Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

Μεγαρέες ἔπεμπον ἐπὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων κήρυ_κα, ἀπικόμενος δὲ ὁ κῆρυξ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγε τάδε: “Μεγαρέες λέγουσι: ‘ἡμεῖς, ἄνδρες σύμμαχοι, οὐ δυνατοί εἰμεν τὴν Περσέων ἵππον δέκεσθαι μοῦνοι’” the Megarians sent a herald to the generals of the Greeks, and on his arrival the herald spoke as follows: “The Megarians say: ‘we, oh allies, are not able to sustain the attack of the Persian cavalry by ourselves’” Hdt. 9.21; and often in Hdt. (cp. 3. 40, 3. 122, 5. 24, 7. 150, 8. 140).

a. Direct quotation may, in prose, be introduced by ὅτι, which has the value of quotation marks. Thus, οἱ δὲ εἶπον ὅτι ἱκανοί ἐσμεν but they said (that) “we are ready” X. A. 5.4.10. So usually when the finite verb is omitted; as ἀπεκρί_νατο ὅτι οὔ he answered (that) “no” 1. 6. 7. The use of direct speech introduced by ὅτι is, in general, that of familiar style. The first example is Hdt. 2.115. ὡς for ὅτι is very rare (Dinarchus 1. 12, 1. 102). Cp. “the emperor sends thee this word that, if thou love thy sons, let Marcus . . ., or any one of you, chop off your hand” Shakesp. Tit. Andr. 3. 1. 151.