Alternative questions

Indirect alternative questions are introduced by the particles signifying whether . . . or: πότερον (πότερα) . . . ἤ, εἴτε . . . εἴτε, εἰ . . . ἤ, εἰ . . . εἴτε. See also under Particles.

a. πότερον (πότερα) . . . ἤ: Thus, διηρώτᾱ τὸν Κῦρον πότερον βούλοιτο μένειν ἢ ἀπιέναι she asked Cyrus whether he wanted to stay or go away X. C. 1.3.15, θαυμάζω πότερα ὡς κρατῶν βασιλεὺς αἰτεῖ τὰ ὅπλα ἢ ὡς διὰ φιλίᾱν δῶρα I wonder whether the king asks for our arms as a conqueror or as gifts on the plea of friendship X. A. 2.1.10.

N.—πότερον . . . ἤ may denote that the second alternative is more important than the first. πότερον is omitted when the introductory clause contains the adjective πότερος (X. C. 1.3.2).

b. εἴτε . . . εἴτε gives equal value to each alternative. Thus, τὴν σκέψιν ποιώμεθα εἴτε ὠφελίᾱν εἴτε βλάβην παρέχει let us make the inquiry whether it produces benefit or injury P. Phae. 237d.

N. 1.—In Homer εἴτε . . . εἴτε (εἴ τε . . . εἴ τε) almost always retains the meaning either . . . or (A 65).

N. 2.—The first εἴτε is rarely omitted in prose, as πόλις εἴτε ἰδιῶταί τινες a State or certain individuals P. L. 864a; more often in poetry, as λόγοισιν εἴτ᾽ ἔργοισιν by words or deeds S. O. T. 517.

c. εἰ . . . ἤ indicates that the second alternative is preferable or more probable. Thus, ἠρώτᾱ εἰ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀνδράσι σπένδοιτο τοῖς ἰοῦσι καὶ ἀπιοῦσιν, ἢ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἔσοιντο σπονδαί he asked whether he was making a truce merely with the individual men who were coming and going or whether the truce would be with the rest as well X. A. 2.3.7.

d. εἰ . . . εἴτε is like εἴτε . . . εἴτε. Thus, εἰ δ᾽ ἔτ᾽ ἐστὶν ἔμψῡχος γυνὴ εἴτ᾽ οὖν ὄλωλεν, εἰδέναι βουλοίμεθ᾽ ἄν we should like to know whether the lady is still alive or dead E. Alc. 140.

e. ἢ (ἠὲ) . . . ἦ (ἦε) occurs in Homer, as ὄφρ᾽ ἐὺ εἰδῶ ἠὲ νέον μεθέπεις ἦ καὶ πατρώιός ἐσσι ξεῖνος that I may know well whether thou art newly a visitor or art actually an ancestral guest-friend α 175. Cp. 2661. ἢ . . . ἤ is doubtful in Attic.

The negative of the direct form is usually preserved in indirect questions.

εἴσομαι . . . πότερον ὁ ἔχων αὐτὸ οὐκ εὐδαίμων ἐστὶν ἢ εὐδαίμων I shall know whether its possessor is happy or not P. R. 354c, οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως φῶ τοῦτο καὶ μὴ φῶ I know not how I am to say this and not to say it E. I. A. 643 ( = πῶς μὴ φῶ;).

a. Indirect single questions introduced by interrogative pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs, usually have οὐ.

b. μή appears after verbs of seeing, considering and the like (σκοπῶ, ὁρῶ, ἐννοοῦμαι, ἐνθῡμοῦμαι) when there is an idea of purpose or desire to prevent something. Thus, ὁρᾶτε . . . ὅτῳ τρόπῳ κάλλιστα ἀμυνεῖσθε αὐτοὺς καὶ μήτε καταφρονήσαντες ἄφαρκτοι ληφθήσεσθε κτλ. consider how you may best defend yourselves and may neither be caught off your guard through contempt, etc. T. 6.33. So also with the potential optative with ἄν; as τί οὖν οὐ σκοποῦμεν πῶς ἂν αὐτῶν μὴ διαμαρτάνοιμεν; why then do we not consider how we may avoid mistaking them? X. M. 3.1.10. Indirect questions with μή thus belong under μή with verbs of fear and apprehension, where μή is the negative of the will. Cp. 2674.

c. Indirect questions introduced by εἰ have οὐ or μή. Thus, ἤρετο τὸν δῆμον εἰ οὐκ αἰσχῡ́νοιντο he asked the people whether they were not ashamed Aes. 1.84, ἤρετό με . . . εἰ μὴ μέμνημαι he asked me whether I did not remember 2. 36.

d. In relative clauses joined by καί and standing in an indirect question (what . . . and what not), μή must be used when the verb is to be supplied with the second clause; but when the verb is repeated, either μή, or οὐ if the antecedent is definite, may be used. Thus, διαγιγνώσκουσιν ἅ τε δύνανται καὶ ἃ μή they distinguish between what they can do and what they cannot X. M. 4.2.26, οἶσθα . . . ὁπόσοι τε φρουροὶ ἱκανοί εἰσι καὶ ὁπόσοι μή εἰσιν you know how many garrisons are advantageously situated and how many are not 3. 6. 10. The antecedent is definite in ἀπέδειξεν οὓς χρὴ δημηγορεῖν καὶ οὓς οὐ δεῖ λέγειν ἐν τῷ δήμῳ he showed who must speak in the assembly and who must not speak before the people Aes. 1.27.

e. As the second member of an alternative question introduced by εἰ, or not is either ἢ οὐ or ἢ μή. Thus, σκοπῶμεν εἰ ἡμῖν πρέπει ἢ οὔ let us consider whether it is proper for us or not P. R. 451d, νῦν ἔμαθον δ̀ λέγεις· εἰ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἢ μή, πειρᾱ́σομαι μαθεῖν now I have made out what you mean; and I will try to make out whether it is true or not 339 a.

f. A shift from μή to οὐ in sequent alternative indirect questions appears to be due to the desire to attain variety. Thus, οὐ δεῖ ῡ̔μᾶς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ κατηγόρου λόγων τοὺς νόμους καταμανθάνειν, εἰ καλῶς ῡ̔μῖν κεῖνται ἢ μή, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῶν νόμων τοὺς τοῦ κατηγόρου λόγους, εἰ ὀρθῶς καὶ νομίμως ῡ̔μᾶς διδάσκουσι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ οὔ you must not start from the pleas of the accuser to learn whether your laws have been established well or not, but you must start from the laws to learn whether his pleas set forth the case fairly and legally or not Ant. 5.14. Cp. Ant. 6.2, Is. 8.9, D. 20.83. Some scholars hold that οὐ here lays stress on a negative fact or on something conceived as a negative fact, and that μή puts the question abstractly as a mere conception.