[*] 531. （Optative.) When the relative clause expresses a future condition of the less vivid form (like a protasis of the form 455), and the antecedent clause contains an optative referring to the future, the relative takes the optative (without ἄν).
The optative in the antecedent clause may be in an apodosis with ἄν, in a protasis, in an expression of a wish, or in a final clause. E.g. Μάλα κεν θρασυκάρδιος εἴη, ὃς τότε γηθήσειεν ἰδὼν πόνον οὐδ᾽ ἀκάχοιτο (i.e. εἴ τις γηθήσειε, μάλα κεν θρασυκάρδιος εἴη), any one who should then rejoice would be very stout-hearted. Il. xiii. 343. Βουλοίμην κ᾽ ἐπάρουρος ἐὼν θητευέμεν ἀλλῷ . . . ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη, I should wish to be a serf attached to the soil, serving another man who had not much to live on. Od. xi. 489. Ζηνὸς οὐκ ἂν ἆσσον ἱκοίμην, ὅτε μὴ αὐτός γε κελεύοι, “unless he should himself bid me.” Il. xiv. 247. So Il. vi. 329 and 521; and “ὅστις καλέσειε,” AR. Nub. 1250. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν θρέψαις ἄνδρα, ὅστις ἐθέλοι τε καὶ δύναιτο σοῦ ἀπερύκειν τοὺς ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀδικεῖν σε; would you not support any man who should be both willing and able, etc.? XEN. Mem. ii. 9, 2. Πεινῶν φάγοι ἂν ὁπότε βούλοιτο, when he is hungry, he would eat whenever he might wish (like εἴ ποτε βούλοιτο). Ib. ii. 1, Ib. 18.So i. 5, Ib. 4; i. 7, Ib. 3; iv. 2, Ib. 20. Πῶς οὖν ἂν εἰδείης περὶ τούτου τοῦ πράγματος οὗ παντάπασιν ἄπειρος εἴης; “ how then could you know about that thing of which you had no experience at all?” PLAT. Men. 92 C. Ἆρ᾽ ἂν ἡγοῖο ταῦτα σὰ εἶναι, ἅ σοι ἐξείη καὶ ἀποδόσθαι καὶ δοῦναι καὶ θῦσαι ὅτῳ βούλοιο θεῶν; Id. Euthyd. 302A. Τί ἂν παθεῖν (δύναιτο), ὃ μὴ καὶ ὑφ᾽ αὑτοῦ πάθοι; what could he suffer, unless he should suffer it also from himself? (i.e. εἰ μὴ πάθοι). Lys. 214E. Ὃ δὲ μὴ ἀγαπῴη, οὐδ᾽ ἂν φιλοῖ (i.e εἴ τι μὴ ἀγαπῴη, οὐδ᾽ ἂν φιλοῖ τοῦτο). Ib. 215B. Ἰδίαν ἕκαστος ἂν κατασκευὴν κατασκευάζοιτο, ἥτις ἕκαστον ἀρέσκοι. Rep. 557B. Ὅσῳ δὲ πρεσβύτερος γίγνοιτο, μᾶλλον ἀεὶ ἀσπάζοιτο ἂν (χρήματα), the older he should grow, the more he would always cling to it (i.e. εἴ τι πρεσβύτερος γίγνοιτο, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἀσπάζοιτο ἄν). Ib. 549 B. So 412D. Φήσομεν μηδέποτε μηδὲν ἂν μεῖζον μηδὲ ἔλαττον γενέσθαι, ἕως ἴσον εἴη αὐτὸ ἑαυτῷ, “so long as it should remain equal to itself.” Theaet. 155A.
Εἰ δὲ βούλοιο τῶν φίλων τινὰ προτρέψασθαι ὁπότε ἀποδημοίης ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῶν σῶν, τί ἂν ποιοίης; XEN. Mem. ii. 3, 12. Εἰκότως ἂν καὶ παρὰ θεῶν πρακτικώτερος εἴη, ὅστις μὴ ὁπότε ἐν ἀπόροις εἴη τότε κολακεύοι, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε τὰ ἄριστα πράττοι τότε μάλιστα τῶν θεῶν μεμνῷτο. Id. Cyr. i. 6, Id. Cyr. 3. Ὡς ἀπόλοιτο καὶ ἄλλος, ὅ τις τοιαῦτά γε ῥέζοι, O that any other man might likewise perish who should do the like (i.e. εἴ τις τοιαῦτα ῥέζοι). Hom. Od. i. 47. Εἰ γάρ μιν θανάτοιο δυσηχέος ὧδε δυναίμην νόσφιν ἀποκρύψαι, ὅτε μιν μόρος αἰνὸς ἱκάνοι. Hom. Il. xviii. 464. Δῶρα θεῶν ἔχοι, ὅττι διδοῖεν, may he have gifts of the Gods, whatever they may give. Hom. Od. xviii. 142. Ἐγίγνωσκε δεῖν τοὺς ὑπηρέτας τοῦτο ἀσκεῖν, ὡς πάντα νομίζοιεν πρέπειν αὑτοῖς πράττειν ὅσα ὁ ἄρχων προστάττοι. XEN. Cyr. ii. 1, 31.
For κέ or ἄν in these relative sentences in Homer, see 542. All these examples fall also under the general rule for assimilation (558).
