Homeric Greek is the form of Ancient Greek that was used by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey. It is an archaic version of Ionic Greek, with admixtures from certain other dialects, such as Aeolic Greek. It later served as the basis of Epic Greek, the language of epic poetry, typically in dactylic hexameter, of poets such as Hesiod. Unlike later forms of the language, Homeric Greek did not have available in most circumstances a true definite article. [1] Compositions in Epic Greek may date from as late as the 3rd century AD, though its decline was inevitable with the rise of Koine Greek.
Only irregular forms are provided, omitted forms can usually be predicted by following patterns seen in Ionic Greek.
Nouns
First Declension
Nominative Singular: ends in -?, even after ?,?, and ?. For Example, ????, rather than ????. However, some nouns do end in -?.
Genitive Plural: usually ends in -??? or -???. For example, ???????, rather than ??????.
Dative Plural: almost always ends in -??? or -??. For example, ??????? is equivalent to ??????.
Certain first declension nouns may end in -? (??????) rather than -?? (??????, ????????). For Example, ??????, rather than ???????.
Genitive Singular of these nouns ends in -?? or -??, rather than -??. For example, ????????, as opposed to ????????.
Second Declension
Genitive Singular: ends in -???, as well as -??. For example, ???????, as well as ??????.
Genitive and Dative Dual: ends in -????. Thus, ??????? appears, rather than ??????.
Dative Plural: ends in -???? and -???. For example, ???????? , as well as ???????.
Third Declension
Accusative Singular: ends in -??, as well as -???. For example, ?????????, as well as ??????????.
Nouns commonly ending in -?? become -??. For example, ??????? is equivalent to Homeric ???????.
The common Genitive Singular ending -??? can become either -??? or -???. For example, ???????? is equivalent to Homeric ????????; while is ?????? equivalent to ??????.
The common Accusative Singular ending -??? corresponds to Homeric -???. For example, ???????? becomes ????????.
The common Genitive Plural ending -??? becomes -???. For example, ???????? is equivalent to ????????.
Dative Plural: ends in -???? and -??. For example, ??????? or ??????.
Third Person Singular Pronoun (He, She, It) (The Relative) OR Singular Article (The) (This is rare)
Nominative Singular: ?, ?, ??. (etc.)
Third Person Plural Pronoun (He, She, It) (The Relative) OR Plural Article (The) (This is rare)
Nominative Plural: ??, ??, ???, ???.
Dative Plural: ????, ?????, ???, ????, ????.
Interrogative Pronoun Singular and Plural (Who, What, Which)
Nominative Singular: ???.
Accusative Singular: ????.
Genitive Singular: ???, ???.
Dative Singular: ???.
Genitive Plural: ????.
A Note on Nouns
I. Take note of the Homeric alternation between -?- and -??-. This can be of metrical use. For example, ????? and ?????? are equivalent; ????? and ??????; ???? and ?????.
II. The ending -?? (-???) can be used for the Dative Singular and Plural of nouns and adjectives (occasionally for the Genitive Singular and Plural, as well). For example, ????? (...by force), ????????? (...with tears), and ??????? (...in the mountains).
Verbs
Person Endings
-? appears rather than -???. For example, ????? for ??????? in the Third Person Plural Active.
The Third Plural Middle/Passive often ends in -???? or -???; for example, ???? is equivalent to ????.
Tenses
Future: Generally remains uncontracted. For example, ???? appears instead of ??? or ????? instead of ??????.
Present or Imperfect: These tenses sometimes take iterative form with the letters -??- penultimate with the ending. For example, ????????: 'they kept on running away'
Aorist or Imperfect: Both tenses can occasionally drop their augments. For example, ????? may appear instead of ??????. Resultantly, necessary adjustments may need to be made in compounds; in this vein, ?????? would appear instead of ???????.
Moods
Subjunctive
The Subjunctive appears with a short vowel. Thus, the form ?????, rather than ?????.
The Second Singular Middle Subjunctive ending appears as both -??? and -???.
The Third Singular Active Subjunctive ends in -??. Thus, we see the form ???????, instead of ????.
Occasionally, the Subjunctive is used in place of the future and in general remarks.
Infinitive
The infinitive appears with the endings -???, -?????, and -???, in place of -??? and -???. For example, ??????? for ??????; ???? instead of ?????; ????, ?????, or ??????? for ?????; and ????????(??) in place of ???????.
Contracted Verbs
In contracted verbs, where Attic employs an -?-, Homeric Greek will use -??- or -??- in place of -??-. For example, Attic ??????? becomes ????????l
Similarly, in places where -??- contracts to -?- or -???- contracts to -?-, Homeric Greek will show either ?? or ??.
Adverbs
Adverbial Suffixes
-??: conveys a sense of 'to where'; ?????????: 'to the war'
-???: conveys a sense of 'how'; ?????????: 'with cries'
-???: conveys a sense of 'from where'; ??????: 'from above'
-??:conveys a sense of 'where'; ?????: 'on high'
Particles
???, ??, ??: force conveys transition: 'so' or 'next'
??: force conveys emphasis: 'indeed'
?: force conveys emphasis: 'surely'
???: force conveys emphasis: 'just' or 'even'
??: force conveys a general remark or a connective: 'and'
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.
Sing, goddess, the wrath of Achilles Peleus' son, the ruinous wrath that brought on the Achaians woes innumerable, and hurled down into Hades many strong souls of heroes, and gave their bodies to be a prey to dogs and all winged fowls; and so the counsel of Zeus wrought out its accomplishment from the day when first strife parted Atreides king of men and noble Achilles.
Pharr, Clyde. Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, new edition, 1959. Revised edition: John Wright, 1985. ISBN 0-8061-1937-3.
References
↑ Goodwin, William W. (1879). A Greek Grammar (pp 204). St Martin's Press.
H. L. Ahrens, Griechische Formenlehre (Gottingen, 1852)
A. Fick, Die homerische Odyssee in der ursprünglichen Sprachform wiederhergestelt (Gottingen, 1883), Die homerische Ilias (ibid., 1886)
W. Schulze, Quaestiones epicae (Goterslohe, 1892).
B. Delbrück, Syntactische Forschungen (Halle, 1871-1879)
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