[*] 97. Neuter plural with singular verb. The neuter plural is treated as a collective, and takes a singular verb. “διαρπασθήσεται τὰ χρήματα,” DEM.8.54 ; Our money (treasury) will be pillaged. “ἥσθη τὰ μειράκια,” PLATO, Riv. 134B ; The lads were delighted. “τὰ κυνίδια . . . κυβιστᾶν καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ μανθάνει,” XEN. Oec. 13.8 ; Poodles learn to turn a somersault, etc. DEM.8.54(see above). [59]DEM., 58: “ταῦτ᾽ ἔστω ὑμῖν τεκμήρια”. ANT. 5.20: “συνέπλει δὲ τά τε ἀνδράποδα”. PLATO, Crat. 402A: “πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει”. Riv.134B (see above). THUC.6.32.1: “ἐπειδὴ . . . ἐσέκειτο πάντα”. HDT.7.9, “γ”): “οὐκ ἐς τοῦτο θράσεος ἀνήκει τὰ Ἑλλήνων πρήγματα”. Ibid.: “ἀπὸ πείρης πάντα ἀνθρώποισι φιλέει γίνεσθαι”. AR. N. 39-40: “τὰ δὲ χρέα ... εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἅπαντα τὴν σὴν τρέψεται” . Vesp. 818: “τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλ᾽ ἀρέσκει μοι.” EUR. Heracl. 838: “ἦν δὲ δύο κελεύσματα”. Ibid. 1004: “τοιαῦτα δρῶντι τἄμ᾽ ἐγίγνετ᾽ ἀσφαλῆ”. SOPH. Ph. 113: “αἱρεῖ τὰ τόξα ταῦτα τὴν Τροίαν μόνα”. AESCHYL. Pers. 418-9: “ὑπτιοῦτο δὲ” | “σκάφη νεῶν”. PIND. O. 1.77-8: “φίλια δῶρα Κυπρίας ἄγ᾽ εἴ τι, Ποσείδαον, ἐς χάριν” | “τέλλεται”. THEOGN. 171-2: “οὔ τοι ἄτερ θεῶν” | “γίνεται ἀνθρώποις οὔτ᾽ ἀγάθ̓ οὔτε κακά”. HOMER. — In Homer, neuter plurals are found sometimes with the singular, sometimes with the plural. There is a long list of neuter plurals1 that are construed only with a singular verb; other words, such as “πάντα, ταῦτα, ἅρματα, δούρατα”, etc., occur with both singular and plural verbs, and a few are used exclusively with the plural. Examples of the neuter plural with a singular verb are: Od. 4.703: “τῆς δ᾽ αὐτοῦ λύτο γούνατα”. 5.297: “καὶ τότ᾽ Ὀδυσσῆος λύτο γούνατα”. Il. 10.252: “ἄστρα δὲ δὴ προβέβηκε”. 24.420: “σὺν δ᾽ ἕλκεα πάντα μέμυκεν”.
1 See Vogrinz, Gram.des hom. Dialektes, pp. 288-9, and compare Monro, Homeric Grammar2, § 172.
Syntax of Classical Greek from Homer to Demosthenes. Basil L. Gildersleeve. New York. American Book Company. 1900.
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