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[*] 259. In prohibitions, in the second and third persons, the present imperative or the aorist subjunctive is used with μή and its compounds. The distinction of tense here is solely the ordinary distinction between the present and aorist (87), and has no reference to the moods. E.g. Μὴ ποίει τοῦτο, do not do this (habitually), or do not go on doing this (or stop doing this); μὴ ποιήσῃς τοῦτο, (simply) do not do this. “Ἐξαύδα, μὴ κεῦθε νόῳ, ἵνα εἴδομεν ἄμφω” Il. i. 363. “Ἀτρείδη, μὴ ψεύδε᾽ ἐπιστάμενος σάφα εἰπεῖν” Il. iv. 404. “Ἀργεῖοι, μή πώ τι μεθίετε θούριδος ἀλκῆς” Il. iv. 234. “Εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῳ νημερτέα, μηδ᾽ ἐπικεύσῃς” Od. xv. 263. “Ἤδη νῦν σῷ παιδὶ ἔπος φάο, μηδ᾽ ἐπίκευθε” (compare the last example). Od. xvi. 168. “Τῷ νῦν μή μοι μᾶλλον ἐν ἄλγεσι θυμὸν ὀρίνῃς” Il. xxiv. 568. See Il. xxiv. 778. “Μὴ δή με ἕλωρ Δαναοῖσιν ἐάσῃς κεῖσθαι” Il. v. 684. “Κλῦθι μηδὲ μεγήρῃς” Od. iii. 55. “Μή πως ἀνδράσι δυσμενέεσσιν ἕλωρ καὶ κύρμα γένησθε,” “do not become prey and spoil to hostile men.” Il. v. 487. “Μή ποτε ἀπὸ πᾶσαν ὀλέσσῃς ἀγλαΐην” Od. xix. 81. “Ὑμεῖς δὲ τῇ γῇ τῇδε μὴ βαρὺν κότον σκήψησθε, μὴ θυμοῦσθε, μηδ᾽ ἀκαρπίαν τεύξητε” AESCH. Eum. 800. “Ὃν μήτ᾽ ὀκνεῖτε, μήτ᾽ ἀφῆτ᾽ ἔπος κακόν” SOPH. O.C. 731. Μὴ θῆσθε νόμον μηδένα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς βλάπτοντας ὑμᾶς λύσατε. DEM. iii. 10. (Here θέσθε would not be allowed; but λύσατε, an affirmative command, is regular.) Μὴ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους δικάσητε: μὴ βοηθήσητε τῷ πεπονθότι δεινά: μὴ εὐορκεῖτε. Id. xxi. 211. “Μὴ πρίῃ, παῖ, δᾷδα” AR. Nub. 614. Καὶ μηδεὶς ὑπολάβῃ με βούλεσθαι λαθεῖν. Isoc. v. 93. Καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω μ᾽ ἀγνοεῖν. Id. iv. 73.
Macmillan. London, Melbourne, Toronto. 1889. reprint edition:. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1965.
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