# Correct translation ?



## melonidas

Οὐδὲν αἴσχιον τῆς προδοσίας· οἱ γὰρ προδόται οὐ μόνον τήν τε πόλιν καὶ

τοὺς πολίτας μισοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νομίζουσι ὅτι τὸ ἴδιον κέρδος κρεῖττον

τῆς κοινῆς σωτερίας πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν.

Any shameless of the treason: not only they hate the city and its citizens but think that private profit is common preservation from the universes of the men.

Hope someone can fix my translation


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## Perseas

My attempt:

There is nothing more shameful than treason: not only do traitors hate the city and its citizens, but they also think that their personal/private interest is better than the common saviour of all people.


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## melonidas

Ok. Which is the  attribute of ἐστίν?


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## Perseas

If I have understood well what you mean, it is _κρεῖττον (= better)_. 
_τὸ ἴδιον κέρδος ἐστίν κρεῖττον ... = the personal interest is better ..._


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## melonidas

the verb "there is" is unspoken in: Οὐδὲν αἴσχιον τῆς προδοσίας  ??


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## Andrious

Yes, it is.


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## melonidas

so, in: Οὐδὲν αἴσχιον τῆς προδοσίας,  "προδοσίας",  is in nominative case and it is the attribute ?


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## Perseas

melonidas said:


> so, in: Οὐδὲν αἴσχιον τῆς προδοσίας,  "προδοσίας",  is in nominative case and it is the attribute ?


No, it goes like this:

Οὐδὲν αἴσχιον _(ἐστίν_) τῆς προδοσίας...= Nothing is more shameful than treason...
τῆς προδοσίας = genitive singular


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## melonidas

Perseas said:


> No, it goes like this:
> 
> Οὐδὲν αἴσχιον _(ἐστίν_) τῆς προδοσίας...= Nothing is more shameful than treason...
> τῆς προδοσίας = genitive singular



What is the function of τῆς προδοσίας = genitive singular ? Is it a complement of the name αἴσχιον ?? I am kind of confused, because I suposed all the genitive where  a complement of the name.


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## Scholiast

χαῖρετε, ὦ ἄριστοι

τῆς προδοσίας = genitive singular: yes. This is known as the "genitive of comparison", see e.g. Smith's _Greek Grammar_ § 1069, citing (_inter alia_) Xen. _Anab. _3.3.7, οἱ Κρῆτες βραχύτερα τῶν Περσῶν ἐτόξευον.

κρεῖττον: my only advance on Perseas' rendering here would be to translate this as "more important" rather than as "better".


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