Participles and Genitive Absolutes

Greek 202: Syntax.

Review Sheet 1.
Participles and Genitive Absolutes.

PRESENT PARTICIPLES

(happening at the same time)

egeneto de moi poreuomenw kai eggizonti th Damaskw.

It happened to me while I was travelling and getting near Damascus.

ceiragwgoumenoV upo twn sunontwn moi hlqon eiV Damaskon.

I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and (in this manner) I came to Damascus.

AORIST PARTICIPLES

(happened previously)

egeneto de moi upostreyanti eiV Ierosoluma.

It happened to me after I had returned to Jerusalem.

epistolaV dexamenoV, eiV Damaskon eporeuomhn.

I received the letters, and then I went to Damascus.

agnisqeiV, eishei eiV to ieron

First he was purified, and only then did he go into the Temple.

Warning:

Look out for second aorist participles (they look like present participles):

oi de idonteV ton ciliarcon epausanto.

After they saw the military tribune they stopped.

epilabomenoi tou Paulou, eilkon auton exw tou ierou.

They seized Paul and then they started dragging him out of the Temple.

FUTURE PARTICIPLES

(usually imply purpose)

anebhn proskunhswn

I went up to worship.

PERFECT PARTICIPLES

(happened beforehand but still affects the present)

Peri de twn pepisteukotwn eqnwn...

About the gentiles who have come to believe...
(i.e., they started to believe some time ago and still believe now)

oi parestwteV eipon... (parestwteV = paresthkoteV)

Those standing beside said...
(i.e., they went beside him and were still standing there)

Toice kekoniamene!

Whitewashed wall!
(i.e., someone tried to whitewash you in the past and the low quality of their workmanship is still visible)

**Contrast these three participles.**
Present Participle	oi qnhskonteV	Those who are in the process of dying
Aorist Participle	oi qanonteV	Those who died
Perfect Participle	oi teqnhkoteV	The dead (suggests they are still around in some sense)

GENITIVE ABSOLUTE.

The Genitive Absolute is used when

1) you have a participle agreeing with a noun
AND
2) the noun is neither the subject nor object of the sentence.

oi Aqhnaioi epleusan, hgemoneuontoV tou Nikiou

The Athenians sailed under the leadership of Nicias.

lhfwntwn twn teicwn, oi politai exefeugon

When the walls were taken, the citizens tried to escape.