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Summary

CATILINARIAN

Following a visit by assassins to his house on the pretext of the morning salutatio, C., as consul, summoned a meeting of the senate to the temple of Jupiter Stator that same day (8 or possibly 7 November; cf. appendix 2). The speech for this occasion was written up and published (cf. the Introduction section 4) and is known as the First Catilinarian. It has as its subject not a bill proposed for enactment but rather Catiline himself and his future.

C. was evidently launched on a narrative of the frustrated assassination attempt (cf. 2.12.5–7 hesterno die, Quirites, cum domi meae paene interfectus essem, senatum in aedem Iouis Statoris conuocaui, rem omnem ad patres conscriptos detuli) when Catiline entered the chamber; our speech responds to Catiline's arrival; cf. Stroh (2000) 70. This scenario will account for the focus on Catiline as principal addressee of the speech, the other senators' shunning of Catiline, and the fact that the speech contains only two brief references to the attempted assassination (§§9.11–13 and 32.3).

C. described the effect of the speech this way: L. Catilinam … ex urbe uel (1) eiecimus uel (2) emisimus uel (3) ipsum egredientem uerbis prosecuti sumus (Cat. 2.1.1–4; see ad loc.).

Summary

This is a vital section, in which you will meet new tenses of the verb; so far the narrative has been confined to the present tense alone.

In 5A–B the imperfect tense is introduced; and in 5C–D the future.

If you are not happy with the term imperfect, it may be helpful to look at the explanation in GE p. 93, #103.

Note: In Section 6 you will met another past tense called the aorist. The meaning of ‘imperfect’ in this context is ‘incomplete’, ‘unfinished’, while ‘aorist’ means ‘undefined’. For example:

‘I was going’ indicates an event that was taking place and not necessarily completed (consider its likely context: ‘I was going to the shop when …’, where the ‘when’ clause is likely to explain why I never reached the shop).

‘I went’, by contrast, indicates a definitely completed action – but at an undefined time (yesterday / last week / ten years ago etc.).

Greek also has a perfect tense: this expresses a completed action in present time, ‘I have just come in’, ‘I have shut the door’. It is much less common than the aorist, and it is not introduced until Section 13E.

Before beginning 5A you may find it helpful to write out the present tense (active and middle) of παύω, and another table for εἰμί, leaving room to the right of the table to enter imperfect endings as they occur.

Summary

This is a long section with a lively story which introduces several important items of grammar, the dative case (GE pp. 176–180, #189–190), the aorist infinitive (GE pp. 187–189, #195–197), the aorist imperative (GE pp. 189–191, #198–200), γιγνώσκω (GE p. 201, #209), and the principal parts of common and very irregular verbs (GE p. 202, #211). None of this is difficult, but it pays to learn the new grammar carefully after each section in which it is introduced.

Before you start you may like to look at the table (GE pp. 176–177, #103) where the forms of the dative are set out. Notice the predominance of ι:

in -ᾳ -ῃ -ῳ -ι -ει in the singular

in -αις -οις -σι in the plural

The various uses of the dative are well described in GE pp. 179–180, #190.

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10 τί βουλόμενος As before, ‘wanting what, do you …?’ ἀπολεῖς με … ‘you will destroy me’, ‘you will be the death of me’. The future of ἀπόλλυμι.

11 βοῆ χρῶμαι χράομαι (‘I use’) takes the dative (GE p.180, #190 (e)). The meaning is the same as if βοῶ had been written.

17 ἐμπεσεῖται Future of ἐμπίπτω – πίπτωῦμαι ἕπεσον.

18 τυγχάνεις εἰδώς εἰδως -ότος is the participle of οἶ the infinitive is εἰδέναι.

20 οὑτοιί οῦτος αὕτη τοῦτο + ι is even more demonstrative. ‘These spectators here’. (Note that the neuter is τουτί ταυτί.)

Summary

How to use this course

You have three books:

Reading Greek: Text and Vocabulary (RGT)
Reading Greek: Grammar and Exercises (GE)
Independent Study Guide to Reading Greek (ISG)

In addition there is a CD Speaking Greek which illustrates pronunciation, and records readings from passages in RGT.

You may also like to have The World of Athens (second edition 2008), which gives you background information about Athenian history and life.

The first two books, RGT and GE, were designed to be used together so that

You read the passage in RGT with the aid of the running vocabulary for the section.
Then you look at the explanations of the grammar in GE.
Then you learn the grammar and the lists of ‘vocabulary to be learnt’ in GE.
Then you do the exercises for the section to make sure that you have understood the grammar. You may want to do each section of the exercises as you study the grammar in GE, so that you get immediate practice in a new feature of language. It is not essential to do all the exercises on morphology and syntax, but they will help you to practise the language and to make sure that you understand the grammar. However, you should always do the final ‘Test Exercise’ in each section, as it is an important check on your grasp of the section.

Summary

In this section you will meet a number of different features of grammar and syntax that are clearly described in GE pp. 315–318, #291–294. Notice particularly μή + aorist subjunctive = ‘don't …’ (GE #292), and φοβοῦμαι μή + subjunctive = ‘I am afraid that something may happen’ (GE #293).

Also there are verbal nouns ending in -τέος which express obligation (‘must’), GE #294–295.

16A

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3 ἀθύμως ἔχοντι Agrees with ʾΑριστάρχῳ. ἔχω + adverb expresses the state that someone is in, e.g. καλῶς ἔχω ‘I am well’, κακῶς ἔχω ‘I am in a bad way.’

10 τοὺς ἐξηγητάς These were state officials who advised what to do in cases of murder. Apollodoros' next question shows two of the procedures which they might advise on.

13 ἐπεποιήκει What tense? see GE p. 315, #291.

ἠδικήκει What tense?

17 διεξελθόντι δέ μοι … οὺκ ἔφασαν ἐξεῖναι … Literally ‘to me having related … they said that it was not possible to …’

ἐπεπόνθη What verb? What tense? Try πάσχω πείσομαι ἔπαθον πεπόνθα.

Translation for 16A

Apollodoros is going straight towards Ilisos, walking along the road outside the wall, beneath the wall itself. When he is at the gate, there he meets Aristarchos the son of Ariston, who is very depressed. Apollodoros, seeing Aristarchos coming towards him, addresses him.

Summary

There is relatively little grammatical input in this section. You learn the present and imperfect tenses passive (GE pp. 226–227, #220), which are the same as the middle, the genitive absolute (GE p. 228, #222), comparative adverbs (GE pp. 229–230, #225) and the optative of φημί (GE p. 231, #227).

The concept of the passive will present no problem to Latinists. GE p. 227, #221 will be useful.

Aristophanes' comedy Akharnians tells us much about Athenian politics and the feelings of the countrymen of Attica cooped up inside the city during the Peloponnesian War. It holds out a tantalising vision of peace.

11A

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1 κυρία ἐκκλησία See RGT p. 91, Section 8A line 25 and the map on RGT p. 92.

2 ἡ Πνὺξ αὑτηί αύτηί is the extra demonstrative form. Cf. ούτοσί.

ἐρῆμος Why no feminine ending? It's a two-termination adjective, i.e. it has no separate feminine ending. Compound adjectives (e.g. ἀ-θάνατος, εὐ-δόκιμος) mostly fall into this category, as well as a number of other adjectives. See GE pp. 230–231, #226.

5 σχοινίον A rope with vermilion dye was swept across the agora to push people towards the Pnyx (the hill on which the ecclesia was held). The Assembly itself was proclaimed by a trumpet call; any citizen arriving with vermilion dye, and therefore touched by the rope, could be fined for arriving late.

Summary

In this section the aorist tense is introduced (if you are uncertain of terminology, please refer back to the note at the beginning of Section 5). You may want to look at GE pp. 115–118, #128–138. You will find that in most cases the aorist adds a sigma before the ending, just like the future; but, as it is a past tense, it will also have an augment, like the imperfect.

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3 ἔκοψε, ἐβόησεν The first examples of the aorist. Note (a) the augment ἐ- (as for imperfect); (b) -σε in the ending; note also that π + ς = ψ. The contracted verb lengthens the stem vowel before adding the ending, just as in the future.

5 ἔκοψα, ἐβόησα 1st person singular (as ἐγώ indicates). Note ἐ- (augment), -σα (person-ending).

6 τίς ὤν σὸ τούτο ἐποίησας Literally ‘You being who did this?’ or ‘Who are you that you did this?’ (2nd singular aorist indicated by σύ). Again, ἐ- (augment), -σας (person-ending), and the lengthening of the stem vowel.

10 ποιήσω, κόψω What tense?

12 τίς ὁ κόπτων; ‘Who is the one knocking?’ Note the use of the participle. ἐπσύσατο The first example of the middle aorist. Note ἐ- (augment), -σατο (person-ending).

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17 ἐπαυσάμην Which person do you think this is? Cf. ἐπαυόμην. ὦ ʾγαθέ = ὦ ἀγαθέ.

Summary

The date of the First Catilinarian remains a hard problem. The evidence consists of the following passages:

Summary

In this Section, the new grammatical material includes the use of participles – of the verb ‘to be’ in Sections A–B, of active and middle verbs in Sections C–D.

Participles are very widely used in Greek: this means, in effect, that you should observe carefully the way they are used and not move on from Section 4 until you are quite happy with all the usages of participles encountered in this Section.

There are also more types of 3rd declension nouns, adjectives and pronouns (see GE pp.70–72, #77–80).

Page 42

1 ὅσον πλῆθος Once again the exclamatory use of ὅσος. πλῆθος is neuter (GE p. 71, #78) so the two agree. ‘What a great crowd …!’

2 τὰ τείχη τεῖχος is another neuter noun of the 3rd declension like πλῆθος. The Long Walls joined Athens to the Piraeus. See the map on page 38 of RGT.

3 πυράς τινας The meaning should be clear (cf. τὰ πυρά in Section 3) but note that here we have the acc. pl. of another noun, ἡ πυρά ‘funeral pyre’.

4 πρὸς τῶν θεῶν ‘by the gods’ – the case usage will be explained later. δαίμων English ‘demon’ is derived from this word, but note that the Greek has no ‘bad’ implications – it is a neutral term meaning ‘god’, ‘divine spirit’.

6 κακοδαίμων ‘ill-starred’ is perhaps the closest English can get to this idea.

Summary

In this section you will practise a third variant of the contracted verbs that you met in Section 1. You will add -οω verbs (GE p. 20, #24) to -αω and -εω ones. It is easy to recognise which person the ending indicates. These are all in the active voice.

You will also meet a new pattern of verb in what is called the middle voice (GE pp. 43–46, #52–54). The active voice describes what the subject does to the object. The middle describes what the subject does for (or to) himself, or does for his own advantage, and it often does not have an object. The verbs you will meet in this section occur only in the middle and do not have an active voice.

You may want to make a chart of the present indicative middle and to add the new endings as you meet them, or you may just prefer to keep referring to GE pp. 44–45, #52–53.

You will also meet some more noun types (GE pp. 46–48, #55–58) which you will eventually have to learn, but you will be able to recognise what case they are in from the article used with them.

After reading the English introduction, try reading through the whole of the first page (aloud, if circumstances permit!). Then try translating the paragraph, using the running vocabulary and the following notes for guidance if you need them.

Summary

The next three sections are taken from a lawcourt speech, with imaginary conversations between three jurors at intervals, which ingeniously reinforce the new points of grammar and syntax that have been introduced. Rhetorical Greek is often elaborately structured and you may find that you have to analyse the sentences carefully as a whole, before you can translate them in detail.

The case is also fairly confusing, so it is well worth reading the introduction before you start. The speech throws some interesting light on the position of women in Athenian society.

A great deal of new grammar and syntax is introduced in these sections and so it is wise to do the exercises when they occur to consolidate your learning with practice, or, if you find that makes you lose track of the story, finish reading Section 12 and then go back to revise the grammar and do the exercises.

Section Twelve: Neaira as slave

12A

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1–2 ἃλλος ἃλλον ὡς ὁρῶσιν ἣκοντα ‘as they see one another coming’.

3 οὗ ‘where’, relative. Cf. ποῦ ‘where?’ interrogative.

μέλλονσι δικάσειν μέλλω + future infinitive, ‘I am about to do something’.

9 οὐκ ἣλπιζον ἐντεύξεσθαι ἐλπίζω + future infinitive, ‘I did not expect to meet.’

9–10 ∑τρυμοδώρῳ … διατρίβοντι … νέῳ ὄντι καὶ ὰπείρῳ All agree.

11 ἐξέσται The future of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι: ‘it will be possible’.

15 ὄλοιο 2nd. s. aorist optative of ὄλλυμι: ‘may you perish’.

Translation for 12A

When the herald summons them the dikasts come into the courtroom.

Summary

Section 1A–G

Speaking Greek CD

First, read the English introduction at the beginning of Section 1A.

Now listen to the whole of Section 1A as read on the Speaking Greek CD.

Replay the first paragraph (lines 1–7), pausing at the end of every sentence and repeating the Greek aloud.

Then try working out the translation of that first paragraph, with the aid of the running vocabulary on p. 5. You will find that several complete phrases are listed (e.g. ἐν Βυςαντίῳ) and that all the nouns appear with their articles (e.g. ὁ κυβερνήτης).

If you are uncertain, check with the translation suggested below.

NB. This procedure is recommended for the whole of Section 1. It should help you to get used to the script and the sound of the language.

If you think you would prefer to find out about the grammar and how it works before you start reading, then look at GE pp. 8–12, #8–11. You will find the answers to the exercises in this volume after our grammar and notes on 1A and 1B (p. 6).

Translation for 1A (ll. 1–7)

The ship is in Byzantium. And in Byzantium, Hegestratos goes into the ship, then Sdenothemis goes into the ship, and finally the captain and the sailors go into the ship. The ship sails to Chios. In Chios, the rhapsode boards. Then the ship sails to Euboea.

Summary

This continues the story begun in Section 16. Much of the syntax introduced continues to illustrate the primary – subjunctive, secondary – optative pattern. An important item of grammar is the verb (ἀφ)ἴημι (GE pp. 336–339, #308). There will be more about this after 17A, before the exercise on it.

17A

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1–2 ἔως τὰ χρήματα παρέχοιμι See GE p. 336, #307. ἔως (‘until’) (ever) can introduce an indefinite clause with, in primary sequence, ἄν + subjunctive and, in secondary, optative without ἄν. See also GE p. 341, #309–310

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8 ῆξαν This comes from the verb ἄσσω ‘to dash’ or ‘to dart’. See vocabulary.

ἔως ἄλοιεν. See GE p. 336, #307. An indefinite clause in secondary sequence.

10 ἐκβληθείσης δὲ τῆρας Genitive absolute. This is the aorist passive participle. Can you recognise the verb it comes from? If not, look up (ἐκ) βάλλω in the list of irregular verbs on GE pp. 436–442 #389.

10–11 εἰσελθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκά μον Notice the disgraceful intrusion into the women's quarters. Compare this with Hagnophilos' punctilious attitude in 17B.

11–12 πάντα τὰ σκεύη, ὄσα ἔτι ὑπόλοιπά μοι ἦν ‘all the furniture, as much as was still left to me’.

12 ἄ βούλοιντο Indefinite clause in secondary sequence: ‘whatever they wanted’.

15–16 Note the parts of ἀφίημι. ἐλενθέρα ἀφειμένη: perfect passive participle, ‘having been released free’, i.e ‘having been freed’ (GE p. 338, #308).

22 ἔως εἰσέλθοιεν ‘until they came in’.

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Commentary

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Map 1 - The Roman world in 63 bc

Section Five - ‘Socrates corrupts the young’

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Section Nine - Aristophanes' Wasps

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Preface

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Section Sixteen - Official justice: ships, state and individuals

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Section Eleven - Aristophanes' Akharnians

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Contents

Abbreviations used in the text

Section Six

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Grammatical Introduction

Authors' note

Contents

Appendix 2 - The date of Catilinarian 1

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Section Four - Lawlessness in Athenian life

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Section Two - The glorious past

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Frontmatter

Section Twelve - Neaira as slave

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Section One - The insurance scam

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Section Seventeen - Private justice: trouble down at the farm

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