εἰ, Att. - Ion. and Arc. (forεἰκ,v.infr. 11 ad init.),=
Dor. and Aeol.
αἰ, αἰκ(q. v.), Cypr.
A.
ἤ
Inscr.Cypr. 135.10
H., bothεἰandαἰin Ep. :— Particle used interjectionally with imper. and to express a wish, but usu. either in conditions,if, or in indirect questions,whether.In the former use its regular negative isμή; in the latter,οὐ.
A. INTERJECTIONALLY, in Hom. ,come now! c. imper., εἰ δὲ . . ἄκουσον
; of unattained wishes, in Hom. only c. opt., εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼν . . Διὸς πάϊς αἰγιόχοιο εἴην
Il. 13.825
; Ζεῦ πάτερ, αἰ γὰρ ἐμὸς πόσις εἴη
Alcm. 29
; later with past tenses of ind., εἰ γάρ μ' ὑπὸ γῆν . . ἧκεν
A. Pr. 152
(anap.);εἰ γὰρ τοσαύτην δύναμιν εἶχον ὥστε. . E. Alc. 1072 : twice in Od. c.inf.(cf. the use ofinf.in commands), αἰ γὰρ τοῖος ἐὼν . . ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι
7.311
, cf. 24.376 .
b. εἴθε, Ep.
αἴθε, is freq. used in wishes in the above constructions, εἴθε οἱ αὐτῷ Ζεὺς ἀγαθὸν τελέσειεν
2.33
; εἴθ' ὣς ἡβώοιμι
Il. 7.157
; ἰὼ γᾶ, εἴθ' ἔμ' ἐδέξω
A. Ag. 1537
(lyr.); εἴθε σοι, ὦ Περίκλεις, τότε συνεγενόμην
X. Mem. 1.2.46
: later c.inf., γαίης χθαμαλωτέρη εἴθε . . κεῖσθαι
AP 9.284
( Crin. ).
c. εἰ γάρ, εἴθεare also used withὤφελον( Ep.
ὤφελλον), of past unattained wishes, αἴθ' ὤφελλες στρατοῦ ἄλλου σημαίνειν
Il. 14.84
;εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον [κατιδεῖν] Pl. R. 432c .
d. folld. by a clause expressing a consequence of the fulfilment of the wish,αἰ γὰρ τοῦτο . . ἔπος τετελεσμένον εἴη: τῷ κε τάχα γνοίης. . Od. 15.536 , cf. 17.496 , al.; sts. hard to distinguish fromεἰin conditions (which may be derived from this use), εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη
Il. 7.28
.
B. IN CONDITIONS,if:
I. with INDIC.,
1. with all tenses (forfut.,v.infr. 2 ), to state a condition, with nothing implied as to its fulfilment,εἰ δ' οὕτω τοῦτ' ἐστίν, ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναιbutifthis is so, it will be . . , Il. 1.564 : any form of the Verb may stand in apodosi, εἰ θεοί τι δρῶσιν αἰσχρόν, οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί
, cf. 25b ;εἰ οὗτοι ὀρθῶς ἀπέστησαν, ὑμεῖς ἂν οὐ χρεὼν ἄρχοιτε ifthese were right in their revolt, (it would follow that) you rule when you have no right, Th. 3.40 .
b. to express a general condition,if ever, whenever, sts. withpres., εἴ τις δύο ἢ καὶ πλείους τις ἡμέρας λογίζεται, μάταιός ἐστιν
2. withfut.(much less freq. thanἐάνc.subj.), either to express a future supposition emphatically, εἰ φθάσομεν τοὺς πολεμίους κατακαίνοντες οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν ἀποθανεῖται
X. Cyr. 7.1.19
; εἰ μὴ βοηθήσετε οὐ περιέσται τἀκεῖ
Th. 6.91
;εἰ αὕτη ἡ πόλις ληφθήσεται, ἔχεται ἡ πᾶσα Σικελίαibid.; in threats or warnings, εἰ μὴ καθέξεις γλῶσσαν ἔσται σοι κακά
E. Fr. 5
; εἰ τιμωρήσεις Πατρόκλῳ, αὐτὸς ἀποθανῇ
Pl. Ap. 28c
, cf. D. 28.21 : or,
b. to express a present intention or expectation,αἶρε πλῆκτρον εἰ μαχεῖ ifyou mean to fight, Ar. Av. 759 ; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἀνήρ . . εἰ ταῦτ' ἀνατεὶ τῇδε κείσεται κράτη
S. Ant. 485
, cf. Il. 1.61 , E. Hec. 863 .
3. with historical tenses, implying that the condition is or was unfulfilled.
a. withimpf., referring to present time or to continued or repeated action in past time (in Hom. always the latter, Il. 24.715 , al.):ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν ἐδύναντο ποιεῖν, εἰ μὴ διαίτῃ μετρίᾳ ἐχρῶντοthey would not be able to do this (as they do),ifthey did not live an abstemious life, X. Cyr. 1.2.16 , cf. Pl. R. 489b ;οὐκ ἂν νήσων ἐκράτει, εἰ μή τι καὶ ναυτικὸν εἶχενhe (Agamemnon) would not have been master of islands,ifhe had not had also some naval force, Th. 1.9 ; αἰ δ' ἦχες ἔσλων ἴμερον ἢ κάλων . . αἴδως κεν . . ἦχεν
Sapph. 28
;εἰ ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ . . οὐκ ἄν ποτε ταῦτα ἔπασχον ifthey had been good men, they would never have suffered as they did, Pl. Grg. 516e , cf. X. Mem. 1.1.5 ;εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ τάδε ᾔδἐ . . οὐκ ἂν ὑπεξέφυγε ifI had known this . . , Il. 8.366 .
b. withaor.referring to past time, εἰ μὴ ἔφυσε θεὸς μέλι . . ἔφασκον γλύσσονα σῦκα πέλεσθαι
Xenoph. 38
;εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς ἤλθετε, ἐπορευόμεθα ἂν ἐπὶ βασιλέαhad you not come, we should be on our way . . , X. An. 2.1.4 ; καὶ ἴσως ἂν ἀπέθανον, εἰ μὴ ἡ ἀρχὴ διὰ ταχέων κατελύθη
c. rarely withplpf.referring to action finished in past or present time,λοιπὸν δ' ἂν ἦν ἡμῖν ἔτι περὶ τῆς πόλεως διαλεχθῆναι, εἰ μὴ προτέρα τῶν ἄλλων τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπεποίητο ifshe had not (as she has done) made peace before the rest, Isoc. 5.56 , cf. Pl. Ti. 21c .
II. with SUB J. ,εἰis regularly joined withἄν( Ep.
κε , κεν), cf.ἐάν: Arc.
εἰκανin Tegean Inscrr. ofiv B. C.( IG 5(2).3.16 , 31 , 6.2 , SIG 306.34 ) should be understood asεἰκ ἄν(εἰ:εἰκ
= οὐ :οὐκ), sinceεἰ δ' ἄνis also found in IG 5(2).3.2 , 6.45 , andεἰκalone, ib. 3.21 ; butἄν(κε, κεν) are freq. absent in Hom. as Od. 5.221 , 14.373 (and cf. infr. 2 ), and Lyr., Pi. (who never usesεἰwithἄνorκε(ν)) P. 4.266 , al.; in dialects, αἰ δείλητ' ἀγχωρεῖν
IG 9(1).334.6
( Locr. ,v B. C.), cf. Foed. Dor. ap. Th. 5.79 ; rarely in Hdt. , εἰ μὴ ἀναβῇ
2.13
; occasionally in Trag., A. Eu. 234 , S. OT 198 (lyr.), etc.; very rarely in Att. Prose, εἰ ξυστῶσιν αἱ πόλεις
Th. 6.21
; εἴ τι που ἄλσος ἢ τέμενος ἀφειμένον ᾖ
Pl. Lg. 761c
: in later Prose, εἴ τις θελήσῃ
Apoc. 11.5
; εἰ φονεύῃ
Plot. 2.9.9
, cf. Procl. Inst. 26 .
1. when the apodosis isfut., to express a future condition more distinctly and vividly thanεἰc. opt., but less so thanεἰc.fut.ind. (supr. 1.2a );εἰ δέ κεν ὣς ἕρξῃς καί τοι πείθωνται Ἀχαιοί, γνώσῃ ἔπειθ'. .ifthou do thus . . , thou shalt know, Il. 2.364 , cf. 1.128 , 3.281 , Od. 17.549 ; ἂν δέ τις ἀνθιστῆται, σὺν ὑμῖν πειρασόμεθα χειροῦσθαι
Pl. Tht. 164a : withpres.ind. in apod., Xenoph. 34.3 , Democr. 253 : withfut.ind., Meliss. 5 .
b. in Hom.sts. withpres.opt., to express an unfulfilled present condition,εἰ μὲν νῦν ἐπὶ ἄλλῳ ἀεθλεύοιμεν, ἦ τ' ἂν ἐγὼ τὰ πρῶτα φεροίμην ifwe were now contending, etc., Il. 23.274 : rarely in Trag.,εἰ μὴ κνίζοι( = εἰ μὴ ἔκνιζε ) E. Med. 568 ; also εἰ ἀναγκαῖον εἴη ἀδικεῖν ἢ ἀδικεῖσθαι, ἑλοίμην ἂν μᾶλλον ἀδικεῖσθαι
Pl. Grg. 469c
.
2. when the apodosis is past, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general condition in past time (corresponding to use ofsubj.in present time, supr. 11.2 ); once in Hom. , εἴ τίς με . . ἐνίπτοι, ἀλλὰ σὺ τόν γ' . . κατέρυκες
Il. 24.768
;εἰ δέ τινας θορυβουμένους αἴσθοιτο . . , κατασβεννύναι τὴν ταραχὴν ἐπειρᾶτο ifhe should see (wheneverhe saw) any troops in confusion, he (always) tried, X. Cyr. 5.3.55 , cf. An. 4.5.13 , Mem. 4.2.40 ;εἴ τις ἀντείποι, εὐθὺς ἐτεθνήκει ifany one made objection, he was a dead man at once, Th. 8.66 ; ἀλλ' εἴ τι μὴ φέροιμεν, ὤτρυνεν φέρειν
E. Alc. 755
. Forεἰc. ind. in this sensev.supr. 1.1: ind. and opt. are found in same sentence, ἐμίσει, οὐκ εἴ τις κακῶς πάσχων ἠμύνετο, ἀλλ' εἴ τις εὐεργετούμενος ἀχάριστος φαίνοιτο
X. Ages. 11.3
.
3. in oratio obliqua after past tenses, representingἐάνc.subj.orεἰwith a primary (never an historical) tense of the ind. in oratio recta,ἐλογίζοντο ὡς, εἰ μὴ μάχοιντο, ἀποστήσοιντο αἱ πόλεις(representingἐὰν μὴ μαχώμεθα, ἀποστήσονται) X. HG 6.4.6 , cf. D. 21.104 , X. HG 5.2.2 ;ἔλεγεν ὅτι, εἰ βλαβερὰ πεπραχὼς εἴη, δίκαιος εἴη ζημιοῦσθαι(representingεἰ βλαβερὰ πέπραχε, δίκαιός ἐστι) ib. 32 , cf. An. 6.6.25 ;εἰ δέ τινα φεύγοντα λήψοιτο, προηγόρευεν ὅτι ὡς πολεμίψ χρήσοιτο(representingεἴ τινα λήψομαι, χρήσομαι) Id. Cyr. 3.1.3 ; also, where oratio obliqua is implied in the leading clause,οὐκ ἦν τοῦ πολέμου πέρας Φιλίππῳ, εἰ μὴ Θηβαίους . . ἐχθροὺς ποιήσειε τῇ πόλει, i.e. Philip thought there would be no end to the war,unless he should make . . (his thought having beenἐὰν μὴ ποιήσω), D. 18.145 ; ἐβούλοντο γὰρ σφίσιν, εἴ τινα λάβοιεν, ὑπάρχειν ἀντὶ τῶν ἔνδον, ἢν ἄρα τύχωσί τινες ἐζωγρημένοι
Th. 2.5
.
4. c. opt. withἄν, only when the clause serves as apodosis as well as protasis, cf. Pl. Prt. 329b , D. 4.18 , X. Mem. 1.5.3 (v. ἄν
A. 111
. d).
IV. c. INF., in oratio obliqua, only in Hdt. , εἰ γὰρ δὴ δεῖν πάντως περιθεῖναι ἄλλῳ τέῳ τὴν βασιληί̈ην, [ἔφη] δικαιότερον εἶναι κτλ.
1.129
; εἰ εἶναι τοῦτο μὴ φίλον
2.64
, cf. 172 , 3.105 , 108 .
V. after Verbs denotingwonder, delight, indignation, disappointment, contentment, and similar emotions,εἰc. ind. is used instead ofὅτι, to express the object of the feeling in a hypothetical form,θαυμάζω εἰ μηδεὶς ὑμῶν μήτ' ἐνθυμεῖται μήτ' ὀργίζεται, ὁρῶν. . I wonderthatno one of you is either concerned or angry when he sees . . , D. 4.43 ; οὐκ ἀγαπᾷ εἰ μὴ δίκην δέδωκεν, ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ καὶ χρυσῷ στεφάνῳ στεφανωθήσεται ἀγανακτεῖ
Aeschin. 3.147
: after past tenses, ἐθαύμασε δ' εἰ μὴ φανερόν ἐστιν
X. Mem. 1.1.13
; δεινὸν εἰσῄει, εἰ μὴ . . δόξει
D. 19.33
; ἐθαύμαζον εἴ τι ἕξει τις χρήσασθαι τῷ λόγῳ
Pl. Phd. 95a
; οὐδὲ ᾐσχύνθη εἰ . . ἐπάγει
D. 21.105
: in oratio obliqua (expressed or implied) c. opt.,ἐπεῖπεν ὡς δεινὸν(sc.εἴη) εἰ . . μεγαλόψυχος γένοιτο
Aeschin. 2.157
; ᾤκτιρον εἰ ἁλώσοιντο
X. An. 1.4.7
;ἐθαύμαζε δ' εἴ τις ἀρετὴν ἐπαγγελλόμενος ἀργύριον πράττοιτοhe wonderedthatany one should demand money, Id. Mem. 1.2.7 ;ἔχαιρον ἀγαπῶν εἴ τις ἐάσοιI rejoiced, being contentifany one should let it pass, Pl. R. 450a :—in this use the neg.οὐis also found, ἀγανακτῶ εἰ ὁ Φίλιππος ἁρπάζων οὐ λυπεῖ
VI. in citing a fact as a ground of argument or appeal,as surely as, since,εἴ ποτ' ἔην γε ifthere was [as there was], i.e.as sure asthere was such an one, Il. 3.180 , al.; εἰ τότε κοῦρος ἔα, νῦν αὖτέ με γῆρας ὀπάζει
4.321
;πολλοὺς γὰρ οἶκε εἶναι εὐπετέστερον διαβάλλειν ἢ ἕνα, εἰ Κλεομένεα μὲν μοῦνον οὐκ οἷός τε ἐγένετο διαβαλεῖν, τρεῖς δὲ μυριάδας Ἀθηναίων ἐποίησε τοῦτοit seems easier to deceive many than one,if(as was the fact, i.e.since) he was not able . . , Hdt. 5.97 , cf. 1.60 ,al.
VII. ELLIPTICAL CONSTRUCTIONS:
1. with apodosis implied in the context,εἰhaving the force ofin case, supposing that,πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, εἰ ἐπιβοηθοῖεν, ἐχώρουνthey marched towards the city [so as to meet the citizens],in casethey should rush out, Th. 6.100 ;ἱκέται πρὸς σὲ δεῦρ' ἀφίγμεθα, εἴ τινα πόλιν φράσειας ἡμῖν εὔερονwe have come hither to you,in caseyou should tell us of some fleecy city (i.e. that we might hear of it), Ar. Av. 120 ;παρέζεο καὶ λαβὲ γούνων, αἴ κέν πως ἐθέλῃσιν ἐπὶ Τρώεσσιν ἀρῆξαιsit by him and grasp his knees [so as to persuade him],in casehe be willing to help the Trojans, Il. 1.408 , cf. 66 , Od. 1.94 , 3.92 ;ἄκουσον καὶ ἐμοῦ, ἐάν σοι ἔτι ταὐτὰ δοκῇhear me also [that you may assent],in casethe same opinion please you, Pl. R. 358b ;ἰδὲ δή, ἐάν σοι ὅπερ ἐμοὶ συνδοκῇlook now,in caseyou approve what I do, ib. 434a .
2. with apodosis suppressed for rhetorical reasons,εἴ περ γάρ κ' ἐθέλῃσιν Ὀλύμπιος . . στυφελίξαι ifhe wish to thrust him away, [he will do so], Il. 1.580 ;εἰ μὲν δώσουσι γέρας—: εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώωσιν, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι ifthey shall give me a prize, [well and good]; butifthey give not, then I will take one for myself, 1.135 , cf. 6.150 , Ar. Pl. 468 ;καὶ ἢν μὲν ξυμβῇ ἡ πεῖρα—: εἰ δὲ μή. . andifthe attempt succeed, [well]; otherwise . . , Th. 3.3 , cf. Pl. Prt. 325d .
3. with the Verb of the protasis omitted, chiefly in the following expressions:
f. εἴ ποτεorεἴπερ ποτέ now ifever, ἡμῖν δὲ καλῶς, εἴπερ ποτέ, ἔχει . . ἡ ξυναλλαγή
Th. 4.20
, cf. Ar. Eq. 594 ; αἴ ποτα κἄλλοτα
Alc. Supp. 7.11
, cf. X. An. 6.4.12 , etc.; but in prayers, εἴ ποτέ τοι ἐπὶ νηὸν ἔρεψα . . τόδε μοι κρήηνον ἐέλδωρ
Il. 1.39
.
g. εἴ ποθεν(sc.δυνατόν ἐστι)iffrom any quarter, i.e. from some quarter or other, S. Ph. 1204 (lyr.); soεἴ ποθιsomewhere, anywhere, Id. Aj. 885 (lyr.); εἴ που
Od. 4.193
.
h. εἴ πωςib. 388 , X. An. 2.3.11 : in an elliptical sentence (cf. VII. 1 ), πρέσβεις πέμψαντες, εἴ πως πείσειαν
Th. 1.58
.
VIII. with other PARTICLES:
1. for the distinction betweenκαὶ εἰ(orκαὶ ἐάν, orκἄν) evenif, andεἰ καί(orἐὰν καί) eventhough, v. καί :—the opposite ofκαὶ εἰisοὐδ' εἰ, not evenif; that ofεἰ καίisεἰ μηδέ,if (although) not even.
3. forεἰ ἄρα, v. ἄρα ; forεἰ δή, εἴπερ, v. εἰ δή, εἴπερ ; forεἴ γε, v. γέ .
IX. in neg. oaths,=Hebr.im, LXX Ps. 94(95).11 , Ev.Marc. 8.12 , al.
C. IN INDIRECT QUESTIONS,whether, folld. by the ind.,subj., or opt., according to the principles of oratio obliqua:
1. with IN D. after primary tenses, representing the same tense in the direct question,σάφα δ' οὐκ οἶδ' εἰ θεός ἐστιν whetherhe is a god, Il. 5.183 ; εἰ ξυμπονήσεις . . σκόπει
S. Ant. 41
.
2. with SUB J. after primary tenses, representing a dubitativesubj.in the direct question,τὰ ἐκπώματα οὐκ οἶδ' εἰ Χρυσάντᾳ τουτῳὶ̈ δῶ whetherI should give them, X. Cyr. 8.4.16 : sts. elliptical, ἐς τὰ χρηστήρια ἔπεμπε, εἰ στρατεύηται ἐπὶ τοὺς Πέρσας
Hdt. 1.75
.
3. OPT. after past tenses, representing either of the two previous constructions in the direct question,ἤρετο εἴ τις ἐμοῦ εἴη σοφώτεροςhe askedwhetherany one was wiser than I (directἔστι τις σοφώτερος;), Pl. Ap. 21a ; ἐπεκηρυκεύετο Πεισιστράτῳ, εἰ βούλοιτό οἱ τὴν θυγατέρα ἔχειν γυναῖκα
Hdt. 1.60
: rarelyaor.opt. for theaor.ind.,ἠρώτων αὐτὸν εἰ ἀναπλεύσειενI asked himwhetherhe had set sail (directἀνέπλευσας;), D. 50.55 : butaor.opt. usually representsaor. subj.,τὸν θεὸν ἐπήροντο εἰ παραδοῖεν Κορινθίοις τὴν πόλιν . . καὶ τιμωρίαν τινὰ πειρῷντ' ἀπ' αὐτῶν ποιεῖσθαιthey askedwhetherthey should deliver their city to the Corinthians, and should try . . , Th. 1.25 :—in both constructions the ind. orsubj.may be retained,ψῆφον ἐβούλοντο ἐπαγαγεῖν εἰ χρὴ πολεμεῖνib. 119 ;ἐβουλεύοντο εἴτε κατακαύσωσιν . . εἴτε τι ἄλλο χρήσωνται whetherthey should burn them or should dispose of them in some other way, Id. 2.4 ;ἀνακοινοῦσθαι αὐτὸν αὑτῷ εἰ δῷ ἐπιψηφίσαι τοῖς προέδροις[he said that] he consulted himwhetherhe should give . . , Aeschin. 2.68 .
4. with OPT. andἄνwhen this was the form of the direct question,ἠρώτων εἰ δοῖεν ἂν τούτων τὰ πιστάthey askedwhetherthey would give (directδοιήτε ἄν;), X. An. 4.8.7 .
5. the NEG. used withεἰin indirect questions isοὐ, whenοὐwould be used in the direct question,ἐνετέλλετο . . εἰρωτᾶν εἰ οὔ τι ἐπαισχύνεται whetherhe is not ashamed, Hdt. 1.90 , etc.; but ifμήwould be required in the direct form, it is retained in the indirect,οὐ τοῦτο ἐρωτῶ, ἀλλ' εἰ τοῦ μὲν δικαίου μὴ ἀξιοῖ πλέον ἔχειν μηδὲ βούλεται ὁ δίκαιος, τοῦ δὲ ἀδίκου(the direct question would beμὴ ἀξιοῖ μηδὲ βούλεται; he does not see fit nor wish, does he?) Pl. R. 349b :—in double indirect questions,εἴτε . . εἴτε . . ; εἰ . . εἴτε . . ; εἴτε . . ἢ. . , eitherοὐorμήcan be used in the second clause, ὅπως ἴδῃς εἴτ' ἔνδον εἴτ' οὐκ ἔνδον
