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ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχεʼ ἄχεα κατέλιπε,
The construction ἄχεα κατέλιπε (accusative plural of the noun ἄχος used as the direct object) exhibits a rare pleonastic intensification where the verb's meaning 'to leave behind' is reinforced by the repetition of the noun in a form that emphasizes the overwhelming, cumulative nature of the grief. While the repetition of a noun with a verb of leaving (καταλείπω) is attested, the specific use of the plural ἄχεα to denote 'layers of grief' or 'grief piled upon grief' in this context, rather than a simple plural of number, represents a sophisticated poetic usage where the plural functions semantically as a mass noun of intensity, a nuance often missed even by advanced readers accustomed to standard prose usage.
Frogs. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.