Prohibitive subjunctive

Prohibitive Subjunctive.—The subjunctive (in the second and third persons of the aorist) is often used to express prohibitions (negative μή).

a. Usually in the second person: μηδὲν ἀθῡμήσητε do not lose heart X. A. 5.4.19. For the aorist subjunctive the present imperative may be employed (1840): μὴ ποιήσῃς (or μὴ ποίει) ταῦτα do not do this (not μὴ ποιῇς).

b. Less commonly in the third person, which usually represents the second: ὑπολάβῃ δὲ μηδείς and let no one suppose T. 6.84 ( = μὴ ὑπολάβητε do not suppose).

c. The third person of the present subjunctive is rare: μὴ τοίνυν τις οἴηται ( = μὴ οἰώμεθα) let not any one think P. L. 861 E.

N.—οὐ μή with the subjunctive of the second person in the dramatic poets occasionally expresses a strong prohibition: οὐ μὴ ληρήσῃς don't talk nonsense Ar. Nub. 367.

Independent clauses take μή: the hortatory subjunctive (1797), the prohibitive subjunctive (1800), the deliberative subjunctive (1805), the subjunctive of doubtful assertion (1801).

a. The anticipatory subjunctive in Homer takes οὐ (1810, cp. 1813).

(II) In strong prohibitions (cp. 1919).

a. With the future indicative (second person singular). Thus, οὐ μὴ καταβήσει don't come down Ar. Vesp. 397.

b. With the aorist subjunctive rarely (1800 N.). Thus οὐ μὴ ληρήσῃς don't talk twaddle Ar. Nub. 367. Many editors change the aorist subjunctive to the future indicative.