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Question 1Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In an unseen passage of Attic prose you meet the form ἐλύθησαν. Which parsing is correct?

  1. imperfect middle indicative, 3rd person plural
  2. aorist passive indicative, 3rd person plural Correct answer.
  3. future passive indicative, 3rd person plural
  4. aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural

Explanation

The ending -θησαν is the standard aorist passive marker for the third person plural, built on the aorist passive stem λυθη-. The augment ἐ- confirms a past tense, and -σαν is the plural secondary ending, so the form cannot be future or imperfect middle.

Question 2Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

A Greek sentence begins Ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐκέλευσεν… Which case and function does τοὺς στρατιώτας have in this construction?

  1. accusative, direct object of the infinitive that follows Correct answer.
  2. accusative, subject of the infinitive that follows
  3. dative, indirect object of ἐκέλευσεν
  4. genitive, object of a verb of commanding

Explanation

κελεύω takes an accusative of the person ordered, and when an infinitive completes the command that accusative is the object of the main verb while also serving as the logical subject of the infinitive. The article τούς guarantees the accusative plural masculine.

Question 3Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which translation best captures the force of the particle combination in: ἆρ᾽ οὐχ ὁ ἀνὴρ σοφός ἐστιν;

  1. If only the man were wise.
  2. Surely the man is not wise, is he?
  3. The man is wise, then.
  4. Is the man not wise? Correct answer.

Explanation

ἆρα introduces a direct question and οὐ negatives the whole clause, producing a question expecting the answer 'yes'. The combination ἆρ᾽ οὐ is therefore best rendered 'is it not the case that…?', not as an expression of doubt or wish.

Question 4Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the phrase οἱ περὶ τὸν Σωκράτη, how is the prepositional phrase best understood?

  1. the people before Socrates in time
  2. those who are physically around Socrates
  3. the people against Socrates
  4. Socrates and his associates Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom οἱ περί τινα is a standard periphrasis meaning 'X and those with him'. The accusative after περί here is idiomatic and does not denote hostile opposition or temporal priority.

Question 5Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which form is the correct aorist passive infinitive of λύω?

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

Explanation

The aorist passive infinitive adds -ῆναι to the aorist passive stem λυθη-, giving λυθῆναι. The accent is recessive but the long -η- of the suffix keeps it on the penult.

Question 6Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In a passage of Homeric verse you read τὸν δ᾽ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πόδας ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς. What is the metrical function of πόδας ὠκύς?

  1. a formulaic epithet filling the line's closing dactyls Correct answer.
  2. a vocative address to Achilles
  3. an indirect object governed by προσέφη
  4. a simile introduced by the poet

Explanation

πόδας ὠκύς is a fixed Homeric epithet attached to Achilles and shaped to fill the final metrical positions of the hexameter. Such noun-epithet formulae are a defining feature of oral hexameter style.

Question 7Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which of these clauses uses the optative in its characteristic 'potential' sense?

  1. εἰ ταῦτα ἀληθῆ ἐστιν, μακάριος εἶ
  2. εἴ σε εἴδοιμεν, περιχαρεῖς ἂν εἴημεν Correct answer.
  3. ἐὰν τοῦτο ποιήσῃς, ἀγανακτήσω
  4. ἐπειδὴ ἀφίκοντο, ἐδείπνησαν

Explanation

The optative with the particle ἄν expresses what could or would happen in a hypothetical situation, here 'we would be overjoyed'. The protasis with εἰ plus optative marks the condition as remote or imagined.

Question 8Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

A genitive absolute appears as τούτων λεχθέντων. Which rendering is correct?

  1. when these things had been said Correct answer.
  2. these things having said something
  3. he said these things
  4. because he was speaking to them

Explanation

A genitive absolute consists of a participle and a noun or pronoun in the genitive that is grammatically independent of the main clause. The aorist passive participle λεχθέντων gives the sense 'when these things had been said'.

Question 9Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ἔπεμψαν πρέσβεις περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, what does the preposition περί with the genitive express?

  1. around, near
  2. concerning, about Correct answer.
  3. against
  4. beyond, past

Explanation

περί with the genitive regularly means 'concerning' or 'about', and this is its standard use with verbs of speaking, deliberating, and sending envoys. The accusative and dative uses of περί carry different spatial senses.

Question 10Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which translation correctly captures the difference between οὐ and μή in a purpose clause such as ἀπέπλευσαν ὅπως μὴ ληφθεῖεν;

  1. They did not sail away so that they might be captured.
  2. They sailed away so that they might not be captured. Correct answer.
  3. They sailed away although they were not captured.
  4. They sailed away and were not captured.

Explanation

In subordinate clauses of purpose and in other non-factual contexts, the negative is μή rather than οὐ. The main verb remains affirmative, so the negation belongs to the purpose clause alone.

Question 11Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the line ὦ φίλοι, οὐκ ἔστιν θνητὸν ἔτι σῶμα, what does the placement of the vocative ὦ φίλοι indicate?

  1. the group is the grammatical object of a verb
  2. the speaker is quoting someone else
  3. the speaker is addressing a group directly Correct answer.
  4. the phrase is a conditional protasis

Explanation

ὦ with the vocative marks direct address to one or more persons, and the plural φίλοι shows several addressees. The rest of the clause then makes a statement to that audience.

Question 12Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which of these forms is a perfect middle/passive participle, masculine nominative singular?

  1. λελυκώς
  2. λυθείς
  3. λελυμένος Correct answer.
  4. λύων

Explanation

The perfect middle/passive participle is formed from the reduplicated perfect stem plus -μένος, -μένη, -μένον, giving λελυμένος. The reduplication and the -μένος suffix together identify it.

Question 13Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence εἰ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν, ἀπέθανεν ἄν, what does the combination of aorist indicative in the protasis with ἄν in the apodosis express?

  1. a simple factual statement
  2. a present general condition
  3. an unfulfilled past condition Correct answer.
  4. a future more vivid condition

Explanation

The past counterfactual condition uses εἰ with the aorist or imperfect indicative in the protasis and the same tense with ἄν in the apodosis. It implies that the condition was not in fact fulfilled.

Question 14Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

A prose passage contains the phrase οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν αὐτῷ ἀπελθεῖν. Which translation is correct?

  1. It was not fitting that he should have departed.
  2. He did not wish to depart.
  3. He was not allowed to be seen departing.
  4. It was not possible for him to depart. Correct answer.

Explanation

οἷόν τε (with ἐστίν) is the standard Attic idiom for 'possible', and the dative αὐτῷ marks the person for whom the possibility holds. The infinitive ἀπελθεῖν completes the impersonal expression.

Question 15Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the opening of a narrative, the form ἐτύγχανε παρών is best translated how?

  1. he happened to have arrived
  2. he was present by chance later
  3. he was present and then left
  4. he happened to be present Correct answer.

Explanation

τυγχάνω with a present participle means 'happen to be doing something', and the imperfect ἐτύγχανε gives past time. The participle παρών supplies the action that was happening by chance.

Question 16Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which rendering best captures the force of δή in the sentence σὺ δὴ ταῦτα λέγεις;

  1. If only you said these things.
  2. You say these things, as is well known.
  3. Do you really say these things? Correct answer.
  4. Then you should say these things.

Explanation

δή adds emphasis and often conveys impatience or incredulity, especially in questions. Here it sharpens the challenge rather than marking inference or a wish.

Question 17Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the phrase τοῖς νικῶσι τὰ ἄθλα δίδοται, what is the function of τοῖς νικῶσι?

  1. dative of time
  2. dative of agent with an active verb
  3. dative of the person receiving, with a passive verb Correct answer.
  4. dative of means

Explanation

With a passive verb, the dative can mark the person who receives something, here the prizes. The dative of agent with a passive verb would normally require ὑπό plus the genitive for a person.

Question 18Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which of the following is the correct parsing of the form ἐλύσαντο?

  1. aorist middle indicative, 3rd person plural Correct answer.
  2. future middle indicative, 3rd person plural
  3. imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural
  4. aorist passive indicative, 3rd person plural

Explanation

The ending -σαντο is the secondary middle ending for the third person plural, and the augment ἐ- marks past time. The sigmatic aorist middle stem λυσα- gives ἐλύσαντο, 'they ransomed for themselves'.

Question 19Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In a passage of Greek verse you encounter the phrase ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων, with the first syllable of ἀνδρῶν scanned long. What explains the scansion?

  1. the vowel is lengthened before a following vowel
  2. the vowel is lengthened by metrical necessity at line end
  3. the vowel is long by nature Correct answer.
  4. the vowel is lengthened before a following consonant cluster

Explanation

In dactylic hexameter the alpha of ἀνήρ and its compounds is long by nature, so ἀνδρῶν scans with a long first syllable. This is a lexical quantity, not positional lengthening.

Question 20Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ ἅπαντα ἐγένετο, what does the demonstrative phrase express?

  1. cause, 'because of this'
  2. place, 'in this place'
  3. manner, 'in this way' Correct answer.
  4. time, 'at this moment'

Explanation

The dative of τρόπος with a demonstrative is the standard idiom for manner, 'in this way'. The dative of manner normally takes an attributive such as τούτῳ.

Question 21Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

A prose author writes οἱ μὲν ἔφυγον, οἱ δὲ ἀπέθανον. Which description of the construction is correct?

  1. μὲν… δέ marks a contrast between two groups Correct answer.
  2. μὲν… δέ introduces indirect speech
  3. μὲν… δέ marks a temporal sequence
  4. μὲν… δέ introduces a conditional clause

Explanation

The paired particles μέν and δέ set up a contrast or antithesis between two clauses or groups, here those who fled and those who died. They do not by themselves mark time, condition, or reported speech.

Question 22Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the line ὡς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἄστρα φαεινὴν ἀμφὶ σελήνην, what is the function of ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε?

  1. it introduces a purpose clause
  2. it introduces a temporal clause of past time
  3. it introduces an epic simile Correct answer.
  4. it introduces an indirect question

Explanation

The formula ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε (or οἷος δ᾽ ὅτε) introduces a Homeric simile comparing the main action to a natural scene. The comparison then unfolds in the following lines before the main narrative resumes.

Question 23Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

Which translation correctly renders the impersonal construction δεῖ σε ἀπιέναι?

  1. You are needed to have gone away.
  2. You must go away. Correct answer.
  3. It is necessary that I go away.
  4. You ought to have gone away.

Explanation

δεῖ is impersonal and takes an accusative of the person who must act, here σε, plus a complementary infinitive. The present infinitive ἀπιέναι refers to the obligation in the present, not a past obligation.

Question 24Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ἔλεγεν ὅτι οἱ πολέμιοι ἀπίοιεν, what does the optative ἀπίοιεν indicate?

  1. the reported statement is a command
  2. the reported statement is a future intention
  3. the reported statement is certainly true
  4. the reported statement is presented as the speaker's own words in past time Correct answer.

Explanation

After a secondary tense main verb, indirect statement with ὅτι may use the optative to represent the original indicative, a usage often called oblique optative. It marks reported speech without asserting the truth of the report.

Question 25Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In a passage of Attic oratory you read ὃς οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τοὺς νόμους ἔλυσεν. What is the force of οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ here?

  1. anything rather than
  2. something more than
  3. nothing other than, i.e. simply Correct answer.
  4. nothing at all, not even

Explanation

The idiom οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ means 'nothing other than' and serves to emphasise the following noun, here 'he simply broke the laws'. It is a strong intensifier, not a negation of the following phrase.

Question 26Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In an unseen passage of Attic prose you meet the form λελυκότες. Which parsing and translation is correct?

  1. perfect active participle, masculine nominative plural, 'having loosed' Correct answer.
  2. aorist active participle, masculine nominative plural, 'having loosed'
  3. perfect active participle, masculine accusative plural, 'having loosed'
  4. present active participle, masculine nominative plural, 'loosing'

Explanation

The reduplicated stem λελυκ- with the suffix -οτ- marks the perfect active participle, and the nominative plural masculine ending -ες appears as -ες after the dental. The perfect participle denotes a completed state resulting from the action, so 'having loosed' captures it better than a simple present participle.

Question 27Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

A narrator writes: τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀφικομένων ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐξῆλθεν. Which rendering best captures the construction?

  1. The soldiers arrived and the general marched out
  2. When the soldiers had arrived, the general marched out Correct answer.
  3. If the soldiers arrive, the general will march out
  4. The general marched out to meet the arriving soldiers

Explanation

A genitive absolute consists of a noun or pronoun in the genitive plus a participle in the genitive, grammatically independent of the main clause. It is normally rendered by a subordinate clause of time, cause, or circumstance. Here the aorist participle ἀφικομένων points to action prior to the main verb.

Question 28Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ἀπέκτειναν τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους φοβούμενοι τοὺς Πέρσας, how is the participle φοβούμενοι best translated?

  1. who were afraid of the Persians
  2. in order to frighten the Persians
  3. although they feared the Persians
  4. because they feared the Persians Correct answer.

Explanation

A present participle without the article often gives the reason or circumstance of the main action. Here φοβούμενοι agrees with the subject of ἀπέκτειναν and states why they killed the prisoners. The causal 'because' brings out that relation clearly.

Question 29Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

You read: ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔφη ταῦτα ἀληθῆ εἶναι. Which translation is correct?

  1. The man said that these things were not true
  2. The man denied that these things were true Correct answer.
  3. The man did not say that these things were true
  4. The man said these things were not truly said

Explanation

With verbs of saying and thinking, οὐ in the accusative-and-infinitive construction is normally taken with the introductory verb rather than with the infinitive. Thus οὐκ ἔφη ταῦτα ἀληθῆ εἶναι means 'he denied that these things were true'. This idiom is standard in Attic prose and oratory.

Question 30Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the phrase οἱ μὲν πολέμιοι ἔφυγον, οἱ δὲ ὑπέμειναν, what does the μέν… δέ construction signal?

  1. a temporal sequence, first one event then the other
  2. a contrast between two groups Correct answer.
  3. a conditional relation between the clauses
  4. a comparison of degree

Explanation

The paired particles μέν and δέ regularly mark a contrast or antithesis between two clauses, here between the enemies who fled and those who stood their ground. μέν anticipates the δέ clause, which supplies the counterbalancing statement.

Question 31Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In a passage of Homer you read the phrase πολλὰ δὲ καὶ μεγάλα. How are the adjectives πολλὰ and μεγάλα functioning?

  1. as feminine dual forms modifying a pair of nouns
  2. as adverbs formed from adjectives of quantity
  3. as neuter plural accusatives, the objects of an implied verb Correct answer.
  4. as masculine singular nominatives describing a single hero

Explanation

The endings -ά on πολλά and μεγάλα are neuter plural accusative, the common form for objects in Greek verse. In such phrases the adjectives stand substantivally, with the governing verb supplied by the context. Recognizing the neuter plural accusative prevents misreading them as nominatives.

Question 32Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

You encounter the form βληθῆναι. Which parsing is correct?

  1. aorist passive infinitive of βάλλω Correct answer.
  2. future middle infinitive of βάλλω
  3. present passive infinitive of βάλλω
  4. aorist active infinitive of βάλλω

Explanation

The ending -θῆναι marks the aorist passive infinitive, built on the passive stem βλη-. The form βληθῆναι therefore means 'to be thrown' or 'to have been thrown'. This ending contrasts with the present passive infinitive βάλλεσθαι.

Question 33Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the phrase εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐλθὼν ὁ Σωκράτης διελέγετο, what does the aorist participle ἐλθών express?

  1. an action simultaneous with the main verb
  2. an action repeated throughout the main action
  3. an action that the subject intended but did not perform
  4. an action completed before the main verb Correct answer.

Explanation

The aorist participle normally denotes action prior to that of the main verb, so Socrates first came into the market and then conversed. The present participle would suggest simultaneous action. This distinction between aorist and present participles is a key translation point in unseen prose.

Question 34Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ἐὰν ταῦτα πράξωμεν, καλῶς ἡμῖν ἕξει, what does the construction ἐάν with the subjunctive express?

  1. a wish for the future
  2. a past contrary-to-fact condition
  3. a future more vivid condition Correct answer.
  4. a general relative clause

Explanation

The combination of ἐάν with the subjunctive in the protasis, followed by a future or present indicative in the apodosis, forms the future more vivid condition. It presents the condition as a real possibility in the future. The apodosis ἕξει is future indicative, confirming the type.

Question 35Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

You read: ἔλεξεν ὅτι οὐδέποτε τοιαῦτα ἀκούσειεν. How is the optative ἀκούσειεν best explained?

  1. It is due to indirect statement after a secondary tense, representing an original future or potential form Correct answer.
  2. It expresses a wish that the speaker hopes will come true
  3. It marks a purpose clause after a verb of speaking
  4. It is a potential optative in an independent clause

Explanation

After a secondary tense such as ἔλεξεν, indirect statement may put the subordinate verb in the optative, a construction called oblique optative. Here it represents what the speaker originally said, and the future or potential force of the original is retained. The negative οὐδέποτε belongs to the reported statement.

Question 36Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς τοὺς μὲν ἀπέπεμψε, τοὺς δὲ κατέσχεν, how is the second δέ best rendered?

  1. 'but' or 'whereas', marking the contrast with the first group Correct answer.
  2. 'then', marking a sequence in time
  3. 'indeed', adding emphasis without contrast
  4. 'therefore', marking a logical conclusion

Explanation

In a μέν… δέ pair the δέ clause balances and contrasts with the μέν clause. Here the general sent one group away and detained the other, so 'but' or 'whereas' brings out the antithesis. The particle itself is not temporal or inferential.

Question 37Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the line ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ πέμπτον ἔτος ἦλθεν, what is the force of δή in this temporal phrase?

  1. It marks a question
  2. It marks a conditional clause
  3. It intensifies the temporal expression, giving 'when at last the fifth year came' Correct answer.
  4. It negates the clause

Explanation

δή is an emphatic particle that often strengthens the word it follows, especially in temporal expressions, adding the sense of 'precisely' or 'at last'. In ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δή it heightens the moment of arrival. It does not change the clause type.

Question 38Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

You read the line σοφὸς δ᾽ ἐκεῖνος ἦν. Which description of the word order is correct?

  1. The adjective is in the comparative degree
  2. The predicate adjective is fronted for emphasis before the subject and verb Correct answer.
  3. The adjective is attributive and modifies ἐκεῖνος
  4. The adjective is adverbial and modifies ἦν

Explanation

In Greek prose and verse the predicate adjective may be placed first for emphasis, especially when it carries the main point of the sentence. Here σοφός stands in the predicate position, separated from the article-less subject ἐκεῖνος, and is best rendered 'that man was wise'. Word order in Greek is flexible and often rhetorical.

Question 39Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the phrase οἱ νεανίαι τοῖς γέρουσιν ἠκολούθουν, what case is τοῖς γέρουσιν and why?

  1. genitive, because it depends on a verb of ruling
  2. vocative, because the elders are being addressed
  3. dative, because the verb ἀκολουθέω takes a dative of the person followed Correct answer.
  4. accusative, because it is the direct object of ἠκολούθουν

Explanation

Verbs of following, obeying, and serving regularly take the dative of the person or thing followed. ἀκολουθέω is one of these, so τοῖς γέρουσιν is a dative of the person followed. The accusative would be used with verbs of motion construed with a direct object.

Question 40Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ἡ πόλις ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἑάλω, how is the agent expressed?

  1. by ὑπό with the genitive Correct answer.
  2. by the genitive alone
  3. by the dative alone
  4. by the accusative alone

Explanation

With passive verbs the personal agent is normally expressed by ὑπό with the genitive. Here ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων states who captured the city. The dative without a preposition may express means or instrument, not the personal agent.

Question 41Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

You read the line ὡς δὲ λύκοι ἄρνες ἐφόβησαν. What is the force of ὡς in this comparison?

  1. It introduces a temporal clause meaning 'until'
  2. It introduces a purpose clause, 'in order that'
  3. It introduces a simile, 'as when wolves frightened lambs' Correct answer.
  4. It introduces indirect statement, 'that'

Explanation

In epic and lyric poetry ὡς followed by a clause often introduces a simile or comparison, especially in the formulaic pattern ὡς δέ or ὡς ὅτε. Here the clause compares the action to wolves frightening lambs. The comparison is signaled by the particle δέ and the vivid imagery.

Question 42Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence δεῖ τοὺς πολίτας μάχεσθαι, what is the construction of μάχεσθαι?

  1. a participle modifying τοὺς πολίτας
  2. a future infinitive expressing intention
  3. an infinitive completing the impersonal δεῖ Correct answer.
  4. a present imperative addressed to the citizens

Explanation

δεῖ is an impersonal verb meaning 'it is necessary', and it is completed by an accusative and infinitive construction. Here τοὺς πολίτας is the accusative subject and μάχεσθαι the infinitive. The whole means 'it is necessary for the citizens to fight'.

Question 43Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the passage οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι, ἐπεὶ τὰ σῖτα ἐπελιπε, ἀνεχώρησαν, what does ἐπεί introduce?

  1. a conditional clause, 'if the food runs out'
  2. a temporal clause, 'when the food ran out' Correct answer.
  3. a concessive clause, 'although the food ran out'
  4. a causal clause, 'because the food was plentiful'

Explanation

ἐπεί is a temporal conjunction meaning 'when' or 'after', and it can also carry a causal coloring. Here the aorist ἐπέλιπε states the event that prompted the withdrawal, so 'when the food ran out' fits best. The clause is subordinate to the main verb ἀνεχώρησαν.

Question 44Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the line ἀνδρῶν ἡρώων, which metrical feature explains the scansion of the first syllable of ἀνδρῶν as long?

  1. Positional length before the following consonant cluster Correct answer.
  2. The influence of the preceding word-final vowel
  3. Hiatus at the word boundary
  4. Length by nature as a long vowel

Explanation

In Greek quantitative meter a short vowel followed by two or more consonants is scanned long by position. In ἀνδρῶν the vowel is followed by the cluster -νδρ-, which closes the syllable and makes it heavy. This is a standard technique for scanning epic hexameter.

Question 45Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ὁρῶν τοὺς πολεμίους προσιόντας ὁ φύλαξ ἐσήμηνεν, how is the participle ὁρῶν best translated?

  1. 'having been seen', expressing prior action
  2. 'if he saw', expressing a condition
  3. 'seeing', expressing the circumstance under which the guard signaled Correct answer.
  4. 'to see', expressing purpose

Explanation

The present participle ὁρῶν agrees with the subject ὁ φύλαξ and describes the circumstance or reason for the main action. A present participle commonly expresses action simultaneous with the main verb. Here 'seeing the enemy approaching' fits the narrative.

Question 46Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησεν ταῦτα ἄνευ σοῦ, what is the force of ἂν with the aorist indicative?

  1. It marks a future condition
  2. It marks a wish for the present
  3. It marks a past potential or contrary-to-fact statement Correct answer.
  4. It marks a purpose clause

Explanation

The combination of ἄν with the aorist or imperfect indicative in a main clause expresses what would or could have happened, often contrary to fact. Here οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησεν means 'he would not have done'. The implied protasis is supplied by ἄνευ σοῦ.

Question 47Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the line αὐτὰρ ὁ βῆ ῥ᾽ ἴμεν, what does the particle ῥά (ῥ᾽) contribute?

  1. It adds a connective or explanatory coloring, often rendered 'then' or 'and so' Correct answer.
  2. It negates the verb
  3. It changes the verb to a subjunctive
  4. It marks a question

Explanation

The epic particle ῥά or ἄρα is a connective and explanatory particle, often untranslatable but sometimes rendered 'then', 'so', or 'as it happened'. It does not affect the mood or negation of the verb. Recognizing it helps the reader follow the narrative flow in Homer.

Question 48Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτως ἔσχεν, what is the best rendering of ἔσχεν?

  1. 'turned out' or 'was', with the phrase meaning 'and that is how matters stood' Correct answer.
  2. 'stopped', with the phrase meaning 'and he stopped here'
  3. 'held', with the phrase meaning 'and he held these things'
  4. 'will have', with the phrase meaning 'and he will have these things'

Explanation

The verb ἔχω in the aorist with an adverbial expression such as οὕτως can mean 'to be in a certain state' or 'to turn out'. The idiom καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτως ἔσχεν closes a narrative section, meaning 'and that is how matters stood'. The subject is the situation, not a person.

Question 49Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In a passage of Attic prose you read ὥσπερ οἱ νομοθέται ἔταξαν. What is the function of ὥσπερ here?

  1. It introduces a condition, 'if the lawgivers ordained'
  2. It introduces a comparison, 'just as the lawgivers ordained' Correct answer.
  3. It introduces a result clause, 'so that the lawgivers ordained'
  4. It introduces a purpose clause, 'in order that the lawgivers might ordain'

Explanation

ὥσπερ is a comparative conjunction meaning 'just as' or 'exactly as'. It introduces a clause that illustrates or parallels the main statement. Here it compares the present situation to the ordinances of lawgivers. It is distinct from ὥστε, which marks result.

Question 50Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse

In the sentence ἦν δὲ ὁ ἀγὼν περὶ τῶν ὅπλων, what does περί with the genitive express?

  1. the instrument by which the contest was won
  2. the place around which the contest occurred
  3. the time during which the contest lasted
  4. the subject or stake of the contest, 'about the arms' Correct answer.

Explanation

περί with the genitive commonly expresses the subject or matter about which something is said, thought, or contested. Here the prize or issue at stake is the arms. The genitive after περί is not locative or instrumental.