[*] 923. In the impersonal construction (which is the more common), the verbal is in the neuter of the nominative singular (sometimes plural), with ἐστί expressed or understood. The expression is equivalent to δεῖ, (one) must, with the infinitive active or middle of the verb to which the verbal belongs. This contruction is practically active in sense, and allows transitive verbals to have an object in the same case which would follow their verbs. The agent is generally expressed by the dative, sometimes by the accusative. E.g.
- Ταῦτα ἡμῖν ῾ορ ἡμᾶς） ποιητέον ἐστί, we must do this, equivalent to ταῦτα ἡμὰς δεῖ ποιῆσαι.
- “Οἰστέον τάδε” “we must bear these things” EUR. Or. 769
- “Πειστέον τάδε ῾σξ. σοί）,” “you must obey in this (=dei= pei/qesqai）.” SOPH. Ph. 994
- “Ἀπαλλακτέον αὐτοῦ （τοῦ σώματος）, καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ ψυχῇ θεατέον αὐτὰ τὰ πράγματα ῟ δεῖ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ θεᾶσθαι τὰ πράγματα）,” “we must free ourselves from it (the body), and with the soul itself we must contemplate things themselves.” PLAT. Phaed. 66 E.
- “Φημὶ δὴ διχῇ βοηθητέον εἶναι τοῖς πράγμασισν ὑμῖν,” “I say that you must give assistance in two ways.” DEM. i.17.
- “Τί ἂν αὐτῷ ποιητέον εἴη;” “what would he be obliged to do?” XEN. Mem. 1.7,2
- “Ἐψηφίσαντο πολεμητέα εἶναι （῀ δεῖν πολεμεῖν）,” “they voted that they must go to war” THUC. i. 88.
- “Τῆν χώραν, ἐξ ἧς αὐτοῖς ὁρμωμένοις πολεμητέα ἦν.” Id. vi. 50.
- “Οὔτε μισθοφορητέον ἄλλους ἢ τοὺς στρατευομένους, οὔτε μεθεκτέον τῶν πραγμάτων πλείοσιν ἢ πεντακισχιλίοις.” Id. viii. 65 (Here both the accusative and the dative of the agent are found: see 926.)
- “Ἡμῖν δὲ ξύμμαχοι ἀγαθοὶ, οὓς οὐ παραδοτέα τοῖς ᾿αθηναίοις ἐστὶν, οὐδὲ δίκαις καὶ λόγοις διακριτέα μὴ λόγῳ καὶ （ἡμᾶς） αὐτοὶς βλαπτομένους, ἀλλὰ τιμωρητέα ἐν τάχει καὶ παντὶ σθένει （ ῀ οὓς οὐ δεῖ ἡμᾶς παραδοῦναλ, κ. τ. λ.᾿.” Id. i. 86
- “Ιτέον ἂν ει0´η θεασομένους ῾σξ. ἡμᾶς）,” “it would be best for us to go and see her.” XEN. Mem. iii. 11,1
- “Ὀὐδενὶ τρόπῳ φαμὲν ἑκόντας ἀδικητέον εἶναι.” PLAT. Crit. 49 A.
- “Ἀτὰρ οὐ jυναικῶν οὐδέποτ᾽ ἔσθ᾽ ἡττητ́εα ἡμῖν ῟ οὐ jυναικῶν δεῖ ἡττᾶσθαι）,” “but we must never be beaten by women.” AR. Lys. 450
