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2619. After secondary tenses, all subordinate verbs in the present, future, or perfect indicative, and all subjunctives, are usually changed to the corresponding tenses of the optative, or they are retained. Subjunctives with ἄν lose ἄν on passing into the optative.

a. Optative for Indicative and Indicative Retained.—““εἶπε . . . ὅτι ἄνδρα ἄγοι . . . δ̀ν εἶρξαι δέοιhe said that he was bringing a man whom it was necessary to lock upX. H. 5.4.8 ( = ἄγω, δεῖ), ““Κῦρος . . . τῷ Κλεάρχῳ ἐβόα_ ἄγειν τὸ στράτευμα κατὰ μέσον τὸ τῶν πολεμίων, ὅτι ἐκεῖ βασιλεὺς εἴηCyrus shouted to Clearchus to lead his troops against the enemy's centre because the king was thereX. A. 1.8.12 ( = ἐστί), ““εὖ δὲ εἰδέναι ἔφασαν ὅτι παρέσοιντοfor they said that they knew well that they would comeX. H. 6.5.19 ( = ἴσμεν ὅτι παρέσονται), ἔλεγεν ὅτι ἕτοιμος εἴη ἡγεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς . . . εἰς τὸ Δέλτα . . ., ἔνθα πολλὰ κἀ_γαθὰ λήψοιντο he said that he was ready to be their leader to the Delta, where they would obtain an abundance of good things X. A. 7.1.33 ( = ἕτοιμός εἰμι, λήψεσθε), ἔλεγον ὅτι . . . ἥκοιεν ἡγεμόνας ἔχοντες, οἳ αὐτούς, ἐὰ_ν σπονδαὶ γένωνται, ἄξουσιν ἔνθεν ἕξουσι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια they said that they had come with guides who would lead them, should a truce be made, to a place where they would get their supplies 2. 3. 6 ( = ἥκομεν, ὑ_μᾶς, ἕξετε), ““ἀγαπήσειν με ἔφασκεν, εἰ τὸ σῶμα σώσωhe said I might think myself well off if I saved my lifeL. 12.11 ( = ἀγαπήσεις, εἰ σώσεις).

N.—Except in the future the change to the optative of the indicative after εἰ is rare: as προσῆλθον λέγων ὅτι . . . ἕτοιμός εἰμι, εἴ τινα βούλοιτο ( = βούλει), παραδοῦναι βασανίζειν I went and said that I was ready to give up the slaves to be tortured, if he wished any one of them L. 7.34, εἶπεν ὅτι Δέξιππον μὲν οὐκ ἐπαινοίη, εἰ ταῦτα πεποιηκὼς εἴη he said that he did not commend Dexippus, if he had done this X. A. 6.6.25 ( = ἐπαινῶ, εἰ πεποίηκε).

b. Optative for Subjunctive and Subjunctive Retained.—““εἶπεν ὅτι οἰμώξοιτο, εἰ μὴ σιωπήσειενhe said that he would smart for it unless he kept quietX. H. 2.3.56 ( = οἰμώξει, ἐὰ_ν μὴ σιωπήσῃς), ““οὐκ ἔφασαν ἰέναι, ἐὰ_ν μή τις αὐτοῖς χρήματα διδῷthey refused to go unless a largess were given themX. A. 1.4.12 ( = οὐκ ἴμεν), ““εἶπεν ὅτι ἐπιτίθεσθαι μέλλοιεν αὐτῷ, ὁπότε ἀπάγοι τὸ στράτευμαhe said that they intended to attack him when he led his forces awayX. C. 7.5.2 ( = μέλλουσι, σοί, ὁπόταν ἀπάγῃς), τοὺς ἵππους ἐκέλευε φυλάττειν μένοντας τοὺς ἀγαγόντας ἕως ἄν τις σημαίνῃ he ordered that those who brought the horses should guard them and wait until orders were given 4. 5. 36, ὤμοσεν Ἀ_γησιλά_ῳ, εἰ σπείσαιτο ἕως ἔλθοιεν οὓς πέμψειε πρὸς βασιλέα_ ἀγγέλους, διαπρά_ξεσθαι κτλ. he swore to Agesilaus that, if he would make a truce until the messengers whom he would send to the king should arrive, he would bring it about that, etc. X. Ages. 1.10 ( = ἐὰ_ν σπείσῃς ἕως ἂν ἔλθωσιν οὓς ἂν πέμψω, διαπρά_ξομαι).

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