Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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[*] 1008. Plural of Modesty.—A speaker in referring to himself may use the first person plural as a modest form of statement. In prose, of an author: ““ἔννοιά ποθ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐγένετο” the reflection once occurred to me” X. C. 1.1.1. In tragedy, often with interchange of plural and singular: εἰ κωλυ_όμεσθα μὴ μαθεῖν ἃ βούλομαι if I (Creusa) am prevented from learning what I wish E. Ion 391, ““ἱκετεύομεν ἀμφὶ σὰ_ν γενειάδα . . . προσπίτνων” I entreat thee, as I grasp thy beard” E. H. F. 1206. See 1009.