Indirect Discourse with ὅτι or ὡς, Unit 33
Some examples from Lysias, Against Eratosthenes
εἶπον ὅτι τάλαντον ἀργυρίου ἕτοιμος εἴην δοῦναι.
I said that I would give [him] a silver talent at hand.
εἶπον – aorist, secondary tense; verb of saying
εἴην – present optative
ἠπιστάμην μὲν οὖν ὅτι οὔτε θεοὺς οὔτ’ ἀνθρώπους νομίζει
I knew that he respected neither gods nor men.
ἠπιστάμην – imperfect middle indicative, primary tense; verb of knowing
νομίζει – present active indicative
ἔλεγεν ὅτι Ἐρατοσθένης αὐτὸν … εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἀπαγάγοι
He said that Eratosthenes had led him off into prison.
ἔλεγεν – imperfect active indicative, primary tense; verb of saying
ἀπαγάγοι – aorist active optative
(I don’t understand this combination of tenses & moods.)
λέγουσιν ὡς οὐδὲν κακὸν οὐδ’ αἰσχρὸν εἰργασμένοι εἰσίν
They say that [their] actions are neither evil nor disgraceful.
λέγουσιν – pres. act. indic.
εἰσίν – pres. act. indic. (historical present?)