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[*] 467. （Indicative.) The indicative is sometimes found in the place of the subjunctive or optative in these general conditions, that is, these follow the construction of ordinary present and past suppositions, as in Latin and English. Here the speaker refers to one of the cases in which the event may occur, as if it were the only one,—that is, he states the general supposition as if it were particular. E.g. Μοῖραι δ᾽ ἀφίσταντ̓, εἴ τις ἔχθρα πέλει ὁμογόνοις, αἰδῶ καλύψαι, the Fates stand aloof to hide their shame, if there is enmity among kindred. PIND. Py. iv. 145; cf. Ol. i. 64. (See 406.) Εἴ τις δύο ἢ καὶ πλέους τις ἡμέρας λογίζεται, μάταιός ἐστιν, if any one ever counts upon two or even more days, he is a fool. SOPH. Tr. 944. Ἐλευθέρως πολιτεύομεν, οὐ δἰ ὀργῆς τὸν πέλας, εἰ καθ᾽ ἡδονήν τι δρᾷ, ἔχοντες, i.e. not (having a habit of) being angry with our neighbour if he ever acts as he pleases. THUC. ii. 37. (Here the indicative δρᾷ is used as if some particular act of one neighbour, and not any act of any neighbour, were in mind.) Εἰ γάρ τις ἐν δημοκρατίᾳ τετιμημένος τολμᾷ βοηθεῖν τοῖς παράνομα γράφουσιν, καταλύει τὴν πολιτείαν ὑφ᾽ ἧς τετίμηται. AESCHIN. iii. 196. Εἴ τίς τι ἐπηρώτα, ἀπεκρίνοντο, if any one asked anything, they replied (to all such). THUC. vii. 10. Ἐμίσει οὐκ εἴ τις κακῶς πάσχων ἠμυνετο, ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις εὐεργετούμενος ἀχάριστος φαίνοιτο. Xen. Ag. xi. 3.Here, without any apparent reason, the writer changes from the indicative to the optative. (See 534.)
Macmillan. London, Melbourne, Toronto. 1889. reprint edition:. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1965.
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