29.11 Although this form is known as the AORIST PASSIVE, it in fact evolved in meaning over the centuries. In Classical Greek, the passive voice appears much less frequently than it does in English or later Greek. Ιn fact, in the earliest Greek, the form is almost always intransitive (as if in the middle voice):
- δεινὼ δέ οἱ ὄσσε φάανθεν…
- and her eyes (οἱ ὄσσε) appeared (φάανθεν) awesome (δεινὼ). Homer Iliad 1.200
By the time of Koine Greek, the form is used frequently in passive constructions.
- Active: ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός.
- God gave us eternal life. 1 John 5:11
- Passive: ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη.
- The law was given through Moses. John 1:17
29.12 Intransitive uses continue as well, however, and in fact some verbs only use the aorist passive intransitively:
- Καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὸ Ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν.
- And each went to his own home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Jn 7:53-8:1
Context within a sentence helps to translate the voice of the AORIST PASSIVE form. A rule of thumb is to look for a GENITIVE OF AGENT following ὑπό.
Note the following examples:
- τὸ βιβλίον ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ γράφεται.
- The book is being written by the poet.
- τὸ βιβλίον ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ ἐγράφη.
- The book was written by the poet.
- The aorist passive of γράφω has dropped the θ, but otherwise declines normally: ἐγράφην, ἐγράφης, ἐγράφη...
- αἱ πόλεις ὑπὸ τῶν Περσῶν λύονται
- The cities are being destroyed by the Persians…
- αἱ πόλεις ὑπὸ τῶν Περσῶν ἐλύθησαν
- The cities were destroyed by the Persians…