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2510. In general statements in the subjunctive with ἄν or the indicative, the relative, referring to a person, is often without an antecedent and has the force of εἴ τις. In such cases the main clause contains a substantive or a neuter adjective with ἐστί (which is commonly omitted), and the relative is the subject of the sentence or in apposition to it.

συμφορὰ_ δ᾽, δ̀ς ἂν τύχῃ κακῆς γυναικός it is a calamity if a man gets a bad wife E. fr. 1056, καὶ τοῦτο μεῖζον τῆς ἀληθεία_ς κακόν, ὅστις τὰ μὴ προσόντα κέκτηται κακά and this is a misfortune exceeding the reality, if a man incurs the blame for evils that are not his doing E. Hel. 271, ὅστις . . . πρὸς θεῶν κακοῦται, βαρύ if a man suffers ill-usage from the gods, it is grievous E. Hel. 267.

a. The antecedent may be a genitive of quality (1320). Thus, ἀπόρων ἐστὶ . . ., οἵτινες ἐθέλουσι δι᾽ ἐπιορκία_ς . . . πρά_ττειν τι it is the characteristic of men without resources to wish (lit. who wish) to accomplish their purposes by perjury X. A. 2.5.21 (here ἐθέλειν alone might be expected, but οἵτινες ἐθέλουσι follows as if ἄποροί εἰσιν had preceded), τοῦτο ἡγοῦμαι μέγα τεκμήριον ἄρχοντος ἀρετῆς εἶναι ἂν (= ἐά_ν τινι or αὐτῷ) ἑκόντες ἕπωνται I regard this as striking testimony to the merit of a ruler if men follow one (him) of their own free will X. O. 4.19.

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