William Watson Goodwin, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb

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[*] 487. 1. This is found especially in Homer, where εἴ κε (αἴ κε) or ἤν (without an expressed apodosis) often seems to have the force of in the hope that; as in πατρὸς ἐμοῦ κλέος μετέρχομαι, ἤν που ἀκούσω, I am going to seek tidings of my father, if I shall chance to hear of him, i.e. that I may hear of him if perchance I shall, or in the hope that I shall hear of him ( Od. iii. 83). Here the protasis carries with it its own apodosis, which consists of an implied idea of purpose.¹ The whole sentence (both protasis and apodosis) is thus condensed into the protasis; but the apodosis is always felt in the implied idea of purpose or desire which is inherent in the idiom. As we have seen (312, Od. 2) that final clauses with ἄν or κέ and the subjunctive originally included both a conditional relative clause and a final sentence, so here we have both a conditional and a final force included under a single conditional form; and this double force is felt also in the English translation, if haply, in the hope that, in case that, etc. E.g. Αὐτὰρ σοὶ πυκινῶς ὑποθήσομεθ̓, αἴ κε πίθηαι, but we will make you a wise suggestion, for you to obey it if you will. Il. xxi. 293. (Here the protasis αἴ κε πίθηαι with its implied apodosis seems like πείθοἰ ἂν εἰ πείθοἰ, you can obey if you please, AESCH. Ag. 1049, and χαίροιτ᾽ ἂν εἰ χαίροιτ̓, Ib. 1394.) So Il. i. 207, Il. 420, Il. xi. 791, Il. xxiii. 82; Od. i. 279. Πέμψω δ᾽ ἐς Σπάρτην . . . νόστον πευσόμενον πατρὸς φίλου, ἤν που ἀκούσῃ, ἠδ᾽ ἵνα μιν κλέος ἔχῃσιν, I will send him to Sparta, to ask about his father's return, in hope that he may hear of it, and in order that glory may possess him. Od. i. 93. (Here the added final clause shows the distinction between this and the protasis ἤν που ἀκούσῃ.) So Od. i. 281, Od. ii. 216, Od. 360, Od. iii. 83. Εἰπέ μοι, αἴ κέ ποθι γνώω τοιοῦτον ἐόντα, “if haply I may recognise him.” Od. xiv. 118. Βάλλ᾽ οὕτως, αἴ κέν τι φόως Δαναοῖσι γένηαι, if haply you may become (i.e. in hope that you may become), etc. Il. viii. 282.So Il. xi. 797, Il. 799, Il. xiii. 236, Il. xiv. 78, Il. xvi. 39, Il. 41 (cf. 84), Il. xvii. 121, 692, Il. xviii. 199. Καί οἱ ὑποσχέσθαι δυοκαίδεκα βοῦς ἱερευσέμεν, αἴ κ᾽ ἐλεήσῃ ἄστυ, . . . αἴ κεν Τυδέος υἱὸν ἀπόσχῃ Ἰλίου ἱρῆς, let her promise to sacrifice twelve oxen (to Athena), in hope that she may pity the city, . . . if haply she may keep the son of Tydeus from sacred Ilios, etc. Il. vi. 93. (For αἴ κεν ἀπόσχῃ Aristarchus read ὥς κεν.) Εὐφημῆσαί τε κέλεσθε, ὄφρα Διὶ Κρονίδῃ ἀρήσομεθ̓, αἴ κ᾽ ἐλεήσῃ, in order that we may pray to Zeus to pity us if he will (if haply he shall pity us). Il. ix. 171.So Il. vi. 281, Il. 309, Il. xvii. 245, Il. xxii. 419, Il. xxiv. 116, Il. 301, Il. 357; Od. xiii. 182.See also εἴ κέν πως βούλεται λοιγὸν ἀμῦναι, Il. i. 66. Πατρόκλῳ ἔφεπε κρατερώνυχας ἵππους, αἴ κέν πώς μιν ἕλῃς, δώῃ δέ τοι εὖχος Ἀπόλλων. Il. xvi. 724.So Il. xv. 297; Od. xxii. 76. Δεῦρ᾽ ἱκόμεθ̓, αἴ κέ ποθι Ζεὺς ἐξοπίσω περ παύσῃ ὀιζύος. Od. iv. 34.So Od. i. 379, Od. ii. 144, Od. xii. 215, Od. xvii. 51, Od. 60, Od. xxii. 252. Εκτορος ὄρσωμεν κρατερὸν μένος, ἤν τινά που Δαναῶν προκαλέσσεται. Il. vii. 39. Ὑψόσε δ᾽ αὐγὴ γίγνεται ἀίσσουσα περικτιόνεσσι ἰδέσθαι, αἴ κέν πως σὺν νηυσὶν ἀρῆς ἀλκτῆρες ἵκωνται. Il. xviii. 211. Εἰ δέ κ᾽ ἔτι προτέρω παρανήξομαι, ἤν που ἐφεύρω ἠιόνας, δείδω, κ.τ.λ., but if I shall swim on still farther, to find a shore if haply I may, I fear, etc. Od. v. 417. (Here ἤν που ἐφεύρω depends on an ordinary protasis, which, however, is not its apodosis.) Ἀλλ᾽ ἄγετ̓, αἴ κέν πως θωρήξομεν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν, i.e. let us arm them if we can. Il. ii. 72 (so 83). Σκέπτεο νῦν, αἴ κε ἴδηαι ζωὸν ἔτ᾽ Ἀντίλοχον, “if haply you may see.” Il. xvii. 652. Σῷ οἴκῳ δῶρον ποτιδέγμενος, αἴ κε πόρῃσιν, expecting a gift, if haply he shall give one (i.e. in hope that he will give one). Od. ii. 186.So Od. xv. 312. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐ γάρ σ᾽ ἐθέλω βαλέειν τοιοῦτον ἐόντα λάθρῃ ὀπιπεύσας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφαδὸν, εἴ κε τύχωμι, “if haply I may hit you.” Il. vii. 242. Νῦν αὖτ᾽ ἐγχείῃ πειρήσομαι, αἴ κε τύχωμι, I will try with my spear, if haply I may hit you. Il. v. 279. Ὡς ὅτε τις τροχὸν κεραμεὺς πειρήσεται, αἴ κε θέῃσιν, i.e. tries a wheel, in case it will run (i.e. to let it run if it will). Il. xviii. 600. (The analogy of the two preceding examples shows that there is no indirect question.)

Παρέζεο καὶ λαβὲ γούνων, αἴ κέν πως ἐθέλῃσιν ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρῆξαι, i.e. clasp his knees in the hope that he will aid the Trojans (that he may aid them in case he will). Il. i. 407.So Il. vii. 394, Il. x. 55, Il. xiii. 743, Il. xviii. 457; Od. iii. 92, Od. iv. 322.For these last examples, see 490, Od. 2.

For αἴ κε in the common text of Homer, here as elsewhere, Bekker and Delbrück write εἴ κε (see footnote to 379).

2. In alternatives with two opposite suppositions, this construction implies that the subject is ready for either result, though the former is hoped for or expected. E.g. Ἰθὺς φέρεται μένει, ἤν τινα πέφνῃ ἀνδρῶν ἢ αὐτὸς φθίεται πρώτῳ ἐν ὁμίλῳ, i.e. he (a lion) rushes on, ready to slay or to perish. Il. xx. 172.In Od. xxiv. 216, the common text has πατρὸς πειρήσομαι, αἴ κε (or εἴ κε) μ᾽ ἐπιγνώῃ . . . ἦέ κεν ἀγνοιῇσι, I will try my father (ready for either result), in case he shall recognise me or shall not know me (where κέν alone in the second clause is very strange). But La Roche reads ἤ κέ μ᾽ ἐπιγνώῃ, as an indirect question, one MS. having ἤ κε: see also Od. xviii. 265. Ἐπιγνώῃ is Hermann's conjecture for ἐπιγνοίη or γνοίη.