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HSC Classical Greek Continuers study materials
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HSC Classical Greek Continuers practice questions

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Question 1Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In a Greek sentence, what does the accusative case most commonly mark when used without a preposition?

  1. The direct object of a transitive verb Correct answer.
  2. The addressee of a command
  3. The possessor of a noun
  4. The subject of a finite verb

Explanation

The accusative is the case of the direct object, marking the person or thing directly affected by a transitive verb. It also expresses extent of space and time and, with prepositions, various oblique relations. The nominative marks subjects, the genitive marks possession, and the vocative marks address.

Question 2Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

A Greek participle in the present tense, nominative singular masculine, agreeing with the subject, most naturally conveys which idea?

  1. An action simultaneous with the main verb Correct answer.
  2. A wish contrary to fact
  3. An action completed before the main verb
  4. A future intention of the speaker

Explanation

The present participle normally denotes action happening at the same time as the main verb, whether the main verb is present or past. Aspect, not absolute time, is primary: the present stem shows continued or repeated action. Prior action is shown by the aorist participle.

Question 3Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

Which English rendering best captures the force of the Greek middle voice in a verb like λούομαι?

  1. I will wash
  2. I wash something for someone
  3. I wash myself Correct answer.
  4. I am washed by someone

Explanation

The middle voice typically marks the subject as acting with reference to itself, often reflexively or in its own interest. λούομαι therefore means 'I wash myself' rather than 'I wash'. The passive, by contrast, presents the subject as acted upon.

Question 4Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ στρατηγὸς τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐκέλευσεν ἀπιέναι, how is the infinitive ἀπιέναι best translated?

  1. by departing
  2. he departed
  3. to depart Correct answer.
  4. having departed

Explanation

Verbs of ordering such as κελεύω take an accusative of the person ordered plus a complementary infinitive. The infinitive is rendered in English by 'to' plus the verb, giving 'the general ordered the soldiers to depart'. The accusative τοὺς στρατιώτας is the subject of that infinitive.

Question 5Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

What is the standard meaning of the particle ἄν when it appears with a secondary tense of the indicative in a conditional sentence?

  1. It introduces a direct question
  2. It negates the verb
  3. It marks the apodosis as contrary to fact Correct answer.
  4. It marks the genitive of comparison

Explanation

With a secondary tense of the indicative in the main clause, ἄν signals an unreal condition: the speaker presents the situation as contrary to fact. The imperfect or aorist indicative with ἄν is translated 'would have' or 'would be doing'. The protasis uses εἰ with the same secondary tense.

Question 6Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase οἱ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα, how should the prepositional expression be understood?

  1. The king himself alone
  2. The king's courtiers or attendants Correct answer.
  3. The king's enemies
  4. The things belonging to the king

Explanation

The idiom οἱ περί τινα means 'those around someone', that is, the person's circle, court, or attendants. The preposition περί with the accusative here does not mean 'about' in a spatial sense but identifies a group associated with the person. This is a common periphrastic way of referring to a retinue.

Question 7Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

Which translation correctly renders the aorist indicative in ἀφίκοντο οἱ ἄγγελοι;

  1. The messengers arrived Correct answer.
  2. The messengers will arrive
  3. The messengers are arriving
  4. The messengers have been arriving

Explanation

The aorist indicative presents a single, completed action, usually translated by the English simple past. It does not necessarily stress remoteness in time but views the action as a whole. Ongoing or repeated action would require the present or imperfect stem.

Question 8Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the expression πολλῶν ἡμερῶν, what does the genitive most likely express?

  1. The person addressed
  2. The direct object
  3. Extent of time within which something happens Correct answer.
  4. The subject of the sentence

Explanation

The genitive can express the time within which an event occurs, often rendered 'within many days' or 'after many days'. This is one of the adverbial uses of the genitive alongside place and manner. It should not be confused with the partitive or possessive genitive.

Question 9Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οὐδεὶς ἦλθεν ὅστις οὐκ ἐθαύμασεν, how is the double negative best understood?

  1. No one admired the person who came
  2. No one came and no one admired it
  3. Someone came who did not admire it
  4. Everyone who came admired it Correct answer.

Explanation

Greek often reinforces a negative with a second negative inside a relative clause, and the two negatives do not cancel each other as in standard English. The sense is 'there was no one who came who did not admire it', that is, everyone admired it. This pleonastic negation is idiomatic in Greek prose.

Question 10Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

A genitive absolute construction such as τούτων λεχθέντων is best translated how?

  1. These things said them
  2. He said these things
  3. When these things had been said Correct answer.
  4. Because he says these things

Explanation

A genitive absolute consists of a participle and a noun or pronoun in the genitive, grammatically independent of the main clause. It is rendered by a subordinate clause of time, cause, or condition. The aorist passive participle λεχθέντων indicates prior completed action.

Question 11Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In indirect statement after a verb of saying in the present tense, which construction does classical Greek normally use?

  1. Dative and participle
  2. Nominative and finite verb
  3. Accusative and infinitive Correct answer.
  4. Genitive and infinitive

Explanation

Indirect statement is regularly expressed by the accusative and infinitive construction, with the subject of the reported statement in the accusative and the verb as an infinitive. The tense of the infinitive reflects the time of the original statement relative to the introductory verb. A finite verb would imply direct quotation.

Question 12Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence εἰ τοῦτο ἔπραξεν, ἐπαινοῖτο ἄν, what kind of condition is expressed?

  1. A present contrary-to-fact condition Correct answer.
  2. A simple open past condition
  3. A general condition in indefinite time
  4. A future more vivid condition

Explanation

The protasis uses the aorist indicative without ἄν, and the apodosis uses the present optative with ἄν, which is the classical form for a present contrary-to-fact condition. It means 'if he had done this (but he has not), he would be praised'. The imperfect indicative with ἄν would give a past contrary-to-fact sense.

Question 13Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

What is the force of the particle μέν in a μέν ... δέ pair?

  1. It marks a question
  2. It signals the first item in a contrast or balance Correct answer.
  3. It makes the clause negative
  4. It intensifies the verb

Explanation

The pair μέν ... δέ sets up a contrast or balanced sequence, with μέν marking the first element and δέ the second. μέν is postpositive and cannot stand first in its clause. It is often left untranslated or rendered 'on the one hand'.

Question 14Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase ἀξιός ἐστι τιμῆς, how is the genitive τιμῆς functioning?

  1. It is the subject of the sentence
  2. It expresses the agent of a passive verb
  3. It is the direct object of ἐστι
  4. It completes the sense of the adjective ἀξιός Correct answer.

Explanation

Certain adjectives, including ἄξιος, take a genitive of value or reference to complete their meaning, giving 'worthy of honour'. This is not the possessive genitive but a genitive governed by the adjective. The verb ἐστι here is a copula and takes no direct object.

Question 15Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

Which translation best renders the optative in the main clause of εἴθε νικῴημεν;

  1. We have won
  2. We are winning
  3. We will win
  4. If only we might win Correct answer.

Explanation

The optative in a main clause, especially with εἴθε or εἰ γάρ, expresses a wish, here 'if only we might win'. The present optative of a continued action suggests a wish for the future or for a continuing state. This use is called the optative of wish.

Question 16Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ ἀνὴρ ὃν εἶδες σοφός ἐστιν, what is the function of the relative pronoun ὅν?

  1. Possessor of σοφός
  2. Direct object of εἶδες Correct answer.
  3. Agent of a passive verb
  4. Subject of ἐστιν

Explanation

The relative pronoun takes its case from its function inside the relative clause, and here ὅν is the accusative direct object of εἶδες. Its gender and number, however, agree with the antecedent ὁ ἀνήρ. This split between case and agreement is a standard feature of Greek relative clauses.

Question 17Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

How is the aorist participle in ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀπῆλθεν best translated?

  1. Saying these things, he departs
  2. He said these things and departs
  3. Having said these things, he departed Correct answer.
  4. While he was saying these things, he departed

Explanation

The aorist participle typically denotes action completed before the action of the main verb, so 'having said these things' precedes 'he departed'. The main verb ἀπῆλθεν is aorist indicative, giving a past narrative sequence. The present participle would suggest simultaneous action.

Question 18Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

What does the subjunctive express after ἐάν in a future condition such as ἐὰν ταῦτα ποιήσῃς, εὖ πράξεις;

  1. A future condition regarded as likely or possible Correct answer.
  2. A past condition contrary to fact
  3. A wish for the past
  4. A command in indirect speech

Explanation

The future more vivid condition uses ἐάν with the subjunctive in the protasis and the future indicative in the apodosis. It presents the condition as a probable future event. The future less vivid uses εἰ with the optative and ἄν with the optative in the apodosis.

Question 19Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς ἀπελθεῖν, what is the case and function of αὐτοῖς?

  1. Nominative subject of ἀπελθεῖν
  2. Accusative direct object of ἔδοξεν
  3. Dative of the person to whom the decision seemed good Correct answer.
  4. Genitive of possession

Explanation

The impersonal construction δοκεῖ μοι means 'it seems good to me', with the person in the dative. With the infinitive it expresses a decision: 'they decided to depart'. The dative marks the person forming the judgement, not the object of the verb.

Question 20Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

Which English translation best captures the nuance of the imperfect in οἱ στρατιῶται διετέλουν μαχόμενοι;

  1. The soldiers will keep fighting
  2. The soldiers fought once
  3. The soldiers kept on fighting Correct answer.
  4. The soldiers have stopped fighting

Explanation

The imperfect presents action as ongoing or repeated in the past, and with διατελέω it stresses continuation, giving 'they kept on fighting'. The present participle μαχόμενοι complements the main verb and shares its subject. A single completed act would require the aorist.

Question 21Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In a passage where a speaker uses the historic present, what is the usual effect on the narrative?

  1. It marks the statement as reported speech
  2. It signals a contrary-to-fact condition
  3. It shifts the narrative into the future
  4. It makes past events vivid and immediate Correct answer.

Explanation

The historic present uses a present-tense verb to narrate past events, lending vividness and immediacy by presenting the action as if happening before the audience. It is common in lively narrative and often alternates with aorists. It does not change the actual time reference of the events.

Question 22Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησεν ταῦτα εἰ μὴ ἐκείνῳ ἐπίστευεν, how is the imperfect ἐπίστευεν in the protasis best understood?

  1. It is a general truth in indefinite time
  2. It states a simple fact about past trust
  3. It expresses a future possibility
  4. It expresses an unreal present condition, since he does not in fact trust him Correct answer.

Explanation

The apodosis has the aorist indicative with ἄν, and the protasis has the imperfect indicative without ἄν, forming a mixed or present contrary-to-fact condition. The imperfect ἐπίστευεν presents an ongoing state that is contrary to fact. The sense is that he would not have acted so if he were not trusting that man.

Question 23Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase τοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτεινε, τοὺς δὲ ἐφυγάδευσεν, how is the μέν ... δέ pair best rendered?

  1. He killed no one but exiled them
  2. He killed them because he exiled them
  3. Some he killed, others he exiled Correct answer.
  4. He killed them and exiled them

Explanation

When μέν and δέ follow repeated articles, they distribute the group into two contrasted sets: 'some ... others'. The construction is a common way of expressing a division of a plural subject. It is not simply additive but contrastive.

Question 24Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ἦλθεν ἵνα τοῦτο ἴδῃ, what is the mood and function of ἴδῃ?

  1. Aorist optative in a result clause
  2. Present indicative in a causal clause
  3. Aorist subjunctive in a purpose clause Correct answer.
  4. Future indicative in a conditional clause

Explanation

ἵνα introduces a purpose clause, and classical prose normally uses the subjunctive after a primary tense and the optative after a secondary tense. Here the aorist subjunctive ἴδῃ expresses the intended purpose, 'in order that he might see this'. The aorist stem shows the purpose as a single completed act.

Question 25Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In a passage where a participle is used attributively, such as οἱ παρόντες πολῖται, how should the phrase be translated?

  1. When the citizens are present
  2. The citizens being made present
  3. The citizens are present
  4. The citizens who are present Correct answer.

Explanation

An attributive participle functions like an adjective and is rendered by a relative clause in English: 'the citizens who are present'. It is distinguished from the circumstantial participle, which is rendered by a subordinate clause such as 'when' or 'since'. The article before the participle is the key signal of attributive use.

Question 26Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοὺς πρέσβεις ἀπέπεμψεν, what is the best translation of ἀπέπεμψεν?

  1. questioned
  2. received
  3. sent away Correct answer.
  4. honoured

Explanation

The verb ἀποπέμπω is a compound of πέμπω with the prefix ἀπο-, which here indicates separation or dismissal; in the aorist it means 'sent away' or 'dismissed'. Context with πρέσβεις ('envoys') confirms the sense of sending them off rather than welcoming them.

Question 27Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase οἱ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ πολῖται, how is the prepositional phrase best understood?

  1. the citizens of the marketplace
  2. the citizens from the marketplace
  3. the citizens for the marketplace
  4. the citizens in the marketplace Correct answer.

Explanation

The preposition ἐν with the dative expresses location, 'in' or 'at'. When it modifies a noun, it is attributive, so οἱ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ πολῖται means 'the citizens in the marketplace'.

Question 28Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

Which translation best renders the participle in οἱ στρατιῶται μαχόμενοι ἀπέθανον;

  1. The soldiers died because they had fought.
  2. The soldiers died after fighting.
  3. The soldiers died while fighting. Correct answer.
  4. The soldiers died in order to fight.

Explanation

The present participle μαχόμενοι is contemporaneous with the main verb, describing an action going on at the same time as the dying. The natural English rendering is 'while fighting'.

Question 29Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις οὐ τοῦτο οἶδεν, how is the double negative best understood?

  1. It is not known whether anyone knows this.
  2. No one knows this.
  3. Someone does not know this.
  4. Everyone knows this. Correct answer.

Explanation

Greek uses multiple negatives to reinforce rather than cancel one another. Here οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις οὐ ... means 'there is no one who does not ...', which is equivalent to 'everyone ...'.

Question 30Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀποθανόντος, what does the genitive absolute construction indicate?

  1. the death of the man
  2. because the man is dying
  3. after the man died Correct answer.
  4. the man who died

Explanation

A genitive absolute consists of a noun or pronoun and a participle in the genitive, grammatically independent of the main clause. The aorist participle ἀποθανόντος normally indicates an action completed before the main verb, so 'after the man died' or 'when the man had died' is appropriate.

Question 31Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence λέγουσιν ὅτι οἱ πολέμιοι ἥκουσιν, what is the mood and tense of ἥκουσιν?

  1. indicative present Correct answer.
  2. infinitive present
  3. subjunctive present
  4. optative present

Explanation

After ὅτι with a verb of saying in a primary tense, Greek normally uses the indicative and retains the tense of the original statement. Here ἥκουσιν is present indicative, 'they are coming' or 'they have come'.

Question 32Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence εἰ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἐπίστευον ἄν, what kind of condition is expressed?

  1. past contrary-to-fact
  2. simple past
  3. present contrary-to-fact Correct answer.
  4. future more vivid

Explanation

The imperfect indicative in both protasis and apodosis with ἄν marks a present contrary-to-fact condition: 'if he were saying this, they would believe him' (but he is not).

Question 33Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς ὤν, how is ὤν best translated?

  1. being Correct answer.
  2. about to be
  3. having been
  4. to be

Explanation

ὤν is the present participle of εἰμί, nominative singular masculine. It expresses concurrent state or circumstance, best rendered 'being'.

Question 34Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ πατὴρ τὸν παῖδα ἔπεισεν ἀπελθεῖν, what is the case and function of τὸν παῖδα?

  1. genitive as object of ἔπεισεν
  2. accusative as object of ἔπεισεν Correct answer.
  3. accusative as subject of ἀπελθεῖν
  4. dative as indirect object

Explanation

πείθω takes a double accusative: the person persuaded in the accusative and the thing or action in the accusative or infinitive. Here τὸν παῖδα is the direct object of ἔπεισεν, and ἀπελθεῖν is the complementary infinitive.

Question 35Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ναῦς πολλὰς ἐναυπηγήσαντο, what is the best translation of ἐναυπηγήσαντο?

  1. destroyed
  2. manned
  3. built Correct answer.
  4. captured

Explanation

ναυπηγέομαι is a compound of ναῦς ('ship') and πήγνυμι ('build'), meaning 'build ships'. The aorist middle ἐναυπηγήσαντο is therefore 'they built'.

Question 36Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ἦλθον ἵνα τὴν πόλιν ἴδοιεν, what is the mood and function of ἴδοιεν?

  1. optative in a purpose clause after a past main verb Correct answer.
  2. subjunctive in a purpose clause after a present main verb
  3. infinitive in an indirect command
  4. indicative in a result clause

Explanation

ἵνα introduces a purpose clause. After a secondary tense (ἦλθον), the optative is used in indirect discourse or in a past purpose clause, so ἴδοιεν is optative expressing purpose.

Question 37Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τοὺς μὲν ἐπῄνει, τοὺς δὲ ἔψεγεν, how is the μέν ... δέ pair best rendered?

  1. neither ... nor
  2. both ... and
  3. on the one hand ... on the other
  4. some ... others Correct answer.

Explanation

When μέν and δέ are used with repeated articles, they distribute the objects into two groups. Here τοὺς μέν ... τοὺς δέ means 'some ... others'.

Question 38Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence εἰ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἐπῄνετο ἄν, what kind of condition is expressed?

  1. past contrary-to-fact Correct answer.
  2. simple present
  3. present contrary-to-fact
  4. future more vivid

Explanation

The aorist indicative in both protasis and apodosis with ἄν marks a past contrary-to-fact condition: 'if he had done this, he would have been praised' (but he did not).

Question 39Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the phrase οἱ παρόντες πολῖται, how should the phrase be translated?

  1. the citizens who had been present
  2. the presence of the citizens
  3. the citizens who are about to be present
  4. the citizens who were present Correct answer.

Explanation

The present participle παρόντες used attributively with the article modifies πολῖται. It describes the citizens as being present at the time of the narrative, so 'the citizens who were present' fits.

Question 40Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ δὲ κῆρυξ ἀφικόμενος ἀπήγγειλε τὴν νίκην, what is the best translation of ἀφικόμενος?

  1. having arrived
  2. about to arrive
  3. while arriving
  4. on arriving Correct answer.

Explanation

The aorist participle ἀφικόμενος denotes an action completed before the main verb ἀπήγγειλε. 'On arriving' or 'having arrived' captures the prior action; 'on arriving' is idiomatic and fits the sequence.

Question 41Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οἱ στρατιῶται διετέλουν μαχόμενοι, how is the imperfect διετέλουν best translated?

  1. were about to
  2. kept on Correct answer.
  3. finished
  4. began

Explanation

διατελέω means 'continue' or 'persist'. The imperfect διετέλουν with the present participle μαχόμενοι expresses continued action in the past: 'they kept on fighting'.

Question 42Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In a narrative passage, a speaker uses the historic present. What is the usual effect?

  1. It signals that the statement is hypothetical.
  2. It marks the action as prior to the main narrative.
  3. It indicates that the action is repeated habitually.
  4. It makes the narrative more vivid and immediate. Correct answer.

Explanation

The historic present uses a present-tense verb to describe past events, bringing the scene before the reader's eyes and increasing vividness. It does not change the temporal sequence of the narrative.

Question 43Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οὐδεὶς ἦν ὃς οὐκ ἐθαύμασεν, how is the double negative best understood?

  1. It was unclear who admired.
  2. Someone did not admire.
  3. No one admired.
  4. Everyone admired. Correct answer.

Explanation

Greek negatives reinforce each other. οὐδεὶς ... ὃς οὐκ ... means 'there was no one who did not ...', which is equivalent to 'everyone ...'.

Question 44Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος, ὃν εἶδες, σοφός ἐστιν, what is the function of the relative pronoun ὅν?

  1. genitive of possession
  2. dative of indirect object
  3. direct object of εἶδες Correct answer.
  4. subject of εἶδες

Explanation

The relative pronoun ὅν is accusative singular masculine, agreeing with its antecedent ἀνήρ but taking its case from its function in the relative clause. In the clause ὃν εἶδες, it is the direct object of εἶδες.

Question 45Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀπῆλθεν, how is the aorist participle εἰπών best translated?

  1. without saying
  2. after saying Correct answer.
  3. about to say
  4. while saying

Explanation

The aorist participle εἰπών denotes an action completed before the main verb ἀπῆλθεν. 'After saying' or 'having said' captures the sequence.

Question 46Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ἐὰν ταῦτα ποιήσῃς, εὖ πράξεις, what does the subjunctive ποιήσῃς express after ἐάν?

  1. a present general condition
  2. a wish for the future
  3. a future condition that is likely to occur Correct answer.
  4. a past condition contrary to fact

Explanation

ἐάν with the subjunctive in the protasis and the future indicative in the apodosis forms a future more vivid condition, presenting the condition as likely or expected to occur.

Question 47Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ δὲ Ξενοφῶν ἀναστὰς εἶπεν, how is the participle ἀναστάς best rendered in context?

  1. while standing up
  2. about to stand up
  3. without standing up
  4. having stood up Correct answer.

Explanation

ἀναστάς is the aorist participle of ἀνίστημι, denoting an action completed before the main verb εἶπεν. 'Having stood up' captures the sequence: he stood up and then spoke.

Question 48Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence εἰ μὲν ταῦτα ἀληθῆ ἦν, ἐπίστευον ἄν· νῦν δὲ οὐ πιστεύω, how is the first clause best understood?

  1. If these things had been true, I would have believed them (but they were not).
  2. If these things are true, I will believe them.
  3. If these things were true, I would believe them (but they are not). Correct answer.
  4. Since these things are true, I believe them.

Explanation

The imperfect indicative in both protasis and apodosis with ἄν marks a present contrary-to-fact condition. The following νῦν δὲ οὐ πιστεύω confirms that the condition is not fulfilled.

Question 49Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence οὐκ ἂν ἐδυνήθημεν τοῦτο ποιῆσαι εἰ μὴ οἱ σύμμαχοι ἐβοήθησαν, how is the aorist ἐβοήθησαν in the protasis best understood?

  1. as a present condition contrary to fact
  2. as a future condition
  3. as a past condition that was in fact fulfilled Correct answer.
  4. as a past condition contrary to fact

Explanation

The apodosis has aorist indicative with ἄν (οὐκ ἂν ἐδυνήθημεν), and the protasis has aorist indicative without ἄν. This is a past condition that was actually fulfilled: 'we would not have been able to do this if the allies had not helped' (and they did help).

Question 50Prescribed Text: Translation and Comprehension

In the sentence ὁ δὲ Κύρος τοὺς μὲν φίλους ηὐξάνετο, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους ἐχειροῦτο, what does the imperfect ηὐξάνετο most likely express?

  1. A repeated or habitual action in the past Correct answer.
  2. A completed action in the past
  3. An action that was about to happen
  4. A present general truth

Explanation

The imperfect tense typically denotes continued, repeated, or habitual action in the past. In this context, paired with ἐχειροῦτο, it suggests Cyrus regularly strengthened his friends. It does not denote a single completed act, which would require the aorist.