ὅταν

ὅταν, for ὅτ' ἄν ([etym.] ὅτε ἄν) as sts. in codd.: Adv. of Time,

A whenever, with a conditional force, so as nearly to = ἐάν (v.

εἰ B.

II), referring to an indef. future (cf.

ὅτε A.

I. IC), Il.1.519, etc.; also of events like ly to recur, 2.397, IG12.97.9, etc.: also in [dialect] Ep.

ὅτε κεν Il.1.567

, 6.225: strengthd.,

ὅ. περ S.OC301

, Pl.R.565a, 565d: repeated for rhet. effect,

ὅ. ὡς ὑβρίζων, ὅ. ὡς ἐχθρὸς ὑπάρχων, ὅ. κονδύλοις, ὅ. ἐπὶ κόρρης D.21.72

.

b later causal, since, ὅταν . . ᾖ since it is, Arist.Mu.395a19, cf. D.Chr.7.105, Porph.Gaur.11.2; in earlier examples the application to the particular case is less directly expressed, καὶ τοῦτο τυφλὸν ὅταν ἐγὼ βλέπω βραχύ this too (viz. my staff) is blind when I am (= when its owner is) short-sighted, E.Ion 744, cf. S.Aj.137 (anap.), Pl.Sph.241a, Din.3.9.

2 never with ind. in early authors, exc. in Od.10.410, ὡς δ' ὅταν . . σκαίρουσι (s. v. l.); in 24.88, ὅτε κεν . . ζώννυνταί τε νέοι καὶ ἐπεντύνονται ἄεθλα; and in Il.12.41, ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἂν ἔν τε κύνεσσι καὶ ἀνδράσι . . στοέφεται (ἔναντα κύνεσσι cj. Monro): but freq. in LXX with [tense] impf. ind., as

ὅταν εἰσήρχετο Ge.38.9

, cf. Plb.4.32.5, Ev.Marc.3.11: also with [tense] aor. ind., LXX Ex.16.3, Apoc.8.1: with [tense] fut. ind.,

ὅταν ἕξουσι Apollod.Poliorc.187.12

; ὅταν ὄψεσθε (v.l. ὄψησθε) Ev.Luc. 13.28: with [tense] pres. ind.,

ὅταν δείκνυται Str.12.3.27

(s. v.l.): generally, ὅταν supersedes ὅτε in Hellenistic Greek.

3 never with opt. in early authors, exc. in orat. obliq., where in orat. recta the subj. with ὅταν would have stood, as perh. A.Pers.450 may be expld. (ὅτ' ἐκνεῶν Elmsl.); ὅτε κεν folld. by ἵκοι, Il.9.525.

II Special usages:

1 to introduce a simile, 10.5, Od.5.394.

2 πρίν γ' ὅ., = πρίν γε ἢ ὅ. (v.

ὅτε A. 11.2

), 2.374.

3 εἰς ὅτε κεν until such time as . . , ib.99, 19.144.

4 ὅ. τάχιστα, Lat. cum primum, Ar.Th.1205, X.Cyr.4.5.33;

ὅ. πρῶτον Pl.Ly.211b

. [ὅτᾱν only in later Poetry, Lyr.Alex. Adesp.37.17.]