Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek

The differences to be specially noted are these:

The Greek language expresses possibility and power, obligation and necessity, and abstract relations generally, as facts; whereas our translation often implies the failure to realize.

“συνέπλει . . . τὰ . . . ἀνδράποδα ἃ ἔδει αὐτὸν ἀπολῦσαι,” ANTIPHON, 5.20 ; The slaves whom he was to release were on board with him. “οἱ . . . ἐν ταῖς τεσσαράκοντα ναυσὶ Πελοποννήσιοι, οὓς ἔδει ἐν τάχει παραγενέσθαι, . . . ἐνδιέτριψαν,” THUC.3.29.1 ; The Peloponnesians in the forty ships whose business it was to get (who ought to have got) there quickly, loitered on the way. “τότε ξυναλγεῖν χρῆν σ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ὠλλύμην ἐγώ,” EUR. Alc. 633 ; tum aequius dolere FUERAT fata cum me tollerent (Buchanan).

DIN.1.81: “ὅτε μὲν ἔδει μάχεσθαι . . . ᾤχετ᾽ ἀπιὼν οἴκαδε, ἐπειδὴ δὲ προσῆκεν οἴκοι κινδυνεύειν . . . ᾤχετ᾽ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἀποδράς” .

DEM.18.191: “ἐχρῆν . . . ἔδει”. 29. 41: “πολὺ κάλλιον ἦν . . . διώκειν”. [46]DEM., 5: “ἔδει”. [47]DEM., 76: “γεωργῶ δὲ πρὸς τῷ ἱπποδρόμῳ, ὥστε οὐ πόρρω ἔδει αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν”.

LYS.12.32: “χρῆν δέ σε . . . εἴπερ ἦσθα χρηστός . . . τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἀδίκως ἀποθανεῖσθαι μηνυτὴν γενέσθαι” .

ANDOC.1.20: “ἢ ἐμὲ ἢ ἐκεῖνον ἔδει ἀποθανεῖν”, aut mihi aut illi moriendum erat.

PLATO, Apol. 34A: “καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς ἐγὼ ἔχω ὑμῖν εἰπεῖν, ὧν τινα ὲχρῆν . . . παρασχέσθαι Μέλητον μάρτυρα”.

HDT.3.66: “οὐ γὰρ ἦν οἱ ἀσφαλὲς . . . φάναι τὸν Κύρου υἱὸν ἀπολωλεκέναι”. 8.6. 8.68, “α”): “ἀπήλλαξαν οὕτω ὡς κείνους ἔπρεπε”.

AR. Nub. 963: “πρῶτον μὲν ἔδει παιδὸς φωνὴν γρύξαντος μηδέν᾽ ἀκοῦσαι” . Ibid. 973: “ἔδει” .

EUR. Alc. 633 (see above).

HOM. Il. 1.353: “τιμήν πέρ μοι ὄφελλεν Ὀλύμπιος ἐγγυαλίξαι”.