§442. Subjunctive Mood

The Optative Subjunctive is often preceded by the particle utinam; so regularly in the imperfect and pluperfect:—

• falsus utinam vātēs sim (Liv. 21.10.10), I wish I may be a false prophet.
• utinam Clōdius vīveret (Mil. 103), would that Clodius were now alive.
• utinam mē mortuum vīdissēs (Q. Fr. 1.3.1), would you had seen me dead.
• utinam nē vērē scrīberem (Fam. 5.17.3), would that I were not writing the truth.

a. In poetry and old Latin utī or ut often introduces the optative subjunctive; and in poetry sī or ō sī with the subjunctive sometimes expresses a wish:—

• ut pereat positum rōbīgine tēlum (Hor. S. 2.1.43), may the weapon unused perish with rust.
• ō sī angulus ille accēdat (id. 2.6.8), O if that corner might only be added!
• sī nunc sē nōbīs ille aureus rāmus ostendat (Aen. 6.187), if now that golden branch would only show itself to us!

b. Velim and vellem, and their compounds, with a subjunctive or infinitive, are often equivalent to an optative subjunctive:—

• velim tibi persuādeās (Fam. 9.13.2), I should like to have you believe (I should wish that you would persuade yourself).
• dē Menedēmō vellem vērum fuisset, dē rēgīnā velim vērum sit (Att. 15.4.4), about Menedemus I wish it had been true; about the queen I wish it may be.
• nōllem accidisset tempus (Fam. 3.10.2), I wish the time never had come.
• māllem Cerberum metuerēs (Tusc. 1.12), I had rather have had you afraid of Cerberus (I should have preferred that you feared Cerberus).

Deliberative Subjunctive