Pluperfect Middle/Passive Indicative
πεφόβημαι / πτηνῆς ὡς ὄμμα πελείᾱς (I’m as fearful as the eye of a dove on the wing)
—nervous words from the chorus in Sophocles’ Ajax 139-140 Fifth principal part. The fifth principal part of a Greek verb supplies the stem for the perfect middle/passive tense and the pluperfect middle/passive tense. For verbs whose basic stem ends in a vowel, the fifth principal part is easily derivable from the fourth principal part. For verbs whose basic stem ends in a consonant, the fifth principal part is less predictable: its stem-vowel may differ from the stem-vowel in the fourth principal part.
Moreover, when the middle/passive ending is added, the collision of letters may cause the consonant at the end of the stem to drop out or change into a different letter, according to the principles of euphonics.
Verbs with basic stem ending in a vowel. These verbs form the perfect middle/passive indicative by dropping the κ from their perfect active stem and adding the primary middle/passive endings (-μαι, -σαι, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, -νται) with no intervening thematic vowel. They form the pluperfect middle/passive indicative by augmenting their perfect active stem, dropping the κ, and adding the secondary middle/passive endings (-μην, -σο, -το, -μεθα, -σθε, -ντο) with no thematic vowel. To create the perfect middle/
passive infinitive, they drop the κ from their perfect active stem and add the ending -σθαι with no thematic vowel; the accent of this infinitive is persistent, always on the penult.
Perfect Middle/Passive Indicative: Basic Stem Ending in a Vowel Singular
πεπαίδευµαι (“I have taught for myself” or “I have been taught”) πεπαίδευσαι (“you have taught for yourself” or “you [sg.] have been taught”)
πεπαίδευται (“he/she/it has taught for him/her/itself” or “he/she/it had been taught”)
132.
133.
From Alpha to Omega Here are the first five principal parts of all the verbs you now know whose basic stem ends in a vowel. The fifth principal part is always the first-person singular form of the perfect middle/passive indicative.
Principal Parts of Verbs with Basic Stem Ending in a Vowel γελάω γελάσομαι ἐγέλασα — —
κελεύω and a few other verbs insert a sigma before the middle/passive ending.
λω λσω ἔλῡσα λέλυκα λέλυμαι
Lesson 22 • 139 Verbs with basic stem ending in a consonant. As you know from Lesson 20, these verbs often lose their final consonant or change it in the process of forming their perfect active stem. The fifth principal part of consonant-stem verbs is built on the same reduplicated consonant-stem as the fourth principal part, but if a consonant has been lost or changed at the end of that stem, the consonant must be restored or put back into its original form before the perfect middle/passive endings are added. If a κ has been added to make the fourth principal part, it must be dropped to make the fifth. If the stem-vowel has changed from ε to ο in the fourth principal part, it usually returns to ε in the fifth.
λελειπ-But the changes do not stop there: if the consonant at the end of the perfect middle/passive stem collides with the first letter of the middle/passive ending in a way that sounds harsh, the Greeks’ desire for euphony requires the consonant either to transform itself into a different letter (μ, γ, σ, φ, χ, π, κ) that more closely matches the sound of the next letter, or to unite with the next letter and create a double consonant (ψ, ξ), or simply to disappear.
The possibilities can be summarized as follows.
Euphonic changes in perfect and pluperfect middle/passive:
1. Before μ (-μαι, -μεθα):
From Alpha to Omega 140 •
5. Before ν (-νται, -ντο):
Verbs with stems ending in a consonant do not use the endings -νται and -ντο.
Rather than trying to beautify the sound of a consonant colliding with -ν, the Greeks expressed third-person plural in a “periphrastic” (roundabout) way:
they used a perfect middle/passive participle with εἰσί (perfect) or ἦσαν (plu-perfect). You will not be asked to construct these forms until you have studied participles.
To illustrate the euphonic changes outlined above, here are the paradigms of four consonant-stem verbs in the perfect and pluperfect middle/passive:
Labial Stem Palatal Stem Dental Stem Liquid Stem λείπω (λειπ-) διώκω (διωκ-) ἁρπάζω (ἁρπαζ-) ἀγγέλλω (ἀγγελ-) Perfect Middle/Passive Indicative: Basic Stem Ending in a Consonant Singular
λέλειµµαι δεδίωγµαι ἥρπασµαι ἤγγελµαι λέλειψαι δεδίωξαι ἥρπασαι ἤγγελσαι λέλειπται δεδίωκται ἥρπασται ἤγγελται Plural
λελείµµεθα δεδιώγµεθα ἡρπάσµεθα ἠγγέλµεθα λέλειφθε δεδίωχθε ἥρπασθε ἤγγελθε
λελειµµένοι εἰσί(ν) δεδιωγµένοι εἰσί(ν) ἡρπασµένοι εἰσί(ν) ἠγγελµένοι εἰσί(ν) Pluperfect Middle/Passive Indicative: Basic Stem Ending in a Consonant Singular
ἐλελείµµην ἐδεδιώγµην ἡρπάσµην ἠγγέλµην ἐλέλειψο ἐδεδίωξο ἥρπασο ἤγγελσο ἐλέλειπτο ἐδεδίωκτο ἥρπαστο ἤγγελτο Plural
ἐλελείµµεθα ἐδεδιώγµεθα ἡρπάσµεθα ἠγγέλµεθα ἐλέλειφθε ἐδεδίωχθε ἥρπασθε ἤγγελθε
λελειµµένοι ἦσαν δεδιωγµένοι ἦσαν ἡρπασµένοι ἦσαν ἠγγελµένοι ἦσαν Perfect Middle/Passive Infinitive: Basic Stem Ending in a Consonant
λελεῖφθαι δεδιῶχθαι ἡρπάσθαι ἠγγέλθαι
Here are the first five principal parts of all the verbs you now know whose basic stem ends in a consonant. The fifth principal part is always the first-person singular form of the perfect middle/passive indicative.
Principal Parts of Verbs with Basic Stem Ending in a Dental
ἁρπάζω ἁρπάσω ἥρπασα ἥρπακα ἥρπασμαι κομίζω κομιῶ ἐκόμισα κεκόμικα κεκόμισμαι πείθω πείσω ἔπεισα πέπεικα/πέποιθα πέπεισμαι σπεύδω σπεύσω ἔσπευσα — — 136.
Lesson 22 • 141 Principal Parts of Verbs with Basic Stem Ending in a Liquid or a Nasal
ἀγγέλλω ἀγγελῶ ἤγγειλα ἤγγελκα ἤγγελμαι Principal Parts of Verbs with Basic Stem Ending in a Labial
βλάπτω βλάψω ἔβλαψα βέβλαφα βέβλαμμαι Principal Parts of Verbs with Basic Stem Ending in a Palatal
ἀλλάττω ἀλλάξω ἤλλαξα ἤλλαχα ἤλλαγμαι
ἐνήνεγμαι has Attic reduplication: it repeats its first two letters as a prefix and then lengthens its original initial vowel (ἐνην-). Thε pluperfect is ἐνηνέγμην.
φεύγω φεύξομαι ἔφυγον πέφευγα —
φυλάττω φυλάξω ἐφύλαξα πεφύλαχα πεφύλαγμαι Principal Parts of Verbs with Basic Stem Ending in Digamma
ἀκούω ἀκούσομαι ἤκουσα ἀκήκοα —
Dative of personal agent. With perfect and pluperfect passive verbs, the dative of personal agent (with no preposition) is often used to identify the person responsible for the action. In all other tenses, however, the genitive of personal agent with ὑπό is preferred (e.g., ἐμοὶ τοῦτο πέπρᾱκται “This has been done by me”; ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ τοῦτ’ ἐπρττετο “This was being done by me”).
137.
From Alpha to Omega 142 •
Vocabulary
ἄγω, ἄξω, ἤγαγον,
ἦχα, ἦγµαι lead; βίον ἄγειν = lead a life [cf. pedagogue]
ἤγαγον is reduplicated (ἀγ-αγ-) and then augmented. This happens in the aorist of a few verbs; cf. ἤνεγκα, from ἐν-ενκ-, the aorist of φέρω.
νόµος, -ου, ὁ law, custom [cf. autonomy, metronome]
ψῡχή, -ῆς, ἡ spirit, soul, life [cf. psychedelic, psychology]
ἄλλος, -η, -ο other, another; οἱ ἄλλοι = the others, the rest [cf. allegory, allergy, allomorph]
ἄλλος is declined like αὐτός, οὗτος, ὅδε, and ἐκεῖνος, with -ο (not -ον) as the neuter nominative and accusative singular ending.
ζῷον, -ου, τό animal [cf. protozoa, zodiac, zoology]
παρά (παρ’) (prep. + gen.) from, from the side of; (prep. + dat.) at, at the side of, beside, at the house of; (prep. + acc.) to, to the side of, contrary to (παρ’ before a vowel) [cf. paradigm, paradox, parasite, parish]
Like πρός (Lesson 17), παρά may be used with the genitive to show the person who is the source of an action (similar to ὑπό + genitive of personal agent).
τε (τ’, θ’) (enclitic conj.) and (τ’ before smooth breathing, θ’
before rough breathing) τε…καί or τε…τε (correlatives) both…and
Unlike καί, τε never functions as an adverb meaning “even” or “also.”
When it appears by itself, it means simply “and,” but its most common use is as a correlative, combined with καί or another τε to mean “both…
and.” As an enclitic, τε prefers to come right after the word it connects (e.g., ἐγώ τε καὶ σύ), but between closely related words like an article and its noun (e.g., ὅ θ’ ἵππος τά τ’ ἄλλα ζῷα).
οὐδέ (µηδέ) (conj.) and not, nor; (adv.) not even (οὐδ’/
μηδ’before a vowel) οὐδέ (µηδέ)
…οὐδέ (µηδέ) (correlatives) neither…nor
οὔτε (µήτε) (conj.) and not, nor (οὔτ’/μήτ’ before smooth breathing, οὔθ’/μήθ’ before rough breathing) οὔτε (µήτε)
…οὔτε (µήτε) (correlatives) neither…nor
οὐδέ (μηδέ)…οὐδέ (μηδέ) correlate clauses, while οὔτε (μήτε)…οὔτε (μήτε) correlate either clauses or single words. The forms compounded with μη- are used wherever μή rather than οὐ is appropriate, e.g., with imperatives.
138.
Lesson 22 • 143 Exercises
Greek-to-English Sentences
1. τί ἄλλο Ἑλληνικὸν ζῷον παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων πέπεμπται πρὸς ἐμέ;
2. παρὰ τὸν νόμον τούτους τε τοὺς σοφοὺς ῥήτορας καὶ τούσδε τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς μαθητς ἀπέκτονεν ἐκεῖνος ὁ δεσπότης.
3. μήτε κατὰ θάλατταν μήτε κατὰ γῆν σπεῦδε, ἀλλὰ μένε ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι.
4. πρὸς θεῶν, τί κακὸν ἔργον πέπρᾱκται σοί, ὦ ἀνάξιε κλώψ, καθ’ ἡμῶν;
5. τοῖς μὲν φιλοσόφοις πόλλ’ εἴρηται περὶ τῆς ψῡχῆς, ἐμοὶ δ’
οὐκ ἔστι δήλη ἡ ἀλήθεια.
6. πεφόβησαι διὰ τοὺς τῶν σεαυτῆς οἰκετῶν λόγους; ῥῖψον τὸν σὸν φόβον.
7. οὐδ’ ἐπέπληκτο ὁ νεᾱνίᾱς τοῖς πολεμίοις οὐδ’ ἔν τινι τρόπῳ ἐβέβλαπτο.
8. παρὰ μὲν σοὶ πολὺς θησαυρός ἐστι, παρὰ δ’ ἐμοὶ οὐδὲ μῑκρ
κλνη.
9. ταῖς τριήρεσιν ἐνήνεχθε εἰς ἄλλην τινὰ χώρᾱν καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς ὠφέλησθε.
10. μετὰ τῶν τε τέκνων τῶν τε δούλων μου εὐδαίμονα βίον ἦχα ἐπ’ εἰρήνης.
English-to-Greek Sentences
1. Concerning the soul, I have been taught well by both Socrates and the rest.
2. Neither had we acted contrary to the laws, nor had we led a bad life in any manner.
3. A messenger has been sent from the enemy; he is both leading animals and bearing other gifts.
4. Fear not, child, for you have been abandoned neither by me nor by your guardian spirit.
5. Guards, by whom have you been ordered to remain at my house? My life is not in danger.
139.
From Alpha to Omega 144 •
Reading
Monkeying Around (Aesop’s Fable 83)
Ἐν συνόδῳ τῶν ζῴων πίθηκος εὖ ὠρχήσατο. διὰ τοῦτο τὰ ἄλλα ζῷα ἤθελε ποιήσασθαι ἐκεῖνον βασιλέᾱ. ἀλώπηξ δ’ αὐτῷ ἐφθόνει· Σοφή τε καὶ καλή εἰμι. τί οὖν οὔτε τῑμς οὔτε γέρᾱ κεκόμισμαι ἐγὼ αὐτή; τῷ γὰρ πιθήκῳ οὐδὲ σοφίᾱ ἐστίν. ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀληθῆ ψῡχὴν αὐτοῦ δηλώσω.
ἔν τινι πάγῃ κρέας ἡ ἀλώπηξ εὑρήκειν. πρὸς τὸ κρέας τὸν πίθηκον αὐτὴ ἤγαγε καὶ εἶπε τάδ’· Ὁ νόμος κελεύει με τὸν βασιλέᾱ τῶν ζῴων τῑμᾶν. τόδ’ οὖν τὸ κρέας εὕρηται καὶ πεφύλακται ἐμοὶ σοῦ χάριν. λαβὲ αὐτό.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ κρέας ἥρπαστο τῷ πιθήκῳ, οὐκ ἦν αὐτὸν φυγεῖν ἐκ τῆς πάγης. ἡ δ’ ἀλώπηξ ἐγέλασεν ἐπ’ αὐτῷ· Τίνα ψῡχὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν ἔχει; οὐ σοφήν γε.
τί τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ δεδήλωται; τοῖς σοφοῖς οὐ μόνον τὸ κρέας ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ πάγη δήλη ἔσται.
Vocabulary Help for the Reading συνόδῳ (line 1) from σύνοδος, -ου, ἡ: meeting πίθηκος (line 1) from πίθηκος, -ου, ὁ: monkey
ὠρχήσατο (line 1) from ὀρχέομαι, ὀρχήσομαι, ὠρχησάμην, —, — (deponent verb, always in the middle voice but with active meaning): dance
βασιλέᾱ (line 2) acc. sg. of βασιλεύς, -έως, ὁ: king (ευ-stem 3rd-decl.
noun)
ἀλώπηξ (line 2) from ἀλώπηξ, -εκος, ἡ: fox
ἐφθόνει (line 3) from φθονέω, φθονήσω, ἐφθόνησα, ἐφθόνηκα, ἐφθόνημαι (+ dat.): envy
πάγῃ (line 6) from πάγη, -ης, ἡ: trap, snare κρέας (line 6) from κρέας, -ως, τό: flesh, meat 5
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