Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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First Form: SIMPLE PRESENT AND PAST CONDITIONAL RELATIVES

[*] 2562. Simple present and past conditional relative clauses have the present or past indicative. The main clause has the indicative or any other form of the simple sentence (cp. 2298, 2300).

οὐ γὰρ ἃ πρά_ττουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι, ἀλλ᾽ ἃ (= εἴ τινα) μὴ πρά_ττουσι, ταῦτα λέγεις for it is not what the just do, but what they do not do, that you keep telling us X. M. 4.4.11, τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἳ (= εἴ τινες) ““μὴ ἔτυχον ἐν ταῖς τάξεσιν ὄντες εἰς τὰ_ς τάξεις ἔθεον” those of the Greeks who happened not to be in rank ran into their ranks” X. A. 2.2.14, διέβαλλεν αὐτὸν ὅ τι ἐδύνατο he slandered him all he could 6. 1. 32, ἄνδρας τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀπέκτειναν ὅσοι μὴ ἐξένευσαν they killed all of the Athenians who had not escaped by swimming T. 2.90, δ̀ δέ γε μηδὲν κακὸν ποιεῖ οὐδ᾽ ἄν τινος εἴη κακοῦ αἴτιον; and that which produces no evil cannot be the cause of any evil either? P. R. 379b, ““ἃ μὴ προσήκει μήτ᾽ ἄκουε μήθ᾽ ὅρα_” neither hear nor behold that which beseems thee not” Men. Sent. 39, ““ὅστις ζῆν ἐπιθυ_μεῖ, πειρά_σθω νι_κᾶν” whoever longs to live, let him strive to conquer” X. A. 3.2.39.

a. Since the antecedent of these clauses is indefinite, simple present conditional relative clauses with the present indicative in the main clause often have the value of general conditions. But general clauses with ὅς (μή) usually take the subjunctive or optative (2567, 2568), and those with ὅστις (μή) the indicative (2569).

[*] 2563. If the relative clause expresses a present intention or necessity, the future indicative may be used.

ἐν τούτῳ κεκωλῦσθαι (1950) ἐδόκει ἑκάστῳ τὰ πρά_γματα ᾧ μή τις αὐτὸς παρέσται each thought that progress was surely impeded in any undertaking in which he was not going to take part in person (= ἐν τούτῳ κεκώλυ_ται ᾧ μὴ παρέσομαι) T. 2.8. Cp. P. Th. 186c. More common is μέλλω with the present or future infinitive: ““ἕλοισθ᾽ ὅ τι . . . ἅπα_σι συνοίσειν ὑ_μῖν μέλλει” may you adopt whatever course is likely to be of advantage to you all” D. 3.36.

a. Elsewhere the future indicative is not regular in conditional relative sentences.