First Greek Writer
First Greek Writer Key
I will post my answers to the exercises here, and offer any comments that I am able to anyone who wishes to do the same.
I won’t try to post a schedule. Anyone is welcome to drop in and out, do exercises out of sync, or join at any time.
Exercise I
μεσημβρία νῦν ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἥλιος σφόδρα θερμός. ἡ σκιὰ τῶν δένδων ψυχρός ἐστι καὶ ἡ λίμνη καλή. ὁρῶ πολλοὺς κύκνους οἳ λαμπροί ἐστι καὶ λευκοί. ὁ τράχηλος ἐκείνου τοῦ κύκνου μακρός ἐστιν ἀλλὰ δοκεῖ τὸ ἀριστερὸν πτερόν μικρόν. τὴν αἰτίαν τούτου οὐκ οἶδα. ἴσως κακὸς νοσὸς ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πτερῷ ἔστιν. ἴσως ὀστέον τούτου τοῦ κύκνου διερράγη λίθῳ. ἐπὶ τῆς λίμνης ἔστι μικρὸν πλοῖον.
Exercise II
ἔστι τρεῖς ναῦται ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ πλοίῳ. ἱμάτια ἐρυθρά ἐστι τοῖς ναύταις. ὁ νέος ναύτης ἔχει ἱστίον ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου. ἄλλος καθεύδει ὁ δὲ τρίτος παρὰ τῷ πηδαλίῳ. οὗτος οὐκ ὁρᾷ τὸν δεινὸν κίνδυνον, ἡ γὰρ πέτρα ἔστιν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ. αὕτη ἡ πέτρα στερρά ἐστιν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ θανάτου αἰτίαν ἔσται τοὺς πολλούς. αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου καὶ ὑπὸ φόβου ὠχρός εἰμι. ἀποτρέπω τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. ἰδοὺ ἔξω τοῦ κινδύνου εἰσὶ καὶ ὐπὸ χαρᾶς ἐν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν δάκρυα ἔστιν.
ψυχρά
κακὴ
καὶ ἡ τοῦ θανάτου αἰτία ἔσται τοῖς πολλοῖς.
I don’t like the word order here. The sentence lacks for me euphony. Read it out loud. This sounds better to me:
τοῖς δὲ πολλοῖς αἰτία ἔσται θανάτου.
But that’s very subjective.
ἐστι → εἰσι
ἔστιν → ἐστιν
ἔστι → ἐστὶ
ἔστι → εἰσὶ
ἔστιν → ἐστὶν
δάκρυα ἔστιν → δάκρυά ἐστιν
And Markos corrected αἰτίαν to αἰτία for me, even if he didn’t highlight it. I’ll fix up both paragraphs and record mp3s of me reading them on archive.org.
I think that I understand all of your corrections, and don’t need to ask for further explanation. (I expect to need to ask as these get harder). The biggest pattern of errors that I see is singular/plural with ἐστί. I’ll double-check that in the future.
@bedwere – I’m trying to follow #938, and #939 from Chandler’s Greek Accentuation. He says that ἔστι is paroxytone whenever it affirms existence or possibility. In the examples cited where I have ἔστι or ἔστιν I was trying to follow this rule. Is there something that I’m missing?
Well, I don’t think that it expresses existence or possibility in the examples. Could you replace “is” with “exists” or “is possible” in the English?
My reasoning (and I could be wrong) was as follows:
ἔστι τρεῖς ναῦται ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ πλοίῳ
Three sailors exist in the boat.
ἡ γὰρ πέτρα ἔστιν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ
A rock exists in the lake
ὐπὸ χαρᾶς ἐν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν δάκρυα ἔστιν
From joy, tears exist in my eyes.
But I could be misunderstanding the rule.
If you look at the examples in Smyth, you’ll find:
b. ἐστί is written ἔστι at the beginning of a sentence; when it expresses existence or possibility; when it follows οὐκ, μή, εἰ, ὡς, καί, ἀλλά (or ἀλλ᾽), τοῦτο (or τοῦτ᾽); and in ἔστιν οἵ some, ἔστιν ὅτε sometimes. Thus, εἰ ἔστιν οὕτως if it is so, τοῦτο ὃ ἔστι that which exists.
The key to Sidgwick agrees with my understanding. But I leave further analysis to those who are more competent than me.
Looking over Chandler and the LSJ, it seems that another way to state the rule is to use ἔστι in “cases where it could not be omitted.”
The LSJ states that “later Gramm. wrote ἔστι as Subst. Verb.” The examples of the Substantive Verb use are Α. Ι-VI in the article for εἰμί. This seems to be the majority of the non-Copula usage.
Qimmik has a good discussion of the rule in this thread: http://discourse.textkit.com/t/the-article-with-the-adjective-in-attributive-clauses/12497/1
He points out that West rejects the rule, following Wackernagel and Barrett.
I notice that the SBLGNT follows the rule in Acts 2:29 and elsewhere.
I leave further analysis to those who are more competent than me.
Echoed! Even if it sets a higher bar when you say it than when I do.
Exercise III
οὗτος ὁ ἵππος ὁ ἐμός ἐστιν. πρότερον μὲν ἰσχυρός ῆν νῦν δὲ σφόδρα λεπτὸς καὶ φαῦλός ἐστιν. καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν λέξω. οἱ γεωργοὶ οἵς ἐπέτρεπον αὐτὸν σφόδρα ἄπιστοι ῆσαν. τὸν τοῦ ἵπποῦ σῖτον ἔκλεπτον. ἀλλ’ ἡ μηχανὴ καλή ἐστιν ἥν ἔχω λίθους γὰρ ἔθηκα ἐς τὴν φάτνην. ἐσθίων ὁ ἵππος τὸν σῖτον ἀποπτύει τοὺς λίθους. οἱ δὲ γεωγοὶ κλέπτουσι τὸν σῖτον σὺν τοῖς λίθοις. τούτῳ τρόπῳ ῥᾴδιός ἐστὶ τὴν ἀπάτην ἐξευρεῖν. οὐκέτι οἱ γεωγοὶ κακοί ἔσονται. φοβερὰ γὰρ ἡ ζημία ἐκείνοις καὶ χαλεπή.
I would expect the neuter and you need an article for the demonstrative: τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ ῥᾴδιόν ἐστὶ τὴν ἀπάτην ἐξευρεῖν.
ὁ ἵππος ὁ ἐμός means “my horse,” emphatic “my.” “My horse” is just ο ιππος μου.
λέξω. ἐρῶ more usual.
οἵς οἷς
τὸν τοῦ ἵπποῦ σῖτον ἔκλεπτον better with γὰρ after τὸν. Greek uses connectives except where asyndeton is called for—as it is in the previous sentence—and in the 2nd.
ἀλλ’ ἡ μηχανὴ καλή ἐστιν ἥν ἔχω reads very oddly: “But the plan is fine, the one that I have.” You mean something like “But I have a fine plan”? αλλα μηχανην εχω καλήν τινα (note idiomatic τινα). Or if “My plan (the plan I have) is a fine one,” η δε μηχανη ἣν εχω καλή ’στιν. (There are syntactically challenging ways of doing this too.)
λίθους γὰρ ἔθηκα ἐς τὴν φάτνην Good word order.
ἐσθίων ὁ ἵππος τὸν σῖτον Better to keep εσθιων τον σιτον (or τον σιτον εσθιων) together. Connective needed, another γαρ best.
ἀποπτύει, κλέπτουσι, εστι. Futures would read more naturally, but I guess you’re translating presents.
Connective for next sentence. ωστε best.
ουκετι better before κακοι.
εκεινοις better αυτοις, since no others are in question. Word order good.
Corrected exercises.
I’ve changed everything except for accentuation related to Chandler 938. I will keep my eye open for that in my reading and come back to it later.
I’ve uploaded my audio here: https://archive.org/details/FirstGreekWriter
Exercise I
μεσημβρία νῦν ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἥλιος σφόδρα θερμός. ἡ σκιὰ τῶν δένδων ψυχρά ἐστι καὶ ἡ λίμνη καλή. ὁρῶ πολλοὺς κύκνους οἳ λαμπροί εἰσι καὶ λευκοί. ὁ τράχηλος ἐκείνου τοῦ κύκνου μακρός ἐστιν ἀλλὰ δοκεῖ τὸ ἀριστερὸν πτερόν μικρόν. τὴν αἰτίαν τούτου οὐκ οἶδα. ἴσως κακὴ νοσὸς ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πτερῷ ἔστιν. ἴσως ὀστέον τούτου τοῦ κύκνου διερράγη λίθῳ. ἐπὶ τῆς λίμνης ἔστι μικρὸν πλοῖον.
Exercise II
εἴσι τρεῖς ναῦται ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ πλοίῳ. ἱμάτια ἐρυθρά ἐστι τοῖς ναύταις. ὁ νέος ναύτης ἔχει ἱστίον ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου. ἄλλος καθεύδει ὁ δὲ τρίτος παρὰ τῷ πηδαλίῳ. οὗτος οὐκ ὁρᾷ τὸν δεινὸν κίνδυνον, ἡ γὰρ πέτρα ἔστιν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ. αὕτη ἡ πέτρα στερρά ἐστιν, τοῖς δὲ πολλοῖς αἰτία ἔσται θανάτου . αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου καὶ ὑπὸ φόβου ὠχρός εἰμι. ἀποτρέπω τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. ἰδοὺ ἔξω τοῦ κινδύνου εἰσὶ καὶ ὐπὸ χαρᾶς ἐν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν δάκρυα ἔστιν.
Exercise III
οὗτος ὁ ἵππος μού ἐστιν. πρότερον μὲν ἰσχυρός ῆν νῦν δὲ σφόδρα λεπτὸς καὶ φαῦλός ἐστιν. καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρῶ. οἱ γεωργοὶ οἷς ἐπέτρεπον αὐτὸν σφόδρα ἄπιστοι ῆσαν. τὸν γὰρ τοῦ ἵππου σῖτον ἔκλεπτον. ἀλλὰ μηχανὴ ἔχω καλήν τινα λίθους γὰρ ἔθηκα ἐς τὴν φάτνην. τὸν γὰρ σῖτον ἐσθίων ὁ ἵππος ἀποπτύσει τοὺς λίθους. οἱ δὲ γεωγοὶ κλέψουσι τὸν σῖτον σὺν τοῖς λίθοις. τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ ῥᾴδιον ἔσται τὴν ἀπάτην ἐξευρεῖν. ὥστε οἱ γεωγοὶ οὐκέτι κακοὶ ἔσονται. φοβερὰ γὰρ ἡ ζημία αὐτοῖς καὶ χαλεπή.
Exercise IV
ἤδη ὁ στρατὸς ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ ναυτικόν παρὰ τῷ αἰγιαλῷ τῆς νήσου. οἱ πολέμιοι ἐπὶ τοῦ λόφου ἐστὶ ὅ ἐναντίος ἡμετέρου τοῦ στρατοπεδοῦ. αὐρίου ἴσως μάχη ἔσται οἱ γὰρ δοκοῦσι ἕτοιμοι. αὕτη δὲ ἡ μηχανή ἐστι τοῦ ἡμετέρου στρατηγοῦ. νῦν γὰρ πάντα σκοτεινά ἐστι, καὶ τὰ πυρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ὀλίγα. οὐ τοίνυν χαλεπός ἔσται τοὺς ἡμετέρους στρατούς ἐλθεῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἀποτεμεῖν κεφαλάς. καὶ οὕτως αὐρίου ὀλίγοι ζωοὶ ἔσονται, καὶ ἡ νίκη ἡμετέρα ἔσται.
Exercise V
τάφρος ἔστι ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἀγρῷ καὶ ὅ ἔχει πλεῖστον βόρβορον. τῶν δὲ πολλῶν ἵππων οἵ ἐνταῦθα εἴσιν ἕνα τινα ἐν δείνῳ κινδύνῳ δοκεῖ. αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγγυς ἕστηκε ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τάφρου. οἴμοι νῦν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ βορβόρου αὐτός ἐστιν. καὶ ἀπορία νῦν ἔστι τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐ δὲ οἷός τε ἐξέλκειν τὸν ἑταῖρον αὐτῶν. μόνος γὰρ ὁ δεπότης τούτον οἷός τε ποιεῖν οἴκοι δέ ἐστιν. ἐν τοῖς ἴπποις ἔστιν εἷς ὅ σοφώτερός ἐστι τῶν ἄλλων. [ὀνoμάζουσι αὐτὸν Λάσσι.] καὶ τρέχει πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τῇ δὲ κεφαλῇ παίει τῆν θύραν. καὶ οὖν τὸ κακὸν δῆλόν ἐστι τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ ἐξέλκει τὸν ἵππον.
Ex. II, Three Men in a Boat, as revised
The only things outright wrong here are ἀποτρέπω τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς (shd be τους οφθαλμους) and ἐν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν (εν takes dative).
But if you want to smarten it up a bit and make it read more naturally you might consider:
ὁ νέος ναύτης φέρει ἱστiον τι
ὁ δὲ τρίτος ἐστὶ παρὰ τῷ πηδαλίῳ (looks odd without εστι)
οὗτος δ’ οὐx ὁρᾷ
τὸν δεινὸν κίνδυνον wd be nicer with δεινον predicative, τον κ. δ. With your word order it kind of implies there are other κίνδυνοι, and this is the δεινός one.
αὕτη ἡ πέτρα better linked with δε or και
“τοῖς δὲ πολλοῖς αἰτία ἔσται θανάτου.” The trouble with your first version as preliminarily corrected by Markos (ἡ τοῦ θανάτου αἰτία ἔσται τοῖς πολλοῖς) was not the word order or lack of euphony but the grammar and meaning. The article makes it the subject, not the predicate as (presumably) it needs to be. This is not a “subjective” call.
But I’m not sure that “for most people it will be the cause of death” is really what you want to say. If it is, it’s now fine.
“αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου καὶ ὑπὸ φόβου ὠχρός εἰμι.”
It’s not clear what αυτοι ““(they) themselves” is doing. Do you mean εκεῖνοι, They?
Since you change the subject it would be better to have εισί in this clause (matching ειμι in the next). And ἐγώ in the next, to give a “they … I …” contrast.
“ἐν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν” see above. If it refers to the narrator, you should slip in a μοι (not μου).
I haven’t looked at the original (nor the key!), so some of this may be off target.
III. μηχανὴ⟨ν⟩ typo. γεω⟨ρ⟩γοι.
I’ll bow out at this point (unless there are questions on this, in which case I’ll try to address them), so that everyone can have a go.
EDIT. Sorry,crossposted with your latest with the next exercises. You move too fast for me!
EXERCISE I
Here are two questions about Exercise I:
νῦν ἐστί, Sidgwick puts an accent on the ultima of ἐστι, I assume, because of the break in thought. Otherwise, I would have expected no accent. DA Carson rule EPR.4 “If the word preceding an enclitic has a circumflex accent on the ultima, then both monosyllabic and disyllabic enclitics normally lose their accent.”
I don’t understand Sidgwick’s “ἴσως τούτου τοῦ κύκνου ὀστοῦν λίθῳ διερράγη.”
διερράγη must by self-affected (medio-passive). So, wouldn’t “bone” be in the Nominative? “The bone was broken…” I translated it: ἴσως διερράγη λίθῳ ὀστέον τοῦ τούτου τοῦ κύκνου. JEIDSATH translated similarily,
ἴσως ὀστέον τούτου τοῦ κύκνου διερράγη λίθῳ.
Exercise I – Σαῦλου composition before looking at key or other Learner’s attempts:
Self-corrections: νῦν, οὶ, εἰσιν, ἐστίν.
Exercise II
Question:
Jeisdath wrote, ἰδοὺ ἔξω τοῦ κινδύνου εἰσὶ καὶ. I don’t understand the rules about a moveable Nun, but it feels like it should have one. I found “εισιν και” 61x in the NT.
Comments on Jeisdath’s revised composition:
αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐγγὺς τοῦ τόπου καὶ ὑπὸ φόβου ὠχρός εἰμι.
Cf. MWH comment. Aὐτοί here would give the sense of “they themselves.” MWH suggests ἐκεῖνοι. Οὗτοι would also work. Either one carries less of a deictic sense in the Nominative because they are so often needed to serve in the place of the Nominative forms of αὐτός, which is reserved for this self/same sense.
Comments on Sidgwick’s composition:
Sidgwick, “αὕτη δὲ χαλεπή ἐστὶ, καὶ πολλοῖς ἔσται αἰτία τοῦ θανάτου.”
Sidgwick used the wrong word here for “hard.” χαλεπός is hard/difficult/harsh, not physically hard. He evidently intended to use στερρὸς since it is given in the vocabulary for this exercise.
Mark’s translation of the last half of the sentence sounds better to me than Sidgwick’s:
τοῖς δὲ πολλοῖς αἰτία ἔσται θανάτου.
Exercise II – Σαύλου composition before looking at key or other Learner’s attempts.
This is my stab at Exercise 1)
νῦν μεσημβρία ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἐστὶ σφοδρὰ θερμός.
ἡ σκιὰ ἡ τῶν δενδρῶν ἐστὶ ψυχρά καὶ ἡ λίμνη ἐστὶ καλή.
ὀρῶ πολλοὶ κύκνοι ὃς εισι λαμπροὶ καὶ λευκοὶ.
ὁ τράχηλος ὁ ἐκεινοῦ τοῦ κύκνου ἐστὶ μακρὸς ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀριστερὸν πτερόν δόκει εἶναι μικρόν.
οὐκ οἴδα τὴν αἰτίαν τούτου.
ἴσως ἐστὶ κακὴ νόσος ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πτερῷ;
ἴσως τούτου τοῦ κύκνου ὀστέον διερράγη λίθῳ.
πλοῖον ἐστὶ ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ.
EDIT
Comparing my version with that of jeidsath I can see for myself that there are two corrections I need:
ὀρῶ πολλοὺς κύκνους οἳ ὃς εισι λαμπροὶ καὶ λευκοὶ.
μικρὸν πλοῖον ἐστὶ ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ.