present indicative, (a). 1, with which in most languages (and sometimes even in Greek) it coincides also in form (see Remark 1.) On the other hand, av with the subjunctive in a future condition generally agrees in sense with ei and the future indicative (§ 222, N. 1), and is never interchangeable with ei and the present indicative. I. FOUR FORMS OF ORDINARY CONDITIONAL SENTENCES. A. Present and Past Conditions. 1. Simple Particular Suppositions. § 221. When the protasis simply states a present or past particular supposition, implying nothing as to the fulfilment of the condition, it takes the indicative with ei. Any form of the verb may stand in the apodosis. E.g. Εἰ θεοί τι ὁρῶσιν αἰσχρὸν, οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί, if the Gods do anything disgraceful, there are no Gods. Eur. Εἰ ἐγὼ Φαῖδρον ἀγνοῶ, καὶ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐπιλέλησμαι· ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδέτερά ἐστι τούτων, if I do not know Phaedrus, I have forgotten myself; but neither of these is so. El coû hy, oùк hy alσxpoкepons, if he was the son of a God, he was not avaricious. Αλλ' εἰ δοκεῖ σοι, πλέωμεν, but if it pleases you, let us sail. Κάκιστ ̓ ἀπολοίμην, Ξανθίαν εἰ μὴ φιλῶ, may I die most wretchedly, if I do not love Xanthias. NOTE. Even the future indicative can stand in a protasis of this class if it expresses merely a present intention or necessity that something shall be done; as aipe πλîêтрov, ei μaɣeî, raise your spur, if you are going to fight. Arist. Here εἰ μέλλεις μάχεσθαι would be the more common expression in prose. It is important to notice that a future of this kind could not be changed to the subjunctive, like the ordinary future in protasis. (For the latter see § 223, N. 1.) 2. With Supposition contrary to Fact. § 222. When the protasis states a present or past supposition, implying that the condition is not or was not fulfilled, the secondary tenses of the indicative are used in both protasis and apodosis. The apodosis takes the adverb av. The imperfect here refers to present time or to a con tinued or repeated action in past time, the aorist to an action simply occurring in past time, and the (rare) pluperfect to an action finished in past or present time. E.g. Ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν ἐδύναντο ποιεῖν, εἰ μὴ διαίτῃ μετρίᾳ, ἐχρῶντο, they would not be able (as they are) to do this, if they did not lead an abstemious life. Εἰ ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ, ὡς σὺ φῇς, οὐκ ἂν ποτε Tavra enаoxov, if they had been good men, as you say, they would never have suffered these things (referring to several cases). Kai tows ἂν ἀπέθανον, εἰ μὴ ἡ ἀρχὴ κατελύθη, and perhaps I should have perished, if the government had not been put down. Ei ȧTeкрivw, ikavos av nồŋ éμeμabýên (§ 122, 2), if you had answered, I should already have learned enough (which now I have not done). Εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς ἦλθετε, ἐπορευόμεθα ἂν ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα, if you had not come (aor.), we should now be on our way (imp.) to the King. NOTE 1. Sometimes av is omitted in the apodosis, as in English we may say it had been for it would have been, or in Latin aequius fuerat for aequius fuisset; as εἰ μὴ ᾖσμεν, φόβον παρέσχεν, if we had not known, this had (would have) caused us fear. Το καλὸν ἦν αὐτῷ εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος, it had been good for that man, if he had not been born. N. T. NOTE 2. The imperfects ἔδει, χρῆν οι ἐχρῆν, ἐξῆν, and others denoting necessity, propriety, obligation, possibility, and the like, are often used with the infinitive to form an apodosis implying the nonfulfilment of a condition. "Av is not used here, as these phrases simply express in other words what is usually expressed by the indicative with ἄν. Thus ἔδει σε τοῦτον φιλεϊν, you ought to love him (but do not), or you ought to have loved him (but did not), is equivalent to you would love him, or would have loved him (èpideis ἂν τοῦτον), if you did your duty (τὰ δέοντα). Το ἐξῆν σοι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, you might have done this; εἰκὸς ἦν σε τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, you would properly have done this. The real apodosis is here always in the infinitive. "peλov with the infinitive in wishes is used in the same way; see § 251, 2, N. 1, and examples. When the present infinitive is used, the construction refers to the present or to continued or repeated action in the past; when the aorist is used, it refers to the past. NOTE 3. In Homer the imperfect indicative in this class of sentences (§ 222) always refers to the past. We occasionally find a present optative in Homer in the sense in which Attic writers use the imperfect indicative; and in a few passages even the aorist optative with xé in the place of the aorist indicative (see Il. v. 311 and 388). B. Future Conditions. 1. Subjunctive in Protasis with Future Apodosis. § 223. When a supposed future case is stated distinctly and vividly (as in English, if I shall go, or if I go), the protasis takes the subjunctive with ẻáv (Epic eï ke). The apodosis takes the future indicative or some other form expressing future time. E.g. Εἰ μέν κεν Μενέλαον Αλέξανδρος καταπέφνῃ, αὐτὸς ἔπειθ' Ελένην EXÉTW KAI KTημATA Távтa, if Alexander shall slay Menelaus, then let him have Helen and all the goods himself (Hom.) "Av Tis avoiσTĥτai, πεiраσóμeða xeιpovσbai, if any one shall stand opposed to us, we shall try to overcome him. Ἐὰν οὖν ἴῃς νῦν, πότε ἔσει οἴκοι; if therefore you go now, when will you be at home? REMARK. The older English forms if he shall go and if he go express the force of the Greek subjunctive; but the ordinary modern English uses if he goes even when the time is clearly future. NOTE 1. The future indicative with ei is very often used for the subjunctive in conditions of this class, as a still more vivid form of expression; as εἰ μὴ καθέξεις γλῶσσαν, ἔσται σοι κακά, if you do not (shall not) restrain your tongue, you will have trouble. This common use of the future, in which it is merely a more vivid form than the subjunctive, must not be confounded with that of § 221, Note. NOTE 2. In Homer ei (without av or κe) is often used with the subjunctive, apparently in the same sense as eï ke or ηv; as ei dè vñ, ébéλn oλéoai, but if he shall wish to destroy our ship. The same use of ei for éáv is occasionally found even in Attic poetry. For the Homeric subjunctive with ké in apodosis, see § 255, Note. 2. Optative in Protasis and Apodosis. § 224. When a supposed future case is stated in a less distinct and vivid form (as in English, if I should go), the protasis takes the optative with ei, and the apodosis takes the optative with av. E.g. Εἴης φορητὸς οὐκ ἂν, εἰ πράσσοις καλῶς, you would not be endurable, if you should be in prosperity. Oй пoλλǹ âv ảλoyía eïŋ, ei φοβοῖτο τὸν θάνατον ὁ τοιοῦτος; would it not be great senselessness, if such a man should fear death ? Οἶκος δ' αὐτὸς, εἰ φθογγὴν λάβοι, σapéσrar' av λéέeiev, but the house itself, if it should find a voice, would speak most plainly. The future optative cannot be used in protasis or apodosis, except in indirect discourse representing the future indicative (see 3rd ex. under § 247). NOTE 1. "Av is very rarely omitted in an apodosis of this class. Most examples occur in Homer ; as ὃ οὐ δύο γ ̓ ἄνδρε φέροιεν, which two men could not carry (if they should try). But av is sometimes omitted in the Attic poets after such expressions as οὐκ ἔσθ' ὅπως and ovк ëσtiv öσtis (see Aesch. Prom. 292, Eur. Alc. 52). NOTE 2. For the Homeric optative used like the past tenses of the indicative in conditions, see § 222, N. 3. II. PRESENT AND PAST GENERAL SUPPOSITIONS. § 225. In general suppositions, the apodosis expresses a customary or repeated action or a general truth, and the protasis refers in a general way to any one of a class of acts. Here the protasis has the subjunctive with ẻáv after present tenses, and the optative with e' after past tenses. The apodosis has the present or imperfect indicative or some other form which implies repetition. E.g. Ην ἐγγὺς ἔλθῃ θάνατος, οὐδεὶς βούλεται θνήσκειν, if death comes near, no one is (ever) willing to die. "Anas λóyos, av ảπî тâ πрάуμата, μáraιóv TI PaiveTai Kai Kevóv, all speech, if deeds are wanting, appears α vain and empty thing. Εἴ τινας θορυβουμένους αἴσθοιτο, κατασβεννύναι τὴν ταραχὴν ἐπειρᾶτο, if he saw any falling into disorder (or whenever he saw, &c.), he (always) tried to quiet the confusion. Εἰ τις ἀντείποι, εὐθὺς τεθνήκει, if any one refused, he was immediately put to death. REMARK. The gnomic aorist (§ 205, 2), which is a primary tense (§ 201), can always be used here in the apodosis with the subjunctive depending on it; as ἤν τις παραβαίνῃ, ζημίαν αὐτοῖς énébeσav, if any one transgresses, they impose a penalty on him. NOTE 1. The indicative is occasionally used in the place of the subjunctive or optative in general suppositions, that is, these sentences follow the construction of ordinary present and past suppositions (§ 221), as in Latin and English; as ei ris dúo † kui πλéovs, τις ἡμέρας λογίζεται, μάταιος ἐστιν, if any one counts on two or even more days, he is a fool. See § 223, Ñ. 1. NOTE 2. Here, as in ordinary protasis (§ 223, N. 2), ei is sometimes used with the subjunctive for ἐάν or εἴ κε. PECULIAR FORMS OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES. Ellipsis and Substitution in Protasis or Apodosis. § 226. 1. The protasis sometimes is not expressed in its regular form with ɛi or ¿áv, but is contained in a participle or implied in an adverb or some other part of the sentence. When a participle represents the protasis, its tense is always that in which the verb itself would have stood in the indicative, subjunctive, or optative. The present (as usual) includes the imperfect. E.g. Πῶς δίκης οὔσης ὁ Ζεὺς οὐκ ἀπόλωλεν ; how is it that Zeus has not been destroyed, if Justice exists ? εἰ δίκη ἐστίν). Σὺ δὲ κλύων εἴσει τάχα, but you will soon know, if you listen (= ἐὰν κλύῃς). ̓Απολοῦμαι μὴ τοῦτο μαθών, I shall be ruined unless I learn this (ἐὰν μὴ μάθω). Τοιαῦτά τἂν γυναιξὶ συνναίων ἔχοις, such things would you have to endure if you should dwell among women (i.e. ei ovvvalois). 'Hπiστησεν ἄν τις ἀκούσας, any one would have disbelieved such a thing if he had heard it (i.e. εἰ ἤκουσεν). Μαμμᾶν δ ̓ ἂν αἰτήσαντος (sc. σοῦ) ἧκόν σοι φέρων ἂν ἄρτον, and if you (ever) cried for food εἰ αἰτήσειας, § 225), I used to come to you with bread (§ 206). Διά γε ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς πάλαι ἂν ἀπολώλειτε, if it had depended on yourselves, you would long ago have been ruined. Ovτw yàp OỶKÉTɩ τοῦ λοιποῦ πάσχοιμεν ἂν κακῶς, for in that case we should no longer suffer harm (the protasis being in οὕτω). Οὐδ ̓ ἂν δικαίως ἐς κακὸν Téσoμí TI, nor should I justly (i.e. if I had justice) fall into any trouble. 2. The protasis is often altogether omitted, leaving the optative or indicative with ǎv alone as an apodosis. (a) Here there is sometimes a definite protasis suggested by the context or by the circumstances. E.g. Οὐκ ἐσθίουσι πλείω ἢ δύνανται φέρειν· διαρραγεῖεν γὰρ ἂν, they do not eat more than they can carry; for (if they did) they would burst. Ἤγετε τὴν εἰρήνην ὅμως· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὅ τι ἂν ἐποιεῖτε, you still kept the peace; for there was nothing which you could have done (if you had not). |