Stories Composed for Greek class

Composition and Communication Composition Board
1

Below is a story I composed for my students, written as an easy level and a harder level. I tried to include some of the vocabulary and constructions in the book we are now using, Shirley Rollinson’s fine set of 70 lessons, freely available at http://www.drshirley.org/

Here is also a video of my telling of the Level Two story. I’ve cut out some of the TPRS questioning we did.
https://youtu.be/zFapKFT8EV8

Please point out any mistakes, but I’m mainly interested in criticism on constructions or vocabulary use that is quite clearly WRONG or BAD Greek in the Level Two story.

LEVEL ONE

  1. χήρα τις ἔχει δύο τένκα. ἔχει υἱόν καὶ θυγατέρα.
  2. ἀποθνῃ̍σκει ἡ χήρα. ὁ υἱός κληρονομοῦσι. δέχονται τοὺς ἀργύρους.
  3. νὺν τὰ τέκνα ἐστιν οἱ ὀρφανοί. ὁ γεωργός ἐλεᾷ τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς. δέχεται τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.
  4. πρῶτον ἀγαπᾷ αὐτούς. τὸτε ὁ γεωργός γίνεται πτωχός. τὸτε κλέπτει τοὺς ἀργύρους τῶν τέχνων.
  5. τὸτε ὁ ὑιός ἀδικεῖ. χορτάζει τὸν βοῦν ἀλλὰ σκορπίζει τὸ βρῶμα τοῦ βοός. λάμβάνει τὸ γάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βοός. ἀλλὰ βάλλει ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γάλα.
  6. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφή λέγει αὐτῷ οὐ καλόν ἐστιν εἰ μισεῖς τὸν γεωργόν. εἰσήλθομεν εἰς οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ μανθάνομεν σοφίαν. παύσαι ταῦτα (stop these things). μὴ ἀδίκει! ὁ ἀδελφὸς δέχεται τούτους τοὺς λόγους.
  7. ὁ γεωργός οὔν μετανοεῖ. ἀγάπᾷ πάλιν τὰ τέκνα. τὰ τέκνα μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. οὕτος δίδωμι αὐτοῖς τὴν κληρονομίαν. ἡ κληρονομία ἐστιν ὡς τὴν πρώτην.

LEVEL TWO WITH TRANSLATION

  1. χήρα τις εἴχεν δύο τένκα, υἱόν καὶ θυγατέρα.

  2. ἀποθνῃσκούσης τῆς χήρας, ὁ υἱός ἐκληρονομήσεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ.

  3. ἐλεῶν τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς γεωργός τις ἐδεξάτο τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.

  4. πρῶτον ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς. ὁ δὲ ὦν πτωχὸς ἔκλεψεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐδούλωσεν αὐτούς.

  5. ὁ δὲ παῖς ἀδικεῖ. ὅταν χορτάζῃ τὸν βοῦν ἐσκορπίζεν βρῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ ὅταν λαμβάνῃ γάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βοὸς ἔβαλλεν ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γάλα.

  6. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφή εἶπεν Μὴ μισήσῃς τὸν γεωργόν. εἰ οὐ εἰσήλθομεν εἰς οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἄν ἐμάνθανομεν σοφίαν. μὴ ἀδίκει! ἀκούων τούτους τοὺς λόγους ἐτίμησεν τὸν γεωργόν.

  7. ὁ γεωργός οὔν μετανοῶν ἠγάπησεν πάλιν τὰ τέκνα. ἔμειναν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καὶ οὕτος ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὴν καινὴν κληρονομίαν ὅσαν τὴν πρώτην.

  8. A widow had two children, a son and a daughter.

  9. When the woman was dying, the son received his inheritance.

  10. A farmer had mercy on the orphans and took them into his house.

  11. At first, he loved them. But when he became poor, he stole their share and made them slaves.

  12. Then the boy did (lit. is doing) bad things. Whenever he fed the cow he was scattering its food on the ground and whenever he took milk from the cow he was throwing water into the milk.

  13. His sister said, “Don’t hate the farmer. If we had not come into his house, we would not have been learning wisdom. Stop doing bad things.” Hearing these words, he honored the farmer.

  14. Therefore farmer changed his mind and loved (so that he loved…) the children. They remained in his house and he gave them a new share like the first.

2

Of course I may be wrong and I may have missed other things.
There are too many wrong accents to list. You could check each word with http://www.katabiblon.com/tools/perseus-hopperizer/ to correct some.

LEVEL ONE

  1. χήρα τις ἔχει δύο τένκα. ἔχει υἱόν καὶ θυγατέρα.
  2. ἀποθνῃ̍σκει ἡ χήρα. ὁ υἱός κληρονομοῦσι. δέχονται τοὺς ἀργύρους.

Wrong number for κληρονομοῦσι. You should use the singular for τοὺς ἀργύρους.

  1. νὺν τὰ τέκνα ἐστιν οἱ ὀρφανοί. ὁ γεωργός ἐλεᾷ τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς. δέχεται τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.

Since τέκνα are people, you should use the plural. No article for οἱ ὀρφανοί

  1. πρῶτον ἀγαπᾷ αὐτούς. τὸτε ὁ γεωργός γίνεται πτωχός. τὸτε κλέπτει τοὺς ἀργύρους τῶν τέχνων.
  2. τὸτε ὁ ὑιός ἀδικεῖ. χορτάζει τὸν βοῦν ἀλλὰ σκορπίζει τὸ βρῶμα τοῦ βοός. λάμβάνει τὸ γάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βοός. ἀλλὰ βάλλει ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γάλα.
  3. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφή λέγει αὐτῷ οὐ καλόν ἐστιν εἰ μισεῖς τὸν γεωργόν. εἰσήλθομεν εἰς οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ μανθάνομεν σοφίαν. παύσαι ταῦτα (stop these things). μὴ ἀδίκει! ὁ ἀδελφὸς δέχεται τούτους τοὺς λόγους.

Insert ὅτι after αὐτῷ

  1. ὁ γεωργός οὔν μετανοεῖ. ἀγάπᾷ πάλιν τὰ τέκνα. τὰ τέκνα μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. οὕτος δίδωμι αὐτοῖς τὴν κληρονομίαν. ἡ κληρονομία ἐστιν ὡς τὴν πρώτην.

δίδωμι wrong person
ὡς τὴν πρώτην why not nominative?


LEVEL TWO WITH TRANSLATION

  1. χήρα τις εἴχεν δύο τένκα, υἱόν καὶ θυγατέρα.
  2. ἀποθνῃσκούσης τῆς χήρας, ὁ υἱός ἐκληρονομήσεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ.
  3. ἐλεῶν τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς γεωργός τις ἐδεξάτο τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.
  4. πρῶτον ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς. ὁ δὲ ὦν πτωχὸς ἔκλεψεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐδούλωσεν αὐτούς.
  5. ὁ δὲ παῖς ἀδικεῖ. ὅταν χορτάζῃ τὸν βοῦν ἐσκορπίζεν βρῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ ὅταν λαμβάνῃ γάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βοὸς ἔβαλλεν ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γάλα.
  6. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφή εἶπεν Μὴ μισήσῃς τὸν γεωργόν. εἰ οὐ εἰσήλθομεν εἰς οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἄν ἐμάνθανομεν σοφίαν. μὴ ἀδίκει! ἀκούων τούτους τοὺς λόγους ἐτίμησεν τὸν γεωργόν.

In the protasis you should have μὴ


  1. ὁ γεωργός οὔν μετανοῶν ἠγάπησεν πάλιν τὰ τέκνα. ἔμειναν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καὶ οὕτος ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὴν καινὴν κληρονομίαν ὅσαν τὴν πρώτην.
3

I wish I knew how to say “I so very grateful” in Greek, but I’ll have to settle for what I know:
χάριν ἔχω σοι

4

On the off chance someone would want to use this story or riff off of it, I’ve posted it again, corrected as best as I could using Bedwere’s advice and LibreOffice Ancient Greek spellchecker (should have done that before posting the first time!).

LEVEL ONE - CORRECTED

  1. χήρα τις ἔχει δύο τέκνα. ἔχει υἱὸν καὶ θυγατέρα.
  2. ἀποθνῄσκει ἡ χήρα. ὁ υἱὸς κληρονομεῖ. δέχεται τὸν ἄργυρον.
  3. νὺν τὰ τέκνα εἰσιν ὀρφανοί. ὁ γεωργός ἐλεᾷ τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς. δέχεται τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.
  4. πρῶτον ἀγαπᾷ αὐτούς. τοτὲ ὁ γεωργὸς γίνεται πτωχός. τότε κλέπτει τοὺς ἀργύρους τῶν τέχνων.
  5. τότε ὁ υἱὸς ἀδικεῖ. χορτάζει τὸν βοῦν ἀλλὰ σκορπίζει τὸ βρῶμα τοῦ βοός. λαμβάνει τὸ γάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βοός ἀλλὰ βάλλει ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γάλα.
  6. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφὴ λέγει αὐτῷ ὅτι οὐ καλὸν ἐστιν εἰ μισεῖς τὸν γεωργόν. εἰσήλθομεν εἰς οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ νὺν μανθάνομεν σοφίαν. παύσαι ταῦτα. μὴ ἀδίκει! ὁ μὲν ἀδελφὸς δέχεται τούτους τοὺς λόγους.
  7. ὁ γεωργός οὗν μετανοεῖ. ἀγαπᾷ πάλιν τὰ τέκνα. τὰ τέκνα μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ. οὕτος δίδωσι αὐτοῖς τὴν κληρονομίαν. ἡ κληρονομία ἐστιν ὡς τὴν πρώτην.

LEVEL TWO WITH TRANSLATION - CORRECTED

  1. χήρα τις εἶχεν δύο τέκνα, υἱὸν καὶ θυγατέρα.

  2. ἀποθνῃσκούσης τῆς χήρας, ὁ υἱὸς ἐκληρονόμησεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ.

  3. ἐλεῶν τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς γεωργός τις ἐδέξατο τὰ τέκνα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ.

  4. πρῶτον ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς. ὁ δὲ ὦν πτωχὸς ἔκλεψεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐδούλωσεν αὐτούς.

  5. ὁ δὲ παῖς ἀδικεῖ. ὅταν χορτάζῃ τὸν βοῦν ἐσκόρπιζεν βρῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ ὅταν λαμβάνῃ γάλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βοὸς ἔβαλλεν ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γάλα.

  6. ἡ δὲ ἀδελφὴ εἶπεν Μὴ μισήσῃς τὸν γεωργόν. εἰ μὴ εἰσήλθομεν εἰς οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἂν ἐμανθάνομεν σοφίαν. μὴ ἀδίκει! ἀκούων τούτους τοὺς λόγους ἐτίμησεν τὸν γεωργόν.

  7. ὁ γεωργὸς οὖν μετανοῶν ἠγάπησεν πάλιν τὰ τέκνα. οὗτοι ἔμειναν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καὶ ὁ γεωργὸς ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὴν καινὴν κληρονομίαν ὅσαν τὴν πρώτην.

  8. A widow had two children, a son and a daughter.

  9. When the woman was dying, the son received his inheritance.

  10. A farmer had mercy on the orphans and took them into his house.

  11. At first, he loved them. But when he became poor, he stole their share and made them slaves.

  12. Then the boy did (lit. is doing) bad things. Whenever he fed the cow he was scattering its food on the ground and whenever he took milk from the cow he was throwing water into the milk.

  13. His sister said, “Don’t hate the farmer. If we had not come into his house, we would not have been learning wisdom. Stop doing bad things.” Hearing these words, he honored the farmer.

  14. Therefore farmer changed his mind and loved (so that he loved…) the children. They remained in his house and the farmer gave them a new share like the first.

5

I wish I knew how to say “I so very grateful” in Greek,

εὐχαριστῶ σοι

L&S

εὐχαριστέω ,
A.bestow a favour on, oblige, “τῷ δήμῳ τῷ Δηλίων” IG11 (4).665 (Delos, iii B.C.); τινι PPetr.2p.4 (iii B.C.), PHib.1.66.5 (iii B.C.).
2. to be thankful, return thanks, Decr. ap. D.18.92, IPE12.352.14 (Chersonesus, ii B.C.); “τοῖς Α᾿θηναίοις” Posidon.36 J., cf. Phld. Ir.p.92 W., al.; ἐπί τινι or περί τινος for a thing, Plb.4.72.7, D.S.16.11, etc.; esp. to the gods, ἐπὶ τῷ ἐρρῶσθαί σε τοῖς θεοῖς εὐ. UPZ59.10 (ii B.C.), cf. LXX Ju.8.25, 1 Ep.Cor.1.4, etc.:—Pass., to be thanked, “ηὐχαρίστηται κεραυνοῖς” Hp.Ep.17; to be received with thanks, 2 Ep.Cor.1.11.
3. pray, “τῷ θεῷ περί τινος” PLond.2.413,418 (iv A.D.).

6

ἐπὶ τῷ Bedwerῷ διορθοῦν τῷ θεῷ ἐυχαριστῷ.

7

Thank you for that. It was a nice simple story and even reading Level 2 was for me comprehensible input. There were quite a few new words for me but as the grammar was straightforward that was in no way a problem and indeed a bonus.

8

A few corrections

Level 1
2, & 4. ἄργυρος is silver. Money is τὸ ἀργύριον.
3. τότε is at that time Then meaning next is ἔπειτα. So your first τότε should be ἔπειτα.
4. τέκνων w/ κ.
5. A cow is feminine. Try milking τον βουν and you’re in for trouble.
7. ὡς τὴν πρώτην: ὡς ἡ πρώτη or ἴση τῇ πρώτῃ.

Level 2
4. ἠγάπησεν should be imperfect, ἠγάπα.
5. ὁ δὲ ὦν πτωχὸς means But he, being poor, (accent should be ὢν). You want πτωχὸς δὲ γενόμενος.
You’d use ὅταν + subj. if the main verb were present or future. Here yoυr main verbs are past (impf.). You want ὅτε + impf. (or opt.).
απο should be εκ.
6. οὐκ ἂν ἐμανθάνομεν means we would not be learning. We would not have learnt is οὐκ ἂν ἐμάθομεν (aor.).
ἀκούων should be aor., ἀκόυσας.
7. μετανοῶν Again should be aor., μετανοήσας. (He didn’t love them while changing his mind. He changed his mind first.)
8. ὅσαν τὴν πρώτην: τοσαύτην τῇ πρώτῃ.

9

This is not a comment on the Greek but on the story. The thrust of the story that the selfless tuning of the other cheek will triumph over evil. In this case the loyal repaying evil with good by the children eventually caused the farmer to again love the children and this causes him to repent.

This not what Σαῦλος puts in his English translation of course but it fits better the logic of the story.

As I am reading Fredrick Douglas at the moment, if I had written the story it would go in a very different direction but I didn’t. Hence my suggestion is based on what I think Σαῦλος’ intention was rather than what mine would be. Only Σαῦλος can say if I have read that correctly.

EDIT
Rereading the story I realize I shouldn’t have made this a reply to mwh but to Σαῦλος. I’m suggesting that ἀγαπάω should be the participle. I agree that whichever of the two is a participle it should be aorist and of course it is only thanks to mwh that I have realized that.

10

Thank you to all. I’ve been intending to revise the story according to your suggestions, but just haven’t had time.

David was right on the interpretation love and repent.

MWH - τοτε versus ειτα - Didn’t know that! I looked at τοτε uses in the New Testament and many are simply “next, then.” ειτα επειτα is used much more infrequently. Maybe in Koine period the distinction changed softened.

:slight_smile: I caught that masculine COW when I was telling the story, but forgot to revise it when posting.

Yea, I knew μετανοων should properly be μετανοησας, but the students are pretty shaky on Aor Ptc forms, so I used what they could recognize and made a verbal note about it.