Greek. Praesens and Imperfectum act.

Composition and Communication Composition Exercises
1

Χαίρετε πάντες. I would be very thankful if someone could have a look at these phrases and suggest corrections or give some advice.

  1. The Greeks sacrificed bulls, goats and other animals to the gods.
    οἱ Ἕλληνες βοῦς, αἶγας καὶ λοιποὺς θῆρας τοῖς θεοῖς ἔθυον.

  2. Wide and deep ditches prevented the passage of enemy horsemen.
    οἱ εὐρεῖς καὶ βαθεῖς τάφροι ἐκώλυον διάβασιν ἱππέων πολεμίων.

  3. Oh, may you (pl.) always trust the gods!
    εἴθε ἀεὶ πιστεύοιτε τοῖς θεοῖς.

  4. Of all the Greeks who fought against the Trojans, Achilles was the best.
    ὁ Ἀχιλεὺς βέλτιστος ἦν τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἵ ἐμάχοντο πρὸς Τρῶας.

  5. The Persians instructed their children mostly in justice.
    αἱ Πέρσαι μάλιστα ἐπαίδευον τοὺς παῖδας πρὸς δικαιοσύνῃ.

  6. In the naval battle of Salamis, the ships of the Persians and the Phoenicians interfered with each other.
    ἐν ἐν τῇ Σαλαμῖνι ναυμαχίᾳ αἱ τῶν Περσῶν καὶ τῶν Φοινίκων νῆες ἐκώλυον ἀλλήλους.

  7. Euripides spent several years in Macedonia.
    ὁ Εὐριπίδης ἔμενεν ἔτη τινὰς ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ.

  8. While (gen. abs) military commanders lingered on the ships, Themistocles sent an ambassador to Xerxes.
    τῶν στρατηγῶν διατριβόντων ἐν ταῖς ναυσί, ὁ Θεμιστοκλῆς ἐπόρευε πρεσβευτὴν πρὸς Ξέρξην.

  9. Let us make sacrifices to the gods.
    θύωμεν τοῖς θεοῖς.

  10. Of all the shooters we know, the Cretans shot the best.
    οἱ Κρῆτες ἐτόξευον ἄμεινον πάντων τοξοτῶν οὕς γιγνώσκομεν.

  11. May a friend trust a friend.
    ὁ φίλος πιστεύῃ φίλῳ.

  12. During the Peloponnesian War, the Lacedaemonians, annually devastated the country of the Athenians.
    ἐν τῷ Πελοποννησίῳ πολεμίῳ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπόρθουν τὴν τῶν Ἀθηναίων χώραν.

  13. Cyrus reigned 29 years, and his son Cambyses reigned 7 years.
    ὁ μὲν Κύρρος ἐβασίλευεν εἴκοσι καὶ ἐννέα ἔτη, ὁ δὲ Καμβύσης, υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ἑπτὰ ἔτη.

  14. Achilles mourned the death of his friend Patroclus for a long time.
    Ἀχιλλεὺς πολλὺν χρόνον ἐθρήνει τὸν τοῦ φίλου Πατροκλέους θάνατον.

  15. The barbarians marveled at the weapons (pl) and fine dress (pl) of the Greeks.
    οἱ βάρβαροι ἐθαύμαζον τὰ ὅπλα καὶ τὰς καλὰς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐσθῆτας.

  16. The Persians made sacrifices to the sun, moon, earth, water and winds.
    οἱ Πέρσαι ἔθυον τῷ ἡλίῳ, τῇ σελήνῃ, τῷ ὕδατι καὶ τῷ ἄνεμῳ.

2

Take everything with a rather large grain of salt.

  1. οἱ Ἕλληνες βοῦς καὶ αἶγας καὶ ἄλλους θῆρας τοῖς θεοῖς ἔθυον. (rather than “remaining animals”)

  2. οἱ εὐρεῖς καὶ βαθεῖς τάφροι ἐκώλυον τοὺς ἱππέας τῶν πολεμίων διαβαίνειν. I think it’s more idiomatic to use the infinitive

  3. τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἵ πρὸς τοὺς Τρῶας ἐμάχοντο ὁ Ἀχιλεὺς βέλτιστος ἦν.

  4. αἱ Πέρσαι μάλιστα ἐπαίδευον τοὺς παῖδας τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. (π. τινά τινι, no πρὸς, or πρὸς + accusative)

6 ἐν τῇ περὶ Σαλαμῖνα ναυμαχίᾳ αἱ τῶν Περσῶν καὶ τῶν Φοινίκων νῆες ἐκώλυον ἀλλήλους.

7 ὁ Εὐριπίδης ἔμενεν ἔτη τινὰ ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ. (neuter)


8 τῶν στρατηγῶν διατριβόντων ἐν ταῖς ναυσί, ὁ Θεμιστοκλῆς ἔπεμπε πρεσβευτὴν πρὸς Ξέρξην.

10 οἱ Κρῆτες ἐτόξευον ἄμεινον πάντων τῶν τοξοτῶν οὕς γιγνώσκομεν.

11 φίλος πιστευέτω φίλῳ.

12 ἐν τῷ Πελοποννησίῳ πολέμῳ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπόρθουν τὴν τῶν Ἀθηναίων χώραν

13 ὁ μὲν Κῦρος ἐβασίλευεν εἴκοσι καὶ ἐννέα ἔτη, ὁ δὲ Καμβύσης, ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ, ἑπτὰ ἔτη.

14 Ἀχιλλεὺς πολὺν χρόνον ἐθρήνει τὸν τοῦ φίλου Πατροκλέους θάνατον.

15 οἱ Πέρσαι ἔθυον τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ καὶ τῷ ὕδατι καὶ τῷ ἀνέμῳ (or use ἀνέμῳ τε)

3

Dear bedwere, thank you so much for the corrections! There are some of mistakes I could have avoided by looking things up in the dictionary instead of counting on my memory. However, there are some other things that only a more experienced person could suggest. I’m particularly grateful for “ἐν τῇ περὶ Σαλαμῖνα ναυμαχίᾳ”. It is much better than my ugly construction with two ἐν in a row. I’m so grateful to you for dedicating your time to helping me! ἐπαινῶ!

4

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