48.2 A PURPOSE CLAUSE indicates the purpose for which the action of the verb in the main clause was done (S 2193-2206). For example:
- He sent ships in order to trade with the Athenians.
A purpose clause in Greek is introduced by the following conjunctions:
- ἵνα, ὡς, ὅπως
- so that, in order that
- ἵνα μή, ὡς μή, ὅπως μή, or μή (alone)
- so that…not, in order that…not, lest
48.3 The mood of the verb in the purpose clause is SUBJUNCTIVE or OPTATIVE, as determined by the SEQUENCE OF MOODS. As always, the tenses of SUBJUNCTIVE and OPTATIVE denote ASPECT, not time.
- ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν ἵνα ἡ πόλις ἐλευθέρα ᾖ.
- They are doing these things so that the city may be free.
- ταῦτα ποιήσουσιν ἵνα ἡ πόλις ἐλευθέρα ᾖ.
- They will do these things so that the city may be free.
- ταῦτα ἐποιήσαμεν μὴ τοὺς ἵππους λύσαι.
- We did these things so that he not free the horses.
- ταῦτα ἐπεποιήκεσαν ὅπως μὴ τοὺς ἵππους λύσαι.
- The had done these things so that he not free the horses.
- Ἑλληνικὴν μάθωμεν ὅπως τὴν Ἰλιάδα τοῦ Ὁμήρου ἀναγιγνώσκωμεν.
- Let’s learn Greek in order to read Homer’s Iliad.
- Ἑλληνικὴν ἐμανθάνομεν ὡς τὴν Ἰλιάδα τοῦ Ὁμήρου ἀναγιγνώσκοιμεν.
- We were learning Greek so that we may read Homer’s Iliad.