Μηδὲν ἄγαν / Different interpretation

[κάττα]

Is it possible to interpret the Delphic maxim "Μηδὲν ἄγαν" (Nothing in excess) different ways?
For example as "abundant nothing(ness)", or even interpreting the English "nothing in excess" in a way that we have an excess of "nothing".
Of something that has no shape or form.

Another question: is mηδὲν in nominative or accusative?

 

[Glabrigausapes]

I'm thinking the fact that the word is μηδέν, as opposed to οὐδέν, constricts the meaning to just the one prohibitive sense: '[Let you do/let there be] nothing in excess.' As if the complete sentence were: Μηδὲν ποιῇς ἄγαν.

As to the grammatical case (nom. or acc.) of the word, it is an indeterminate matter (to me, anyway). Because the sentence is elliptical, I lean toward 'nominative'.

 

[Iáson]

It's a very abbreviated phrase, and perhaps not so immediately obvious in meaning, if it wasn't so familiar as a maxim.

Theognis has phrases such as Μηδὲν ἄγαν ἄσχαλλε..., Μηδὲν ἄγαν σπεύδειν..., Μηδὲν ἄγαν χαλεποῖσιν ἀσῶ φρένα... which one might consider the origin of the maxim. In these cases μηδέν is an adverbial accusative. But the maxim is so common that it is perhaps possible that it was re-analysed (though ideally one would want to see some evidence, from the discussion of an ancient author or similar).

 

[κάττα]

Theognis has phrases such as Μηδὲν ἄγαν ἄσχαλλε..., Μηδὲν ἄγαν σπεύδειν..., Μηδὲν ἄγαν χαλεποῖσιν ἀσῶ φρένα... which one might consider the origin of the maxim.

Very interesting. Here the main meaning seems to be "don't worry much", which is also very different from the common interpretation. I'll look up the works of Theognis.

 

[Iáson]

Hmm, I'm not sure it's necessarily different from the common interpretation - the idea is that you go from 'don't be too vexed... don't hurry too much... don't become too vexed at difficulties' to 'don't do anything too much'. But it's true that all these are negative things, which perhaps it would be better not to do... whereas the maxim is usually taken to apply to everything.