Conative

Conative Present.—The present may express an action begun, attempted, or intended.

τὴν δόξαν ταύτην πείθουσιν ῡ̔μᾶς ἀποβαλεῖν they are trying to persuade you to throw away this renown I. 6.12, δίδωμί σοι αὐτὴν ταύτην γυναῖκα I offer you this woman herself as a wife X. C. 8.5.19, προδίδοτον τὴν Ἑλλάδα they are trying to betray Greece Ar. P. 408.

a. This use is found also in the infinitive and participle: Φιλίππου ἐπὶ Βυζάντιον παριόντος when Philip is preparing to advance against Byzantium D. 8.66.

b. The idea of attempt or intention is an inference from the context and lies in the present only so far as the present does not denote completion.

Conative Imperfect.—The imperfect may express an action attempted, intended, or expected, in the past.

ἔπειθον αὐτούς, καὶ οὓς ἔπεισα, τούτους ἔχων ἐπορευόμην I tried to persuade them, and I marched away with those whom I succeeded in persuading X. C. 5.5.22, Ἁλόννησον ἐδίδου· ὁ δ᾽ ἀπηγόρευε μὴ λαμβάνειν Philip offered (proposed to give) Halonnesus, but he (Demosthenes) dissuaded them from accepting it Aes. 3.83, Θηβαῖοι κατεδουλοῦντ᾽ αὐτούς the Thebans tried to enslave them D. 8.74, ἠπείγοντο ἐς τὴν Κέρκῡραν they were for pushing on to Corcyra T. 4.3.

a. Here may be placed the imperfect equivalent in sense to ἔμελλον with the infinitive. Thus, φονεὺς οὖν αὐτῶν ἐγιγνόμην ἐγὼ μὴ εἰπὼν ῡ̔υῖν ἃ ἤκουσα. ἔτι δὲ τριᾱκοσίους Ἀθηναίων ἀπώλλυον I was on the point of becoming their murderer (interfecturus eram) had I not told you what I heard. And besides I threatened three hundred Athenians with death And. 1.58. So ἀπωλλύμην I was threatened with death.