[*] 367. Indicative in wishes. The indicative of the past tenses is used in hopeless wishes. Here some introductory particle, such as “εἴθε, εἰ γάρ”, is used to show the baselessness of the wish. Or the form “ὤφελον” (“ὤφελλον”), I ought, with the infinitive, is employed. Here there is also, as a rule, an introductory particle: “εἴθε” (“αἴθε”), “εἰ γάρ, ὡς”. The negative is “μή”. The imperfect indicative after “εἴθε, εἰ γάρ”, denotes a wish for continuance, regularly in opposition to the present, the aorist a wish for attainment, regularly in opposition to the past. When “ὤφελον” is used, the tenses of the infinitive are employed in the same way, the present infinitive like the imperfect indicative, the aorist infinitive like the aorist indicative. “ἐβουλόμην ἄν” (“κεν”) and “ἤθελον ἄν” (“κεν”) are not infrequent forms of indicating a hopeless wish.1 “ἀλλ᾽ ὤφελε . . . Κῦρος ζῆν”, XEN. An. 2.1.4; Ah! Cyrus ought to be alive = would that Cyrus were alive. LYS.3.21: “ἐβουλόμην δ᾽ ἂν . . . Σίμωνα τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἐμοὶ ἔχειν” . PLATO , Crito 44 D: “εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον . . . οἷοί τε εἶναι οἱ πολλοὶ τὰ μέγιστα κακὰ ἐξεργάζεσθαι”. Rpb. 432 C: “εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον” (sc. “ἰδεῖν”), “ἔφη”. XEN. An. 2.1.4 (see above). Cyr. 4.6.3: “ἥμαρτεν, ὡς μήποτε ὤφελεν”. HDT.1.111: “ὄφελον”. 3.65: “εἶδον ὄψιν ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ, τὴν μηδαμὰ ὄφελον ἰδεῖν”. AR. Nub. 24: “εἴθ᾽ ἐξεκόπην πρότερον τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν λἰθῳ” .
(mock heroics). EUR. Alc. 536: “εἴθ᾽ εὕρομέν ς᾿, Ἄδμητε, μὴ λυπούμενον”. Cycl.186-7: “μηδαμοῦ γένος ποτὲ” | “φῦναι γυναικῶν ὤφελ̓, εἰ μὴ ᾿μοὶ μόνῳ”. El. 282: “εἴθ᾽ ἦν Ὀρέστης πλησίον κλύων τάδε”. Ibid. 1061: “εἴθ᾽ εἶχες, ὦ τεκοῦσα, βελτίους φρένας”. I. A. 70: “μήποτ᾽ ὤφελεν λαβεῖν”. SOPH. El. 1021-2: “εἴθ᾽ ὤφελες τοιάδε τὴν γνώμην πατρὸς” | “θνῄσκοντος εἶνοι: πᾶν γὰρ ἂν κατειργάσω” (“εἰ ἦσθα”, hadst thou been). PIND. P. 3.1-3: “ἤθελον Χείρωνά κε Φιλυρίδαν”, | . . . | “ζώειν τὸν ἀποιχόμενον”. HOM. Od. 5.308-9: “ὡς δὴ ἐγώ γ᾽ ὄφελον θανέειν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν” | “ἤματι τῷ, ὅτε κτἑ”. 11.548: “ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν τοιῷδ᾽ ἐπ̓ ἀέθλῳ”. Il. 3.173-4: “ὡς ὄφελεν θάνατός μοι ἁδεῖν κακός, ὁππότε δεῦρο” | “υἱέι σῷ ἑπόμην”. 4.315-6: “ἀλλά σε γῆρας τείρει ὁμοίιον: ὡς ὄφελέν τις” | “ἀνδρῶν ἄλλος ἔχειν, σὺ δὲ κουροτέροισι μετεῖναι”. 6.345-6: “ὡς . . . ὄφελε” c. inf. 7.390: “ὡς πρὶν ὤφελλ᾽ ἀπολέσθαι”. 11.380-1: “ὡς ὄφελον” c. inf.
