Greek Miscellany

remaining, as if from a fixed point, except that writing is indeed practical, while that which is speech is called the spoken word. Since, therefore, it does not make a difference in the times alone, the present scope of the Greek language desires this. Therefore, it is appropriate regarding the past. As it is not of the former times, I shall make the account; but just as toward the present, of which we imagine things to be present, so also to us. Most especially this is toward the differences of the other times, which we will be, what he knows, would not be if the times having passed us were not. This, then, seems to us, and thus it holds. The present, therefore, being defined, this one carelessly definition of the present: is made; the present is whenever, according to the time in which, it makes the speaking or doing of it itself. As pre-: when I write and am asked, "What are you doing?" I say that I am writing. And again, whenever we were making a past time into the present one. As when asked, "What were you doing yesterday at sunrise?" I say that I was writing. For this is not otherwise than that I was writing, and most especially the word of the account having passed yesterday at the sunrise, being present, and indeed sharing perfect-: something even in the present, is as if I were to say "I am writing." And again, whenever I speak of a time that has just passed, I say what I have done, and that itself. As when, having been asked, after ceasing from writing, "What have you just done?" I answer, "I have written." And it is called parakeimenos perfect tense. For the time that passed, besides all, is the present. And after this. The ypersyntelikos pluperfect tense is when we have found, of a past time that has just passed, that also making it, I say. As when asked what I had done before the rising of the sun, this, the thing before the rising of the aorist-: sun, makes the thing that has ceased. Which also was written by him. The aoristos aorist tense, which passed long ago, and has no boundary of having passed, I have done became. For example, it happened, I wrote.