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757. In narration, the infinitive often appears to stand for the indicative. It depends, however, on some word like λέγεται, it is said, expressed (or at least implied) in something that precedes. E.g. Ἀπικομένους δὲ τοὺς Φοίνικας ἐς δὴ τὸ Ἄργος τοῦτο, διατίθεσθαι τὸν φόρτον, and (they say) that the Phoenicians, when now they had come to this Argos, were setting out their cargo for sale. HDT. i. 1. (Here διατίθεσθαι is imperfect.) Ἀλλ̓, παῖ,” φάναι τὸν Ἀστυάγην, “οὐκ ἀχθόμενοι ταῦτα περιπλανώμεθα.” “Ἀλλὰ καὶ σὲ,” φάναι τὸν Κῦρον, “ὁρῶ,” κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τὸν Ἀστυάγην ἐπερέσθαι, “καὶ τίνι δὴ σὺ τεκμαιρόμενος λέγεις;” “Ὅτι σὲ,” φάναι, “ὁρῶ,” κ.τ.λ. Πρὸς ταῦτα δὲ τὸν Ἀστυάγην εἰπεῖν, κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τὸν Κῦρον εἰπεῖν, κ.τ.λ. XEN. Cyr. i. 3, 5 and 6. (Here all these infinitives, and twelve others which follow, depend on λέγεται in § 4.) Καὶ τὸν κελεῦσαι δοῦναι, “and he commanded him to give it.” Id. Cyr. i. 3, Id. Cyr. 9.So in HDT. i. 24 the story of Arion and the dolphin is told in this construction, the infinitives all depending on λέγουσι at the beginning.

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