IMPERFECT TENSE
Middle & Passive
 
What used to be?
What was going on?

Compare:

Present Tense						Imperfect Tense
I	am obeying		πείθ	ομαι		I	was obeying		ἐ	πειθ	όμην
you	are obeying		πείθ	ει / ῃ		you	were obeying		ἐ	πείθ	ου
he/she/it	is obeying		πείθ	εται		he/she/it	was obeying		ἐ	πείθ	ετο
we	are obeying		πειθ	όμεθα		we	were obeying		ἐ	πειθ	όμεθα
you	are obeying		πείθ	εσθε		you	were obeying		ἐ	πείθ	εσθε
they	are obeying		πείθ	ονται		they	were obeying		ἐ	πείθ	οντο

Note: 1. The 'you are obeying' should have been: πείθεσαι, but:
Note: 1. the σ was dropped and since ε + αι becomes ει or ῃ
Note: 1. 'You my friend obey' is πείθει or πείθῃ
Note: 2. The 'you were obeying' should have been: ἐπείθεσο, but:
Note: 2. The σ was dropped and since ε + ο becomes ου
Note: 2. 'You my friend used to obey' is ἐπείθου .

So: 'Were you travelling?' ἐπορεύou ;  
So: 'What did you want?' τί ἐβούλou ;  

 
Exercise 8: Translate
Click here for answers

• ἐν ᾧ δὲ ἠργάζοντο οἱ τέκοντες
    ἠναγκαζόμην τὰς ἀδελφὰς φυλάττειν.
  αἱ ἀδελφαὶ εἵποντό μοι πανταχόσε. (another ε lenghtening to ει)
  πολλάκις ὠργιζόμην διότι αἰεὶ ἐβούλοντο
    πράττειν ἅπαντα ἐποίουν ἐγώ.
• κατ' ἔτος ὁ Μίνως ἐδέχετο ἑπτὰ νεανίας τε καὶ ἑπτὰ παρθένους καὶ τῷ Μινωταύρῳ ἐσθίειν παρεῖχεν.
  ὁ Μινώταυρος ᾤκει (νῦν δὲ οὐκέτι οἰκεῖ ) ἐν τῷ λαβυρίνθῳ.
• οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι κεκλεισμένοι (confined, shut up) ἦσαν ἐν τῷ λαβυρίνθῳ.
  προὐχώρουν ἐν τῷ σκότῳ. [προεχώρεον] 2 contractions,
  the first for past tense marker ε following the vowel ο of προ
  the 2nd because it is a contract verb with stem ending in -ε followed by the ο of the ending -ον.
  τὸ τοῦ πελωρίου πνεῦμα ὠσφραίνοντο.
  παρῆν ὁ Μινώταυρος. δεινὸς ἦν.
  ὁ μὲν Ὀδυσσεὺς καὶ ὁ Μινώταυρος ἐμάχοντο.
  πολὺν χρόνον ἐμάχοντο.
  τέλος δὲ ὁ Ὀδυσσεὺς τὸν Μινώταυρον ἀπέκτεινεν (simple past: once and for all. So definitely NOT Imperfect but AORIST - coming up next)