ἑσπέρας

Greek Learning Greek
1

Eduard Johnson at p. 26 of in Sprechen sie attisch? simply gives


Gestern abend [yesterday evening] ἑσπέρας.

The Italian translation of Enrico Renna and Claudio Ferone has

Ieri sera (ἐχθές) ἑσπέρας

Can just ἑσπέρας mean yesterday evening and is ἐχθές optional?

2

Like you, I’m not finding anything in LSJ. But I suspect that with an aorist verb, in the right context, ἑσπέρας could be interpreted to mean “yesterday evening” without χθες. I’d like to see an instance from a real ancient Greek text, though.

3

I found these examples:

Aristoph. Eccl. 41.
καὶ πάνυ ταλαιπώρως ἔγωγ᾽ ὦ φιλτάτη
55 ἐκδρᾶσα παρέδυν. ὁ γὰρ ἀνὴρ τὴν νύχθ᾽ ὅλην
ἔβηττε τριχίδων ἑσπέρας ἐμπλήμενος



Aristoph. Lys. 403
‘ὦ χρυσοχόε τὸν ὅρμον ὃν ἐπεσκεύασας,
ὀρχουμένης μου τῆς γυναικὸς ἑσπέρας
410 ἡ βάλανος ἐκπέπτωκεν ἐκ τοῦ τρήματος.



Aristoph. Peace 200
οὐκ οἶδα πλὴν ἕν, ὅτι θυείαν ἑσπέρας
ὑπερφυᾶ τὸ μέγεθος εἰσηνέγκατο.

4

All are good.

5

Thank you, Hylander!