internal object (object effected)

(I) The substantive in the accusative is of the same origin as the verb.

πολλὴν φλυᾱρίᾱν φλυᾱροῦντα talking much nonsense P. A. 19c, ξυνέφυγε τὴν φυγὴν ταύτην he shared in the recent exile 21 a, τὴν ἐν Σαλαμῖνι ναυμαχίᾱν ναυμαχήσαντες victorious in the sea-fight at Salamis D. 59.97, τᾱ̀ς ὑποσχέσεις ᾱ̔̀ς οὗτος ὑπῑσχνεῖτο the promises which he made 19. 47, ἡ αἰτίᾱ ἣν αἰτιῶνται the charge they bring Ant. 6.27.

a. Sometimes the verb may be suppressed, as ἡμῖν μὲν εὐχᾱ̀ς τᾱ́σδε (εὔχομαι) for us these prayers A. Ch. 142.

The cognate accusative occurs even with adjectives of an intransitive character: μήτε τι σοφὸς ὢν τὴν ἐκείνων σοφίᾱν μήτε ἀμαθὴς τὴν ἀμαθίᾱν being neither at all wise after the fashion of their wisdom nor ignorant after the fashion of their ignorance P. A. 22e, ἀτῑ́μους ἐποίησαν ἀτῑμίᾱν τοιᾱ́νδε ὥστε κτλ. they disfranchised them in such a way that, etc. T. 5.34 (ἀτῑ́μους ἐποίησαν = ἠτῑ́μησαν, cp. 1598).

Passive: πόλεμος ἐπολεμεῖτο war was waged X. H. 4.8.1.

(II) The substantive in the accusative is of kindred meaning with the verb.

ἐξῆλθον ἄλλᾱς ὁδούς they went forth on other expeditions X. H. 1.2.17, τὸν ἱερὸν καλούμενον πόλεμον ἐστράτευσαν they waged what is called the Sacred War T. 1.112, ἠσθένησε ταύτην τὴν νόσον he fell ill of this disease I. 19.24, ἀνθρώπου φύσιν βλαστών born to man's estate S. Aj. 760.

Passive: πόλεμος ἐταράχθη war was stirred up D. 18.151.

An extension of the cognate accusative appears in poetry with κεῖσθαι, στῆναι, καθίζειν and like verbs: τόπον, ὅντινα κεῖται the place in which he is situated S. Ph. 145, τί ἕστηκε πέτρᾱν; why stands she on the rock? E. Supp. 987, τρίποδα καθίζων sitting on the tripod E. Or. 956.

An attributive word is usually necessary (but not in Hom.); otherwise the addition of the substantive to the verb would be tautologous. But the attribute is omitted:

a. When the nominal idea is specialized: φυλακᾱ̀ς φυλάττειν to stand sentry X. A. 2.6.10, φόρον φέρειν to pay tribute 5. 5. 7.

b. When the substantive is restricted by the article: τὸν πόλεμον πολεμεῖν to wage the present war T. 8.58, τὴν πομπὴν πέμπειν to conduct the procession 6. 56.

c. When a plural substantive denotes repeated occurrences: ἐτριηράρχησε τριηραρχίᾱς he performed the duty of trierarch D. 45.85.

d. In various expressions: Ὀλύμπια νῑκᾶν to win an Olympian victory T. 1.126, τὴν ναυμαχίᾱν νῑκῆσαι to be victorious in the sea-fight L. 19.28, θῡ́ειν τὰ εὐαγγέλια to offer a sacrifice in honour of good news X. H. 1.6.37.

e. In poetry the use of a substantive to denote a special form of the action of the verb is much extended: στάζειν αἷμα to drip (drops of) blood S. Ph. 783, Ἄρηπνεῖν to breathe war A. Ag. 375, πῦρ δεδορκώς looking (a look of) fire τ 446. This use is common, especially in Aristophanes, with verbs signifying the look of another than the speaker: βλέπειν νᾶπυ to look mustard Eq. 631, βλέπειν ἀπιστίᾱν to look unbelief Com. fr. 1. 341 (No. 309); cp. “looked his faith”: Holmes.

The substantive without an attribute is (rarely) added to the verb as a more emphatic form of statement: λῆρον ληρεῖν to talk sheer nonsense Ar. Pl. 517, ὕβριν ὑβρίζειν to insult grievously E. H. F. 708. Often in Euripides.

The substantive may be omitted, leaving only the adjectival attribute: παῖσον διπλῆν (scil. πληγήν) strike twice (a double blow) S. El. 1415, τοῦτον ἀνέκραγον ὡς ὀλίγᾱς (scil. πληγᾱ̀ς) παίσειεν they called out that he had dealt him too (1063) few blows X. A. 5.8.12. Cp. 1028.

Usually an adjective, pronoun, or pronominal adjective is treated as a neuter substantive. Cp. μεγάλ᾽ ἁμαρτάνειν to commit grave errors D. 5.5 with μέγιστα ἁμαρτήματα ἁμαρτάνουσι P. G. 525d. The singular adjective is used in certain common phrases in prose, but is mainly poetical; the plural is ordinarily used in prose.

ἡδὺ γελᾶν poet. (= ἡδὺν γέλωτα γελᾶν) to laugh sweetly, μέγα (ψεῦδος) ψεύδεται he is a great liar, μέγα φρονήσᾱς ἐπὶ τούτῳ highly elated at this X. A. 3.1.27, μεῖζον φρονεῖ he is too proud 5. 6. 8, τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων φρονεῖν to be on the side of the Greeks D. 14.34, μέγιστον ἐδύναντο had the greatest influence L. 30.14, δεινὰ ὑβρίζειν to maltreat terribly X. A. 6.4.2, ταὐτὰ ἐπρεσβεύομεν we fulfilled our mission as ambassadors in the same way D. 19.32, τί βούλεται ἡμῖν χρῆσθαι; what use does he wish to make of us? X. A. 1.3.18 (= τίνα βούλεται χρείᾱν χρῆσθαι, cp. χρῆσθαί τινι χρείαν P. L. 868b).

Passive: τοῦτο οὐκ ἐψεύσθησαν they were not deceived in this X. A. 2.2.13, ταῦτα οὐδεὶς ἂν πεισθείη no one would be persuaded of this P. L. 836d.

For a cognate accusative in conjunction with a second object, see 1620.

Note the expressions δικάζειν δίκην decide a case, δικάζεσθαι δίκην τινί go to law with somebody, διώκειν γραφήν τινα indict somebody, φεύγειν δίκην τινός be put on one's trial for something; γράφεσθαί τινα γραφήν indict one for a public offence, φεύγειν γραφήν be put on one's trial for a public offence. Also ἀγωνίζεσθαι στάδιον (= ἀγῶνα σταδίου) be a contestant in the race-course, νῑκᾶν στάδιον be victorious in the race-course, νῑκᾶν δίκην win a case, νῑκᾶν γνώμην carry a resolution (pass. γνώμην ἡττᾶσθαι), ὀφλεῖν δίκην lose a case.

The (rarer) dative (φόβῳ ταρβεῖν, βιαίῳ θανάτῳ ἀποθνῄσκειν, φεύγειν φυγῇ) expresses the cause (1517), manner (1513), or means (1507).

The external object refers to a person, the internal object (cognate accusative, 1563 ff.) refers to a thing. Here the internal object stands in closer relation to the verb.

ὁ πόλεμος ἀείμνηστον παιδείᾱν αὐτοὺς ἐπαίδευσε the war taught them a lesson they will hold in everlasting remembrance Aes. 3.148, τοσοῦτον ἔχθος ἐχθαίρω σε I hate thee with such an hate S. El. 1034, Μέλητός με ἐγράψατο τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην Meletus brought this accusation against me P. A. 19b, ἕλκος, τό μιν βάλε the wound that he dealt him E 795 (1578), Μιλτιάδης ὁ τὴν ἐν Μαραθῶνι μάχην τοὺς βαρβάρους νῑκήσᾱς Miltiades who won the battle at Marathon over the barbarians Aes. 3.181, τὸν ἄνδρα τύπτειν τᾱ̀ς πληγᾱ́ς to strike the man the blows Ant. 4. γ. 1, καλοῦσί με τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα they give me this appellation X. O. 7.3.

Passive (1747): πᾶσαν θεραπείᾱν θεραπευόμενος receiving every manner of service P. Phae. 255a, τύπτεσθαι πεντήκοντα πληγᾱ́ς to be struck fifty blows Aes. 1.139, ἡ κρίσις, ἣν ἐκρίθη the sentence that was pronounced upon him L. 13.50, τᾱ̀ς μάχᾱς, ὅσᾱς Πέρσαι ἡττήθησαν ἐῶ I omit the battles in which the Persians were defeated I. 4.145, ὄνομα ἓν κεκλημένοι Σικελιῶται called by the one name of Sicilians T. 4.64.

So with verbs signifying to do anything to or say anything of a person (1591): πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ ῡ̔μᾶς ἐποίησεν he did you much good L. 5.3, ταυτῑ́ με ποιοῦσι that's what they are doing to me Ar. Vesp. 696, τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπαινῶ Ᾱ̓γησίλᾱον I praise Agesilaus for such merits X. Ages. 10.1, τοὺς Κορινθίους πολλά τε και<*> κακὰ ἔλεγε he said many bad things about the Corinthians Hdt. 8.61. For the accusative of the thing, εὖ (καλῶς), κακῶς may be substituted; and εἰς and πρός with the accusative occur.

The accusative of the person may depend on the idea expressed by the combination of verb and accusative of the thing (1612); as in τοὺς πολεμίους εἰργάσθαι κακά to have done harm to the enemy L. 21.8 (here εἰργάσθαι of itself does not mean to do anything to a person).

When the dative of the person is used, something is done for (1474), not to him: πάντα ἐποίησαν τοῖς ἀποθανοῦσιν they rendered all honours to the dead X. A. 4.2.23. εἰς or πρός with the accusative is also employed.

Passive of 1622: ὅσα ἄλλα ἡ πόλις ἠδικεῖτο all the other wrongs that the State has suffered D. 18.70.

Verbs of dividing (νέμειν, κατανέμειν, διαιρεῖν, τέμνειν) may take two accusatives, one of the thing divided, the other of its parts (cognate accus.). Thus, Κῦρος τὸ στράτευμα κατένειμε δώδεκα μέρη Cyrus divided the army into twelve divisions X. C. 7.5.13. εἰς or κατά may be used with the accusative of the parts.

Passive: διῄρηται ἡ ἀγορᾱ̀ τέτταρα μέρη the Agora is divided into four parts X. C. 1.2.4. εἰς and κατά may be used with the accusative of the parts.