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394. Imperative optative.

The optative at times comes very near the imperative.1

ἔρδοι τις ἣν ἕκαστος εἰδείη τέχνην” (old saw), AR. Vesp. 1431; quam quisque norit artem, in hac se exerceat, CIC. Tusc. 1.18.41.

PLATO, Legg. 759D:ἔτη δὲ μὴ ἔλαττον ἑξήκοντα ἡμῖν εἴη γεγονὼς μέλλων . . . ἁγιστεύσειν”. 913 A: “μήτε . . . ἅπτοιτο . . . μηδ᾽ αὖ κινήσειε”. 916 E: “μηδεὶς . . . πράξειεν”.

XEN. An. 3.2.37: “εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλο τις βέλτιον ὁρᾷ, ἄλλως ἐχέτω: εἰ δὲ μή, Χειρίσοφος μὲν ἡγοῖτο, . . . στρατηγὼ ἐπιμελοίσθην: ὀπισθοφυλακοῖμεν δ᾽ ἡμεῖς” (imperative and optative parallel). 6.6.18: “σώζοισθε”.

AR. Vesp. 1431 (see above). Lys. 839:σὸν ἔργον εἴη τοῦτον ὀπτᾶν καὶ στρέφειν” .

AESCHYL. Ag. 944-5: “ἀλλ᾽ εἰ δοκεῖ σοι ταῦθ̓, ὑπαί τις ἀρβύλας” | “λύοι τάχος”. Cho. 889: “δοίη”.

BACCHYL. fr. 71 (Keny.):πρόφρων . . . χορὸν” | “αἰὲν ἐποπτεύοις, πολέας δ᾽” . . . | “Κηΐῳ ἀμφιτίθει Βακχυλίδῃ στεφάνους” (optative and imperative parallel).

PIND. O. 9.40-1: “ἔα πόλεμον . . . φέροις δέ κτἑ”. (imperative and optative parallel). N. 5.19-20: “μακρά μοι” | “αὐτόθεν ἅλμαθ᾽ ὑποσκάπτοι τις”.

HES. O. et D. 470-1: “δμῶος ἔχων μακέλην πόνον ὀρνίθεσσι τιθείη” | “σπέρμα κατακρύπτων”. 491: “μηδέ σε λήθοι”. 589: “εἴη”. 698: “ἡβώοι . . . γαμοῖτο”.

HOM. Od. 1.402: “κτήματα δ᾽ αὐτὸς ἔχοις καὶ δώμασι σοῖσιν ἀνάσσοις”. 4.193: “πίθοιο”. 735: “καλέσειε”.

Il. 3.74: “ναίοιτε”. 159-60: “ἐν νηυσὶ νεέσθω” | “μηδ”(“”) . . . “λίποιτο”. 407: “μηδ᾽ ἔτι . . . ὑποστρέψειας”. 17.340-1: “ἴομεν, μηδ᾽ οἵ γε . . . πελασαίατο”. 24.139: “τῇδ᾽ εἴη”. 149: “κῆρύξ τίς οἱ ἕποιτο γεραίτερος”.

1 This imperative use of the optative offers a solution for a number of passages where the optative with “ἄν” might be expected. See B. L. G. on PINDAR, O. 3.45, and P. 10.21.

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