Question on Word Order

Greek Learning Greek
1

The following question is from the Unit 7 exercises Section 3 number 5 of Mastronarde’s Introduction to Attic Greek. It asks for a translation into Attic of the following text: “with the small children of the messenger.” My answer was: συν τοις μικροις του αγγελου παιδιοις. The answer key listed the correct response as: συν τοις μικροις παιδιοις τοις του αγγελου. My question has to do with the correct placement of the phrase “του αγγελου.” Is there any reason that the way I placed it in my answer is wrong grammatically, or did the writer of the answer key just prefer to place it at the end with its own article for clarity.

Thank you

2

Mastronarde’s is certainly fine. For yours, see Smyth 1164, especially example 6.

My gut feeling – which maybe isn’t worth so much – is that σὺν τοῖς μικροῖς τοῦ ἀγγέλου παιδίοις would be more unusual than σὺν τοῖς τοῦ ἀγγέλου μικροῖς παιδίοις. To me it sounds like to means “with the SMALL children of the messenger (but not the large ones).”