Indirect speech: introduction

Indirect speech (also called ‘indirect statement’ or ‘indirect discourse’) is a way of representing some kind of mental activity — speaking, asking, thinking, hearing, any representation of words in speech or thought. We began learning the construction of indirect speech in ancient Greek as a subordinate clause introduced by ὅτι or ὡς, which is similar to the English use of a subordinate clause introduced by “that.” In this module we will review that construction and add two other ways ancient Greek can form indirect speech: by using an infinitive or by using a participle. Which construction is used depends on the type of verb introducing the indirect speech and on idiom, which also means that native speakers/writers may change these up. Some verbs may allow two or even all three of these possible constructions, so the rules of which verbs introduce which construction are not hard and fast.

Verbs that introduce indirect speech

Some important verbs introducing indirect speech that you have already encountered

ἀκούω, ἀκούσομαι, ἤκουσα, ἀκήκοα, — , ἠκούσθην hear, listen to
δείκνυμι, δείξω, ἔδειξα, δέδειχα, δέδειγμαι, ἐδείχθην show, demonstrate
ἡγέομαι, ἡγήσομαι, ἡγησάμην, —, ἥγημαι, ἡγήθην think, consider, believe
λέγω, λέξω, ἔλεξα or εἶπον, εἴρηκα, λέλεγμαι, ἐλέχθην say, speak, tell
νομίζω, νομιῶ, ἐνόμισα, νενόμικα, νενόμισμαι, ἐνομίσθην think, believe
ὁράω, ὄψομαι, εἶδον, ἑώρακα or ἑόρακα, ἑώραμαι or ὦμμαι, ὤφθην see, look, understand
φημί, φήσω, ἔφησα, —, —, — say, assert, affirm

φημί, “to say, assert, affirm”

The present indicative of φημί

The verb φημί is used only in the active voice. Its third principal part, ἔφησα, is a regular first aorist, but only active forms are made from it.

φημί can mean “say yes, say so” and its negative οὐ φημί means “say no, deny, refuse” (rather than “not say”).

In the present indicative, its slightly irregular forms are enclitic. For two-syllable forms, we show them with the accent on the ultima, which is how they would appear accented if they ever are accented.

Person	Singular	Plural
first	φημί	φαμέν
second	φῇς	φατέ
third	φησί, φησίν	φασί, φασίν

The present active participle is φάς, φᾶσα, φάν. Distinguish it from the regularly formed aorist active participle φήσας, φήσασα, φῆσαν.

Attic Greek can also substitute a participle borrowed from a related verb: φάσκων, φάσκουσα, φάσκον.

The imperfect indicative of φημί

The imperfect of φημί also has some minor irregularities. The imperfect is more commonly used than the aorist. (We can infer that ancient Greeks rarely stop talking.)

Person	Singular	Plural
first	ἔφην	ἔφαμεν
second	ἔφης, ἔφησθα	ἔφατε
third	ἔφη	ἔφασαν