Optative Mood

The optative mood expresses wishes, possibilities more remote than the subjunctive, and polite or softened statements.

Common uses: • Wishes: εἴθε/εἰ γάρ + optative ("would that...", "if only...") • Potential: ἄν + optative ("could", "might", "would") • Future less vivid conditions: εἰ + optative... ἄν + optative • Indirect statement after secondary tenses (optional) • Polite statements or questions

Formation: mood sign -ι- or -ιη-/-οι- • Present: λύοιμι, λύοις, λύοι... • Aorist: λύσαιμι, λύσειας, λύσειε(ν) (first aorist; λύσαις, λύσαι also occur)

The optative became less common in later Greek (Koine) but is frequent in Classical texts.