INDICATIVE

The user of an indicative form states (for the benefit of the receiver) what is (was/will be) in his/her view a fact, naturally including the extra meanings of dur, aor, fu and perf.

Particularities:

a) dur pr-ind is often used when narrating past facts (praesens historicum): this is a widespread practice in many languages and hardly needs mentioning; the regular form for narrating past facts is aor pa-ind: often both methods are used alternately in the same sequence of events.

b) adding ἂν to a pa-ind the user advises the receiver of an unreal mode (irrealis): Ἄλλως οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγόν σοι τοῦτο Otherwise I would not be telling you this.

     i) ἂν added to a dur pa-ind makes a present irrealis (example     above)

        ii) ἂν added to an aor pa-ind makes a past irrealis: Ἄλλως οὐκ ἂν εἶπόν σοι τοῦτο Otherwise I would not have told you this. Εἰ Ζεὺς ἐγένετο, ηὐχόμην/ ηὐξάμην ἂν αὐτῷ If Zeus (had) existed, I would pray/ would have prayed to him.
In Epic and other dialects one may encounter κέν ( or κά) instead of ἂν.

c) fut ind is sometimes used in cases similar to an imperative: Οὐ μὴ παρήσείς με; Aren’t you going to admit me? ≈ Come on, admit me.

One also comes across fut indicatives in clauses expressing purpose: Ἐπιμελεῖσθε ὅπως μὴ καταλείψετέ με Take care that you don’t leave me behind.

Aorist ind in secondary clauses is best translated with a (plu)perfect tense (those cases in which an imperfect tense is just as good, will easily identify themselves): Διότι οὐκ ἐποίησε τοῦτο, οὐ καταγνωσθήσεται. Because he has not done this, he will not be condemned.