William Watson Goodwin, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb

1. The present indicative of a leading verb. E.g.

• “Περικλῆς προηγόρευε, ὅτι Ἀρχίδαμός οἱ ξένος εἴη” “Pericles announced that Archidamus was his friend (i.e. he said ξένος μοί ἐστιν).” THUC. ii. 13.
• “Ἔγνωσαν ὅτι κενὸς ὁ φόβος εἴη” “they learned that their fear was groundless (i.e. they learned κενός ἐστιν ὁ φόβος）” XEN. An. ii. 2, 21.
• “Ἐπυνθάνετο εἰ οἰκοῖτο ἡ χώρα” “he asked whether the country was inhabited (i.e. he asked the question οἰκεῖται ἡ χώρα;）” XEN. Cyr. iv. 4, 4.

2. The present indicative or subjunctive of a dependent verb. E.g.

• “Εἶπεν ὅτι ἄνδρα ἄγοι ὃν εἷρξαι δέοι” “he said that he was bringing a man whom it was necessary to confine (he said ἄνδρα ἄγω ὃν εἷρξαι δεῖ).” XEN. Hell. v. 4, 8.
• “Ἡγεῖτο ἅπαν ποιήσειν αὐτὸν εἴ τις ἀργύριον διδοίη” “he believed that the man would do anything if one were to give him money (he believed ἅπαν ποιήσει ἐάν τις ἀργύριον διδῷ).” LYS. xii. 14.

3. The present subjunctive in a question of appeal (287). E.g.

• “Κλέαρχος ἐβουλεύετο, εἰ πέμποιέν τινας ἢ πάντες ἴοιεν,” “Clearchus was deliberating whether they should send a few or should all go.” XEN. An. i. 10, 5. (The question was, πέμπωμέν τινας ἢ πάντες ἴωμεν; shall we send a few, or shall we all go? See 677.) The context will always make it clear whether the optative represents a subjunctive (as here) or an indicative (1).

4. The imperfect indicative of a leading verb. E.g.

• “Ἀπεκρίναντο ὅτι οὐδεὶς μάρτυς παρείη” “they replied that no witness had been present (when a certain payment was made).” DEM. xxx. 20. (They said οὐδεὶς παρῆν.)

This is the rare imperfect optative (673). The imperfect indicative is regularly retained in such cases, and is always retained in a dependent clause of a quotation (689, 2).