[*] 259. Empirical aorist. But when the aorist has a temporal adverb or a negative or a numeral with it, it is best referred to the same class with the English perfect of experience (empirical aorist). “πολλάκις . . . δεσπόται ὀργιζόμενοι μείζω κακὰ ἔπαθον ἢ ἐποίησαν,” XEN. Hell. 5.3.7 : Often have masters suffered from anger greater evils than they have inflicted. LYCURG.79: “τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πολλοὶ ἤδη ἐξαπατήσαντες καὶ διαλαθόντες οὐ μόνον τῶν παρόντων κινδύνων ἀπελύθησαν ἀλλὰ κτἑ”. PLATO, Phaedr. 234B: “τοὺς μὲν ἐρῶντας οἱ φίλοι νουθετοῦσιν . . . τοῖς δὲ μὴ ἐρῶσιν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τῶν οἰκείων ἐμέμψατο”. XEN. Hell. 5.3.7 (see above). Oec. 5.18: “καὶ πρόβατα δ᾽ ἐνίοτε κάλλιστα τεθραμμένα νόσος ἐλθοῦσα κάκιστα ἀπώλεσεν”. Cf. [R. A.] 2.20: “ὅστις δὲ μὴ ὢν τοῦ δήμου εἵλετο ἐν δημοκρατουμένῃ πόλει οἰκεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν ὀλιγαρχουμένῃ, ἀδικεῖν παρεσκ ευάσατο καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι κτἑ”. HDT.2.68: “γλῶσσαν δὲ μοῦνον θηρίων οὐκ ἔφυσε”. 3.53: “πολλοὶ δὲ ἤδη τὰ μητρώια διζήμενοι τὰ πατρώια ἀπέβαλον”. COM. Men. 4.346.205: “ἡ γλῶσσα πολλοὺς εἰς ὄλεθρον ἤγαγεν”. EUR. fr. 360.28-9: “τὰ μητέρων δὲ δάκρὐ ὅταν πέμπῃ τέκνα”, | “πολλοὺς ἐθήλυν᾽ εἰς μάχην ὁρμωμένους”. PIND. O. 1.31-3: “χάρις δ᾽, ἅπερ ἅπαντα τεύχει τὰ μείλιχα θνατοῖς”, | . . . “καὶ ἄπιστον ἐμήσατο πιστὸν” | “ἔμμεναι τὸ πολλάκις”. N. 11.39-41: “ἐν σχερῷ δ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ὦν μέλαιναι καρπὸν ἔδωκαν ἄρουραι”, | “δένδρεά τ᾽ οὐκ ἐθέλει πάσαις ἐτέων περόδοις” | “ἄνθος εὐῶδες φέρειν”. THEOGN. 137-8: “πολλάκι γὰρ δοκέων θήσειν κακόν, ἐσθλὸν ἔθηκεν:” | “καί τε δοκῶν θήσειν ἐσθλόν, ἔθηκε κακόν”. 605: “πολλῷ τοι πλέονας λιμοῦ κόρος ὤλεσεν ἤδη”. 639-640: “πολλάκι παρ δόξαν τε καὶ ἐλπίδα γίνεται εὖ ῥεῖν” | “ἔργ᾽ ἀνδρῶν, βουλαῖς δ᾽ οὐκ ἐπέγεντο τέλος”. HES. O. et D. 240-247: “πολλάκι . . . ἀπηύρα, . . . ἐπήγαγε . . . ἀποφθινύθουσι . . . τίκτουσιν, μινύθουσι . . . ἀπώλεσεν . . . ἀποαίνυται”. HOM. Il. 2.117-8: “ὃς δὴ πολλάων πολίων κατέλυσε κάρηνα” | “ἠδ᾽ ἔτι καὶ λύσει”. (This example is very instructive as to the conception of the empirical aorist.)
Syntax of Classical Greek from Homer to Demosthenes. Basil L. Gildersleeve. New York. American Book Company. 1900.
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