulate)
25 and something can be demanded on moral basis as a return
of gratitude for a help or a boon. 26 A work of art too can be
expected from a sculptor or a speech from an orator 27 and also a situation
or the course of a conversation can demand something. 28
Finally it can simply mean to ask for something, as if somebody
asks his friend for an object. 29
�������� is the last word in a metrically carefully constructed
terse poem — obviously not by mere chance. No explanation is given.
Who reads the epitaph can (has to?) meditate on it which nu-
19 Schol. Hes. Th. 459 = SVF II 1087.
20 With Homer only ��������: Od. 2, 78; later many examples.
21 Pol. 1, 60, 1; 68, 8. (Here and further on no completeness is aimed at.)
22 Ar. Av. 554.
23 LXX 2Chr 36, 4 a ; Is 3, 12 and a plenty of data in F. Preisigke's Wörterbuch
der griechischen Papyrusurkunden (Berlin 1925) 150—152.
24 D. 18, 245; Pol. 29, 14, 8; Pl. Rp. 599 b; D. Chr. 37, 30.
25 Arist. M. 1063 b 9.
26 Hdt. 8, 122; Pl. Phdr. 241 a; Isocr. 16, 35; 18, 67; Jos. AI 7, 64.
27 D. Chr. 12, 82; 29, 2.
28 Pl. Phil. 18 e; Pol. 1, 14, 3; 9, 22, 7.
29 Pl. Rp. 394 a.
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