• the "oblique optative", appearing only in subordinate clauses in the secondary or historic sequence, plays the role of an original, recuperable indicative or subjunctive in such clauses ("original" in that this mood was the one used in the putative primary sequence (see below))

• this is the Greek version of the "sequence of tenses" in Latin or English; we may compare the following observance of the English sequence of tenses:

"He says that he will be there tomorrow". (primary sequence introduced by "says")

"He said that he would be there on that day". (secondary sequence introduced by "said")

• it is an optional construction: in Greek the original indicative or subjunctive could have been used and if used can be thought vivid or graphic since the speaker or author is calling to our minds the original utterance on the day; in English and Latin this retaining of an original is much rarer and frequently considered an error;

compare:

timebam ne ueniret (observes normal, Latin sequence)

timebam ne ueniat ("breaks" normal, Latin sequence)

• it is vital to remember that the tense of the optative used is merely the tense of the recuperable original and should be translated accordingly

• it is very hard in English to capture any distinction between vivid and oblique constructions, not least because English normally follows its own sequence of tenses quite closely

• examples of the main constructions 1) indirect speech 2) other:

1Α. oblique optative playing the role of an original indicative in indirect speech:

i. "ηλθεν". (original, direct utterance)

ii. λεγω οτι ηλθεν. (primary sequence, no change required)

iii. ειπον οτι ηλθεν. (secondary sequence and vivid or graphic, since the speaker in effect quotes the primary utterance)

iv. ειπον οτι ελθοι. (oblique, since the speaker chooses a "sideways" or "remote" method of representing the primary utterance)

now try this:

a. "μανθανει."

b. λεγω οτι μανθανει. (primary sequence, no change required)

c. ειπον οτι μανθανει. (vivid, mood retained)

d. ειπον οτι μανθανοι. (oblique, mood shifted)

N.B. This form μανθανοι in this sentence (d) can be recuperated as α) "μανθανει" or β) "εμανθανε" since the imperf. ind. has no optative of its own; Greek is forced to go to the present optative to render an original "εμανθανε" obliquely.

e. ειπον οτι εμανθανεν. (Greek permits here in O.O. a "natural" past indicative, like English, that is vague but intelligible.)

1B. oblique optative playing the role of an original indicative in indirect question:

i. "ποι ηλθον;" (original, direct utterance)

ii. ερωτω αυτην ποι ηλθον. (primary sequence, no change required but cf. Latin use of its subjunctive here)

iii. ηρομην αυτην ποι ηλθον. (secondary sequence, mood retained = vivid)

iv. ηρομην αυτην ποι ελθοιεν. (secondary sequence, mood shifted = oblique)

now try this:

a. "τι μανθανεις;"

b. ερωτω αυτην ο τι (or τι) μανθανει. (primary sequence, no change required; οστις can be used as an indirect interrogative but need not be)

c. ηρομην αυτην ο τι (or τι) μανθανει. (secondary sequence, mood retained = vivid)

d. ηρομην αυτην ο τι (or τι) μανθανοι. (oblique, mood shifted = oblique)

e. ηρομην αυτην ο τι (or τι) εμανθανε. (Greek permits here also a "natural" past indicative, like English, that is vague but intelligible.)

2A. oblique optative playing the role of an original subjunctive in a fear clause:

i. φοβουμαι μη ελθηι. (primary sequence)

ii. εφοβουμην μη ελθηι. (secondary sequence and vivid)

iii. εφοβουμην μη ελθοι. (secondary sequence and oblique)

2B. oblique optative playing the role of an original subjunctive in a purpose clause

i. εισερχεται ο Σωκρατης εις αστυ ινα φιλοις διαλεγηται. (primary sequence)

ii. εισηλθεν ο Σωκρατης εις αστυ ινα φιλοις διαλεγηται. (secondary sequence and vivid)

iii. εισηλθεν ο Σωκρατης εις αστυ ινα φιλοις διαλεγοιτο. (secondary sequence and oblique)

2C. oblique optative playing the role of an original subjunctive in an indefinite relative clause

i. ποιει ο Ευφιλητος ο (αν) κελευσηι η γυνη. (primary sequence; αν optional, as usual)

ii. εποιει ο Ευφιλητος ο (αν) κελευσηι η γυνη. (secondary sequence and vivid; αν optional, as usual)

iii. εποιει ο Ευφιλητος ο κελευσειε η γυνη. (secondary sequence and oblique; αν cannot be used here)

(n.b. this particular use of the oblique optative is sometimes known as the "iterative" optative)

• Other oblique optatives are possible: e.g. a deliberative subjunctive, or the subjunctive or indicative protasis of a conditional sentence.