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

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[*] 811. The infinitive with τὸ μή is used after many verbs and expressions which denote or even imply hindrance, prevention, omission, or denial, the μή merely strengthening the negative idea of the leading verb. If the leading verb is itself negatived, or is interrogative with a negative implied, τὸ μὴ οὐ is generally used with the infinitive instead of τὸ μή (compare 807).

This infinitive with τὸ μή or τὸ μὴ οὐ is often less closely connected with the leading verb than the simple infinitive (see 791), and it sometimes denotes merely the result of a prevention or omission. It is sometimes an object accusative, as after expressions of denial; but it oftener resembles the accusative of respect or limitation. It adds a fifth expression, εἴργει σε τὸ μὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, to the four already given in 807 as equivalents of he prevents you from doing this; and a corresponding form, οὐκ εἴργει σε τὸ μὴ οὐ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, for he does not prevent you from doing this. E.g.

Τὸν πλεῖστον ὅμιλον εἶργον τὸ μὴ προεξιόντας τῶν ὅπλων τὰ ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως κακουργεῖν, they prevented them from injuring, etc. THUC.iii. 1. Τὸ δὲ μὴ λεηλατῆσαι ἑλόντας σφέας τὴν πόλιν ἔσχε τόδε, “this prevented them from plundering the city.” HDT. v. 101. Οἷοί τε ἦσαν κατέχειν τὸ μὴ δακρύειν, “to restrain their tears.” PLAT. Phaed. 117 C (cf. 117 E, quoted in 807). Φόβος τε ξυγγενὴς τὸ μὴ ἀδικεῖν σχήσει, “will check injustice.” AESCH. Eum. 691. Οὗτοί εἰσιν μόνοι ἔτι ἡμῖν ἐμποδὼν τὸ μὴ ἤδη εἶναι ἔνθα πάλαι ἐσπεύδομεν. XEN. An. iv. 8, 14. Κίμωνα παρὰ τρεῖς ἀφεῖσαν ψήφους τὸ μὴ θανάτῳ ζημιῶσαι, i.e. by three votes they allowed Cimon to escape the punishment of death. DEM. xxiii. 205. Τρεῖς δὲ μόναι ψῆφοι διήνεγκαν τὸ μὴ θανάτου τιμῆσαι, and only three votes prevented you from condemning him to death (lit. made the difference about condemning, etc.). Ib. 167.See XEN. Cyr. v. 1, 25 , and Ag. v. 4. Φόβος γὰρ ἀνθ᾽ ὕπνου παραστατεῖ τὸ μὴ βεβαίως βλέφαρα συμβαλεῖν ὕπνῳ, i.e. stands by to prevent my closing my eyes in sleep. AESCH. Ag. 15.

“Οὐκ ἐναντιώσομαι τὸ μὴ οὐ γεγωνεῖν πᾶν ὅσον προσχρῄζετε” Prom. 786. “Οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ ταῦτ᾽ ἐπαρκέσει τὸ μὴ οὐ πεσεῖν ἀτίμως πτώματ᾽ οὐκ ἀνασχετά,” “this will not suffice to prevent him from falling, etc.” Ib. 918. Λείπει μὲν οὐδ᾽ ἃ πρόσθεν ᾔδεμεν τὸ μὴ οὐ βαρύστον᾽ εἶναι, “they have no lack of being heavily grievous.” SOPH. O.T. 1232. Μήτοι, κασιγνήτη, μ᾽ ἀτιμάσῃς τὸ μὴ οὐ θανεῖν τε σὺν σοὶ τὸν θανόντα θ᾽ ἁγνίσαι, do not think me too unworthy to die with thee, etc. Id. Ant. 544. (Compare Ant. 22, and O. C. 49.) Οὐκ ἀπεσχόμην τὸ μὴ οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν, “I did not refrain from proceeding to this subject.” PLAT. Rep. 354 B; see Crit. 43 C. Οὐκ ἀπέσχοντο οὐδ᾽ ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ πλεονεκτεῖν αὐτῶν πειρᾶσθαι. XEN. Cyr. i. 6, 32. Αὐτὴν μὲν οὐ μισοῦντ᾽ ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν τὸ μὴ οὐ μεγάλην εἶναι κεὐδαίμονα, not grudging that city its right to be great, etc. AR. Av. 36. (Compare μίσησέν μιν κυσὶ κύρμα γενέσθαι, Il. xvii. 272.) Οὐδεὶς ἀντιλέγει τὸ μὴ οὐ λέξειν ὅ τι ἕκαστος ἡγεῖται πλείστου ἄξιον ἐπίστασθαι, no one objects to saying, etc. Symp. iii. 3. Μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι, “do not omit to speak of it.” SOPH. O.T. 283. Οὐδένα δύνασθαι κρύπτειν τὸ μὴ οὐχ ἡδέως ἂν καὶ ὠμῶν ἐσθίειν αὐτῶν, “that no one is able to prevent people from knowing that he would gladly even eat some of them raw.” XEN. Hell. iii. 3, 6.