accusative (articular)

ACCUSATIVE OF THE ARTICULAR INFINITIVE

a. Object (cp. 1989): δείσᾱς τὸ ζῆν fearing to live P. A. 28d, μεῖζον μέν φαμεν κακὸν τὸ ἀδικεῖν, ἔλᾱττον δὲ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι we call doing wrong a greater evil, being wronged a lesser P. G. 509c.

b. After prepositions: e.g. μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν τὸ πειθαρχεῖν φαίνεται εἰς τὸ καταπρᾱ́ττειν τᾱ̓γαθά obedience appears to be an advantage of the greatest importance with regard to the successful accomplishment of excellent objects X. C. 8.1.3, τῶν ἁπάντων ἀπερίοπτοί εἰσι παρὰ τὸ νῑκᾶν they are indifferent to everything in comparison with victory T. 1.41, πρὸς τὸ μετρίων δεῖσθαι πεπαιδευμένος schooled to moderate needs X. M. 1.2.1, πῶς ἔχεις πρὸς τὸ ἐθέλειν ἂν ἰέναι ἄκλητος ἐπὶ δεῖπνον; how do you feel about being willing to go uninvited to supper? P. S. 174a (cp. ἐθέλοις ἂν ἰέναι). Furthermore, after διά, ἐπί, κατά, μετά, περί.

c. The accusative of the infinitive with τό appears after many verbs and verbal expressions which usually take only the simple infinitive. Such verbal expressions may be followed also by a genitive of a noun. Thus, τὸ σπεύδειν δέ σοι παραινῶ I commend speed to thee S. Ph. 620, καρδίᾱς δ᾽ ἐξίσταμαι τὸ δρᾶν I withdraw from my resolution so as to ( = and) do this thing S. Ant. 1105, μαθὼν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἀρνοίμην τὸ δρᾶν when I am informed, I will not refuse the deed S. Ph. 118, τὸ προθῡμεῖσθαι δὲ συναύξειν τὸν οἶκον ἐπαιδεύομεν αὐτήν we trained her to show zeal in assisting to increase our estate X. O. 9.12 (cp. 1628), τὸ ἐρᾶν ἔξαρνος εἶ you refuse to love P. Lys. 205a.

d. So after adjectives. Thus, μακρὸς τὸ κρῖναι ταῦτα χὡ λοιπὸς χρόνος the future is long (i.e. time enough) to decide this S. El. 1030.

e. This object infinitive after verbs is often an internal accusative. The accusative after verbs and nouns is, in many cases, like an accusative of respect (1600); as τὸ δρᾶν οὐκ ἠθέλησαν they refused to do it S. O. C. 442, αἰσχῡ́νονται τὸ τολμᾶν they are ashamed to dare P. Soph. 247b, οὐδ᾽ ἐμοί τοι τοὐξανιστάναι ἐστὶ θάρσος nor have I courage to remove thee S. O. C. 47, τὸ μὲν ἐς τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν ἐσβάλλειν . . . ἱκανοί εἰσι they are able to make an inroad into our country T. 6.17. This infinitive after adjectives (and sometimes after verbs) occurs when the simple infinitive expresses purpose or result, as in τίς Μήδων . . . σοῦ ἀπελείφθη τὸ μή σοι ἀκολουθεῖν; what one of the Medes remained away from you so as not to attend you? X. C. 5.1.25.

f. Some verbs take the articular infinitive as an object when the simple infinitive could not be used: μόνον ὁρῶν τὸ παίειν τὸν ἁλισκόμενον taking heed only to strike any one he caught X. C. 1.4.21.

g. Verbs of saying and thinking rarely take the articular infinitive (also with ἄν): ἐξομεῖ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι; wilt thou swear thou didst not know? S. Ant. 535, τῆς ἐλπίδος γὰρ ἔρχομαι δεδραγμένος, τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ἂν ἄλλο πλὴν τὸ μόρσιμον for I come with good grip on the hope that I can suffer nothing save what is my fate S. Ant. 235.

h. On the use of the object infinitive with τὸ μή and τὸ μὴ οὐ, see 2744 and 2749.

i. The accusative with the infinitive may stand in the absolute construction: ἐπεί γε τὸ ἐλθεῖν τοῦτον, οἶμαι θεόν τινα αὐτὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν ἀγαγεῖν τὴν τῑμωρίᾱν as for his coming, I believe that some god brought him to his very punishment Lyc. 91.