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[*] 2225. Object clauses after verbs of fear and caution take the subjunctive after primary tenses, the optative (or subjunctive, 2226) after secondary tenses. φοβοῦμαι μὴ γένηται I fear it may happen. φοβοῦμαι μὴ οὐ γένηται I fear it may not happen. ἐφοβούμην μὴ γένξιτο (or γένηται) I feared it might happen. ἐφοβούμην μὴ οὐ γένοιτο (regularly γένηται) I feared it might not happen. ““δέδοικα μὴ . . . ἐπιλαθώμεθα τῆς οἴκαδε ὁδοῦ” I am afraid lest we may forget the way home” X. A. 3.2.25, ““φοβεῖται μὴ . . . τὰ ἔσχατα πάθῃ” he is afraid lest he suffer the severest punishment” X. C. 3.1.22, φροντίζω μὴ κράτιστον ᾖ μοι σι_γᾶν I am thinking that it may prove (2228) best for me to be silent X. M. 4.2.39, ““ἔδεισαν οἱ ῞ Ελληνες μὴ προσάγοιεν πρὸς τὸ κέρας καὶ . . . αὐτοὺς κατακόψειαν” the Greeks were seized with fear lest they might advance against their flank and cut them down” X. A. 1.10.9, ““δέδιμεν μὴ οὐ βέβαιοι ἦτε” we fear you are not to be depended on” T. 3.57, οὐ τοῦτο δέδοικα, μὴ οὐκ ἔχω ὅ τι δῶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν φίλων . . . ἀλλὰ μὴ οὐκ ἔχω ἱκανοὺς οἷς δῶ I am afraid not that I may not have enough (lit. anything) to give to each of my friends, but that I may not have enough friends on whom to bestow my gifts X. A. 1.7.7. a. The aorist is very common after μή. After secondary tenses Hom. usually has the optative. b. μὴ οὐ with the optative is rare and suspicious (X. A. 3.5.3).
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