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683. When the infinitive stands in indirect discourse, its tense represents the corresponding tense of the finite verb in the direct form, the present and perfect including the imperfect and pluperfect. If ἄν was used in the direct form, it must be retained in the quotation, each tense with ἄν representing the corresponding tenses of either indicative or optative with ἄν. E.g. Φησὶ γράφειν, he says that he is writing; ἔφη γράφειν, he said that he was writing; φήσει γράφειν, he will say that he is (then) writing. (He says γράφω.) Φησὶ (ἔφη) γράφειν ἂν, εἰ ἐδύνατο, he says (or said) that he should now be writing, if he were able. (He says ἔγραφον ἄν.) Φησὶ (ἔφη) γράφειν ἂν, εἰ δύναιτο, he says (or said) that he should write, if he should (ever) be able. (He says γράφοιμι ἄν.)

Φησὶ γράψαι, he says that he wrote; ἔφη γράψαι, he said that he had written; φήσει γράψαι, he will say that he wrote. (He says ἔγραψα.) Φησὶ (ἔφη) γράψαι ἂν, εἰ ἐδυνήθη, he says (or said) that he should have written, if he had been able. (He says ἔγραψα ἄν.) Φησὶ (ἔφη) γράψαι ἂν, εἰ δυνηθείη, he says (or said) that he should write, if he should (ever) be able. (He says γράψαιμι ἄν.)

Φησὶ (φήσει) γεγραφέναι, he says (or will say) that he has written; ἔφη γεγραφέναι, he said that he had written. (He says γέγραφα.) For the perfect with ἄν, see below and 206.

Φησὶ (φήσει) γράψειν, he says (or will say) that he will write; ἔφη γράψειν, he said that he would write. (He says γράψω.)

(Present.) Καί τέ μέ φησι μάχῃ Τρώεσσιν ἀρήγειν. Il. i. 521. Πῶς δὴ φῂς πολέμοιο μεθιέμεν; Il. iv. 351.So Il. xvii. 338. Σκύζεσθαί οἱ εἰπὲ θεοὺς, ἐμὲ δ᾽ ἔξοχα πάντων ἀθανάτων κεχολῶσθαι, “tell him that the Gods are angry with him and that I am enraged with him beyond all the immortals.” Il. xxiv. 113. Ἀρρωστεῖν προφασίζεται, he pretends that he is sick: ἐξώμοσεν ἀρρωστεῖν τουτονί, “he took his oath that this man was sick.” DEM. xix. 124. Οὐκ ἔφη αὐτὸς ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνον στρατηγεῖν, i.e. Cleon said that not he himself, but Nicias, was general; i.e. he said, οὐκ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνος στρατηγεῖ. THUC. iv. 28. Τίνας οὖν εὐχὰς ὑπολαμβάνετ᾽ εὔχεσθαι τὸν Φίλιππον ὅτ᾽ ἔσπενδεν; what prayers do you suppose Philip made, etc.? DEM. xix. 130. (Εὔχεσθαι represents ηὔχετο: see 119.) Οἶμαι γὰρ ἂν οὐκ ἀχαρίστως μοι ἔχειν, for I think it would not be a thankless labour; i.e. οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι. XEN. An. ii. 3, 18. Οἴεσθε γὰρ τὸν πατέρα οὐκ ἂν φυλάττειν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν λαμβάνειν τῶν πωλουμένων ξύλων; do you think that my father would not have taken care and have received the pay for the timber sold? i.e. οὐκ ἂν ἐφύλαττεν καὶ ἐλάμβανεν; DEM. xlix. 35. (See 205.)

(Aorist.) Οὐδέ κε φαίης ἀνδρὶ μαχησάμενον τόν γ᾽ ἐλθέμεν, “nor would you say that he came after a battle with a man.” Il. iii. 393. Κατασχεῖν φησι τούτους, he says that he detained them. Τοὺς δ᾽ αἰχμαλώτους οὐδ᾽ ἐνθυμηθῆναί φησι λύσασθαι, “but he says that he did not even think of ransoming the prisoners.” DEM. xix. 39. (He says κατέσχον and οὐδ᾽ ἐνεθυμήθην.) Κῦρος λέγεται γενέσθαι Καμβύσεω, “Cyrus is said to have been the son of Cambyses.” XEN. Cyr. i. 2, 1. Τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἤλπιζεν ἴσως ἂν ἐπεξελθεῖν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἂν περιιδεῖν τμηθῆναι, he hoped that the Athenians would perhaps march out and not allow their land to be laid waste; i.e. ἴσως ἂν ἐπεξέλθοιεν καὶ οὐκ ἂν περιίδοιεν. THUC. ii. 20. Ἀπῄεσαν νομίσαντες μὴ ἂν ἔτι ἱκανοὶ γενέσθαι κωλῦσαι τὸν τειχισμόν. Id. vi. 102. (Here οὐκ ἂν γενοίμεθα would be the direct form: see 685.) So i. 139. Οὐκ ἂν ἡγεῖσθ᾽ αὐτὸν κἂν ἐπιδραμεῖν, do you not believe that (in that case) he would have run thither? i.e. ἐπέδραμεν ἂν. DEM. xxvii. 56. (See 223.) A single infinitive with ἄν occurs in Homer: καὶ δ᾽ ἂν τοῖς ἄλλοισιν ἔφη παραμυθήσασθαι, Il. ix. 684. (The direct discourse is given in the words of Achilles in vs. 417, καὶ δ᾽ ἂν παραμυθησαίμην.) (See 207.)

(Perfect.) Φρονέω τετιμῆσθαι Διὸς αἴσῃ, “I feel that I have been honoured.” Il. ix. 608. Φησὶν αὐτὸς αἴτιος γεγενῆσθαι, he says αἴτιος γεγένημαι. DEM. xix. 37. Εἴκαζον διώκοντα οἴχεσθαι καταληψόμενόν τι προεληλακέναι. XEN. An. i. 10, 16. (Their thought was διώκων οἴχεται, προελήλακεν.) Ἔφη χρήμαθ᾽ ἑαυτῷ τοὺς Θηβαίους ἐπικεκηρυχέναι, “he said that the Thebans had offered a reward for him.” DEM. xix. 21. Ἀντέλεγον μὴ δικαίως σφῶν καταδεδικάσθαι, λέγοντες μὴ ἐπηγγέλθαι πω ἐς Λακεδαίμονα τὰς σπονδὰς ὅτ᾽ ἐσέπεμψαν τοὺς ὁπλίτας, they rejoined that they (the Eleans) had not justly condemned them, saying that the truce had not yet been announced at Sparta when they sent in the soldiers (they said οὐ καταδεδίκασθε, and οὐκ ἐπηγγελμέναι ἦσάν πω αἱ σπονδαὶ ὅτ᾽ ἐσεπέμψαμεν). THUC. v. 49.So ἐκπεπλῆχθαι, representing ἐξεπέπληκτο, XEN. Cyr. i. 4, 27. (See 123, above.)

(For examples of the perfect infinitive with ἄν, representing the pluperfect indicative and the perfect optative, see 206.)

(Future.) Ἔφης σῶς ἔσσεσθαι. Il. xxii. 331.So Od. iv. 664. Καί μοι ἔειπεν Μυρμιδόνων τὸν ἄριστον λείψειν φάος ἠελίοιο, he told me ἄριστος . . . λείψει. Il. xviii. 9. Καὶ δή μοι γέρας αὐτὸς αὔφαιρήσεσθαι ἀπειλεῖς. Il. i. 161. Ἐπαγγέλλεται τὰ δίκαια ποιήσειν, “he promises to do what is right.” DEM. xix. 48. Ἔφη ἐντὸς ἡμερῶν εἴκοσιν ἄξειν Λακεδαιμονίους ζῶντας αὐτοῦ ἀποκτενεῖν, “he said that within twenty days he would either bring them alive or kill them where they were.” THUC. iv. 28. (Cleon said ἄξω ἀποκτενῶ.) Ταῦτα (φησὶ) πεπράξεσθαι δυοῖν τριῶν ἡμερῶν, he says that this will have been accomplished within two or three days (137). DEM. xix. 74. (For the rare future infinitive with ἄν, see 208.)

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