Participles Ancient Greek verbs

1 participles

1.1 forms of participle
1.2 example of usage
1.3 different tenses of participle
1.4 agreement
1.5 circumstantial participle
1.6 participle article
1.7 supplementary participle

participles

participles given name μετοχή metokhḗ sharing greek grammarians, because share characteristics of both adjectives , verbs. adjectives, have gender, case, , number , agree nouns modify, and, verbs, have tense , voice.

forms of participle

participles exist 3 voices in present, aorist, future, , perfect tenses. typical endings masc. sg., fem. sg., , masc. pl. follows:

active:

-ων, -ουσα, -οντες (-ōn, -ousa, -ontes) – present
-σων, -σουσα, -σοντες (sōn, -sousa, -sontes) – future
-ῶν, -οῦσα, -οῦντες (-ôn, -oûsa, -oûntes) – contracting future , contracting present
-σας, -σασα, -σαντες (-sas, -sasa, -santes) – weak aorist
-ών, -οῦσα, -όντες (-ṓn, -oûsa, -óntes) – strong aorist
-ώς, -υῖα, -ότες (-ṓs, -uîa, -ótes) – perfect

middle , passive:

-όμενος, -ομένη, -όμενοι (-ómenos, -oménē, -ómenoi) – present , strong aorist middle
-σόμενος, -σομένη, -σόμενοι (-sómenos, -soménē, -sómenoi) – future middle
-σάμενος, -σαμένη, -σάμενοι (-sámenos, -saménē, -sámenoi) – weak aorist middle
-θείς, -θεῖσα, -θέντες (-theís, -theîsa, -théntes) – weak aorist passive
-μένος, -μένη, -μένοι (ménos, -ménē, -ménoi) – perfect middle or passive

an example of usage

participles used in greek. example, in following sentence plato s phaedo there 6 participles:

καὶ ὁ παῖς ἐξελθὼν καὶ συχνὸν χρόνον διατρίψας ἧκεν ἄγων τὸν μέλλοντα δώσειν τὸ φάρμακον, ἐν κύλικι φέροντα τετριμμένον.
kaì ho paîs exelthṑn kaì sukhnòn khrónon diatrípsas hêken ágōn tòn méllonta dṓsein tò phármakon, en kúliki phéronta tetrimménon.
and boy, after going out , after spending long time, came leading 1 intending give poison, (who was) carrying pounded in cup.

this example analysed in paragraphs below.

different tenses of participle

an aorist participle, such ἐξελθών (exelthṓn) after going out , refers action preceded time of main verb:

ἐξελθὼν ἧκεν.
exelthṑn hêken.
after going out came back.

a present participle, such ἄγων (ágōn) leading , used refer action taking place simultaneously main verb:

ἧκεν ἄγων τὸν (ἄνθρωπον).
hêken ágōn tòn (ánthrōpon).
he came leading man.

a perfect participle, such τετριμμένον (tetrimménon) pounded , refers state in result of earlier action, e.g. fallen , dead , broken etc., rather action itself:

τὸ φάρμακον ἐν κύλικι φέροντα τετριμμένον.
tò phármakon en kúliki phéronta tetrimménon.
carrying poison pounded in cup.

a future participle refers action take place after time of main verb, , used indicate purpose:

εἰς Ἀθήνας ἔπλευσε ταῦτα ἐξαγγελῶν
eis athḗnas épleuse taûta exangelôn
he sailed athens report (lit. going report) these things.

agreement

because adjective verb, participle has agree in case, gender, , number noun refers to. in first example above:

ἐξελθών (exelthṓn) after going out , διατρίψας (diatrípsas) after spending , , ἄγων (ágōn) leading masculine singular nominative, since refer boy subject of verb ἧκεν (hêken) came ;
μέλλοντα (méllonta ) intending , φέροντα (phéronta) carrying both masculine singular accusative, since refer man object of participle ἄγων (ἄγων) leading ;
τετριμμένον (tetrimménon) pounded neuter singular accusative, since describes poison φάρμακον (phármakon) object of participle φέροντα (phéronta) carrying .

circumstantial participle

a participle describes circumstances in action took place. translated -ing , e.g. ἄγων (ágōn) leading in example above.

in sentences can translated clause beginning when or since :

κατιδὼν τὴν μάχην ... ἐβοήθει
katidṑn tḕn mákhēn ... eboḗthei
when saw battle went help.

another frequent use in construction known genitive absolute , when participle , subject placed in genitive case. construction used when participle refers or not subject, object, or indirect object of main verb:

ἐνίκησαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἡγουμένου Ἀγησανδρίδου
eníkēsan lakedaimónioi hēgouménou agēsandrídou
the spartans won, agesandridas leading them.

but if verb impersonal one, put in accusative, e.g. ἔξον (éxon) being possible .

participle article

sometimes participle used article, in case can translated :

τὸν μέλλοντα δώσειν τὸ φάρμακον.
tòn méllonta dṓsein tò phármakon.
the (man was) going give poison.

supplementary participle

as being used in sentences such above, participle can used following verbs meanings such know , notice , happen (to be) , hear (that) , on. use known supplementary participle.

ἤκουσε Κῦρον ἐν Κιλικίᾱͅ ὄντα.
ḗkouse kûron en kilikíā̄i ónta.
he heard cyrus in cilicia (lit. heard cyrus being in cilicia).


ἔτυχε καὶ ὁ Ἀλκιβιάδης παρών.
étukhe kaì ho alkibiádēs parṓn.
alcibiades happened present (lit. chanced being present).




^ plato, phaedo 117a
^ smyth. greek grammar colleges. §§ 2044, 2065. 
^ xenophon, hellenica 1.1.9
^ smyth. greek grammar colleges. § 2056. 
^ xenophon, hellenica 1.1.4
^ smyth. greek grammar colleges. § 2070. 
^ xenophon, hellenica 1.1.2
^ smyth. greek grammar colleges. § 2076. 
^ smyth. greek grammar colleges. § 2088. ff
^ xenophon, anabasis 1.4.5
^ thucydides, 5.76.3