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[*] 505. （c) When a subjunctive or a future indicative in protasis has a potential optative in the apodosis, there is sometimes a distinct potential force in the apodosis (as in 503), and sometimes the optative with ἄν is merely a softened expression for the future indicative (235). E.g. Εἰ μέν κεν πατρὸς βίοτον καὶ ϝόστον ἀκούσω, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν τρυχόμενός περ ἔτι τλαίην ἐνιαυτόν, “if I hear of my father's life and return, wasted as I am, I can still endure it for a year.” Od. ii. 218. (See the next verses, Od. 220-223, εἰ δέ κε τεθνεῶτος ἀκούσω, with future forms in the apodosis. See also the corresponding verses, Od. i. 287-292.) Ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι μέν κε καὶ ὣς κακά περ πάσχοντες ἵκοισθε, αἴ κ᾽ ἐθέλῃς σὸν θυμὸν ἐρυκακέειν, but still even so, though suffering evils, you may come home, if you will curb your passion. Od. xi. 104; so xi. 110 and xii. 137. See Il. xxi. 556. Εἰ δέ κεν ὄψ᾽ ἀρόσῃς, τόδε κέν τοι φάρμακον εἴη, but if you plough late, this may be your remedy. HES. Op. 485; so 665. Ἀλλ᾽ ἢν ἐφῇς μοι, . . . λέξαιμ᾽ ἂν ὀρθῶς, i.e. I would fain speak. SOPH. El. 554. So O. T. 216, Phil. 1259; EUR. Hel. 1085. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν πολλαὶ γέφυραι ὦσιν, ἔχοιμεν ἂν ὅποι φυγόντες ἡμεῖς σωθῶμεν, for not even if there are (shall be) many bridges, could we (in the case supposed) find a place to fly to and be safe. XEN. An. ii. 4, 19. Εἰ γάρ τι λέξεις ᾧ χολώσεται στρατὸς, οὔτ᾽ ἂν ταφείη παῖς ὅδ᾽ οὔτ᾽ οἴκτου τύχοι, for if you say anything by which the army shall be made angry, this child cannot be buried or find pity. EUR. Tro. 730; see Suppl. 603, EUR. Cycl. 474. Φρούριον εἰ ποιήσονται, τῆς μὲν γῆς βλάπτοιεν ἄν τι μέρος, οὐ μέντοι ἱκανόν γε ἔσται κωλύειν ἡμᾶς, κ.τ.λ., if they (shall) build a fort, they might perhaps injure some part of our land; but it will not be sufficient to prevent us, etc. THUC. i. 142. In the following examples the optative with ἄν seems to form a future apodosis to the future protasis; though in some of them it may be thought to be potential:— Εἰ δέ κεν εὐπλοΐην δώῃ κλυτὸς εἰνοσίγαιος, ἤματί κεν τριτάτῳ Φθίην ἐρίβωλον ἱκοίμην, i.e. on the third day I shall arrive. Il. ix. 362. (The reference to this in PLAT. Crit. 44B shows that ἱκοίμην ἄν is a mere future.) See Il. xiii. 377, Il. xvii. 38; Od. xxi. 114. Ἀδικοίημεν ἂν εἰ μὴ ἀποδώσω, I should be guilty of wrong, should I (shall I) not restore her. EUR. Hel. 1010.See EUR. Ion. 374, Suppl. 520, I. A. 1189, Cycl. 198. “Ἢν οὖν μάθῃς μοι τὸν ἄδικον τοῦτον λόγον, οὐκ ἂν ἀποδοίην οὐδ᾽ ἂν ὀβολὸν οὐδενί,” “if you (shall) learn this cheating reason for me, I will not (or: I would not) pay even an obol to any one.” AR. Nub. 116. Καὶ οὕτως ἂν δεινότατα πάντων πάθοιεν, εἰ οὗτοι ὁμόψηφοι κατ᾽ ἐκείνων τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοῖς τριάκοντα γενήσονται. LYS. xiii. 94. (Here we should expect εἰ γένοιντο.) Τῶν ἀτοπω- τάτων μέντ᾽ ἂν εἴη, εἰ, ἃ νῦν ἄνοιαν ὀφλισκάνων ὅμως ἐκλαλεῖ, ταῦτα δυνηθεὶς μὴ πράξει. DEM. i. 26.
Macmillan. London, Melbourne, Toronto. 1889. reprint edition:. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1965.
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