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[*] 554. The relative with the optative sometimes depends on a present or future tense. This occurs chiefly in Homer, and arises from the slight distinction between the subjunctive and optative in such sentences. E.g. Αἰπύ οἱ ἐσσεῖται νῆας ἐνιπρῆσαι, ὅτε μὴ αὐτός γε Κρονίων ἐμβάλοι αἰθόμενον δαλὸν νήεσσι, it will be a hard task for him to fire the ships, unless the son of Kronos should himself hurl a flaming brand upon the ships. Il. xiii. 317. (Regularly ὅτε κε μὴ ἐμβάλῃ, unless he shall hurl.) So Od. xix. 510. Καὶ δ᾽ ἄλλῃ νεμεσῶ ἥ τις τοιαῦτα γε ῥέζοι, and I am angry with any other woman who says (should say) the like. Od. vi. 286. (This resembles the loosely jointed examples in 500.) Τοιούτῳ δὲ ἔοικας, ἐπεὶ λούσαιτο φάγοι τε, εὑδέμεναι μαλακῶς, and you seem like such a man as would sleep comfortably (like one likely to sleep comfortably) after he had washed and eaten. Od. xxiv. 254. (This resembles the examples in 555.) The optative regularly follows an optative in a wish (177).
Macmillan. London, Melbourne, Toronto. 1889. reprint edition:. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1965.
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