[*] 916. The participle in indirect discourse may be preceded by ὡς, which implies that the thought of the participle is expressed as that of the leading subject, or as that of some person prominent in the sentence. (See 864.) When this is already implied in the context, as it often is, ὡς adds only emphasis to the expression. Thus ἴσθι ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχοντα means know that this is so; but ἴσθι ὡς ταῦτα ἔχοντα means know that (as you may assume) this is so, i.e. be assured that this is so. E.g.
- “Ὡς μηδὲν εἰδότ᾽ ἴσθι μ᾽ ὧν ἀνιστορεῖς” “understand (that you must look upon) me as knowing nothing of what you seek.” SOPH. Ph. 253.
- “Ὡς μηκέτ᾽ ὄντα κεῖνον ἐν φάει νόει,” “think of him as no longer living.” Ib. 415.
- “Ὡς ταῦτ᾽ ἐπίστω δρώμεν᾽, οὐ μέλλοντ᾽ ἔτι” “understand that (as you may assume) these things are going on, etc.” Ib. 567.
- “Ταῦτα γῇ τῇδ᾽ ὡς τελῶν ἐφαίνετο” Id. O.C. 630.
- “Καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιστάσθω Κροῖσος, ὡς ὕστερον ἁλοὺς τῆς πεπρωμένης” “and let Croesus understand this, that he was captured later than it was fated for him to be.” HDT. i. 91.
- “Ὡς μὴ ᾿μπολήσων ἴσθι τὴν ἐμὴν φρένα,” “be assured that you will not buy me off from my determination.” SOPH. Ant. 1063.
- “Δηλοῖς δ᾽ ὥς τι σημανῶν νέον,” “you show that you have something new in your mind to disclose.” Ib. 242.
- “Δῆλός ἐστιν ὥς τι δρασείων κακόν,” “it is very plain that he wishes to do some harm.” Id. Aj. 326.
- “Δῆλος ἦν Κῦρος ὡς σπεύδων,” “Cyrus showed that he was in haste.” XEN. An. i. 5, 9.
- “Δῆλοι ἔσεσθε ὡς ὀργιζόμενοι τοῖς πεπραγμένοις,” “you will show that you are angry.” LYS. xii. 90.
- “Πατέρα τὸν σὸν ἀγγελῶν ὡς οὐκ ἔτ᾽ ὄντα” “(he comes) to announce that your father is no more.” SOPH. O.T. 956. (In vs. 959, the messenger himself says εὖ ἴσθ᾽ ἐκεῖνον θανάσιμον βεβήκοτα.)
