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2269. A result clause with ὥστε and the indicative, dependent on an infinitive in indirect discourse, and itself quoted, takes the infinitive, and usually retains the negative of the direct form.

““ἔφασαν τοὺς στρατιώτα_ς εἰς τοῦτο τρυφῆς ἐλθεῖν ὥστ᾽ οὐκ ἐθέλειν πἱ_νειν, εἰ μὴ ἀνθοσμία_ς εἴηthey said that the soldiers reached such a degree of daintiness as to be unwilling to drink wine unless it had a strong bouquetX. H. 6.2.6 (direct: ὥστε οὐκ ἤθελον πἱ_νειν, with οὐ retained in indirect discourse). See also 2270 b.

So even when the principal verb takes ὅτι, as ““ἐννοησάτω ὅτι οὕτως ἤδη τότε πόρρω τῆς ἡλικία_ς ἦν ὥστ᾽ . . . οὐκ ἂν πολλῷ ὕστερον τελευτῆσαι τὸν βίονlet him consider that he was then so far advanced in years that he would have died soon afterwardsX. M. 4.8.1.

a. The future infinitive here represents the future indicative: ““οἴεται ὑ_μᾶς εἰς τοσοῦτον εὐηθεία_ς ἤδη προβεβηκέναι ὥστε καὶ ταῦτα ἀναπεισθήσεσθαιhe thinks that you have already reached such a degree of simplicity as to allow yourselves to be persuaded even of thisAes. 3.256. Outside of indirect discourse, the future infinitive with ὥστε is rare (γενήσεσθαι D. 16.4, εἴσεσθαι D. 29.5).

b. ὥστε with the optative in indirect discourse is very rare (X. H. 3.5.23, I. 17.11).

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  • Cross-references to this page (1):
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.2.4
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