Module 19

οἶδα and the Present and Future Indicative and Infinitive Middle and Passive of ἐλαύνω, καλέω, φέρω, δίδωμι, τίθημι

The Verb

In Greek and in English verbs have the same definition and functions. Verbs are words that represent actions (throw) and states of being (be or exist). They differ in the same fundamental way that Greek nouns differ from their English counterparts: they use endings to create meaning in a way that English does not. The Greek verb (ῥῆμα) in its finite form has an ending that indicates what person and number the subject is. The Greek infinitive has an ending that indicates that it is unmarked for person and number.

The Conjugation of οἶδα

οἶδα is a high frequency verb. It has perfect tense forms with present tense meanings. In Part II of the 21st-Century series you will learn the perfect tense, which has an aspect that is complete (stative) as of present time. oἶδα’s forms are given below. Memorize them.

Active, Middle, and Passive Voice

Active and passive voice in English and Greek are defined and function in the same way. Greek also has a middle voice. In practice it is generally a good idea to translate the middle voice as if it were active.

Active and Passive Voice

In the active voice the subject of the verb performs the action: I throw the ball. The subject I is the one who throws the ball and so its voice is defined as active. In the passive voice the action of the verb is performed upon the subject: I am thrown. The I is not performing the action but rather the verb’s action is performed upon the subject and so its voice is defined as passive.

Apuleius from Madauros c. 124–170 CE. A Numidian, Apuleius lived under the rule of the Roman Empire and wrote in Latin. He studied Platonism in Athens, travelled widely, was a rhetorician, and a follower of several mystery cults. At some point he was accused of using magic to gain the wealth of a widow. He declaimed and then distributed a witty defense speech, known as the Apologia, asserting his innocence. He also wrote the Metamorphoses, a Latin novel and the only one that has survived in its entirety. Like Lucian’s The Ass, ὁ Ὄνος, it relates the adventures of Lucius, whose curiosity about magic results in his being turned into an ass. This book contains a small excerpt from Apuleius’ novel and several from Lucian’s.

Practice Identifying Active and Passive Voice in English. Consider the following examples. In each case, ask yourself whether the verb’s voice is active or passive. Check your answers with those in the Answer Key. The selection below is an adapted translation of an excerpt from Apuleius, The Golden Ass.

1. I went to the market to buy food for supper.
2. Fish was set out to be sold.
3. After haggling I bought some at a discount.
4. I paid the fishmonger and departed with my basket of fish.
5. By chance, an old acquaintance of mine, Pithias, was glimpsed out of the corner of my eye.
6. He too spied me and remembered our friendship from long ago, giving me a friendly kiss.
7. It was said by him to me that a long time had passed since last we were met.
8. He said he had had no news of me since departing Athens and our old Master Vestius.
9. He asked me why I had travelled to Thessaly.
10. An answer was promised by me to him but not until the morrow.
11. I asked him what his office was and why he had so many attendants.
12. It was said by him that he had been granted the office of Magistrate of the Market.
13. He asked if I needed his assistance in obtaining my evening’s meal.
14. It was replied by me that sufficient sustenance had just been obtained by me.
15. My basket of fish was espied by Pithias and I was asked by him the cost and seller of my meal.
16. I told him and took him to the fishmonger’s stall.
17. He berated the old man, who sat in a corner, telling him that the price of the fish was too dear and hardly worth any price.
18. It was said by him to the old man that Thessaly will be made forsaken by all if strangers are treated in this way.
19. I was turned to next and my basket of fish was cast on the ground by Pithias and stomped to pieces by his attendants.
20. The fishmonger was told that he was chastised sufficiently and I was told to depart.
21. Amazed and astonished, I was driven from the market without my supper.

Middle Voice

Greek also has a middle voice. For most tenses the forms of the middle voice are similar or exactly the same as the forms for the passive voice. Though its forms are similar to the passive, the middle voice is typically translated by the English active voice. The Greek middle voice often has one of these two special meanings:

(1) subjects perform the action of the verb on themselves

Example:

αὐτὸν λούω I wash him; λούομαι I wash myself, i.e., I take a bath.

Example:

αὐτοὺς πείθω I persuade them; πείθομαι I persuade myself, i.e., I listen or obey.

(2) subjects perform the action of the verb for their own benefit

Example:

αὐτοὺς λύω I free them; αὐτοὺς λύομαι I free them for my own benefit, i.e., I free them by paying ransom money.

Example:

αὐτοὺς παιδεύω I educate them; τοὺς παῖδας παιδεύομαι I have my children educated for my own benefit.

Example:

ταῦτα φέρω I carry these things; φέρομαι I carry for my own benefit, i.e., I win.

Example:

πολιτεύω I am a citizen; πολιτεύομαι I am a citizen for my own benefit, i.e., I am a politician.

Primary Middle and Passive Endings

The following primary middle and passive endings are used in forming many of the tenses you will learn for the middle and passive voices.

It is a good idea to memorize them now.

The Present and Future Indicative and Infinitive Middle and Passive of ω-verbs

In what follows you have no new endings to memorize since you already learned them when you learned the deponent ω-verb ἔρχομαι.

How to Get the Correct Stem

A key to learning the verb is understanding how to combine endings with the correct stem.

Present Active, Middle, and Passive. From the first principal part remove the ending to obtain the present active, middle, and passive tense stem. To this stem, add the below endings.

Future Active and Middle. From the second principal part remove the ending to obtain the future active and middle tense stem. To this stem, add the below endings.

Future Passive. From the sixth principal part remove the past indicative augment and the ending. In verbs whose stem begins with a consonant, the past indicative augment is the initial epsilon, ἐ-. The past indicative augment is explained in detail in Module 23. Το the stem that remains, add the future tense marker –ησ- to obtain the future passive tense stem. To this stem, add the below endings.

Primary Middle and Passive Endings

Add to the correct stem.

1. In the second person singular, -εσαι, the sigma between two vowels (intervocalic sigma) drops out and the remaining vowels contract to -ει and -ῃ.
2. When you learned the deponent verb, ἔρχομαι, you learned these endings. Remember that deponent verbs have middle and passive forms and active meanings.

Endings in Summary

The chart below contains the same information as above. Look over the chart and make sure that you understand how to read it.

1. The future passive stem is obtained by removing the past indicative augment and the ending from principal part six and then adding –ησ- to the end of what remains. To this stem add the future passive endings.
2. I stands for the tense stem of principal part one, II for the tense stem of principal part two, and so on: ἐλαύνω (I), ἐλάω (II), ἤλασα (III), ἐλήλακα (IV), ἐλήλαμαι (V), ἠλάθην (VI), ἐλαθήσομαι (VI*). Note that only the tense stem distinguishes the present from the future tenses.

The Conjugation of ἐλαυνω

To the present active, middle, and passive stem, ἐλαυν-, add the correct present tense endings. To the future active and middle tense stem, ἐλα-, add the correct future tense endings. To the future passive tense stem, ἐλαθησ-, add the correct future tense endings.

The Conjugation of καλέω

To the present active, middle, and passive stem, καλε-, add the correct present tense endings. To the future active and middle tense stem, καλε-, add the correct future tense endings. Since the stems for the present and future are the same, the forms are identical. Use context to determine which tense each form has. To the future passive tense stem, κληθησ-, add the correct future tense endings.

The Conjugation of φέρω

To the present active, middle, and passive stem, φερ-, add the correct present tense endings. To the future active and middle tense stem, οἰσ-, add the correct future tense endings. To the future passive tense stem, ἐνεχθησ-, add the correct future tense endings.

The Conjugation of δίδωμι

Add the primary middle and passive endings to the short vowel grade of the stem, διδο-.

The Conjugation of τίθημι

Add the primary middle and passive endings to the short vowel grade of the stem, τιθε-.

Practice Translating Active and Passive Voice. Translate the below. Pay particular attention to what voice each verb has. Check your answers with those in the Answer Key.

1. χάριν ἄγω.
2. σὲ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν ἄγομεν.
3. σφέας ἀξιόετε.
4. ἰέναι ἀξιόεσθε.
5. ἀκούειν ἄρχεις.
6. ὑπὸ σφέων ἄρχονται.
7. εἰς τὴν θάλατταν ἐλαύνει.
8. εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἐλαυνόμεθα.
9. σὲ εἰς τὸ ἔργον λαμβάνω.
10. εἰς τὸ ἔργον λαμβάνομαι.

Vocabulary

1. The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.

Practice Translating. Translate the sentences below adapted from Euripides’ Alkestis (Ἄλκηστις). Remember the meanings and functions of the cases presented in Module 7. Use your memory to identify endings and their functions. If you forget an ending or a function, consult the Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Pronoun Chart in Appendix VIII and the Case and Function Chart in Appendix I. Check your understanding with the translations in the Answer Key, making sure that you understand why each word translates as it does. Now go back and read each sentence two or three times, noticing with each rereading how much better your understanding of the sentence becomes. Make this a habit and you will improve quickly.

Adverbs and Verbs

Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns

1. The asterisk indicates the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary, which you are to memorize.

Practice Parsing Greek Sentences. Parse each word of the sentence found below. For nouns and pronouns, give case and function. For verbs, give person, number, tense, mood, and voice. For adverbs and conjunctions, identify them. For prepositional phrases, give the preposition and the preposition’s object. For adjectives, specify the noun they agree with in gender, number, and case.

οὐκ ἔστι σοὶ πάντ’ ἔχειν, μάλιστα ταῦτα μή σε δεῖ.

Check your answers with those in the Answer Key.

Module 19 Top 250 Vocabulary to be Memorized. Like learning the alphabet and endings, memorizing vocabulary is essential to acquiring language. The better you memorize the top 250 most frequently occurring vocabulary words, the greater mastery of the language you will have.

Nouns

ἀνάγκη, ἀνάγκης ἡ force, necessity, fate

ἀρετή, ἀρετῆς ἡ virtue, excellence

ἔτος, ἔτεος (ἔτους) τό year

καιρός, καιροῦ ὁ right moment, critical time, opportunity

μάχη, μάχης ἡ battle

τεῖχος, τείχεος (τείχους) τό wall; (pl.) stronghold

χείρ, χειρός ἡ (dat pl. χερσίν) hand; force, army

Verbs

οἶδα (inf. εἰδέναι), εἴσομαι, ------ know, think, know how to + inf.

πέμπω, πέμψω, ἔπεμψα, πέπομφα, πέπεμμαι, ἐπέμφθην send