[*] 148. In many constructions in which the aorist participle follows a verb in the sense of the ordinary object infinitive (not in indirect discourse), it does not refer to past time, but differs from the present participle only as the aorist infinitive in such a construction would differ from the present (96). This applies especially to the participle with περιορῶ and ἐφορῶ (περιεῖδον, ἐπεῖδον), in the sense of allow, not interfere with, and ὁρῶ (εἶδον) permit and see (cf. 884 and 885). E.g.
- “Προσδεχόμενος τοὺς Ἀθηναίους κατοκνήσειν περιιδεῖν αὐτὴν [τὴν γῆν] τμηθεῖσαν, ἀνεῖχεν,” “expecting that they would be unwilling to see their land ravaged, etc.” THUC. ii. 18. But in ii. 20 we find the aorist infinitive, ἤλπιζεν τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἂν περιιδεῖν τμηθῆναι, would not let their land be ravaged, referring to precisely the same event from another point of view (see 903, 6).
- “Μὴ περιίδητε ἡμέας διαφθαρέντας,” “do not look on and see us destroyed.” HDT. iv. 118.
- “Οὐ μή σ᾽ ἐγὼ περιόψομαι ἀπελθόντα,” “I will by no means let you go.” AR. Ran. 509.
- “Ἔτλησαν ἐπιδεῖν ἐρήμην μὲν τὴν πόλιν γενομένην τὴν δὲ χώραν πορθουμένην, ἅπαντα δὲ τὸν πόλεμον περὶ τὴν πατρίδα τὴν αὑτῶν γιγνόμενον.” ISOC. iv. 96. (Here the aorist participle denotes the laying waste of the city (as a single act), while the presents denote the continuous ravaging of the country and the gradual coming on of a state of war. This is precisely the difference between the present and aorist infinitive in similar constructions.)
- “Ἐπεῖδον τὴν ἑαυτῶν πατρίδα ἀνάστατον γενομένην.” ANT. v. 79.
