Almost done: just this chapter and the next to go. Here he introduces the pluperfect, and he explains the tense as follows:
The Greek pluperfect indicative corresponds to the Greek perfect as the Greek imperfect indicative corresponds to the Greek present: the perfect expresses an action completed in the past with permanent results in the present, while the pluperfect expresses an action completed in the deeper past with permanent results in the more recent past. … The English pluperfect “had Xed” has a different meaning (expressing an antecedent to another action expressed in a past tense) and is more common.
To my mind “had Xed” expresses an action in the deeper past with permanent results in the more recent, but this apparently has a different meaning from the Greek pluperfect, though I can’t see how. He gives no examples or English parallels: his concision is a virtue except when it’s not. I hate to ask for such broad or open-ended help but I don’t get it in the least.
The Greek perfect indicates that the subject, at the present time, is in a state that is the result of a past action. The Greek pluperfect is the imperfect tense of the Greek perfect: the subject, at some past time, was in a state that was the result of an earlier action.
The pluperfect in English is generally used to indicate a past action that took place before another past action. The Greek pluperfect is generally not used to indicate a past action that occurred anterior to another past action–rather, it’s used to indicate a past state that was the result of a previous action.
The good news is that the Greek pluperfect, at least in my experience, is quite rarely used.
I think I understand now. Thanks.
(Examples from Sidgwick, First Greek Writer)
English Pluperfect (#57)
Events still further back (Greek Aorist or Imperfect)
It did not at all turn out as he had expected.
(Expectation previous to event.)
οὐχ ὡς προσεδέχετο οὐδαμῶς ἀπέβη.
When the ships he had ordered arrived, he set sail.
(Order previous to arrival and sailing).
ἀφικομένων τῶν νεῶν ἃς μετεπέμψατο, εὐθὺς ἀνήγετο.
He explained it all. For the friend had come.
(Coming previous to explanation.)
ἐδήλωσε τὸ πᾶν. ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ φίλος.
He met a man who formerly had been his firend (previous to meeting).
ἀνδρὶ περιέτυχέ τινι ὃς πρότερον φίλος ἦν ἑαυτῷ.
After that…
When he had finished.
ἐπεὶ ἐξετέλεσε.
After he had gone away.
ἐπειδὴ ἀπῆλθε.
Oratio obliqua forces Pluperfect in English (doesn’t alter the tenses in Greek)
He asked me to look at the book he had bought.
ᾔτησέ με τὸ βιβλίον σκοπεῖν ὅπερ ἐωνήσατο.
He said he approved what I had said.
ἐπαινεῖν ἔφη ὅσα ἔλεξα.
I told him we had found it useful.
ἔλεξα ὅτι ὠφέλιομον εὕρομεν.
Greek Pluperfect (#64) – “was already done” or “were previously done”
When I got there the enemy were defeated.
ἀφικομένου ἐμοῦ ἐνενίκηντο οἱ πολέμιοι.
They did as they were told.
ἔδρασαν ὥσπερ εἴρητο.
Before he left the peace was broken.
πρὶν ἀπιέναι ἐκεῖνον διελέλυντο αἳ σπονδαί.
Thanks a million, jeidsath – your post is enormously helpful. I’ve looked it over and I’ll have to go back and look at it some more later. Mastronarde can be stingy with examples.