Aspect in Ancient Greek - Nijmegen Centre for Semantics

168 Chapter 7. Comparison to theories in ClassicsNevertheless, aoristic aspect is used.Likewise for the following example:(198) Ω̋ δ κα τατα κουσαν ο Λακεδαιµνιοι, πεχον τ̋ ξευρέσιο̋οδν λασσον, πάντα διζήµενοι, ̋ ο δ Λίχη̋ τν γαθοεργν καλεοµένωνΣπαρτιητέων ν ε ρ ε. Ο δ γαθοεργοί εσι τν στν,ξιντε̋ κ τν ππέων αε ο πρεσβτατοι, πέντε τεο̋ κάστουτο̋ δε τοτον τν νιαυτν, τν ν ξίωσι κ τν ππέων, Σπαρτιητέωντ κοιν διαπεµποµένου̋ µ λινειν λλου̋ λλη. Τοτωνν τν νδρν Λίχη̋ ν ε ρ ε ν Τεγέη κα συντυχίη χρησάµενο̋κα σοφίη.“When the Lacedaemonians heard this too, they were no nearer findingwhat they sought, though they made search everywhere, till atlast Liches, one of the Spartans who are called Benefactors, foundaorit. These Benefactors are the Spartan citizens who pass out ofthe ranks of the knights, the five oldest in each year; for the year inwhich they pass out from the knights they are sent on diverse errandsby the Spartan state, and must use all despatch. Liches, then, oneof these men, by good luck and cleverness found-aor the tomb atTegea.” Hdt. 1.67.5-68.1By the time we have come to the last sentence of (198), the fact that Lichesfound the tomb is backgrounded information. Still aoristic aspect is used.A final example is (199):(199) Τν µν δ τυραννίδα οτω σχον ο Μερµνάδαι το̋ Ηρακλείδα̋πελµενοι, Γγη̋ δ τυραννεσα̋ π έ π ε µ ψ ε ναθήµατα ̋ ∆ελφο̋. . . Οτο̋ δ Γγη̋ πρτο̋ βαρβάρων τν µε̋ δµεν ̋∆ελφο̋ ν έ θ η κ ε ναθήµατα µετ Μίδην τν Γορδίεω, Φρυγίη̋βασιλέα.“Thus did the Mermnadae rob the Heraclidae of the sovereignty andtake it for themselves, and having gained it, Gyges sent-aor offeringsto Delphi ... This Gyges was the first foreigner (of our knowledge)who placed-aor offerings at Delphi after the king of Phrygia, Midasthe son of Gordias.” Hdt. 1.14.2The sending of offerings is already mentioned in the first sentence, and henceis backgrounded information in the last sentence. The focused information ofthe last sentence is that Gyges was the first who did it. Again, contrary toSicking’s predictions, aoristic aspect is used.A final problem with Sicking’s focus theory concerns the notion of focusitself. The giving of the sword example suggests that we have to understandthis notion in terms of the difference between foregrounded and backgroundedinformation. However, a few pages later, in the discussion of an example where