Hoping

The construction of verbs of hoping, etc.—Verbs signifying to hope, expect, promise, threaten, swear, with some others of like meaning, when they refer to a future event, take either the future infinitive (in indirect discourse), or the aorist, less often the present, infinitive (not in indirect discourse). The use of the aorist and present is due to the analogy of verbs of will or desire (1991) which take an object infinitive not in indirect discourse. The same analogy accounts for the use of μή instead of οὐ (2725). The present or aorist infinitive with ἄν, representing the potential optative with ἄν, occurs occasionally.

a. ἐν ἐλπίδι ὢν τὰ τείχη τῶν Ἀθηναίων αἱρήσειν hoping that he would capture the walls of the Athenians T. 7.46, ἐλπὶς . . . ἐκτραφῆναι hope of being brought up L. 19.8, ἐλπίζει δυνατὸς εἶναι ἄρχειν he expects to be able to rule P. R. 573c, ἔχεις τινὰ ἐλπίδα μὴ ἂν . . . τὴν ναῦν ἀπολέσαι; have you any expectation that you would not shipwreck the vessel? X. M. 2.6.38. ἐλπίζω with the present infinitive may mean I feel sure that I am.

b. τάχιστα οὐδένα εἰκὸς σὺν αὐτῷ βουλήσεσθαι εἶναι it is probable that very soon no one will wish to be with him X. C. 5.3.30, ἡμᾶς εἰκὸς ἐπικρατῆσαι it is likely that we shall succeed T. 1.121, οὐκ εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς περιουσίᾱν νεῶν ἔχειν it is not likely that they will continue to have ships to spare 3. 13. With εἰκός the aorist is preferred.

c. ὑπέσχετο ταῦτα ποιήσειν he promised that he would do this L. 12.14, ὑπέσχετο βουλεύσασθαι (most Mss.) he promised to deliberate X. A. 2.3.20. The aorist infinitive is especially common with verbs of promising and must refer to the future. With the present infinitive ὑπισχνοῦμαι means I assure, profess, pledge my word that I am.

d. ἀπείλει ἐκτρῑ́ψειν he threatened that he would destroy them Hdt. 6.37, ἠπείλησαν ἀποκτεῖναι ἅπαντας they threatened to kill everybody X. H. 5.4.7.

e. δικάσειν ὀμωμόκατε you have sworn that you will give judgment D. 39.40, ἀναγκάζει τὸν Κερσοβλέπτην ὀμόσαι . . . εἶναι μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν κοινὴν . . ., πάντας δ᾽ ῡ̔μῖν ἀποδοῦναι τὴν χώρᾱν he compelled Cersobleptes to swear that the kingdom should be in common and that they should all restore to you the territory D. 23.170.

f. With ὄμνῡμι a dependent infinitive may refer to the present, past, or future (e). Thus, ὀμνύντες βλέπειν . . . Ἀχιλλέᾱ πάλιν swearing that they see Achilles again S. Ph. 357, ὀμνύουσι μὴ ᾽κπιεῖν they swear they did not drink Pherecrates 143 (Com. fr. I. 187), ὤμνυε μηδὲν εἰρηκέναι he swore that he had said nothing (direct = οὐδὲν εἴρηκα) D. 21.119.

Verbs signifying to hope, expect, promise, threaten , and swear, when followed by the aorist (less often the present) infinitive (1868), have the construction of verbs of will or desire. When such verbs take the future infinitive they have the construction of indirect discourse.

Verbs signifying to hope, expect, promise, threaten , and swear take the future infinitive in indirect discourse, and the aorist (less often the present) infinitive not in indirect discourse (like verbs of will or desire, 1868, 1999). ἐλπίζω ταῦτα ποιήσειν I hope that I shall do this, ἐλπίζω ταῦτα ποιῆσαι or ποιεῖν I hope to do this.

μή is often used with verbs and other expressions of asseveration and belief, after which we might expect οὐ with the infinitive in indirect discourse. Such verbs are those signifying to hope, expect, promise, put trust in, be persuaded, agree, testify, swear, etc. The use of μή indicates strong assurance, confidence, and resolve; and generally in regard to the future. Cp. 2723.

ἐλπὶς ῡ̔μᾶς μὴ ὀφθῆναι there is hope that you will not be seen X. C. 2.4.23, ὑπῑσχνοῦντο μηδὲν χαλεπὸν αὐτοὺς πείσεσθαι they promised that they should suffer no harm X. H. 4.4.5, πιστεύω . . . μὴ ψεύσειν με ταύτᾱς τᾱ̀ς ἀγαθᾱ̀ς ἐλπίδας I trust that these good hopes will not deceive me X. C. 1.5.13, θαυμάζω ὅπως ἐπείσθησαν Ἀθηναῖοι Σωκράτην περὶ θεοὺς μὴ σωφρονεῖν I wonder how the Athenians were persuaded that Socrates did not hold temperate opinions regarding the gods X. M. 1.1.20, ὁμολογεῖ μὴ μετεῖναί οἱ μακρολογίᾱς he acknowledges that he cannot make a long speech P. Pr. 336b, αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ καταμαρτυρεῖ μὴ ἐξ ἐκείνου γεγενῆσθαι he proves by his own testimony that he is not his son D. 40.47, ὤμοσεν ἦ μὴν μὴ εἶναί οἱ υἱὸν ἄλλον μηδὲ γενέσθαι πώποτε he swore that he had no other son and that none other had ever been born to him And. 1.126, ὤμνυε . . . μηδὲν εἰρηκέναι he swore that he had said nothing D. 21.119, ὀμοῦμαι μήποτ᾽ . . . ἀλεξήσειν κακὸν ἦμαρ I will swear that I will never ward off the evil day Φ 373. Cp. Ar. Vesp. 1047, 1281, And. 1.90, Lyc. 76. With ὄμνῡμι the infinitive may refer to the present, past, or future.

Such verbs are hope ἐλπίζω; expect ἐλπίζω, προσδοκῶ, δοκῶ, οἴομαι, εἰκός ἐστι; promise ὑπισχνοῦμαι, ἐπαγγέλλομαι; swear ὄμνῡμι; agree ὁμολογῶ, συγχωρῶ; pledge ἐγγυῶμαι; put trust in πιστεύω; am persuaded πέπεισμαι; testify μαρτυρῶ; repudiate ἀναίνομαι; threaten ἀπειλῶ, etc.

a. μή is regular after verbs of promising; common after verbs of hoping and swearing. With ὄμνῡμι, πιστεύω, πείθομαι, μαρτυρῶ, etc. there is an idea of deprecation.