29.9 As we discussed earlier, in early Greek there were no distinct PASSIVE forms in the PRESENT tense. Instead, the MIDDLE endings were used also for the PASSIVE when the need arose. The AORIST, however, is one of the few tenses for which distinct PASSIVE endings developed. These forms always conjugate like a regular –μι verb.
To form the aorist passive, the following formula is used:
- ἐ + verb stem + θη + athematic secondary endings
If adding –θη– is too hard to pronounce, only –η– is added. Advanced vocabulary lists, as well as Greek lexica, provide six principal parts for Greek verbs, and the AORIST PASSIVE is the SIXTH PRINCIPAL PART. Generally speaking, however, the aorist passive is easy to recognize and parse because of its distinctive –θη– marker and regular personal endings.
(cf. S 383)
