LESSON XV
The Particleἄν
Besides the use ofἄνwith the optative in reference to a future probability, noticed in thelast lesson, it is joined in Greek with the past tenses, the imperfect or aorists, to express whatmight,could,would, orshould have taken placein past time if something else had happened, or had not happened, asἔπραξας ἂν τὸ δίκαιον εἰ ἔπραξας τοῦτο,you would have done what is right if you had done this.
ἐγώ, εἰ ἔγνων τὸ ἦθός σου, οὐκ ἂν ἔδωκά σοι τὸ ἀργύριον,if I had known your character, I would not have givenyou the money.τίνα δὴ ἁμαρτίαν ἡμάρτηκα;how have I done wrong?ἐσπάθησας ἀχρήστως τὰ χρήματα· εἰ γὰρ ἐτύγχανες νοῦν ἔχων,οὐκ ἂν ἀνήλωσας ἅπαντα εἰς τέρψιν ἐξίτηλον,you squandered your money uselessly. If you had had sense,you would not have spent it all on a fleeting pleasure.εἰ ἐτύγχανες σοφὸς ὤν, διέσωσας ἂν τι τῶν σήμερον θησαυρῶνεἰς τὴν χρείαν τῆς αὔριον,if you had been wise, you would have saved some of to-day’streasure for to-morrow’s need.μωρὸς ἂν ἦν ὀνειροπολῶν τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡδονήν, τῆς δὲ παρούσης ἁμαρτών,I should have been a fool, dreaming of the future and missing the present pleasure.οὕτως λέγοντα ἐλέγχουσί σε οἱ μύρμηκες καὶ αἱ μέλισσαι,when you speak thus the ants and the bees confute you.εἰ ὁ Βρούσσιος ἔτυχε μὴ νικήσας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τοῦ Βαννοκβούρνου, τί ἂν συνέβη;if Bruce had not gained the victory at Bannockburn,what would have been the consequence?ἐπικρατήσασα ἡ Ἀγγλία ἠφάνισεν ἂν τὸν Σκῶτον ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς,dominant England would have caused the Scot to disappearfrom the face of the earth.καὶ τοῦτο θεῖον πάνυ ἂν ἐγένετο εὐτύχημα,and this would have been a great piece of good luck.ἐνίοις μὲν οὕτως δοκεῖ, ἐνίοις δὲ οὔ,some think so and some not.τί ἂν συνέβη, εἰ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ τοῦ Φιλίππουοὐκ ἐνίκησε τὴν ἐν Ἀρβήλοις νίκην;what would have been the consequence if Alexander,the son of Philip, had not gained the battle of Arbela?διετέλει ἂν ὁ Πέρσης δεσπόζων τῆς ἀνατολῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἂνἐκήρυσσον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον οἱ ἀπόστολοι Ἑλληνιστί· εἰσήγαγε γὰρ ὁ τοῦΦιλίππου υἱὸς τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν παιδείαν εἰς ὅλην τὴν ἀνατολήν,the Persian would have continued lording it over the East, andthe Apostles would not have preached the gospel in Greek; for itwas the son of Philip that introduced Greek learning into all the East.λαμπαδηφόρος δήπου τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς σοφίας ὁ μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος,καὶ προάγγελος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,Alexander the Great truly was the torch-bearer ofGreek wisdom and the harbinger of the gospel.ἀληθέστατα λέγεις,very true.καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς ἄγαν ὑπηρετικῆς ταύτης προσθήκης εἰρήσθω.χαῖρε,and now enough of this very serviceable particleἄν.Adieu!
ἐγώ, εἰ ἔγνων τὸ ἦθός σου, οὐκ ἂν ἔδωκά σοι τὸ ἀργύριον,if I had known your character, I would not have givenyou the money.
τίνα δὴ ἁμαρτίαν ἡμάρτηκα;how have I done wrong?
ἐσπάθησας ἀχρήστως τὰ χρήματα· εἰ γὰρ ἐτύγχανες νοῦν ἔχων,οὐκ ἂν ἀνήλωσας ἅπαντα εἰς τέρψιν ἐξίτηλον,you squandered your money uselessly. If you had had sense,you would not have spent it all on a fleeting pleasure.
εἰ ἐτύγχανες σοφὸς ὤν, διέσωσας ἂν τι τῶν σήμερον θησαυρῶνεἰς τὴν χρείαν τῆς αὔριον,if you had been wise, you would have saved some of to-day’streasure for to-morrow’s need.
μωρὸς ἂν ἦν ὀνειροπολῶν τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡδονήν, τῆς δὲ παρούσης ἁμαρτών,I should have been a fool, dreaming of the future and missing the present pleasure.
οὕτως λέγοντα ἐλέγχουσί σε οἱ μύρμηκες καὶ αἱ μέλισσαι,when you speak thus the ants and the bees confute you.
εἰ ὁ Βρούσσιος ἔτυχε μὴ νικήσας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τοῦ Βαννοκβούρνου, τί ἂν συνέβη;if Bruce had not gained the victory at Bannockburn,what would have been the consequence?
ἐπικρατήσασα ἡ Ἀγγλία ἠφάνισεν ἂν τὸν Σκῶτον ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς,dominant England would have caused the Scot to disappearfrom the face of the earth.
καὶ τοῦτο θεῖον πάνυ ἂν ἐγένετο εὐτύχημα,and this would have been a great piece of good luck.
ἐνίοις μὲν οὕτως δοκεῖ, ἐνίοις δὲ οὔ,some think so and some not.
τί ἂν συνέβη, εἰ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ τοῦ Φιλίππουοὐκ ἐνίκησε τὴν ἐν Ἀρβήλοις νίκην;what would have been the consequence if Alexander,the son of Philip, had not gained the battle of Arbela?
διετέλει ἂν ὁ Πέρσης δεσπόζων τῆς ἀνατολῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἂνἐκήρυσσον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον οἱ ἀπόστολοι Ἑλληνιστί· εἰσήγαγε γὰρ ὁ τοῦΦιλίππου υἱὸς τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν παιδείαν εἰς ὅλην τὴν ἀνατολήν,the Persian would have continued lording it over the East, andthe Apostles would not have preached the gospel in Greek; for itwas the son of Philip that introduced Greek learning into all the East.
λαμπαδηφόρος δήπου τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς σοφίας ὁ μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος,καὶ προάγγελος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,Alexander the Great truly was the torch-bearer ofGreek wisdom and the harbinger of the gospel.
ἀληθέστατα λέγεις,very true.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς ἄγαν ὑπηρετικῆς ταύτης προσθήκης εἰρήσθω.χαῖρε,and now enough of this very serviceable particleἄν.Adieu!
English Affinities
Ethics. Terpsichore. Ephemeral. Treasure. Alexander. Despot. Anatolia. Evangel. Angel. Scheme. Geography. Apostle. Pedagogue.