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BW Abitur Ancient Greek practice questions

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Question 1Ancient Greek lexicon and derivatives

The noun ἡ ἀρετή is best translated as:

  1. vice
  2. excellence, virtue Correct answer.
  3. wealth
  4. bodily strength

Explanation

ἀρετή means excellence of any kind - moral virtue, courage, skill, or quality. In Plato's Protagoras the central question is precisely whether ἀρετή can be taught, so this word is foundational for the set text.

Question 2Ancient Greek lexicon and derivatives

The noun ὁ δῆμος in classical Attic usage means:

  1. the people (especially the citizen body) Correct answer.
  2. the city wall
  3. the written law
  4. the council chamber

Explanation

δῆμος means the people - in Athens specifically the citizen body that held power under democracy (hence δημοκρατία, 'rule of the people'). It can also mean a deme, the local district of Attica.

Question 3Ancient Greek lexicon and derivatives

The noun ἡ ἐλευθερία means:

  1. equality before the law
  2. justice
  3. peace
  4. freedom Correct answer.

Explanation

ἐλευθερία is freedom, both political and personal, from the adjective ἐλεύθερος ('free'). Pericles' Funeral Oration celebrates Athenian ἐλευθερία as a hallmark of the democracy.

Question 4Ancient Greek lexicon and derivatives

The noun ἡ ψυχή most commonly means:

  1. the body
  2. the intellect only
  3. the soul, life-spirit Correct answer.
  4. fate

Explanation

ψυχή is the soul or life-spirit - what leaves the body at death and what moral philosophy cares for. In Plato it is the seat of character and the thing Socrates urges the Athenians to tend (ἐπιμέλεια τῆς ψυχῆς).

Question 5Ancient Greek lexicon and derivatives

In fifth-century Athens, a σοφιστής was:

  1. a professional teacher who taught rhetoric and excellence for pay Correct answer.
  2. a philosopher who wrote Socratic dialogues
  3. an elected general
  4. a priest of the civic cults

Explanation

The sophists, such as Protagoras and Gorgias, were travelling professional educators who charged fees to teach rhetoric, politics, and ἀρετή. Plato's Protagoras dramatises exactly this figure visiting Callias' house in Athens.

Question 6Greek literature, rhetoric and interpretation

In Odyssey narrative, who is Penelope primarily?

  1. Odysseus’ wife who waits in Ithaca Correct answer.
  2. Odysseus’ mother
  3. A Phaeacian princess
  4. Athena in disguise only

Explanation

Penelope is Odysseus’ wife; her fidelity and testing of the beggar are central interpretation themes.

Question 7Ancient Greek history, society and reception

In Plato, a definitional question of the form τί ἐστι X; most directly aims at:

  1. An essential definition / ‘what X is’ Correct answer.
  2. A catalogue of accidental examples without essence
  3. A hexameter paraphrase of a Homeric simile
  4. A Roman legal statute citation

Explanation

In Plato, τί ἐστι X; seeks an essential definition-what X is in itself (οὐσία)-rather than a loose list of examples, epic paraphrase, or later Roman law.

Question 8Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Which particle often introduces an explanation (‘for’) in Greek prose and epic?

  1. γάρ Correct answer.
  2. μέν alone
  3. τε only
  4. οὐ

Explanation

The particle γάρ commonly introduces an explanatory or causal clause and is often translated ‘for’. In Plato and Homer, recognizing γάρ helps you keep the logical connection between sentences during Übersetzung and Interpretation.

Question 9Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Which option correctly identifies the aorist passive indicative 3sg of παιδεύω?

  1. ἐπαιδεύθη Correct answer.
  2. ἐπαίδευσε
  3. πεπαίδευται
  4. παιδεύεται

Explanation

ἐπαιδεύθη is the first aorist passive indicative 3sg of παιδεύω (‘he/she/it was educated’). Contrast ἐπαίδευσε (aorist active), πεπαίδευται (perfect middle/passive), and παιδεύεται (present middle/passive).

Question 10Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Choose the best analysis of ἵνα μάθωμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν:

  1. Purpose clause: ‘in order that we may learn the truth’ Correct answer.
  2. Fear clause
  3. Causal γάρ clause
  4. Genitive absolute

Explanation

ἵνα + subjunctive typically marks a purpose clause, here ‘in order that we may learn the truth’. Fear clauses use μή after verbs of fearing, and neither γάρ nor a genitive absolute is present in the phrase.

Question 11Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Which form is the aorist middle indicative 1sg of γίγνομαι (I become)?

  1. ἐγενόμην Correct answer.
  2. γίγνομαι
  3. γεγένημαι
  4. γενήσομαι

Explanation

ἐγενόμην is the second aorist middle indicative 1sg of γίγνομαι (‘I became / I was’). Second aorists lack the σ-marker of first aorists and must be recognized from principal parts in Plato prose.

Question 12Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Which is the correct aorist passive infinitive of λύω?

  1. λυθῆναι Correct answer.
  2. λῦσαι
  3. λελύσθαι
  4. λύεσθαι

Explanation

λυθῆναι is the aorist passive infinitive of λύω (‘to be released / to be loosened’). Infinitive forms are frequent in purpose, result, and Accusative+Infinitive constructions in Attic prose.

Question 13Ancient Greek reading and translation

Which translation best captures ἔφη λέγων… in narrative/dialogue embedding?

  1. He said, saying… / he spoke, asserting… (verb of saying + participle) Correct answer.
  2. He denied knowing
  3. He ran while silent
  4. He ordered silence only

Explanation

φημί/ἔφη with a participle of speaking is a common embedding pattern; render the speech act clearly in German.

Question 14Greek literature, rhetoric and interpretation

A dactyl in scansion consists of which syllable pattern?

  1. Long + two shorts (- ∪ ∪) Correct answer.
  2. Short + long (∪ -)
  3. Three longs
  4. Two shorts only

Explanation

In dactylic hexameter, a dactyl is long-short-short (- ∪ ∪) and a spondee is long-long (- -). Scanning Odyssey lines depends on identifying these feet and epic dialectal forms that enable the meter.

Question 15Greek literature, rhetoric and interpretation

Which reading best integrates Penelope’s ruse of the loom with ξενία/οἶκος themes?

  1. Delay tactics preserve the household against predatory suitors while testing loyalty and time Correct answer.
  2. She celebrates the suitors’ rightful rule
  3. She rejects Telemachus’ existence
  4. She narrates the Cyclops episode to the Phaeacians

Explanation

The loom stratagem buys time and defends οἶκος integrity-pair with testing of the beggar Odysseus.

Question 16Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the genitive singular of the second-declension noun ὁ λόγος?

  1. λόγῳ
  2. λόγου Correct answer.
  3. λόγον
  4. λόγε

Explanation

Second-declension (o-stem) masculines like λόγος form the genitive singular with the ending -ου, giving λόγου ('of a word/speech'). This is one of the most frequent declension patterns in Attic prose.

Question 17Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the accusative plural of the first-declension noun ἡ τιμή ('honour')?

  1. τιμαῖς
  2. τιμήν
  3. τιμάς Correct answer.
  4. τιμῶν

Explanation

First-declension feminines in -ή keep η throughout the singular, but the accusative plural ending is -ᾰς (short alpha), giving τιμάς. Note the circumflex on τιμαῖς belongs to the dative plural, a common confusion.

Question 18Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the correct Attic genitive singular of ἡ πόλις ('city')?

  1. πόλεως Correct answer.
  2. πόλιος
  3. πόλις
  4. πόλειος

Explanation

Third-declension i-stems like πόλις have genitive singular πόλεως in Attic, with the characteristic -εως ending (from quantitative metathesis of -ηος). This pattern recurs constantly in Thucydides.

Question 19Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the accusative singular of ὁ βασιλεύς ('king')?

  1. βασιλῆ
  2. βασιλέως
  3. βασιλεῖ
  4. βασιλέα Correct answer.

Explanation

Nouns in -εύς form the accusative singular in -έα: βασιλέα. The whole paradigm (βασιλεύς, βασιλέως, βασιλεῖ, βασιλέα, βασιλεῦ) shows the quantitative metathesis typical of Attic.

Question 20Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the dative plural of ὁ πατήρ ('father')?

  1. πατράσι(ν) Correct answer.
  2. πατέρων
  3. πατέρας
  4. πατρί

Explanation

πατήρ is an r-stem noun with a 'swollen' stem πατερ- and a weak stem πατρ-. The dative plural uses the weak stem plus -σι(ν): πατράσι(ν). Compare μητράσι and θυγατράσι, which follow the same pattern.

Question 21Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the genitive singular of ἡ χείρ ('hand')?

  1. χερί
  2. χερσίν
  3. χειρός Correct answer.
  4. χεῖρα

Explanation

χείρ declines as a third-declension noun with genitive singular χειρός. The dative plural χερσί(ν) shows the stem alternation, but the genitive singular keeps the full diphthong.

Question 22Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In the sentence ὁ Κῦρος ἦρχε τῶν βαρβάρων ('Cyrus ruled the barbarians'), why is τῶν βαρβάρων in the genitive?

  1. Verbs of ruling and leading, like ἄρχω, govern the genitive Correct answer.
  2. It is a possessive genitive depending on Κῦρος
  3. It is a genitive of time within which
  4. It is a genitive absolute

Explanation

ἄρχω in the sense 'rule, command' takes a genitive object: Cyrus rules over the barbarians. Other verbs of this class include βασιλεύω and κρατέω. Recognising verb-government of cases is a core syntax skill for the paper.

Question 23Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The form ἀληθεῖς, from the adjective ἀληθής ('true'), is best identified as:

  1. accusative singular masculine
  2. genitive singular
  3. dative plural
  4. nominative plural masculine Correct answer.

Explanation

Adjectives in -ής, -ές (s-stems) like ἀληθής have nominative plural ἀληθεῖς (contracted from ἀληθέες). The same form serves as accusative plural, but among the options given only nominative plural is correct.

Question 24Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the regular comparative of the adjective εὐδαίμων ('fortunate, happy')?

  1. εὐδαιμονώτερος
  2. εὐδαιμονέστερος Correct answer.
  3. εὐδαίμονως
  4. εὐδαιμονέστατος

Explanation

Adjectives in -ων, -ον form the comparative with -έστερος: εὐδαιμονέστερος ('more fortunate'). The stem loses its nu before the suffix, and the superlative follows the same pattern: εὐδαιμονέστατος.

Question 25Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Which of the following is a superlative form of κακός ('bad')?

  1. κακίων
  2. κάκιον
  3. κάκιστος Correct answer.
  4. χείρων

Explanation

κακός has the irregular comparison κακίων / κάκιστος (alongside χείρων / χείριστος and ἥσσων / ἥκιστος). κάκιστος is therefore a genuine superlative: 'worst'. These suppletive comparisons are standard memorisation for the exam.

Question 26Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What does the phrase ὁ αὐτὸς ἀνήρ mean?

  1. the same man Correct answer.
  2. the man himself
  3. each man
  4. this man

Explanation

When αὐτός stands in attributive position with the article (ὁ αὐτὸς ἀνήρ), it means 'the same'. In predicative position (αὐτὸς ὁ ἀνήρ or ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτός) it means 'the man himself'. Word order with the article determines the sense.

Question 27Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In the clause ὅστις ταῦτα λέγει, ἄνοια λέγει, what is the force of the pronoun ὅστις?

  1. It refers to one specific, already identified speaker
  2. It is a direct interrogative meaning 'who?'
  3. It is a generalising indefinite relative: 'whoever / anyone who' Correct answer.
  4. It is a demonstrative meaning 'that man'

Explanation

ὅστις (ὅς + τις) is the indefinite relative pronoun, used for general statements: 'whoever says this speaks folly'. The simple relative ὅς would point to a definite antecedent, while ὅστις generalises.

Question 28Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the genitive singular of τὸ πῦρ ('fire')?

  1. πύρου
  2. πυρός Correct answer.
  3. πύρων
  4. πυρί

Explanation

τὸ πῦρ is a third-declension neuter with genitive πυρός and dative πυρί. English 'pyre' and 'pyromaniac' preserve the same stem. Note there is no contraction in this paradigm.

Question 29Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The form ναυσί(ν) is correctly identified as:

  1. genitive singular of ὁ ναύτης
  2. accusative plural of ἡ ναῦς
  3. dative singular of ἡ ναῦς
  4. dative plural of ἡ ναῦς Correct answer.

Explanation

ἡ ναῦς ('ship') has an irregular paradigm: ναῦς, νεώς, νηΐ, ναῦν; plural νῆες, νεῶν, ναυσί(ν), ναῦς. ναυσί(ν) is the dative plural - a form worth memorising because it looks nothing like the nominative.

Question 30Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the future active indicative, first person singular, of λύω?

  1. ἔλυσα
  2. λύσω Correct answer.
  3. λέλυκα
  4. λύοιμι

Explanation

λύω forms its future by adding sigma: λύσω ('I shall loose'). The future uses the same endings as the present, so the -σ- is the only marker distinguishing λύω (present) from λύσω (future).

Question 31Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The form ἔλυσα is best parsed as:

  1. first aorist active indicative of λύω Correct answer.
  2. imperfect active indicative of λύω
  3. aorist passive indicative of λύω
  4. perfect active indicative of λύω

Explanation

ἔλυσα has the augment ἐ- and the sigmatic aorist endings (-σα, -σας, -σε), making it the first aorist active: 'I loosed'. The imperfect would be ἔλυον without sigma.

Question 32Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The form ἐλύθην is:

  1. present passive of λύω
  2. imperfect active of λύω
  3. aorist passive of λύω Correct answer.
  4. perfect passive of λύω

Explanation

The marker -θη- with augment and active secondary endings signals the first aorist passive: ἐλύθην ('I was loosed'). This is the fifth principal part of λύω.

Question 33Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The form λέλυκα expresses:

  1. pluperfect active: 'I had loosed'
  2. aorist active: 'I loosed'
  3. imperfect: 'I was loosing'
  4. perfect active: 'I have loosed / I am in a state of having loosed' Correct answer.

Explanation

Reduplication (λε-) plus the kappa suffix marks the perfect active: λέλυκα. The perfect denotes a completed action with present relevance, not simply a past event.

Question 34Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the present active infinitive of τίθημι ('put, place')?

  1. θεῖναι
  2. τιθέναι Correct answer.
  3. τιθέντος
  4. τιθῆναι

Explanation

Athematic -μι verbs form the present infinitive with -έναι: τιθέναι. θεῖναι is the aorist active infinitive, built on the short-vowel root θε-.

Question 35Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In the sentence ἔστη ἐπὶ τοῦ λόφου, the form ἔστη is best explained as:

  1. intransitive (second) aorist of ἵστημι: 'he stood (still)' Correct answer.
  2. transitive present: 'he sets up'
  3. aorist passive: 'he was set up'
  4. imperfect: 'he was setting up'

Explanation

ἵστημι is transitive in the present, imperfect, and first aorist (ἔστησα, 'I set up'), but intransitive in the second aorist ἔστην ('I stood'), the perfect ἕστηκα ('I stand'), and the middle. ἔστη ἐπὶ τοῦ λόφου = 'he stood on the hill'.

Question 36Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Morphologically, the verb οἶδα ('I know') is:

  1. a present tense with reduplication
  2. an aorist with present meaning
  3. a perfect with present meaning Correct answer.
  4. a future used as a present

Explanation

οἶδα is the perfect of a root meaning 'see' (compare εἶδον), but it has present sense: 'I have seen, therefore I know'. Its pluperfect ᾔδη serves as the past 'I knew', and its infinitive is εἰδέναι.

Question 37Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The imperfect form ἔφη ('he said') comes from which verb?

  1. εἰμί
  2. φημί Correct answer.
  3. φέρω
  4. φαίνω

Explanation

ἔφη is the imperfect of the athematic verb φημί ('say'), very common in reported speech. φημί also has infinitive φάναι and participle φάς/φήσας.

Question 38Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In the clause ἵνα ταῦτα μάθωσι ('so that they may learn this'), the form μάθωσι is:

  1. present indicative of μανθάνω
  2. future indicative of μανθάνω
  3. present subjunctive of μανθάνω
  4. aorist subjunctive of μανθάνω Correct answer.

Explanation

μανθάνω has a second aorist ἔμαθον; the aorist subjunctive is μάθω, μάθῃς, μάθῃ ... μάθωσι. Purpose clauses with ἵνα normally take the aorist subjunctive for a single complete action.

Question 39Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The contracted form τιμῶμεν represents which uncontracted form?

  1. τιμάομεν (present indicative of τιμάω) Correct answer.
  2. τιμέομεν
  3. τιμάωμεν (present subjunctive)
  4. τιμήσομεν (future)

Explanation

Contract verbs in -άω contract α + ο/ω to ῶ: τιμάομεν → τιμῶμεν ('we honour'). The accent and the omega show the contraction; the subjunctive τιμῶμεν happens to look identical, so context decides.

Question 40Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

Which of the following is a characteristic use of the Greek optative mood?

  1. to give a direct command
  2. to state an observed fact in the present
  3. to express a wish or a potential/remote possibility Correct answer.
  4. to narrate a sequence of past events

Explanation

The optative expresses wishes (μὴ γένοιτο, 'may it not happen'), potential statements with ἄν ('could/would'), and remote conditions; it also replaces the indicative in indirect speech after a past-tense main verb. Commands use the imperative, facts the indicative.

Question 41Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What is the essential difference between the commands λῦε and λῦσον (both 'loose!')?

  1. voice: active versus middle
  2. aspect: ongoing or repeated action versus a single complete act Correct answer.
  3. person: second person versus third person
  4. tense: present time versus past time

Explanation

The present imperative λῦε commands an ongoing or repeated action ('keep loosing'), while the aorist imperative λῦσον commands a single, complete act ('loose it now'). This is aspect, not time: imperatives do not refer to past or present.

Question 42Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The second aorist form εἷλον is the aorist of which verb?

  1. ἁλίσκομαι
  2. ἑλίσσω
  3. ἕλκω
  4. αἱρέω Correct answer.

Explanation

αἱρέω ('take, choose') has a suppletive second aorist εἷλον (root ἑλ-). English 'heresy' comes from the same verb's noun αἵρεσις ('choice'). Suppletive stems like this are high-frequency exam material.

Question 43Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

ὄψομαι is the future of which present-tense verb?

  1. ὁράω Correct answer.
  2. ὀφείλω
  3. ὄλλυμι
  4. ὀπάζω

Explanation

ὁράω ('see') uses a suppletive future ὄψομαι and aorist εἶδον, with perfect ἑώρακα. The three stems ὁρα-/ὀπ-/ἰδ- all belong to one verb, a classic principal-parts trap.

Question 44Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The aorist form ἤνεγκον belongs to which verb?

  1. ἄγω
  2. οἴσω
  3. φέρω Correct answer.
  4. ἀναγκάζω

Explanation

φέρω ('carry, bear') has the reduplicated suppletive aorist ἤνεγκον and future οἴσω. Both forms must be learnt as principal parts of φέρω, since neither is predictable from the present stem.

Question 45Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The participle λυθείς (genitive λυθέντος) is:

  1. present passive participle of λύω
  2. aorist passive participle of λύω Correct answer.
  3. perfect active participle of λύω
  4. aorist active participle of λύω

Explanation

λυθείς, λυθέντος contains the aorist passive marker -θη- (reduced to -θε- in the participle): 'having been loosed'. Participles decline like third-declension adjectives and are essential for reading condensed Greek prose.

Question 46Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

What does the middle-voice form λούομαι normally mean?

  1. I am washed (by someone else)
  2. I wash (someone else)
  3. I was washed
  4. I wash myself / for my own benefit Correct answer.

Explanation

The middle voice signals that the subject acts on itself or in its own interest: λούομαι = 'I wash myself' (or 'I bathe'). The passive reading ('I am washed') is possible in context, but the classic middle sense is reflexive.

Question 47Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

The form ἐσμέν is correctly identified as:

  1. first plural present of εἰμί: 'we are' Correct answer.
  2. first plural present of εἶμι: 'we go'
  3. imperfect of εἰμί
  4. dative plural of a participle

Explanation

εἰμί ('be') conjugates: εἰμί, εἶ, ἐστί(ν), ἐσμέν, ἐστέ, εἰσί(ν). Note the accent on ἐσμέν and ἐστέ, which distinguishes these forms of 'be' from εἶμι ('go'): ἴμεν, ἴτε.

Question 48Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In the phrase ὁ τοῦ Περικλέους λόγος ('the speech of Pericles'), what case is τοῦ Περικλέους and what does it express?

  1. dative: the person addressed
  2. accusative: the object
  3. genitive: possession or origin Correct answer.
  4. nominative: the subject

Explanation

τοῦ Περικλέους is a genitive of possession/origin sandwiched between the article and its noun - the typical Attic attributive position: 'the of-Pericles speech', i.e. 'Pericles' speech'. Thucydides' Funeral Oration is introduced exactly this way.

Question 49Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In the sentence ἔπαισε τὸν παῖδα ῥάβδῳ ('he struck the boy with a stick'), the dative ῥάβδῳ expresses:

  1. place where
  2. instrument or means Correct answer.
  3. time when
  4. possession

Explanation

The dative without a preposition regularly marks the instrument or means: 'with a stick'. Place and time with the bare dative are largely restricted to fixed expressions (e.g. ταύτῃ, 'this way').

Question 50Ancient Greek morphology and syntax

In τῶν στρατιωτῶν φυγόντων, ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀπέθανεν, the words τῶν στρατιωτῶν φυγόντων form:

  1. a genitive absolute: 'the soldiers having fled' Correct answer.
  2. a partitive genitive depending on στρατηγός
  3. a genitive of agent
  4. a genitive of comparison

Explanation

A noun plus participle in the genitive, grammatically independent of the main clause, is a genitive absolute: 'the soldiers having fled, the general died'. It supplies background circumstances (time, cause, condition) and is one of the commonest constructions in Attic prose.