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Optative Mood

 

Like the subjunctive, the OPTATIVE mood refers to HYPOTHETICAL actions. As with the subjunctive, there are three tenses, each of which express ASPECT:

• present
• aorist
• perfect

In rare and specific circumstances, it is possible to create a FUTURE tense of the optative. Since the mood is hypothetical, it NEVER receives an augment.

 

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Optative Mood: Personal Endings

 

The personal endings for optative verbs are THEMATIC SECONDARY endings, with one exception:

• the active first person singular ending ends in –μι.

To mark the optative mood, an –ι– is inserted between the thematic vowel and the personal ending. Inserting this –ι– caused the thematic vowel not to degrade from ο to ε, as it does in other thematic verb inflections. As a result, the thematic vowel remains ο throughout all persons and numbers.

Τhe importance of inserted –ι– as a marker of the optative mood is reflected by the fact that –οι and –αι at the end of optative forms are LONG DIPHTHONGS, not short (S 427).

 

ACTIVE personal endings:

(-ον →) –οιμι = I (1st sg)	(-ομεν →) –οιμεν = we (1st pl)
(-ες →) –οις = you (2nd sg)	(-ετε →) –οιτε = y’all (2nd pl)
(-ε →) –οι = (s)he, it (3rd sg)	(-ον →) –οιεν = they (3rd pl)

 

MIDDLE personal endings:

(-ομην →) –οιμην = I (1st sg)	(-ομεθα →) –οιμεθα = we (1st pl)
(-*-εσο → *-οισο →) –οιο = you (2nd sg)	(-εσθε →) –οισθε = y’all (2nd pl)
(-ετο →) –οιτο = (s)he, it (3rd sg)	(-οντο →) –οιντο = they (3rd pl)

 

All tenses of the optative use these endings except for the FIRST AORIST, which replaces the the thematic vowel –ο– with –σα-.

FIRST AORIST ACTIVE personal endings:

(-οιμι →) –σαιμι = I (1st sg)	(-οιμεν →) –σαιμεν = we (1st pl)
(-οις →) –σαις = you (2nd sg)	(-οιτε →) –σαιτε = y’all (2nd pl)
(-οι →) –σαι or –σειε = (s)he, it (3rd sg)	(-οιεν →) –σαιεν or σειαν = they (3rd pl)

 

FIRST AORIST MIDDLE personal endings:

(-οιμην →) –σαιμην = I (1st sg)	(-οιμεθα →) –σαιμεθα = we (1st pl)
(-οιο →) –σαιο = you (2nd sg)	(-οισθε →) –σαισθε = y’all (2nd pl)
(-οιτο →) –σαιτο = (s)he, it (3rd sg)	(-οντο →) –σαιντο = they (3rd pl)

 

 

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The Optative Mood: Formation

Like the subjunctive, the tense of the optative is indicated by the TENSE STEM. To see how to form the optative in its three main tenses, let’s take a look at three examples:

• λύω, λύσω, ἔλυσα, λέλυκα, λέλυμαι, ἐλύθην
• λαμβάνω, λήψομαι, ἔλαβον, εἴληφα, εἴλημμαι, ἐλήφθην
• δείκνυμι, δείξω, ἔδειξα, δέδειχα, δέδειγμαι, ἐδείχθην

Let’s begin with λύω, λύσω, ἔλυσα, λέλυκα, λέλυμαι, ἐλύθην

• present tense stem: λυ–
• aorist tense stem: λυσ–
• perfect tense stem: λελυκ–

 

The Present Optative Active of λύω (S 383; GPH p. 72)

λύοιμι	λύοιμεν
λύοις	λύοιτε
λύοι	λύοιεν

 

The Present Optative Middle of λύω (S 383; GPH p. 72)

λυοίμην	λυοίμεθα
λύοιο	λύοισθε
λύοιτο	λύοιντο

 

The Aorist Optative Active of λύω (S 383; GPH p. 80)

λύσαιμι	λύσαιμεν
λύσαις	λύσαιτε
λύσαι	λύσαιεν or λύσειαν

 

The Aorist Optative Middle of λύω (S 383; GPH p. 80)

λυσαίμην	λυσαίμεθα
λύσαιο	λύσαισθε
λύσαιτο	λύσαιντο

 

The Perfect Optative Active of λύω (S 383; GPH p. 92)

λελύκοιμι	λελύκοιμεν
λελύκοις	λελύκοιτε
λελύκοι	λελύκοιεν

 

 

The Perfect Optative Middle of λύω (S GPH p. 93)

λελυμένος εἴην	λελυμένοι εἴημεν
λελυμένος εἴης	λελυμένοι εἴητε
λελυμένος εἴη	λελυμένοι εἴησαν

 

 

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Now let’s take a look at this verb, in the active voice: λαμβάνω, λήψομαι, ἔλαβον, εἴληφα, εἴλημμαι, ἐλήφθην

• present tense stem: λαμβαν–
• aorist tense stem: λαβ–
• perfect tense stem: εἰληφ–

 

The Present Optative Active of λαμβάνω

λαμβάνοιμι	λαμβάνοιμεν
λαμβάνοις	λαμβάνοιτε
λαμβάνοι	λαμβάνοιεν

 

The Aorist Optative Active of λαμβάνω (S 384; GPH p. 85)

λάβοιμι	λάβοιμεν
λάβοις	λάβοιτε
λάβοι	λάβοιεν

 

The Perfect Optative Active of λαμβάνω 

εἰλήφοιμι	εἰλήφοιμεν
εἰλήφοις	εἰλήφοιτε
εἰλήφοι	εἰλήφοιεν

 

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Finally, let’s take a look at this verb, in the active voice: δείκνυμι, δείξω, ἔδειξα, δέδειχα, δέδειγμαι, ἐδείχθην

• present tense stem: δεικνυ–
• aorist tense stem: δειξ–
• perfect tense stem: δεδειχ–

 

The Present Optative Active of δείκνυμι (S 418; GPH p. 159)

δεικνύοιμι	δεικνύοιμεν
δεικνύοις	δεικνύοιτε
δεικνύοι	δεικνύοιεν

 

The Aorist Optative Active of δείκνυμι 

δείξαιμι	δείξαιμεν
δείξαις	δείξαιτε
δείξαι	δείξαιεν or δείξειαν

 

The Perfect Optative Active of δείκνυμι 

δεδείχοιμι	δεδείχοιμεν
δεδείχοις	δεδείχοιτε
δεδείχοι	δεδείχοιεν

 

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Contract Verbs

The rules for contract verbs work as expected for the optative. For example:

• ποιέοιμι → ποιοῖμι
• δηλόοιμι → δηλοῖμι
• νικάοιμι → νικῷμι

However, some Greek authors preferred to mark the present optative of CONTRACT VERBS with the expanded optative mood marker –ιη-, discussed above with the verb εἰμί (S 393). When this marker is used, there are two additional changes:

• the first person singular ends in –ιην
• the third person plural ends in –ιησαν

 

The Present Optative Active of ποιέω (cf. S 385; GPH p. 113)

(ποιεοίην →) ποιοίην	(ποιεοίημεν →) ποιοίημεν
(ποιεοίης →) ποιοίης	(ποιεοίητε →) ποιοίητε
(ποιεοίη →) ποιοίη	(ποιεοίησαν →) ποιοίησαν

 

The Present Optative Active of δηλόω (cf. S 385; GPH p. 121)

(δηλοοίην →) δηλοίην	(δηλοοίημεν →) δηλοίημεν
(δηλοοίης →) δηλοίης	(δηλοοίητε →) δηλοίητε
(δηλοοίη →) δηλοίη	(δηλοοίησαν →) δηλοίησαν

 

The Present Optative Active of νικάω (cf. S 385; GPH p. 104)

(νικαοίην →) νικῴην	(νικαοίημεν →) νικῴημεν
(νικαοίης →) νικῴης	(νικαοίητε →) νικῴητε
(νικαοίη →) νικῴη	(νικαοίησαν →) νικῴησαν

 

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–μι Verbs

Similarly, the verbs δίδωμι, ἵστημι, and τίθημι are essentially CONTRACT forms in the OPTATIVE. These verbs form the PRESENT and AORIST optative by adding the following markers (S 750):

• –ιη– in the SINGULAR
  • 1st person in –ιην
• –ι– in the PLURAL
  • 3rd person in –ιεν

The accent is the result of the short vowel stem contracting with the –ι-. For example:

• διδο–ίη–ν → διδοίην
• διδό–ι–μεν → διδοῖμεν

 

The Present Optative Active of δίδωμι (S 416; GPH p. 126)

διδοίην	διδοῖμεν
διδοίης	διδοῖτε
διδοίη	διδοῖεν

 

The Aorist Optative Active of δίδωμι (S 416; GPH p. 131)

δοίην	δοῖμεν
δοίης	δοῖτε
δοίη	δοῖεν

 

The Present Optative Active of ἵστημι (S 416; GPH p. 137)

ἱσταίην	ἱσταῖμεν
ἱσταίης	ἱσταῖτε
ἱσταίη	ἱσταῖεν

 

The Second Aorist Optative Active of ἵστημι (S 416; GPH p. 140)

σταίην	σταῖμεν
σταίης	σταῖτε
σταίη	σταῖεν

 

Recall that ἵστημι has both a SECOND and FIRST aorist to indicate INTRANSITIVE and TRANSITIVE use, respectively. The first aorist conjugates regularly:

The First Aorist Optative Active of ἵστημι

στήσαιμι	στήσαιμεν
στήσαις	στήσαιτε
στήσαι	στήσαιεν or στήσειαν

 

The Present, Optative, Active of τίθημι (S 416; GPH p. 148)

τιθείην	τιθεῖμεν
τιθείης	τιθεῖτε
τιθείη	τιθεῖεν

 

The Aorist, Optative, Active of τίθημι (S 416; GPH p. 153)

θείην	θεῖμεν
θείης	θεῖτε
θείη	θεῖεν

 

 

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The Optative Mood: Main Clause

 

As discussed above, the tenses of the optative reflect ASPECT, not time. As with the subjunctive mood, the PRESENT and AORIST are the most common tenses that you will encounter (S 696).

There are two uses of the optative in a main clause:

• optative of wish
• potential optative

 

Optative of Wish

The OPTATIVE of WISH (cf. Latin opto) is used to convey a wish for the future (S 1814-1819). Common characteristics of the optative of wish are:

• It is often (though not always) introduced by εἰ γάρ or εἴθε
• The negative is μή

With or without the introductory εἰ γάρ or εἴθε, the optative of wish is translated as may!, would that, if only…

• τοῦτο μὴ γένοιτο.
  • May this never happen!
• εἰ γάρ πόλεμον παύσαι.
  • If only he would stop the war.
• εἴθε τοὺς ἵππους δοίη.
  • If only he would give us the horses.
• τοὺς ἵππους λύοιεν.
  • If only they would free the horses.
• τοὺς ἵππους λαβοίμεθα.
  • Would that we could take the horses.

 

Potential Optative

The POTENTIAL OPTATIVE expresses the opinion of the speaker about the possibility or likelihood of an action (S 1824-1834). Common characteristics of the potential optative are:

• It is used always accompanied by the particle ἄν.
• The negative is οὐ.

POTENTIAL optatives can be translated with may, might, would, or should.

• τοὺς ἐκ τῆς μάχης φεύγοντας ἂν παύσαιμεν.
  • We might stop the war.
  • We should stop the men fleeing from battle.
• πόλεμον οὐκ ἂν παύοι.
  • He might not be stopping the war.
  • He should not stop the war.
• τοὺς ἵππους ἂν δοίη.
  • He might be giving the horses.
  • He should give the horses.
• τοὺς ἵππους οὐκ ἂν λύοιεν;
  • Wouldn’t they be freeing the horses?
  • Shouldn’t they be freeing the horses?
• τοὺς ἵππους ἂν λαβοίμεθα;
  • Would we take the horses?
  • Should we take the horses?

 

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Purpose Clause

So far we have only discussed the uses of the subjunctive and optative in MAIN CLAUSES. Now let’s consider how these moods are used in SUBORDINATE clauses. We begin with the PURPOSE CLAUSE (S 2193-2206).

A purpose clause is introduced by the following conjunctions:

• ἵνα, ὡς, ὅπως (so that, in order that)
• ἵνα μή, ὡς μή, ὅπως μή, or μή alone (so that…not, in order that…not, lest)

 

Sequence of Moods

If the MAIN VERB of the sentence is a PRIMARY tense (e.g. present, future, perfect, imperative, subjunctive, optative):

• the verb of the purpose clause is SUBJUNCTIVE

If the MAIN VERB of the sentence is a SECONDARY tense (e.g. imperfect, aorist, pluperfect):

• the verb of the purpose clause is OPTATIVE (or SUBJUNCTIVE to express vividness)

This pattern (subjunctive following primary main verbs, optative following secondary main verbs) is called the SEQUENCE OF MOODS.

 

As always, the tenses of SUBJUNCTIVE and OPTATIVE denote ASPECT.

• ταῦτα ποιοῦσι ἵνα ἡ πόλις ἐλευθέρα ᾖ.
  • They are doing these things so that the city may be free.
• ταῦτα ποιήσουσιν ἵνα ἡ πόλις ἐλευθέρα ᾖ.
  • They will do these things so that the city may be free.
• ταῦτα ἐποιήσαμεν μὴ τοὺς ἵππους λύσαι.
  • We did these things so that he not free the horses.
• ταῦτα ἐπεποιήκεσαν ὅπως μὴ τοὺς ἵππους λύσαι.
  • The had done these things so that he not free the horses.
• Ἑλληνικὴν μάθωμεν ὅπως τὴν Ἰλιάδα τοῦ Ὁμήρου ἀναγιγνώσκωμεν.
  • Let’s learn Greek in order to read Homer’s Iliad.
• Ἑλληνικὴν ἐμανθάνομεν ὡς τὴν Ἰλιάδα τοῦ Ὁμήρου ἀναγιγνώσκοιμεν.
  • We were learning Greek so that we may read Homer’s Iliad.

 

 

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Fear Clause

Another common subordinate clause in Greek is the FEAR CLAUSE (S 2221-2232). The clause acts essentially as the direct object of a verb of fearing.

A fear clause is introduced by the following conjunctions:

• μή (that, lest)
  • expresses the fear that something may or might happen
• μὴ οὐ (that…not, in order that…not, lest…not)
  • expresses the fear that something may or might not happen

If the fear clause expresses a concern that something is happening or has happened, the verb in the subordinate clause is INDICATIVE.

• φοβοῦμαι μὴ ἀληθές ἐστιν.
  • I fear that this is true.
• φοβοῦμαι μὴ ἀληθὲς ἦν.
  • I fear that this was true.

If, however, the fear clause expresses a concern that something may or may not happen in the future, the clause follows the same SEQUENCE OF MOODS as purposes clauses.

• φοβοῦμαι μὴ ἀληθές ᾖ.
  • I fear that this may be (i.e. turn out) true.
• ἐφοβοῦντο μὴ ἀληθές εἴη.
  • They feared that this might be (i.e. turn out) true.
• φόβος ἐστι μὴ οὐ ταῦτα ποιήσῃ.
  • There is a fear that he may not do these things.
• φόβος ἦν μὴ ταῦτα ποιοίησαν.
  • There was a fear that he would be doing these things.
• μὴ φοβήσῃ μὴ τοὺς ἵππους λάβωσιν.
  • Don’t fear that they may take the horses.
• ἐφοβούμεθα μὴ τοὺς ἵππους λάβοιντο.
  • We feared that they might take the horses.

 

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– τὸ τέλος –

 

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