Repeated action

Present of Customary Action.—The present is used to express a customary or repeated action: οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ὕδωρ, ἐγὼ δ᾽ οἶνον πῑ́νω for this man drinks water, whereas I drink wine D. 19.46.

Iterative Indicative (repeated action).—The imperfect and aorist with ἄν are used to express repeated or customary past action (post-Homeric): διηρώτων ἄν I used to ask P. A. 22b, ἂν ἔλεξεν he was wont to say X. C. 7.1.10.

This construction is connected with the past potential and denoted originally what could or would take place under certain past circumstances. Thus, ἀναλαμβάνων οὖν αὐτῶν τὰ ποιήματα . . . διηρώτων ἂν αὐτοὺς τί λέγοιεν accordingly, taking up their poems, I used to (would) ask them (as an opportunity presented itself) what they meant P. A. 22b. In actual use, since the action of the verb did take place, this construction has become a statement of fact.

In Herodotus this construction is used with the iterative forms: κλαίεσκε ἄν she kept weeping 3. 119, οἱ δὲ ἂν Πέρσα<*> λάβεσκον τὰ πρόβατα the Persians were wont to seize the cattle 4. 130.