Grammatical Anomaly in Herodotus

Greek Learning Greek
1

Ἡροδότου Ἁλικαρνησσέος ἱστορίης ἀπόδεξις ἥδε,
ὡς μήτε τὰ γενόμενα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τῷ χρόνῳ ἐξίτηλα γένηται,
μήτε ἔργα μεγάλα τε καὶ θωμαστά, τὰ μὲν Ἕλλησι
τὰ δὲ βαρβάροισι ἀποδεχθέντα, ἀκλεᾶ γένηται,

My online textbook identifies the form, ‘γένηται’, as
aorist, middle 3rd singular.

The subjects of this verb, ‘γενόμενα’ and ‘ἔργα’ are plural.

Is this a narrative convention at work?

imputerate

Classical Greek Online
Series Introduction
Winfred P. Lehmann and Jonathan Slocum
https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/grkol/40

2

Neuters plural normally take the verb in the singular, e.g. Smyth 958

3

You nailed it, bedwere. Thanks. Looks like “narrative convention” wasn’t quite deep enough. So grateful to have found y’all. imputerate

4

Welcome! I remember being once surprised by it as well!

5

Coming to Latin from Greek, I must be the only person who was surprised in the opposite direction.