(4) To express a wish (from which use the name optative came), as μὴ γένοιτο, may it not happen—God forbid!
ὁ φίλος μου συνεβούλευσέ μοι πηδᾷν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅπως κυνὸς δίκην μάθοιμι τὸ
νήχεσθαι· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἐς τοσοῦτο ἥκω μωρίας,
my friend advised me to leap into the water that I might
learn to swim like a dog; but I am not such a fool.
εὖ λέγεις· ὁμολογῶ σοι τερπνότερον μὲν εἶναι τὸ ὀρχεῖσθαι, χρησιμώτερον δέ ποτε
τὸ νήχεσθαι ἔν γε τῇ ναυαγίᾳ,
you say well; I must confess dancing is more agreeable, but swimming
is sometimes more useful, especially in a shipwreck.
τῶν γνωρίμων τῶν ἐμῶν τις εἶπε ὅτι ἀσκοῖ τὸ νήχεσθαι, ἵνα
διαφεύγοι τοὺς κινδ́ῡνους τῆς θαλάσσης,
an acquaintance of mine told me that he is practising
swimming to escape the dangers of the sea.
σοφὸς ἐκεῖνος, a wise man he.
ἀσπὶς τῶν σοφῶν ἡ πρόνοια,
forethought is the shield of the wise.
ἀκούσας ᾄδοντος τοῦ ἀλεκτρυόνος εὐθὺς ἀπέσεισα τὸν ὕπνον καὶ
ἀπέδραμον ὡς τάχιστα ἵνα μὴ ὑστεροῖμι τῶν ἀγώνων,
hearing the cock crow I forthwith shook off sleep, and ran at
full speed that I might not be too late for the games.
ἐγὼ δὲ ἄνευ τῆς χλαίνης ἀπέδραμον ἵνα μὴ τοῦ λαμπροῦ θεάματος ἀστοχοῖμι,
and I ran off without my plaid, that I might not miss so splendid a spectacle.
ἐκεῖ δὲ τί εἶδες;
what did you see there?
θύλακον μέγαν εἶδον ὑδρογόνῳ οἰδοῦντα ἀέρι,
I saw a huge bag full of hydrogen gas.