Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

οὐ AND μή WITH THE INFINITIVE IN INDIRECT DISCOURSE

ᾗ (ἀνάγκῃ) ““φαμεν οὐδένα θεῶν οὔτε μάχεσθαι τὰ νῦν οὔτε μαχεῖσθαί ποτε” we declare that no one of the gods either now contends with necessity, or ever will” P. L. 818e ( = οὐδεὶς . . . μάχεται . . . μαχεῖται), ““λέγοντες οὐκ εἶναι αὐτόνομοι” saying that they were not independent” T. 1.67, ( = οὔκ ἐσμεν), ““οἶμαι γὰρ ἂν οὐκ ἀχαρίστως μοι ἔχειν” for I think it would not be unattended with gratitude to me” X. A. 2.3.18 ( = οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι), ““ἡγήσαντο ἡμᾶς οὐ περιόψεσθαι” they thought that we should not view it with indifference” T. 1.39 ( = οὐ περιόψονται), ““ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκοῦσιν οὗτοι οὐ τὸ αἴτιον αἰτιᾶσθαι” but these persons seem to me not to blame the real cause” P. R. 329b, ““ἐνόμισεν οὐκ ἂν δύνασθαι μένειν τοὺς πολιορκοῦντας” he thought the besiegers would not be able to hold their position” X. A. 7.4.22 ( = οὐκ ἂν δύναιντο).

[*] 2723. Verbs of saying and thinking take μή in emphatic declarations and expressions of thought which involve a wish that the utterance may hold good. So with φημί, λέγω, ἡγοῦμαι, νομίζω, οἶμαι. Cp. 2725.

““φαίην δ᾽ ἂν ἔγωγε μηδενὶ μηδεμίαν εἶναι παίδευσιν παρὰ τοῦ μὴ ἀρέσκοντος” but for my part I would maintain that no one gets any education from a teacher who is not pleasing” X. M. 1.2.39, ““πάντες ἐροῦσι . . . μηδὲν εἶναι κερδαλεώτερον ἀρετῆς” all will say that nothing is more profitable than bravery” X. C. 7.1.18, τίς δ᾽ ἂν ἀνθρώπων θεῶν μὲν παῖδας ἡγοῖτο εἶναι, θεοὺς δὲ μή; who in the world would think that they were the sons of gods and not gods? P. A. 27d, ““ἀπῇσαν . . . νομίσαντες μὴ ἂν ἔτι . . . ἱκανοὶ γενέσθαι κωλῦσαι τὸν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τειχισμόν” they departed in the belief that they would no longer prove able to prevent the building of the wall to the sea” T. 6.102.

a. Cp. P. Th. 155a (φημί), T. 1.139, 6. 49, P. R. 346e (λέγω), X. M. 1.2.41, D. 54.44 (οἶμαι), X. C. 7.5.59 (νομίζω), P. Soph. 230c (διανοοῦμαι).

b. Cases where the infinitive is in apposition, or depends on an imperative, or occurs after a condition, do not belong here.

[*] 2724. μή with the infinitive is often found after verbs denoting an oracular response or a judicial decision actual or implied. Cp. 2725. Thus, ““ἀνεῖλεν ἡ Πυ_θία_ μηδένα σοφώτερον εἶναι” the Pythian prophetess made answer that no one was wiser” P. A. 21a (in direct discourse οὐδεὶς σοφώτερός ἐστι). So after κρί_νω, as ἔκρι_νε μὴ Ἀρίστωνος εἶναι Δημάρητον παῖδα the Pythian prophetess gave decisior that Demaretus was not the son of Ariston Hdt. 6.66, ““κέκρισθε . . . μόνοι τῶν πάντων μηδενὸς ἂν κέρδους τὰ κοινὰ δίκαια τῶν Ἑλλήνων προέσθαι” you are adjudged to be the only people who would not betray for lucre the common rights of the Greeks” D. 6.10. So καταγιγνώσκω μή T. 7.51, X. C. 6.1.36.

[*] 2725. μή is often used with verbs and other expressions of asseveration and belief, after which we might expect οὐ with the infinitive in indirect discourse. Such verbs are those signifying to hope, expect, promise, put trust in, be persuaded, agree, testify, swear, etc. The use of μή indicates strong assurance, confidence, and resolve; and generally in regard to the future. Cp. 2723.

ἐλπὶς ὑ_μᾶς μὴ ὀφθῆναι there is hope that you will not be seen X. C. 2.4.23, ““ὑπι_σχνοῦντο μηδὲν χαλεπὸν αὐτοὺς πείσεσθαι” they promised that they should suffer no harm” X. H. 4.4.5, ““πιστεύω . . . μὴ ψεύσειν με ταύτα_ς τὰ_ς ἀγαθὰ_ς ἐλπίδας” I trust that these good hopes will not deceive me” X. C. 1.5.13, ““θαυμάζω ὅπως ἐπείσθησαν Ἀθηναῖοι Σωκράτην περὶ θεοὺς μὴ σωφρονεῖν” I wonder how the Athenians were persuaded that Socrates did not hold temperate opinions regarding the gods” X. M. 1.1.20, ““ὁμολογεῖ μὴ μετεῖναί οἱ μακρολογία_ς” he acknowledges that he cannot make a long speech” P. Pr. 336b, ““αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ καταμαρτυρεῖ μὴ ἐξ ἐκείνου γεγενῆσθαι” he proves by his own testimony that he is not his son” D. 40.47, ““ὤμοσεν ἦ μὴν μὴ εἶναί οἱ υἱὸν ἄλλον μηδὲ γενέσθαι πώποτε” he swore that he had no other son and that none other had ever been born to him” And. 1.126, ““ὤμνυε . . . μηδὲν εἰρηκέναι” he swore that he had said nothing” D. 21.119, ““ὀμοῦμαι μήποτ᾽ . . . ἀλεξήσειν κακὸν ἦμαρ” I will swear that I will never ward off the evil day” Φ 373. Cp. Ar. Vesp. 1047, 1281, And. 1.90, Lyc. 76. With ὄμνυ_μι the infinitive may refer to the present, past, or future.

[*] 2726. Such verbs are hope ἐλπίζω; expect ἐλπίζω, προσδοκῶ, δοκῶ, οἴομαι, εἰκός ἐστι; promise ὑπισχνοῦμαι, ἐπαγγέλλομαι; swear ὄμνυ_μι; agree ὁμολογῶ, συγχωρῶ; pledge ἐγγυῶμαι; put trust in πιστεύω; am persuaded πέπεισμαι; testify μαρτυρῶ; repudiate ἀναίνομαι; threaten ἀπειλῶ, etc.

a. μή is regular after verbs of promising; common after verbs of hoping and swearing. With ὄμνυ_μι, πιστεύω, πείθομαι, μαρτυρῶ, etc. there is an idea of deprecation.

[*] 2727. ἐπίσταμαι and οἶδα usually take μή when they denote confident belief ( = I warrant from what I know; cp. πιστεύω μή, ὄμνυ_μι μή). Thus, ““ἐξίσταμαι μή του τόδ᾽ ἀγλάϊσμα πλὴν κείνου μολεῖν” I assure you this fair offering has not come from any one save from him” S. El. 908 (cp. Ant. 1092). In τοσοῦτόν γ᾽ οἶδα μήτε μ᾽ ἂν νόσον μήτ᾽ ἄλλο πέρσαι μηδέν so much at least I know—that neither sickness nor aught else can undo me (S. O. T. 1455) the infinitive may be appositional (2718). Cases of ἴσθι μή (be assured = I assure you) may have μή by reason of the imperative (2737 a). So S. Ph. 1329.