Hi everyone. Here is my weekly composition exercise. As always, I’m extremely thankful for everyone who dedicates the time and effort to make corrections and suggestions. It is of great help to me. I’m sorry if it was not a good idea to start a thread for each exercise. I did it following the example of the posts already existing on this board, and I thought maybe like this it would be easier to find, if needed. I will post the second part of the exercise (with passive verbs) in the same thread.
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- The Athenians had been at war with the Spartans and their allies for many years.
- The virtues of the citizens adorned Athens more than their great power and amazing wealth.
- The city of Athens ruled over many nations, cities and islands.
- The Athenians and Spartans were at war with the Persians, who demanded some water and soil from them as a sign of slavery.
- From Nestor’s tongue flowed a speech sweeter than honey.
- Few small rivers flow into the Black Sea.
- The Ethiopians inhabited a beautiful and rich country.
- It is easier to defeat your enemies than your anger and your passions.
- God often makes miserable those who are happy.
- Do not envy those who are happy, for their happiness is fragile.
- It is the duty of an honest man to help the unhappy.
- Child, never act unjustly, for then you may always be happy.
- Freedom made the Greeks more courageous and stronger than the Persians.
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- οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι πολλὰ ἔτη ἐπολέμουν πρὸς Σπαρτιάτας καὶ συμμάχους αὐτῶν.
- ἡ τῶν Ἀθηναίων πόλις ἐκράτει πολλῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ πόλεων δὲ καὶ νήσων.
- αἰ τῶν πολιτῶν ἀρεταὶ ἐκοσμοῦντο τὰς Ἀθήνας μεῖζον ἢ μέγιστος πλοῦτος καὶ θαυμάσιον κτῆμα (or θαυμάσια κτήματα).
- οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται ἐπολέμουν πρὸς Πέρσας, οἳ ᾐτοῦντο (I’m not sure if it should be active or can be middle) αὐτοὺς γῆν καὶ ὕδωρ δηλῶν δουλεία.
- ἐκ τῆς Νεστορος γλώττης κατέῤῥρουν λόγοι ἡδύτεροι μέλιτος.
- εἰς Πόντον ῥέουσι ὀλίγοι μικροὶ ποταμοί.
- οἱ Αἰθίοπες ᾠκοῦντο καλὴν καὶ πλουσίαν χώραν.
- ῥᾷόν ἐστι τοὺς ἐναντίους κρατεῖν ἢ τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας.
- ὁ Θεὸς πολλάκις ποιεῖ ἀτυχοῦντας τοὺς καλῶς πράττοντας. (how to show who is the object of god’s action? Or should I use ὅτι or οὗτως?)
- μὴ φθόνει εὐτυχοῦσι, ὄλβος γὰρ αὐτῶν οὐ βέβαιός ἐστιν.
- δικαίου ἀνδρός ἐστι βοηθεῖν ἀτυχοῦντας.
- ὦ παῖ, μηδέποτε ἀδίκως (ἀδικία) ποιοῖς, οὗτω γὰρ ἀεὶ ὄλβος ἔχεις.
- ἡ ἐλευθερία Ἕλληνας ἐποίει ἀνδρειότεροι καὶ ἰσχυρότεροι τῶν Περσῶν.
I’ve found some mistakes in my translation. 
- αἰ τῶν πολιτῶν ἀρεταὶ ἐκόσμουν τὰς Ἀθήνας - the verb should be active.
- Νέστορος
- ῥᾷόν ἐστι τῶν ἐναντίων κρατεῖν ἢ τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν. - because κρατεῖν τινος
- βοηθεῖν ἀτυχέσιν - because βοηθεῖν τινι
Dear bedwere, thank you very much for the corrections! Sometimes I look at them and think, how could I not to notice that I put Nom. instead of Acc, but many other things are the ones I wouldn’t be able to notice myself. Can I ask a few question to confirm that I’ve got everything right?
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Thank you for πλέον. I was vaguely remembering the rule that the neutral comparatives of adjectives work also as comparatives of the corresponding adverb. Is that right in general, if not in the case of μεῖζον? (2. αἰ τῶν πολιτῶν ἀρεταὶ ἐκόσμουν τὰς Ἀθήνας πλέον ἢ ὁ μέγιστος πλοῦτος)
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.. Persians, who demanded some water and soil from them as a sign of slavery. δηλούσας δουλείαν = Part. act. acc. pl. + noun acc.s. Does it mean literally “confirming the slavery” where δηλούσας is in Acc. because water and soil were in Acc, and the δουλείαν in Acc. being the object of the participle
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Is that the rule that two syllable verbs in -εω is not contracting except if the result of contraction is ει?
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(Child, never act unjustly, for then you may always be happy) Here I used ποιοῖς because the textbook asked for optative. What do you think, could this phrase be with optative?
Dear Bedwere, thank you very much for the clarifications and for the reminding of this dictionary collection! Fradersdorff῏σ dictionary is a treasure! I haven’t been using it, but I fell in love recently with Latin/Greek Hedericus’ dictionary which is on the same site.
And here is my attempt to do the second part of the exercise with the passive. If you or somebody else could have a look at it, I would be truly grateful.
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Let’s strive (conj. adhortative) to help those by whom we loved and honored.
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The city of Athenians was decorated with magnificent houses and long walls by Themistocles and Pericles.
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To be loved by one’s teachers is a great honor for a student.
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Brave soldiers are not afraid of death.
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The Triballi made 4 rows in the battles: the first of the weak, the second of the best, the third of the horsemen, the fourth of the women.
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The Trojans feared none of the Greek heroes more than Achilles.
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The Athenians did not always make the most experienced in war commanders.
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Those who act unjustly are hated by gods and men.
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There’s nothing more needed for the state than laws.
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Agamemnon and Odysseus were greatly hated (dual.) by Ajax, the greatest hero among the Greeks.
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Boy, imitate diligently the glorious deeds of your ancestors.
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People need not only bodily food, but also spiritual food.
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The Lacedaemonian youths feared shame more than death.
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Fear the gods and honor the parents of a decent young man.
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πειρῶμαι βοηθεῖν ἐκείνους, ὑνὸ ὧν φιλοῦμεθα καὶ τιμῶμεθα.
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ἡ τῶν Ἀθηναίων πόλις ὑπὸ Θεμιστοκλέους καὶ Περικλέους ἐκοσμεῖτο λαμπροῖς οἰκίαις καὶ μακροῖς τείχεσι.
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φιλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ διδάσκαλου μεγίστη τιμὴ τῷ μαθητῇ ἐστιν.
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οἱ ἀνδρεῖοι στρατιόται οὐ φοβοῦνται θάνατον.
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οἱ Τριβαλλοὶ τέτταρες τάξεις ἐν μάχαις ἐποιοῦν: ἡ πρῶτη ἀσθενῶν καὶ ἡ δεύτερα ἀρίστων καὶ ἡ τρίτη ἱππέων καὶ ἡ τετάρτη γυναικῶν.
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οἱ Τρῶες οὐδενὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡρώων πολὺ Ἀχιλέως ἐφοβοῦν.
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οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐκ ἀεὶ τοὺς ἐμπειροτάτους πολέμου ἐποιοῦν στρατεγοὺς.
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ποιοῦντες ἀδίκως μισοῦνται ὑπὸ θεῶν καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνθρόπων.
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οὐδενὸς πολὺ νόμων δεῖται ἡ πόλις.
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ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων καὶ ὁ Ὀδυσσεὺς μάλιστα ἐμισεῖτην ὑπὸ Αἴαντος, ἀνδρειότατος τῶν Ἑλλῆνων ἥρωος.
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ὦ παῖ, σπουδαίως μιμοῦ λαμπροὺς ἔργοὺς τῶν προγόνων.
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οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὐ μόνον τοῦ σώματος σίτου δέονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς.
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οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι νεανίαι τὸ αἰσχρὸν μάλιστα θανάτου φοβοῦντο.
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τοῦς θεοῦς φοβεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦς γονεῖς τιμᾷσθαι πρέπει σώφρονι νεανίᾳ.
Dear bedwere, thank you very much for your corrections! And apologies for the belated reply. It’s incredible what a silly mistakes there are. I’m especially ashamed for using πολὺ instead of πλέον which actually was in your previous correction, and I was aware of it. ἀγνοῶ ποῦ ἦν ὁ νοῦς ἑμοῦ ἐν ῷ τοσοῦτα σκαιὰ σφάλματα ἐποίεον.
Welcome! The important thing is never to be discouraged but to keep up with what you are already doing. Ἔρρωσο.