Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

---

---

---

[*] 2552. The optative without ἄν (probably potential) occurs in Attic poetry after οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις (ὅπως, ὅποι) and the interrogative τίς ἐστίν ὅς (ὅστις) and ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως. Thus, ““οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις πλὴν ἐμοῦ κείραιτό νιν” there is no one except myself who could cut it” A. Ch. 172, οὐκ ἔσθ᾽ ὅπως λέξαιμι τὰ ψευδῆ καλά I could not (lit. there is no way how I could) call false tidings fair A. Ag. 620, τίς τῶνδ᾽ . . . δωμάτων ἔχει κράτος, ὅστις ξένους δέξαιτο; who has authority in this house that might receive guests? Ar. Thesm. 871, ἔστ᾽ οὖν ὅπως ῎ Αλκηστις ἐς γῆρας μόλοι; is there a way by which Alcestis might reach old age? E. Alc. 52. The potential optative with ἄν occurs after these expressions (E. Alc. 80, S. O. C. 1168, P. Lach. 184c). Attic does not use the optative with ἄν after the positive form ἔστιν ὅπως (ὅστις).