Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges

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Sixth Form PAST GENERAL CONDITIONAL RELATIVES

[*] 2568. Past general conditional relative clauses have the optative. The main clause has the imperfect or an equivalent.

ἀεὶ πρὸς ᾧ (= εἰ πρός τινι) ““εἴη ἔργῳ, τοῦτο ἔπρα_ττεν” whatever work he was engaged in, that he always performed” X. H. 4.8.22, ἔπρα_ττεν ἃ δόξειεν αὐτῷ he always did whatever he pleased D. 18.235, ““πάντας . . . ὅσους λάβοιεν διέφθειρον” they used to destroy as many as they captured” T. 2.67, ““ἐθήρα_ ὅπου περ ἐπιτυγχάνοιεν θηρίοις” he used to hunt wherever they fell in with large game” X. C. 3.3.5, ἀνέκραγον . . . ἱκετεύουσαι πάντας ὅτῳ ἐντυγχάνοιεν μὴ φεύγειν they screamed out, entreating all they met not to flee X. C. 3.3.67.

a. An iterative tense with ἄν in the main clause: ὅπῃ μέλλοι ἀ_ριστοποιεῖσθαι τὸ στράτευμα . . ., ἐπανήγαγεν ἄν τὸ κέρας, when the squadron was about to take breakfast, he would draw back the wing X. H. 6.2.28.

INDICATIVE FORM OF GENERAL CONDITIONAL RELATIVE CLAUSES

[*] 2569. The present indicative instead of the subjunctive with ἄν occurs in general conditional relative clauses (cp. 2342). This occurs chiefly after ὅστις, which is itself sufficiently general in meaning.

““οἵτινες πρὸς τὰ_ς ξυμφορὰ_ς γνώμῃ ἥκιστα λυ_ποῦνται, ἔργῳ δὲ μάλιστα ἀντέχουσιν” those who in feeling are least depressed at misfortunes, in action resist them most” T. 2.64, ὅστις δ᾽ ἐπὶ μεγίστοις τὸ ἐπίφθονον λαμβάνει, ὀρθῶς βουλεύεται he counsels wisely who incurs envy in a great cause 2. 64, ““ὅστις δὲ πλοῦτον ἢ εὐγένειαν εἰσιδὼν γαμεῖ πονηρά_ν, μῶρός ἐστιν” whoever fixes his gaze on wealth or noble lineage and weds a wicked woman, is a fool” E. El. 1097, ““ὅ τι καλὸν φίλον ἀ_εί” whatsoever is fair is dear forever” E. Bacch. 881.

a. Cases of the imperfect instead of the optative are rare and generally ill supported: ὅπου ᾤετο τὴν πατρίδα τι ὠφελήσειν, οὐ πόνων ὑφί_ετο whenever he thought that he could benefit his country in any respect, he did not shrink from toil X. Ag. 7. 1. Cp. X. A. 1.1.5, 1. 9. 27.

[*] 2570. The indicative is generally used in parenthetical or appended relative clauses with ὅστις (ὅστις ποτέ). Thus, ““δουλεύομεν θεοῖς, ὅ τι ποτ᾽ εἰσὶν οἱ θεοί” we serve the gods, whatever those gods are” E. Or. 418.

a. The subjunctive with ἄν is also used when the reference is to future time or to general present time. Cp. Aes. 1.127, D. 4.27.