LogeionPerseus analysis of γε:
γε (at least, at any rate): enclitic indeclform (particle)
LSJ entry
γε
γε,
Dor. and Boeot. γα,
enclitic Particle, giving emphasis to the word or words which it follows. I. with single words, at least, at any rate,
but often only to be rendered by italics in writing, or emphasis in pronunciation: τὸ γὰρ . . σιδήρου γε κράτος ἐστίν such is the power of iron,
Od. 9.393;
εἴ που πτωχῶν γε θεοὶ . . εἰσίν if the poor have any gods to care for them, 17.475;
μάλιστά γε 4.366;
ὅ γʼ ἐνθάδε λεώς at any rate the people here, S. OC 42,
etc.: with negs., οὐ δύο γε not even two, Il. 5.303,
20.286;
οὔκουν φθόγγος γε not the least sound, E. IA 9.
2. with Pronouns: with Pron. of 1st Pers. so closely joined, that the accent is changed, in ἔγωγε, ἔμοιγε (also ἔγωγα Lacon.,
but ἐγώνγα, ἰώνγα Boeot.):
in Hom. freq. with Art. used as Pron., v. ὅ γε: with demonstr. Pronouns, κεῖνός γε, τοῦτό γε,
etc.: in Com. coalescing with -ί final, αὑτηγί Ar. Ach. 784;
τουτογί, ταυταγί,
etc., Id. V. 781,
Pax 1057,
etc. (but ἐνγεταυθί Th. 646):
after possess. Pronouns, ἐμόν γε θυμόν Il. 20.425,
etc.: freq. after relat. Pronouns, ὅς γε, οἵ γε,
etc., οἵ γέ σου καθύβρισαν S. Ph. 1364;
ὅς γʼ ἐξέλυσας δασμόν Id. OT 35,
etc.; ὅσον γε χρῄζεις even as much as . . ,
ib.365;
οἷόν γέ μοι φαίνεται Pl. R. 329a:
rarely with interrog. Pronouns, τίνα γε . . εἶπας ; E. Tr. 241;
ποίου γε τούτου πλήν γʼ Ὀδυσσέως ἐρεῖς ; S. Ph. 441.
3. after Conjunctions, to emphasize the modification or condition introduced by the subjoined clause, πρίν γε,
before at least,
sts. repeated, οὐ μὲν . . ὀΐω πρίν γʼ ἀποπαύσεσθαι, πρίν γε . . αἵματος ἆσαι Ἀρῆα Il. 5.288,
cf. Od. 2.127;
πρὶν ἄν γε or πρίν γʼ ἄν,
Ar. Eq. 961,
Ra. 78,
etc.; ὅτε γε Pl. Phd. 84e;
ὁπότε γε S. OC 1699;
ἐπεί γε X. An. 1.3.9;
ἐπειδή γε Th. 6.18;
ὅπου γε X. Cyr. 2.3.11;
εἴ γε, ἐάν γε,
if that is to say,
if really,
Th. 6.18,
Pl. Phdr. 253c;
also simply to lay stress on the condition, κἄν γε μὴ λέγω and if I do not . . ,
Ar. Ach. 317;
εἴπερ γε if at any rate,
Hdt. 7.16.γʹ,
143,
etc.; ὥστε γε (v.l. ὥς γε), with inf.,
so far at least as to . . ,
Pl. Phdr. 230b;
ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ χρῆσθαι κριτῇ E. Alc. 801;
ὥς γε or ὥσπερ γε as at least,
S. Ant. 570,
OT 715,
etc.:—γε may follow τε,
when τε is closely attached to the preceding word, ὡς οἷόν τέ γε μάλιστα X. Mem. 4.5.2,
Pl. R. 412b;
ἐάντε γε Id. Plt. 293d;
οἵ τέ γε Id. Grg. 454e:—for its use in opposed or disjunctive clauses, v. infr. II.3. 4. after other Particles, καὶ μὴν . . γε, οὐ μὴν . . γε,
with words intervening, X. Mem. 1.4.12,
E. Alc. 518,
etc.; after ἄν in apodosi, when preceded by οὐ or καί,
Id. Ph. 1215,
Or. 784;
ἄταρ . . γε but yet,
Ar. Ach. 448;
καίτοι γε, v. καί τοι; ἀλλά γε (without intervening words) is f.l. in Pl. Hp.Ma. 287b (leg. ἀλλʼ ἄγε),
R. 331b (
ἀλλά γε ἕν codd., ἀλλὰ ἕν γε Stob.);
ἀλλά γε δή dub. in Id. Phdr. 262a; later, Plu. 2.394c, Ael. NA 10.49 codd.: but, 5. when preceding other Particles, γε commonly refers to the preceding word, while the Particle retains its own force: but sts. modifies the sense of the following Particle, γε μήν nevertheless,
πάντως γε μήν Ar. Eq. 232,
cf. E. El. 754,
X.,
etc.; Ep. and Ion. γε μέν Il. 2.703,
Od. 4.195,
Hdt. 7.152;
γε μὲν δή A. Ag. 661,
S. Tr. 484;
γε μέντοι Pl. Tht. 164a,
X. An. 2.3.9,
etc.: γε δή freq. strengthens an assertion, A. Pr. 42,
Th. 2.62,
etc.; οἰόμεθά γε δή Pl. Euthd. 275a (cf. also II.1); γέ τοι,
implying that the assertion is the least that one can say, Ar. V. 934,
Pl. 424,
1041,
etc.; γέ τοι Pl. Grg. 447b;
γέ τοι δή S. OT 1171,
Pl. Phdr. 264b;
γέ τοί που Id. Lg. 888e;
γε δήπου Id. Phd. 94a,
etc.; γέ που at all events, any how,
Ar. Ach. 896,
Pl. R. 607d,
478a,
etc.; for γε οὖν, v. γοῦν. 1. epexegetic, namely, that is,
Διός γε διδόντος that is if God grant it, Od. 1.390;
κλῦθι, Ποσείδαον . . , εἰ ἐτεόν γε σός εἰμι if indeed I am really thine, 9.529:
hence to limit, strengthen or amplify a general assertion, ἀνὴρ . . ὅστις πινυτός γε any man—at least any wise man, 1.229;
freq. preceded by καί,
usu. with words intervening, ἦ μὴν κελεύσω κἀπιθωΰξω γε πρός ay and besides that . . ,
A. Pr. 73;
παρῆσάν τινες καὶ πολλοί γε some, ay and a great many, Pl. Phd. 58d;
καὶ γελοίως γε Id. R. 531a;
freq. with the last term in an enumeration, ταύτῃ ἄρα . . πρακτέον καὶ γυμναστέον καὶ ἐδεστέον γε καὶ ποτέον Id. Cri. 47b;
ὄψεις τε καὶ ἀκοαὶ καὶ . . καὶ ἡδοναί γε δή Id. Tht. 156b;
repeated, συνήγαγόν μοι καί γε ἀργύριον καί γε χρυσίον LXX Ec. 2.8;
rarely without intervening words, καί γε ὁ θάνατος διὰ τὴν μοίρην ἔλαχεν Hp. Septim. 9,
cf. Lys. 11.7 codd.; καί γε . . ἐκχεῶ Act.Ap. 2.18:
hence, 2. in dialogue, in answers where something is added to the statement of the previous speaker, as ἔπεμψέ τίς σοι . . κρέα; Answ. καλῶς γε ποιῶν yes and quite right too, Ar. Ach. 1049;
κενὸν τόδʼ ἄγγος, ἢ στέγει τι; Answ. σά γʼ ἔνδυτα . .
yes indeed,
your clothes, E. Ion 1412;
οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μάλιστα δηχθείη πόσις.
Answ. σὺ δʼ ἂν γένοιο γʼ ἀθλιωτάτη γυνή yes truly,
and you . . ,
Id. Med. 817,
cf. S. OT 680,
etc.; πάνυ γε yes certainly, Pl. Euthphr. 8e,
etc.; οὕτω γέ πως yes somehowso, Id. Tht. 165c;
sts. preceded by καί, καὶ οὐδέν γʼ ἄτοπον yes and no wonder, ib.142b,
cf. d, 147e;
sts. ironically, εὖ γε κηδεύεις πόλιν E. IT 1212.
4. in exclamations, etc., ὥς γε μή ποτʼ ὤφελον λαβεῖν dub. in E. IA 70,
cf. S. OC 977,
Ph. 1003,
Ar. Ach. 93,
836,
etc.; in oaths, οὔτοι μὰ τὴν Δήμητρά γʼ v.l. in Ar. Eq. 698;
μὰ τὸν Ποσειδῶ γʼ οὐδέποτʼ Id. Ec. 748;
καὶ ναὶ μὰ Δία γε X. Ap. 20;
καὶ νὴ Δία γε Ar. Eq. 1350,
D.Chr. 17.4,
Luc. Merc.Cond. 28,
Lib. Or. 11.59,
etc.: with words intervening, καὶ νὴ Δίʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἕτεροί γε . .
D. 13.16;
νὴ Δία, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, ὥρα γε ὑμῖν X. HG 7.1.37;
merely in strong assertions, τίς ἂν φιλέοντι μάχοιτο; ἄφρων δὴ κεῖνός γέ . .
Od. 8.209,
etc. IV. POSITION: γε normally follows the word which it limits; but is freq. placed immediately after the Article, as ὅ γε πόλεμος Th. 1.66,
etc.; or the Prep., κατά γε τὸν σὸν λόγον X. Cyr. 3.1.15;
ἔν γε ταῖς Θήβαις S. OT 1380;
or δέ, νῦν δέ γε Pl. Tht. 144e;
τὸ δέ γε ib.164b;
δοῖμεν δέ γέ που ἄν Id. R. 607d,
cf. Phd. 94a,
etc.; freq. in retorts, ἁμές ποκʼ ἦμες ἄλκιμοι νεανίαι.
Answ. ἁμὲς δέ γʼ εἰμές Carm.Pop. 18;
οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅτι λέγεις.
Answ. ἡ γραῦς δέ γε οἶδʼ, ὡς ἐγῷμαι Men. Epit. 577,
cf. A. Th. 1031,
etc.