Indirect Discourse

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?)