Home > Grammar notes > Purpose constructions in Lysias 1
The standard way to express purpose is with a purpose conjunction (like ὡς or ἵνα) followed by the subjunctive or optative. For example:
οὔτε χρημάτων ἕνεκα ἔπραξα ταῦτα, ἵνα πλούσιος ἐκ πένητος γένωμαι
Lysias Speeches 1.4
The choice of mood depends on the tense of the verb in the main clause: the so-called 'sequence of tenses'. When the verb in the main clause refers to the present (primary sequence), the verb of the purpose clause will be in the subjunctive. When the verb refers to the past (secondary or historic sequence), the verb in the purpose clause will usually be in the optative, but can be in the subjunctive. According to the grammar books the subjunctive is used in past time when the speaker wishes to be particularly 'vivid'.
In Lysias 1 we only find purpose clauses where the main clause refers to past time. In each example the subjunctive is used rather than the optative. For example:
προϊόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἧκον μὲν ἀπροσδοκήτως ἐξ ἀγροῦ, μετὰ δὲ τὸ δεῖπνον τὸ παιδίον ἐβόα καὶ ἐδυσκόλαινεν ὑπὸ τῆς θεραπαίνης ἐπίτηδες λυπούμενον, ἵνα ταῦτα ποιῇ·
Lysias Speeches 1.11
The negative used in purpose clauses is μή:
ἵνα δὲ μή, ὁπότε λοῦσθαι δέοι, κινδυνεύῃ κατὰ τῆς κλίμακος καταβαίνουσα, ἐγὼ μὲν ἄνω διῃτώμην, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες κάτω.
Lysias Speeches 1.9
Purpose can also be expressed by the future participle. For example:
καὶ οὕτως ἤδη συνειθισμένον ἦν, ὥστε πολλάκις ἡ γυνὴ ἀπῄει κάτω καθευδήσουσα ὡς τὸ παιδίον, ἵνα τὸν τιτθὸν αὐτῷ διδῷ καὶ μὴ βοᾷ.
Lysias Speeches 1.10