This text is part of:
Table of Contents:
[*] 2152. The Impersonal (Active) Construction.—The impersonal verbal stands in the neuter nominative, usually singular (-τέον), rarely plural (-τέα^). Its object stands in the case (genitive, dative, or accusative) required by the verb from which the verbal adjective is derived; verbs taking the genitive or dative have the impersonal construction only. The agent, if expressed, must always stand in the dative. ““τῷ ἀδικοῦντι δοτέον δίκην” the wrong-doer must suffer punishment” P. Euth. 8c, ““πιστὰ καὶ ὁμήρους δοτέον καὶ ληπτέον” we must give and receive pledges and hostages” X. H. 3.2.18, ““τὸν θάνατον ἡμῖν μετ᾽ εὐδοξία_ς αἱρετέον ἐστίν” we must prefer death with honour” I. 6.91, ““πειστέον πατρὸς λόγοις” I must obey my father's commands” E. Hipp. 1182, πειστέον τάδε (σοί) thou must obey in this S. Ph. 994 (distinguish πειστέον ἐστί σε one must persuade thee), ““φημὶ δὴ βοηθητέον εἶναι τοῖς πρά_γμασιν ὑ_μῖν” I say that you must render assistance to the interests at stake” D. 1.17, τοὺς φίλους εὐεργετητέον, τὴν πόλιν ὠφελητέον . . ., τῶν βοσκημάτων ἐπιμελητέον you must do good to your friends, benefit your State, take care of your flocks X. M. 2.1.28, ““ἡμῖν ξύμμαχοι ἀγαθοί, οὓς οὐ παραδοτέα τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐστίν” we have serviceable allies, whom we must not abandon to the Athenians” T. 1.86, ἐψηφίσαντο . . . πολεμητέα εἶναι they voted that they must go to war 1. 88. a. Since the impersonal construction is virtually active, and hence equivalent to δεῖ with the accusative and infinitive (active or middle), the agent sometimes stands in the accusative, as if dependent on δεῖ. The copula is (perhaps) always omitted when the agent is expressed by the accusative. Thus, τὸν βουλόμενον εὐδαίμονα εἶναι σωφροσύνην διωκτέον καὶ ἀσκητέον (= δεῖ διώκειν καὶ ἀσκεῖν) it is necessary that the man who desires to be happy should pursue and practice temperance P. G. 507c.
American Book Company, 1920.
The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.
Purchase a copy of this text (not necessarily the same edition) from Amazon.com