[*] 213. Imperfect of endeavor. The imperfect is used of attempted and interrupted, of intended and expected actions.1 “ἃ” (sc. “τὰ πατρῷα”) “πάντ᾽ ἐμὰ ἐγίγνετο”, DEM.39.6; All of which (i. e. my father's estate) was going to be mine. “τὸ χωρίον ἐπώλει”, ISAE. 2.28; He was for selling the piece of ground. “οὐ παίδων ἕνεκα ἐγάμει”, ISAE. 6.24; It was not for the sake of children that he wanted to marry. “ἀπωλλύμην” (= “ᾔδη ἀπολούμενος”), ANTIPHON, 2 “β” 3; I knew (expected) that I was going to be ruined. DEM.19.46: “καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐγελᾶτε”, And you started to laugh. 39.6 (see above). [49], 2: “σφαλέντος μὲν τούτου ἀπώλλυτο καὶ τῷ πατρὶ τῷ ἐμῷ τὸ συμβόλαιον”. 54.33: “τούτῳ δὲ μὴ παρασχομένῳ τούτους μάρτυρας ἦν” (=“ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι”) “δήπου λόγος οὐδείς, ἀλλ᾽ ἡλωκέναι παραχρῆμ᾽ ὑπῆρχε σιωπῇ”. ISAE. 2.28 (see above). 5.44: “ἐγίγνετο”. 6.24 (see above). ISOC.5.48: “μὴ κατορθώσαντες μὲν εὐθὺς ἀπώλλυντο”. 10.36: “ὁ μὲν τὸν δῆμον καθίστη κύριον τῆς πολιτείας, οἱ δὲ μόνον αὐτὸν ἄρχειν ἠξίουν”. LYS.7.32: “ταῦτα δὲ πράξας . . . ἐκέρδαινον μὲν οὐδέν, ἐμαυτὸν δ᾽ εἰς κίνδυνον καθίστην” . ANTIPHON, 2 “β” 3 (see above). 2 “β” 9: “ἁλοὺς μὲν γὰρ . . . τῆς μὲν οὐσίας ᾔδη ἐκστησόμενος, τοῦ δὲ σώματος καὶ τῆς πόλεως οὐκ ἀπεστερούμην”. PLATO, Phaedr. 230A: “ἀτάρ, ὦ ἑταῖρε, . . . ἆρ᾽ οὐ τόδε ἦν τὸ δένδρον, ἐφ̓ ὅπερ ἦγες ἡμᾶς”; But, my friend, isn't this the tree to which you were going to, wanted to, started out to, take us? XEN. Cyr. 5.5.22: “οὐκοῦν τούτου τυχὼν παρὰ σοῦ οὐδὲν ἤνυτον, εἰ μὴ τούτους πείσαιμι”. Hell. 1.7.7: “τοιαῦτα λέγοντες ἔπειθον τὸν δῆμον . . . ἔδοξε δὲ ἀναβαλέσθαι εἰς ἑτέραν ἐκκλησίαν”. THUC.4.68.5: “ἀσφάλεια δὲ αὐτοῖς μᾶλλον ἐγίγνετο τῆς ἀνοίξεως”. HDT.1.68: “ἐ μισθοῦτο παρ᾽ οὐκ ἐκδιδόντος τὴν αὐλήν”. 3.139: “ἐπεθύμησε τῆς χλανίδος καὶ αὐτὴν προσελθὼν ὠνέετο. ὁ δὲ Συλοσῶν . . . λέγει “ἐγὼ ταύτην πωλέω μὲν οὐδενὸς χρήματος, δίδωμι δὲ ἄλλως”.” 8.60: “παρεόντων γὰρ τῶν συμμάχων οὐκ ἔφερέ οἱ κόσμον οὐδένα κατηγορέειν”. 8.63: “ἀπολιπόντων γὰρ Ἀθηναίων οὐκέτι ἐγίνοντο ἀξιόμαχοι οἱ λοιποί”. AR. Vesp. 116-7: “ἀνέπειθεν αὐτὸν μὴ φορεῖν τριβώνιον” | “μηδ᾽ ἐξιέναι θύραζ̓: ὁ δ᾽ οὐκ ἐπείθετο”. EUR. H. F. 465: “ἀμφέβαλλε” (= “ἔμελλεν ἀμφιβαλεῖν”). I. T. 26-9: “ἐλθοῦσα δ᾽ Αὐλίδ᾽ ἡ τάλαιν̓ ὑπὲρ πυρᾶς” | “μεταρσία ληφθεῖσ᾽ ἐκαινόμην ξίφει:” | “ἀλλ᾽ ἐξέκλεψεν” . . . | “Ἄρτεμις”. HOM. Il. 3.79-80: “τῷ δ᾽ ἐπετοξάζοντο κάρη κομάοντες Ἀχαιοὶ” | “ἰοῖσίν τε τιτυσκόμενοι λάεσσί τ᾽ ἔβαλλον”. 5.318: “ἡ μὲν ἑὸν φίλον υἱὸν ὑπεξέφερεν πολέμοιο”. 5.377: “ὑπεξέφερον”. 9.465: “κατερήτυον”. See also the imperfects of 214.
1 Pliny, H. N., Praef. 26, explains the “artistic” “ἐποίει” as a manner of conative imperfect (Apelles faciebat aut Polyclitus, tamquam inchoata semper arte et imperfecta), but Urlichs showed long ago (1857) that the aorist outnumbered the imperfect in the olden time, and Löwy (Inschriften gr. Bildhauer xiii) has counted 260 aorists against 87 imperfects. The imperfect does not appear in the ISS of the IV. century, and becomes more common only in the imperial time (47 imperfects to 18 aorists). “ἐποίησε” “he made,” “ἐποίει” “he was the maker.”
Syntax of Classical Greek from Homer to Demosthenes. Basil L. Gildersleeve. New York. American Book Company. 1900.
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