Monographs

NEGATIVES OF INDIRECT DISCOURSE 2710

The negatives of direct discourse are retained in indirect discourse introduced by ὅτι or ὡς.

ἐνθυ_μηθῆναι χρὴ ὅτι οὐδείς ἐστιν ἀνθρώπων φύσει οὔτε ὀλιγαρχικὸς οὔτε δημοκρατικός it must be borne in mind that no man by nature is disposed either to oligarchy or to democracy L. 25.8.

εἶπε . . . ὅτι οὐ περὶ πολι_τεία_ς ὑ_μῖν ἔσται ἀλλὰ περὶ σωτηρία_ς, εἰ μὴ ποιήσαιθ' ἃ Θηρα_μένης κελεύοι he said that the question would not be about your constitution but about your safety, if you did not accept the propositions of Theramenes L. 12.74.

a. In προεῖπεν ὡς μηδεὶς κι_νήσοιτο ἐκ τῆς τάξεως he gave orders that no one should move from his position X. H. 2.1.22 μηδείς is due to the fact that the main verb denotes a command.

On the negative in indirect discourse with the infinitive see ^cross2722, ^cross2737, 2738; with the participle, 2729, 2737, 2738; and in indirect questions, 2676.