κατοικτίρων οἰκτίρω, not οἰκτείρω, is the spelling attested by Attic inscriptions of circ. 550-350 B.C.: see Meisterhans, , p. 89. μὴ οὐ κατοικτίρων . An infinitive or participle, which for any reason would regularly take μή, usually takes μὴ οὐ if the principal verb of the sentence is negative. Here, δυσάλγητος =οὐκ εὐάλγητος: Dem. 19.123 (πόλεις) χαλεπαὶ λαβεῖν … μὴ οὐ χρόνῳ καὶ πολιορκίᾳ (sc. λαμβάνοντι,) where χαλεπαί =οὐ ῥᾴδιαι· “cities not easy to take, unless by a protracted siege.” The participial clause, μὴ οὐ κατοικτίρων, is equivalent to a protasis, εἰ μὴ κατοικτίροιμι. Prof. Kennedy holds that the protasis is εἰ μὴ θέλοιμι understood, and that μὴ οὐ κατοικτίρων is epexegetic of it: —“Yes( γάρ) I should be unfeeling, if I did not wish (to help you): that is, if I refused to pity such a supplication as this.” But the double negative μὴ οὐ could not be explained by a negative in the protasis (εἰ μὴ θέλοιμἰ· it implies a negative in the apodosis (δυσάλγητος ἂν εἴην). Since, then, the resolution into οὐκ εὐάλγητος ἂν εἴην is necessary, nothing seems to be gained by supposing a suppressed protasis, εἰ μὴ θέλοιμι.