THE OUTER OBJECT
530 The Accusative is used as the Direct ( Outer) object of a transitive verb:
Γνῶθι σεαυτόν know thyself.
- a. Many Greek verbs are transitive whose English equivalents require a preposition:
Ἄρκτον ποτὲ ἐπιφερομένην οὐκ ἔτρεσεν a bear that once attacked him he did not shrink from. AN. I. 9, 6. οὐδὲ Δία ξένιον ᾐδέσθη he felt no shame even before Zeus, protector of the stranger. AN. III. 2, 4. σῑγᾶν τύχᾱς to keep silent about my fortune. A. PB. 106.
So, among many others, αἱσχνομαι feel shame before, ὄμνῡμι swear by, λανθάνω escape the notice of (Lat. lateo), εὖ or κακῶς ποιῶ do good or harm to, φυλάττομαι guard against, ἀμνομαι defend myself against, πλέω τὴν θάλατταν sail over the sea, φθάνω get the start of.
- b. Some intransitive verbs become transitive when compounded with certain prepositions, as διαβαίνω cross, ἀποδιδρσκω run away from.
- c. Many verbs vary, and are used now as transitive, now as intransitive. Thus ἀκούω hear and αἰσθάνομαι perceive take the accusative and genitive; μέμφομαι blame takes the accusative or the dative. Especially in poetry some verbs take the accusative that do not in prose.