This book explores the use of the optative mood in oblique speech in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. The optative mood is a verbal form that expresses possibility, desire, or permission. In oblique speech, the optative mood is used to report the speech of another person. The author examines the various ways in which the optative mood is used in oblique speech in Homer's epics, and discusses the significance of these uses for our understanding of Homeric Greek. The book also provides a valuable resource for students and scholars of Homeric Greek, as it offers a comprehensive overview of the use of the optative mood in oblique speech in these important works of ancient Greek literature.