[*] 207. Descriptive imperfect. The imperfect is employed to represent manners, customs, situations, to describe and to particularize. “ἧς” (sc. “τῆς βουλῆς”) “ἐπιστατούσης οὐ δικῶν οὐδ᾽ ἐγκλημάτων οὐδ᾽ εἰσφορῶν οὐδὲ πενίας οὐδὲ πολέμων ἡ πόλις ἔγεμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡσυχίαν εἶχον καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας εἰρήνην ἦγον. παρεῖχον . . . διῆγον . . . ἐποίουν . . . ἐδοκίμαζον”, ISOC.7.51-3, a description of the good old times. “ἡ δὲ γυνὴ τοῦ βασιλέος αὐτὴ τὰ σιτία σφι ἔπεσσε”, HDT.8.137; The queen herself would cook them their food. “τῶν δὲ πολεμίων, ἐπεὶ φῶς ἐγένετο, οἱ μὲν ἐθαύμαζον τὰ δρώμενα, οἱ δ᾽ ἐγίγνωσκον ἤδη, οἱ δ᾽ ἤγγελλον, οἱ δ᾽ ἐβόων, οἱ δ᾽ ἔλυον ἵππους”, and so on to the number of 16 imperfects, XEN. Cyr. 4.2.28. “προηγόρει δὲ αὐτῶν Θηραμένης”, Hell. 2.2.22; Theramenes was their spokesman. ISOC.7.51-3 (see above). LYS. 12.8-9: “ἐγὼ δὲ Πείσωνα μὲν ἠρώτων εἰ βούλοιτό με σῶσαι χρήματα λαβών: ὁ δ᾽ ἔφασκεν, εἰ πολλὰ εἴη” . PLATO, Theaet. 143A: “καὶ ὁσάκις Ἀθήναζε ἀφικοίμην, ἐπανηρώτων τὸν Σωκράτη ὃ μὴ ἐμεμνήμην, καὶ δεῦρο ἐλθὼν ἐπηνωρθούμην”. XEN. Cyr. 4.2.28 (see above). Hell. 2.2.22 (see above). Ibid. 2.4.33: “ἠκόντιζον, ἔβαλλον, ἐτόξευον, ἐσφενδόνων”. Ibid. 4.3.19: “ἐωθοῦντο, ἐμάχοντο, ἀπέκτεινόν, ἀπέθνῃσκον”. Ibid. 6.4.36: “εἴχετο τοῦ ῥόπτρου, ἕως ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ”. Ibid. 7.2.6-8. (In the spirited account of the fight the imperfect outnumbers the aorist 5 to 1.) THUC.3.81.3: “ὡς ἑώρων τὰ γιγνόμενα, διέφθειρον αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἀλλήλους καὶ ἐκ τῶν δένδρων τινὲς ἀπήγχοντο, οἱ δ᾽ ὡς ἕκαστοι: ἐδύναντο ἀνηλοῦντο”. HDT.7.173: “ἐστρατήγεε δὲ Λακεδαιμονίων . . . Εὐαίνετος”. 8.137 (see above). AR. Ach. 185: “ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἔφευγον: οἱ δ᾽ ἐδίωκον κἀβόων”. Eq. 46-8: “οὗτος καταγνοὐς τοῦ γέροντος τοὺς τρόπους”, | . . . | “ᾔκαλλ̓, ἐθώπεὐ, ἐκολάκεὐ, ἐξηπάτα”. Av. 1282: “ἐκόμων, ἐπείνων, ἐρρύπων, ἐσωκράτων” . EUR. Hipp. 1194-8: “ἐπῆγε . . . εἱπόμεσθα . . . εἰσεβάλλομεν”. SOPH. Ai. 298-300: “ηὐχένιζε . . . ἔσφαζε κὰρράχιζε . . . ᾐκίζεθ᾽” . AESCHYL. Pers. 416-26: “ἔθραυον . . . ἔθεινον . . . ὑπτιοῦτο . . . ἐπλήθυον . . . ἠρέσσετο . . . ἔπαιον, ἐρράχιζον”. PIND. P. 4.240-1: “ὤρεγον χεῖρας . . . ἔρεπτον . . . ἀγαπάζοντ”（“ο”). HOM. Od. 1.110-2: “οἱ μὲν ἄρ᾽ οἶνον ἔμισγον . . . οἱ δ”（“ὲ”) . . . “τραπέζας νίζον καὶ πρότιθεν, τοὶ δὲ κρέα πολλὰ δατεῦντο”. Il. 1.249: “τοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ γλώσσης μέλιτος γλυκίων ῥέεν αὐδή”.
Syntax of Classical Greek from Homer to Demosthenes. Basil L. Gildersleeve. New York. American Book Company. 1900.
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