656 By omission of the verb some common phrases have arisen:
- a. Εἰ μή except, εἰ μὴ διά except for:
Ἀπολέσαι παρεσκευάζοντο τὴν πόλιν, εἰ μὴ διʼ ἄνδρας ἀγαθούς
they were preparing to destroy the state, except for (had it not
been for) some good men. L. 12, 60.
- b. Ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ as, like; the ἄν suggests a hypothetical indicative or optative as a conclusion to an εἰ clause:
Εὐθὺς ἠσπάζετο αὐτὸν ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ πάλαι φιλῶν ἀσπάζοιτο he
greeted him at once, just as if one should greet an old friend.
C. I. 3, 2. (ἀσπάζοιτο might have been omitted.)
- c. Εἰ δὲ μή otherwise also introduces a supposition contrary to something that precedes-often where μή seems unnecessary, sometimes where we should expect ἐν instead of εἰ:
Ἀπῄτει τὰ χρήματα· εἰ δὲ μή, πολεμήσειν ἔφη αὐτοῖς he demanded the return of the property; otherwise he said he would
make war on them. H. I. 3, 3. μὴ ποιήσῃς ταῦτα, εἰ δὲ μή,
αἰτίᾱν ἕξεις do not do this, else you will be blamed. AN. VII. 1, 8.