A.“ἤ” Inscr.Cypr.135.10 H., both εἰ and αἰ in Ep.:— Particle used interjectionally with imper. and to express a wish, but usu. either in conditions, if, or in indirect questions, whether. In the former use its regular negative is μή; in the latter, οὐ.
A. INTERJECTIONALLY, in Hom., come now! c. imper., “εἰ δὲ . . ἄκουσον” Il.9.262; εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ φευγόντων ib.46; most freq. with ἄγε (q. v.), 1.302, al.
2. in wishes, c. opt., “ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις . . καλέσειεν” 10.111, cf. 24.74; so later, “εἴ μοι ξυνείη μοῖρα” S.OT863 (lyr.); “εἴ μοι γένοιτο φθόγγος ἐν βραχίοσιν” E.Hec.836: more freq. folld. by “γάρ, αἲ γὰρ δὴ οὕτως εἴη” Il.4.189, al.; “εἰ γὰρ γενοίμην ἀντὶ σοῦ νεκρός” E.Hipp. 1410; “εἰ γὰρ γένοιτο” X.Cyr.6.1.38; “εἰ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ εἴη” Pl.Prt.310d; of unattained wishes, in Hom. only c. opt., “εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼν . . Διὸς πάϊς αἰγιόχοιο εἴην” Il.13.825; “Ζεῦ πάτερ, αἰ γὰρ ἐμὸς πόσις εἴη” Alcm.29; later with past tenses of ind., “εἰ γάρ μ᾽ ὑπὸ γῆν . . ἧκεν” A.Pr.152 (anap.); εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτην δύναμιν εἶχον ὥστε . . E.Alc.1072: twice in Od. c. inf. (cf. the use of inf. in commands), “αἰ γὰρ τοῖος ἐὼν . . ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι” 7.311, cf. 24.376.
b. εἴθε, Ep. αἴθε, is freq. used in wishes in the above constructions, “εἴθε οἱ αὐτῷ Ζεὺς ἀγαθὸν τελέσειεν” 2.33; “εἴθ᾽ ὣς ἡβώοιμι” Il.7.157; “ἰὼ γᾶ, εἴθ᾽ ἔμ᾽ ἐδέξω” A.Ag.1537 (lyr.); “εἴθε σοι, ὦ Περίκλεις, τότε συνεγενόμην” X.Mem.1.2.46: later c. inf., “γαίης χθαμαλωτέρη εἴθε . . κεῖσθαι” AP9.284 (Crin.).
c. εἰ γάρ, εἴθε are also used with ὤφελον (Ep. ὤφελλον), of past unattained wishes, “αἴθ᾽ ὤφελλες στρατοῦ ἄλλου σημαίνειν” Il.14.84; εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον [κατιδεῖν] Pl.R.432c.
d. folld. by a clause expressing a consequence of the fulfilment of the wish, αἰ γὰρ τοῦτο . . ἔπος τετελεσμένον εἴη: τῷ κε τάχα γνοίης . . Od. 15.536, cf. 17.496, al.; sts. hard to distinguish from εἰ in conditions (which may be derived from this use), “εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη” Il.7.28.
B. IN CONDITIONS, if:
I. with INDIC.,
1. with all tenses (for fut., v. infr. 2), to state a condition, with nothing implied as to its fulfilment, εἰ δ᾽ οὕτω τοῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναι but if this is so, it will be . . , Il.1.564: any form of the Verb may stand in apodosi, “εἰ θεοί τι δρῶσιν αἰσχρόν, οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί” E.Fr.292.7; “εἰ δοκεῖ, πλέωμεν” S.Ph. 526; “εἰ Φαῖδρον ἀγνοῶ, καὶ ἐμαυτ οῦ ἐπιλέλησμαι” Pl.Phdr.228a; “κάκιστ᾽ ἀπολοίμην, Ξανθίαν εἰ μὴ φιλῶ” Ar.Ra.579, cf. Od.17.475; “εἰ θεοῦ ἦν, οὐκ ἦν αἰσχροκερδής: εἰ δ᾽ αἰσχροκερδής, οὐκ ἦν θεοῦ” Pl.R.408c; “εἰ ταῦτα λέγων διαφθείρω τοὺς νέους, ταῦτ᾽ ἂν εἴη βλαβερά” Id.Ap.30b, cf. 25b; εἰ οὗτοι ὀρθῶς ἀπέστησαν, ὑμεῖς ἂν οὐ χρεὼν ἄρχοιτε if these were right in their revolt, (it would follow that) you rule when you have no right, Th.3.40.
b. to express a general condition, if ever, whenever, sts. with pres., “εἴ τις δύο ἢ καὶ πλείους τις ἡμέρας λογίζεται, μάταιός ἐστιν” S.Tr.943: with impf., “εἴ τίς τι ἠρώτα ἀπεκρίνοντο” Th.7.10: rarely with aor., D.S.31.26.1, S.E.P.1.84; cf. 111.2.
2. with fut. (much less freq. than ἐάν c. subj.), either to express a future supposition emphatically, “εἰ φθάσομεν τοὺς πολεμίους κατακαίνοντες οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν ἀποθανεῖται” X.Cyr.7.1.19; “εἰ μὴ βοηθήσετε οὐ περιέσται τἀκεῖ” Th.6.91; εἰ αὕτη ἡ πόλις ληφθήσεται, ἔχεται ἡ πᾶσα Σικελία ibid.; in threats or warnings, “εἰ μὴ καθέξεις γλῶσσαν ἔσται σοι κακά” E.Fr.5; “εἰ τιμωρήσεις Πατρόκλῳ, αὐτὸς ἀποθανῇ” Pl.Ap.28c, cf. D.28.21: or,
b. to express a present intention or expectation, αἶρε πλῆκτρον εἰ μαχεῖ if you mean to fight, Ar.Av.759; “ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἀνήρ . . εἰ ταῦτ᾽ ἀνατεὶ τῇδε κείσεται κράτη” S.Ant.485, cf. Il.1.61, E.Hec.863.
3. with historical tenses, implying that the condition is or was unfulfilled.
a. with impf., referring to present time or to continued or repeated action in past time (in Hom. always the latter, Il.24.715, al.): ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν ἐδύναντο ποιεῖν, εἰ μὴ διαίτῃ μετρίᾳ ἐχρῶντο they would not be able to do this (as they do), if they did not live an abstemious life, X.Cyr.1.2.16, cf. Pl.R.489b; οὐκ ἂν νήσων ἐκράτει, εἰ μή τι καὶ ναυτικὸν εἶχεν he (Agamemnon) would not have been master of islands, if he had not had also some naval force, Th.1.9; “αἰ δ᾽ ἦχες ἔσλων ἴμερον ἢ κάλων . . αἴδως κεν . . ἦχεν” Sapph.28; εἰ ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ . . οὐκ ἄν ποτε ταῦτα ἔπασχον if they had been good men, they would never have suffered as they did, Pl.Grg.516e, cf. X.Mem.1.1.5; εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ τάδε ᾔδἐ . . οὐκ ἂν ὑπεξέφυγε if I had known this . . , Il.8.366.
b. with aor. referring to past time, “εἰ μὴ ἔφυσε θεὸς μέλι . . ἔφασκον γλύσσονα σῦκα πέλεσθαι” Xenoph.38; εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς ἤλθετε, ἐπορευόμεθα ἂν ἐπὶ βασιλέα had you not come, we should be on our way . . , X.An.2.1.4; “καὶ ἴσως ἂν ἀπέθανον, εἰ μὴ ἡ ἀρχὴ διὰ ταχέων κατελύθη” Pl.Ap.32d, cf. Il.5.680, Od.4.364, D.4.5, 27.63: with plpf. in apodosi, “εἰ τριάκοντα μόναι μετέπεσον τῶν ψήφων, ἀπεπεφεύγη ἄν” Pl. Ap.36a.
c. rarely with plpf. referring to action finished in past or present time, λοιπὸν δ᾽ ἂν ἦν ἡμῖν ἔτι περὶ τῆς πόλεως διαλεχθῆναι, εἰ μὴ προτέρα τῶν ἄλλων τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπεποίητο if she had not (as she has done) made peace before the rest, Isoc.5.56, cf. Pl.Ti.21c.
II. with SUBJ., εἰ is regularly joined with ἄν (Ep. κε, κεν), cf. ἐάν: Arc. εἰκαν in Tegean Inscrr. of iv B. C. (IG5(2).3.16, 31, 6.2, SIG306.34) should be understood as εἰκ ἄν （εἰ: εἰκ = οὐ: οὐκ), since εἰ δ᾽ ἄν is also found in IG5(2).3.2, 6.45, and εἰκ alone, ib.3.21; but ἄν （κε, κεν) are freq. absent in Hom. as Od.5.221, 14.373 (and cf. infr. 2), and Lyr., Pi. (who never uses εἰ with ἄν or κε（ν)) P.4.266, al.; in dialects, “αἰ δείλητ᾽ ἀγχωρεῖν” IG9(1).334.6 (Locr., v B. C.), cf. Foed.Dor. ap. Th.5.79; rarely in Hdt., “εἰ μὴ ἀναβῇ” 2.13; occasionally in Trag., A.Eu. 234, S.OT198 (lyr.), etc.; very rarely in Att. Prose, “εἰ ξυστῶσιν αἱ πόλεις” Th.6.21; “εἴ τι που ἄλσος ἢ τέμενος ἀφειμένον ᾖ” Pl.Lg.761c: in later Prose, “εἴ τις θελήσῃ” Apoc.11.5; “εἰ φονεύῃ” Plot.2.9.9, cf. Procl. Inst.26.
1. when the apodosis is fut., to express a future condition more distinctly and vividly than εἰ c. opt., but less so than εἰ c. fut. ind. (supr. 1.2a); εἰ δέ κεν ὣς ἕρξῃς καί τοι πείθωνται Ἀχαιοί, γνώσῃ ἔπειθ᾽ . . if thou do thus . . , thou shalt know, Il.2.364, cf. 1.128, 3.281, Od.17.549; “ἂν δέ τις ἀνθιστῆται, σὺν ὑμῖν πειρασόμεθα χειροῦσθαι” X. An.7.3.11; ἂν μὴ νῦν ἐθέλωμεν ἐκεῖ πολεμεῖν αὐτῷ, ἐνθάδ᾽ ἴσως ἀναγκασθησόμεθα τοῦτο ποιεῖν if we be not now willing, D.4.50, cf. X.Cyr. 5.3.27: folld. by imper., ἢν εἰρήνης δοκῆτε δεῖσθαι, ἄνευ ὅπλων ἥκετε ib.3.2.13, cf. 5.4.30.
2. when the apodosis is present, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general condition, if ever, ἤν ποτε δασμὸς ἵκηται, σοὶ τὸ γέρας πολὺ μεῖζον (sc. ἐστί) whenever a division comes, your prize is (always) greater, Il.1.166; ἢν ἐγγὺς ἔλθῃ θάνατος, οὐδεὶς βούλεται θνῄσκειν if death come near, E.Alc. 671; with ἄν omitted, “εἴ περ γάρ τε χόλον . . καταπέψῃ ἀλλά . . ἔχει κότον” Il.1.81.
b. with Rhet. present in apodosis, ἐὰν μὴ οἱ φιλόσοφοι βασιλεύσωσιν, οὐκ ἔστι κακῶν παῦλα there is (i.e. can be, will be) no rest . . , Pl.R.473d.
1. to express a future condition less definitely than ἐάν c. subj., usu. with opt. with ἄν in apod., ἦ κεν γηθήσαι Πρίαμος Πριάμοιό τε παῖδες . . εἰ σφῶιν τάδε πάντα πυθοίατο μαρναμένοιιν surely they would exult, if they should hear . . , Il.1.255, cf. 7.28, Od.3.223; “εἴης φορητὸς οὐκ ἄν, εἰ πράσσοις καλῶς” A.Pr.979; “οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄν με ἐπαινοίη, εἰ ἐξελαύνοιμι τοὺς εὐεργέτας” X.An.7.7.11; “οἶκος δ᾽ αὐτός, εἰ φθογγὴν λάβοι, σαφέστατ᾽ ἂν λέξειεν” A.Ag.37, etc.: fut. opt. is f.l. in Pl.Tht.164a: with pres. ind. in apod., Xenoph.34.3, Democr.253: with fut.ind., Meliss.5.
b. in Hom.sts. with pres. opt., to express an unfulfilled present condition, εἰ μὲν νῦν ἐπὶ ἄλλῳ ἀεθλεύοιμεν, ἦ τ᾽ ἂν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτα φεροίμην if we were now contending, etc., Il.23.274: rarely in Trag., εἰ μὴ κνίζοι ( = εἰ μὴ ἔκνιζε) E.Med.568; also “εἰ ἀναγκαῖον εἴη ἀδικεῖν ἢ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἑλοίμην ἂν μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖσθαι” Pl.Grg.469c.
2. when the apodosis is past, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general condition in past time (corresponding to use of subj. in present time, supr. 11.2); once in Hom., “εἴ τίς με . . ἐνίπτοι, ἀλλὰ σὺ τόν γ᾽ . . κατέρυκες” Il.24.768; εἰ δέ τινας θορυβουμένους αἴσθοιτο . . , κατασβεννύναι τὴν ταραχὴν ἐπειρᾶτο if he should see (whenever he saw) any troops in confusion, he (always) tried, X.Cyr.5.3.55, cf. An.4.5.13, Mem.4.2.40; εἴ τις ἀντείποι, εὐθὺς ἐτεθνήκει if any one made objection, he was a dead man at once, Th. 8.66; “ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τι μὴ φέροιμεν, ὤτρυνεν φέρειν” E.Alc.755. For εἰ c. ind. in this sense v. supr. 1.1: ind. and opt. are found in same sentence, “ἐμίσει, οὐκ εἴ τις κακῶς πάσχων ἠμύνετο, ἀλλ᾽ εἴ τις εὐεργετούμενος ἀχάριστος φαίνοιτο” X.Ages.11.3.
3. in oratio obliqua after past tenses, representing ἐάν c. subj. or εἰ with a primary (never an historical) tense of the ind. in oratio recta, ἐλογίζοντο ὡς, εἰ μὴ μάχοιντο, ἀποστήσοιντο αἱ πόλεις (representing ἐὰν μὴ μαχώμεθα, ἀποστήσονται) X.HG6.4.6, cf. D.21.104, X.HG5.2.2; ἔλεγεν ὅτι, εἰ βλαβερὰ πεπραχὼς εἴη, δίκαιος εἴη ζημιοῦσθαι (representing εἰ βλαβερὰ πέπραχε, δίκαιός ἐστι) ib.32, cf. An.6.6.25; εἰ δέ τινα φεύγοντα λήψοιτο, προηγόρευεν ὅτι ὡς πολεμίψ χρήσοιτο (representing εἴ τινα λήψομαι, χρήσομαι) Id.Cyr.3.1.3; also, where oratio obliqua is implied in the leading clause, οὐκ ἦν τοῦ πολέμου πέρας Φιλίππῳ, εἰ μὴ Θηβαίους . . ἐχθροὺς ποιήσειε τῇ πόλει, i.e. Philip thought there would be no end to the war, unless he should make . . (his thought having been ἐὰν μὴ ποιήσω), D.18.145; “ἐβούλοντο γὰρ σφίσιν, εἴ τινα λάβοιεν, ὑπάρχειν ἀντὶ τῶν ἔνδον, ἢν ἄρα τύχωσί τινες ἐζωγρημένοι” Th.2.5.
4. c. opt. with ἄν, only when the clause serves as apodosis as well as protasis, cf. Pl.Prt.329b, D.4.18, X.Mem.1.5.3 (v. “ἄν” A. 111. d).
IV. c. INF., in oratio obliqua, only in Hdt., “εἰ γὰρ δὴ δεῖν πάντως περιθεῖναι ἄλλῳ τέῳ τὴν βασιληΐην, [ἔφη] δικαιότερον εἶναι κτλ.” 1.129; “εἰ εἶναι τοῦτο μὴ φίλον” 2.64, cf. 172, 3.105,108.
V. after Verbs denoting wonder, delight, indignation, disappointment, contentment, and similar emotions, εἰ c. ind. is used instead of ὅτι, to express the object of the feeling in a hypothetical form, θαυμάζω εἰ μηδεὶς ὑμῶν μήτ᾽ ἐνθυμεῖται μήτ᾽ ὀργίζεται, ὁρῶν . . I wonder that no one of you is either concerned or angry when he sees . . , D.4.43; “οὐκ ἀγαπᾷ εἰ μὴ δίκην δέδωκεν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὴ καὶ χρυσῷ στεφάνῳ στεφανωθήσεται ἀγανακτεῖ” Aeschin.3.147: after past tenses, “ἐθαύμασε δ᾽ εἰ μὴ φανερόν ἐστιν” X.Mem.1.1.13; “δεινὸν εἰσῄει, εἰ μὴ . . δόξει” D.19.33; “ἐθαύμαζον εἴ τι ἕξει τις χρήσασθαι τῷ λόγῳ” Pl.Phd.95a; “οὐδὲ ᾐσχύνθη εἰ . . ἐπάγει” D.21.105: in oratio obliqua (expressed or implied) c. opt., ἐπεῖπεν ὡς δεινὸν (sc. εἴη）“ εἰ . . μεγαλόψυχος γένοιτο” Aeschin.2.157; “ᾤκτιρον εἰ ἁλώσοιντο” X.An.1.4.7; ἐθαύμαζε δ᾽ εἴ τις ἀρετὴν ἐπαγγελλόμενος ἀργύριον πράττοιτο he wondered that any one should demand money, Id.Mem.1.2.7; ἔχαιρον ἀγαπῶν εἴ τις ἐάσοι I rejoiced, being content if any one should let it pass, Pl.R.450a:—in this use the neg. οὐ is also found, “ἀγανακτῶ εἰ ὁ Φίλιππος ἁρπάζων οὐ λυπεῖ” D.8.55; “δεινὸν ἂν εἴη εἰ οἱ ἐκείνων ξύμμαχοι οὐκ ἀπεροῦσιν” Th.1.121; “τέρας λέγεις, εἰ οὐκ ἂν δύναιντο λαθεῖν” Pl.Men.91d, etc.
VI. in citing a fact as a ground of argument or appeal, as surely as, since, εἴ ποτ᾽ ἔην γε if there was [as there was], i.e. as sure as there was such an one, Il.3.180, al.; “εἰ τότε κοῦρος ἔα, νῦν αὖτέ με γῆρας ὀπάζει” 4.321; πολλοὺς γὰρ οἶκε εἶναι εὐπετέστερον διαβάλλειν ἢ ἕνα, εἰ Κλεομένεα μὲν μοῦνον οὐκ οἷός τε ἐγένετο διαβαλεῖν, τρεῖς δὲ μυριάδας Ἀθηναίων ἐποίησε τοῦτο it seems easier to deceive many than one, if (as was the fact, i.e. since) he was not able . . , Hdt.5.97, cf. 1.60,al.
VII. ELLIPTICAL CONSTRUCTIONS:
1. with apodosis implied in the context, εἰ having the force of in case, supposing that, πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, εἰ ἐπιβοηθοῖεν, ἐχώρουν they marched towards the city [so as to meet the citizens], in case they should rush out, Th.6.100; ἱκέται πρὸς σὲ δεῦρ᾽ ἀφίγμεθα, εἴ τινα πόλιν φράσειας ἡμῖν εὔερον we have come hither to you, in case you should tell us of some fleecy city (i.e. that we might hear of it), Ar.Av.120; παρέζεο καὶ λαβὲ γούνων, αἴ κέν πως ἐθέλῃσιν ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρῆξαι sit by him and grasp his knees [so as to persuade him], in case he be willing to help the Trojans, Il.1.408, cf. 66, Od.1.94, 3.92; ἄκουσον καὶ ἐμοῦ, ἐάν σοι ἔτι ταὐτὰ δοκῇ hear me also [that you may assent], in case the same opinion please you, Pl.R.358b; ἰδὲ δή, ἐάν σοι ὅπερ ἐμοὶ συνδοκῇ look now, in case you approve what I do, ib. 434a.
2. with apodosis suppressed for rhetorical reasons, εἴ περ γάρ κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσιν Ὀλύμπιος . . στυφελίξαι if he wish to thrust him away, [he will do so], Il.1.580; εἰ μὲν δώσουσι γέρας—: εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώωσιν, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι if they shall give me a prize, [well and good]; but if they give not, then I will take one for myself, 1.135, cf. 6.150, Ar.Pl.468; καὶ ἢν μὲν ξυμβῇ ἡ πεῖρα—: εἰ δὲ μή . . and if the attempt succeed, [well]; otherwise . . , Th.3.3, cf. Pl.Prt.325d.
3. with the Verb of the protasis omitted, chiefly in the following expressions:
a. εἰ μή except, “οὐδὲν ἄλλο σιτέονται, εἰ μὴ ἰχθῦς μοῦνον” Hdt. 1.200; μὰ τὼ θεώ, εἰ μὴ Κρίτυλλά γ᾽ [εἰμί]—nay, if I'm not Critylla! i.e. I am, Ar.Th.898; εἰ μὴ ὅσον except only, “ἐγὼ μέν μιν οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ ὅσον γραφῇ” Hdt.2.73, cf. 1.45, 2.20; “εἰ μὴ εἰ” Th.1.17, Pl.Grg.480b, etc.; εἰ μή τι οὖν, ἀλλὰ σμικρόν γέ μοι τῆς ἀρχῆς χάλασον if nothing else, yet . . , Id.Men.86e; ironical, “εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἡ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμέλεια διαφθορά ἐστιν” X.Mem.1.2.8; “εἰ μή πέρ γε τὸν ὑοσκύαμον χρήματα εἶναι φήσομεν” Id.Oec.1.13.
b. εἰ δὲ μή but if not, i.e. otherwise, “προηγόρευε τοῖς Λαμψακηνοῖσι μετιέναι Μιλτιάδεα, εἰ δὲ μή, σφέας πίτυος τρόπον ἀπείλεε ἐκτρίψειν” Hdt.6.37, cf. 56; after μάλιστα μέν, Th.1.32,35, etc.:—after a preceding neg., μὴ τύπτ᾽: εἰ δὲ μή, σαυτόν ποτ᾽ αἰτιάσει don't beat me; otherwise, you will have yourself to blame, Ar.Nu. 1433; “ὦ Κῦρε, μὴ οὕτω λέγε: εἰ δὲ μή, οὐ θαρροῦντά με ἕξεις” X.Cyr.3.1.35; “οὔτ᾽ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι τὰ ὅπλα ἦν ἔχειν: εἰ δὲ μή” Id.An.4.3.6, cf. Th.1.28, 131, Pl.Phd.91c.
c. εἰ δέ sts. stands for “εἰ δὲ μή, εἰ μὲν βούλεται, ἑψέτω: εἰ δ᾽, ὅτι βούλεται, τοῦτο ποιείτω” Pl.Euthd.285c, cf. Smp.212c; “εἰ δ᾽ οὖν” S.Ant.722; “εἰ δ᾽ οὕτως” Arist.EN1094a24; εἰ δὲ τοῦτο and if so, Str.2.1.29.
e. εἴ τις if any, i. e. as much as or more than any, “τῶν γε νῦν αἴ τις ἐπιχθονίων, ὀρθῶς” B.5.5; “ὄτλον ἄλγιστον ἔσχον, εἴ τις Αἰτωλὶς γυνή” S.Tr.8, cf. OC734; εἴ τις ἄλλος, siquis alius, E.Andr.6, etc.; “εἴ τινες καὶ ἄλλοι” Hdt.3.2, etc.; “εἴπερ τις ἄλλος” Pl.R.501d; also κατ᾽ εἰ δέ τινα τρόπον in any way, IG 5(2).6.27 (Tegea).
f. εἴ ποτε or εἴπερ ποτέ now if ever, “ἡμῖν δὲ καλῶς, εἴπερ ποτέ, ἔχει . . ἡ ξυναλλαγή” Th.4.20, cf. Ar.Eq.594; “αἴ ποτα κἄλλοτα” Alc.Supp.7.11, cf. X.An.6.4.12, etc.; but in prayers, “εἴ ποτέ τοι ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα . . τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ” Il.1.39.
g. εἴ ποθεν (sc. δυνατόν ἐστι) if from any quarter, i.e. from some quarter or other, S.Ph. 1204 (lyr.); so εἴ ποθι somewhere, anywhere, Id.Aj.885 (lyr.); “εἴ που” Od.4.193.
h. εἴ πως ib.388, X.An.2.3.11: in an elliptical sentence (cf. VII. 1), “πρέσβεις πέμψαντες, εἴ πως πείσειαν” Th.1.58.
VIII. with other PARTICLES:
1. for the distinction between καὶ εἰ (or καὶ ἐάν, or κἄν) even if, and εἰ καί (or ἐὰν καί) even though, v. καί:—the opposite of καὶ εἰ is οὐδ᾽ εἰ, not even if; that of εἰ καί is εἰ μηδέ, if (although) not even.
IX. in neg. oaths, = Hebr. im, LXXPs.94(95).11, Ev.Marc.8.12, al.
C. IN INDIRECT QUESTIONS, whether, folld. by the ind., subj., or opt., according to the principles of oratio obliqua:
1. with IND. after primary tenses, representing the same tense in the direct question, σάφα δ᾽ οὐκ οἶδ᾽ εἰ θεός ἐστιν whether he is a god, Il.5.183; “εἰ ξυμπονήσεις . . σκόπει” S.Ant.41.
2. with SUBJ. after primary tenses, representing a dubitative subj. in the direct question, τὰ ἐκπώματα οὐκ οἶδ᾽ εἰ Χρυσάντᾳ τουτῳῒ δῶ whether I should give them, X.Cyr.8.4.16: sts. elliptical, “ἐς τὰ χρηστήρια ἔπεμπε, εἰ στρατεύηται ἐπὶ τοὺς Πέρσας” Hdt.1.75.
3. OPT. after past tenses, representing either of the two previous constructions in the direct question, ἤρετο εἴ τις ἐμοῦ εἴη σοφώτερος he asked whether any one was wiser than I (direct ἔστι τις σοφώτερος;), Pl.Ap.21a; “ἐπεκηρυκεύετο Πεισιστράτῳ, εἰ βούλοιτό οἱ τὴν θυγατέρα ἔχειν γυναῖκα” Hdt.1.60: rarely aor. opt. for the aor. ind., ἠρώτων αὐτὸν εἰ ἀναπλεύσειεν I asked him whether he had set sail (direct ἀνέπλευσας;), D.50.55: but aor. opt. usually represents aor. subj., τὸν θεὸν ἐπήροντο εἰ παραδοῖεν Κορινθίοις τὴν πόλιν . . καὶ τιμωρίαν τινὰ πειρῷντ᾽ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαι they asked whether they should deliver their city to the Corinthians, and should try . . , Th.1.25:—in both constructions the ind. or subj. may be retained, ψῆφον ἐβούλοντο ἐπαγαγεῖν εἰ χρὴ πολεμεῖν ib.119; ἐβουλεύοντο εἴτε κατακαύσωσιν . . εἴτε τι ἄλλο χρήσωνται whether they should burn them or should dispose of them in some other way, Id.2.4; ἀνακοινοῦσθαι αὐτὸν αὑτῷ εἰ δῷ ἐπιψηφίσαι τοῖς προέδροις [he said that] he consulted him whether he should give . . , Aeschin.2.68.
4. with OPT. and ἄν when this was the form of the direct question, ἠρώτων εἰ δοῖεν ἂν τούτων τὰ πιστά they asked whether they would give (direct δοιήτε ἄν;), X.An.4.8.7.
5. the NEG. used with εἰ in indirect questions is οὐ, when οὐ would be used in the direct question, ἐνετέλλετο . . εἰρωτᾶν εἰ οὔ τι ἐπαισχύνεται whether he is not ashamed, Hdt.1.90, etc.; but if μή would be required in the direct form, it is retained in the indirect, οὐ τοῦτο ἐρωτῶ, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ τοῦ μὲν δικαίου μὴ ἀξιοῖ πλέον ἔχειν μηδὲ βούλεται ὁ δίκαιος, τοῦ δὲ ἀδίκου (the direct question would be μὴ ἀξιοῖ μηδὲ βούλεται; he does not see fit nor wish, does he?) Pl.R. 349b:—in double indirect questions, εἴτε . . εἴτε . . ; εἰ . . εἴτε . . ; εἴτε . . ἢ . . , either οὐ or μή can be used in the second clause, “ὅπως ἴδῃς εἴτ᾽ ἔνδον εἴτ᾽ οὐκ ἔνδον” S.Aj.7; “σκοπῶμεν εἰ ἡμῖν πρέπει ἢ οὔ” Pl.R.451d; εἰ ἀληθὲς ἢ μή, πειράσομαι μαθεῖν ib.339a; “πολλὰ ἂν περιεσκέψω, εἴτε ἐπιτρεπτέον εἴτε οὔ: . . οὐδένα λόγον οὐδὲ συμβουλὴν ποιῇ, εἴτε χρὴ ἐπιτρέπειν σαυτὸν αὐτῷ εἴτε μή” Id.Prt.313a, 313b; “ἀνάγκη τὴν ἐμὴν μητέρα, εἴτε θυγάτηρ ἦν Κίρωνος εἴτε μή, καὶ εἰ παρ᾽ ἐκείνῳ διῃτᾶτο ἢ οὔ, καὶ γάμους εἰ διττοὺς ὑπὲρ ταύτης εἱστίασεν ἢ μὴ . . πάντα ταῦτα εἰδέναι τοὺς οἰκέτας” Is.8.9; τοὺς νόμους καταμανθάνειν εἰ καλῶς κεῖνται ἢ μή<*> τοὺς λόγους εἰ ὀρθῶς ὑμᾶς διδάσκουσιν ἢ οὔ Antipho 5.14.
