Apodosis

A condition is a supposition on which a statement is based. A conditional sentence commonly consists of two clauses:

The protasis: the conditional, or subordinate, clause, expressing a supposed or assumed case (if).

The apodosis: the conclusion, or principal clause, expressing what follows if the condition is realized. The truth or fulfilment of the conclusion depends on the truth or fulfilment of the conditional clause.

a. The protasis has its name from πρότασις, lit. stretching forward, that which is put forward (in logic, a premiss); the apodosis, from ἀπόδοσις, lit. giving back, return; i.e. the resuming or answering clause.

ἀλλά in Apodosis.—After a concession or a condition expressed or implied, the apodosis may be emphatically introduced by ἀλλά, ἀλλὰ . . . γε, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν γε still, yet, at least. Thus, εἰ σῶμα δοῦλον, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ νοῦς ἐλεύθερος if the body is enslaved, the mind at least is free A. fr. 854, εἰ δ᾽ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἡττῴμεθα, ἀλλὰ τό γέ τοι πῦρ κρεῖττον καρποῦ ἐστιν but if we should be baffled in all these points, still, as they say, fire is stronger than the fruit of the field X. A. 2.5.19. So also in clauses other than conditional; as ἀλλ᾽ ἐπεὶ . . . πατέρα τόνδ᾽ ἐμὸν οὐκ ἀνέτλᾱτ᾽, . . . ἀλλ᾽ ἐμὲ . . . οἰκτῑ́ρατε but since ye did not bear with my father, pity me at least S. O. C. 241.

ἀτάρ (prepositive; Hom. also αὐτάρ from αὖτε + ἄρ) usually poetical, but found in Xenophon and Plato, is an adversative conjunction commonly used to introduce a strong or surprising contrast (but, but yet, however); sometimes to introduce a slight contrast (and, and then), but one stronger than that marked by δέ. ἀτάρ is common as a correlative to μέν. It is often found in lively questions to introduce an objection; in rapid transitions; and sometimes it serves to introduce the apodosis of a conditional sentence. ἀτάρ was largely displaced by the stronger ἀλλά.

αὖ (postpositive), an adversative particle meaning on the other hand, on the contrary (properly again). In Hom. it serves as a correlative to μέν or ἦ τοι, and to introduce the apodosis of conditional or relative clauses.

αὖ is often used with personal pronouns, as ἀλλὰ σὺ αὖ . . . λέγε but do you in turn tell us X. S. 3. 5; and is often added to δέ, as οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐπῇσαν . . . οἱ δ᾽ αὖ βάρβαροι οὐκ ἐδέχοντο the Greeks came on, but the barbarians on their part did not wait to receive them X. A. 1.10.11. Connected in meaning are the derivatives αὖτε (poetic) and αὖθις.

Apodotic δέ.—The beginning of the principal clause (apodosis) of conditional and concessive sentences is often marked by δέ. Apodotic δέ is found also in the principal clause of causal, temporal, comparative, and relative sentences; and regularly gives greater emphasis to the main clause, which is thus distinctly set off against the subordinate clause. Apodotic δέ is very common in Homer and Herodotus, not rare in Attic poetry, but infrequent in Attic prose, where it is used especially after an emphatic personal or demonstrative pronoun or when a participle represents the antecedent clause. Thus, εἷος ὁ ταῦθ᾽ ὥρμαινε . . ., ἦλθε δ᾽ Ἀθήνη while he was revolving these things, then came Athene A 193, εἰ οὖν ἐγὼ μὴ γιγνώσκω μήτε τὰ ὅσια μήτε τὰ δίκαια, ῡ̔μεῖς δὲ διδάξετέ με accordingly if I have no knowledge either of what is holy or what is just, do you then instruct me X. H. 4.1.33, ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὐ δύναμαί σε πείθειν μὴ ἐκθεῖναι, σὺ δὲ ὧδε ποίησον since therefore I am not able to persuade you not to expose it, do you then do as follows Hdt. 1.112, ἐκάθευδον . . . ὥσπερ οἱ ὁπλῖται οὕτω δὲ καὶ οἱ πελτασταί as the hoplites so also the peltasts sleep X. C. 8.5.12, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφικόμενοι μάχῃ ἐκράτησαν . . ., φαίνονται δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐνταῦθα πᾱ́σῃ τῇ δυνάμει χρησάμενοι but when on their arrival they had conquered in battle, not even then did they appear to have made use of their entire force T. 1.11, καί ποτε ὄντος πάγου . . . οὗτος δ᾽ ἐν τούτοις ἐξῄει and once when there was a frost he went out in the midst of this P. S. 220b.

a. Apodotic δέ often resumes a δέ in the subordinate clause and carries on the opposition expressed by that clause; as εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε . . . ἐκλεξάμενοι ὅποι ἂν βούλησθε κατασχεῖν . . ., πλοῖα δ᾽ ῡ̔μῖν πάρεστιν but if you wish to select some place wherever you please and take possession of it, you have ships at command X. A. 5.6.20, ἃ δ᾽ αἰσχῡ́νην ἡμῖν φέρει . . ., ταῦτα δὲ κατὰ χώρᾱν μένει but the terms which cause us shame, these remain in force I. 4.176.

b. The use of apodotic δέ should not be regarded as a survival of original coördination.

οὐδέ may stand in an apodosis corresponding to apodotic δέ (2837). Cp. S. O. C. 590.