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CLAUSES WITH ἐφ᾽ AND ἐφ᾽ ᾧτε INTRODUCING A PROVISO

2279. ἐφ᾽ and ἐφ᾽ ᾧτε on condition that, for the purpose of take the infinitive or (less often) the future indicative, and may be introduced, in the principal clause, by the demonstrative ἐπὶ τούτῳ. Negative μή.

““αἱρεθέντες ἐφ᾽ ᾧτε συγγράψαι νόμουςhaving been chosen for the purpose of compiling lawsX. H. 2.3.11, ἔφασαν ἀποδώσειν (τοὺς νεκροὺς) ἐφ᾽ μὴ καίειν τὰ_ς οἰκία_ς the barbarians said they would surrender the dead on condition that he would not burn their houses X. A. 4.2.19, ““ἀφί_εμέν σε, ἐπὶ τούτῳ μέντοι, ἐφ᾽ ᾧτε μηκέτι . . . φιλοσοφεῖνwe release you, on this condition however, that you no longer search after wisdomP. A. 29c. Future indicative: ““ξυνέβησαν ἐφ᾽ ᾧτε ἐξία_σιν ἐκ Πελοποννήσου ὑπόσπονδοι καὶ μηδέποτε ἐπιβήσονται αὐτῆςthey made an agreement on condition that they should depart from the Peloponnesus under a truce and never set foot on it againT. 1.103.

a. These constructions do not occur in Homer. The future indicative is used by Herodotus and Thucydides on the analogy of relative clauses equivalent to consecutive clauses. These authors also use ἐπὶ τοῖσδε for ἐπὶ τούτῳ.

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