Verbal infinitive › uncertain case
D. Infinitive of Purpose and Result
Infinitive of Purpose.—The infinitive may express purpose (usually only with verbs taking the accusative).
ταύτην τὴν χώρᾱν ἐπέτρεψε διαρπάσαι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν
he gave this land over to the Greeks to plunder A. 1.2.19, τὸ ἥμισυ (τοῦ στρατεύματος) κατέλιπε φυλάττειν τὸ στρατόπεδον he left half (of the army) behind to guard the camp 5. 2. 1, ἰέναι ἐπὶ βασιλέᾱ οὐκ ἐγίγνετο τὰ ἱερά the sacrifices did not turn out (favourable) for going against the king 2. 2. 3, Ἀριστάρχῳ . . . ἔδοτε ἡμέρᾱν ἀπολογήσασθαι
you granted a day to Aristarchus to make his defence H. 1.7.28, ἡ θύρᾱ ἡ ἐμὴ ἀνέῳκτο . . . εἰσιέναι τῷ δεομένῳ τι ἐμοῦ my door stood open for any petitioner of mine to enter 5. 1. 14, παρέχω ἐμαυτὸν ἐρωτᾶν
I offer myself to be questioned A. 33b, τᾱ̀ς γυναῖκας πιεῖν φερούσᾱς the women bringing (something) to drink H. 7.2.9. Cp. also 2032 e.
The infinitive of purpose is used in prose especially after verbs meaning to give, entrust, choose, appoint, take, receive. Verbs signifying to send, go, come usually take the future active participle (2065); but 6.50 has δέκα τῶν νεῶν προύπεμψαν ἐς τὸν μέγαν λιμένα πλεῦσαι they sent ahead ten ships to sail into the great harbour; and in poetry the infinitive often denotes purpose after these verbs, and after εἶναι in Homer (Λ 20) and Hdt. (5. 25).
After verbs meaning to have (or be) at one's disposition: οἱ στρατιῶται ἀργύριον οὐκ εἶχον ἐπισῑτίζεσθαι
the soldiers did not have money by means of which they could provision themselves A. 7.1.7, ἐκεῖ σκιᾱ́ τ᾽ ἐστὶ καὶ πόᾱ καθίζεσθαι
there is shade and grass to sit down in Phae. 229b.
In the index: Infinitive · Purpose · Appointing · Choosing · Entrusting · Future tense · Giving · Receiving · Sending · Taking