Subjunctive: Epistemic
According to the irrealis continuum, the subjunctive is more irrealis than the indicative. But it is hard to distinguish from the future indicative, both formally and functionally. A difference in irrealis level woud correspond to the distinction between the speaker's projected and potential reality. The data shows that the future indicative and subjunctive in Homeric Greek do not correspond to this distinction. Instead they overlap in meaning in main, conditional and other subordinate clauses.
   
The important difference is one of distribution: the subjunctive is preferred in certain types of subordinate clauses. However, this does not necessarily equate to a greater level of irrealis - it could just be a more mature marker of futurity.
   
Realis
    
-->
    
Irrealis
             
                   
             
Indicative
    
Subjunctive
    
Optative
O 16.437 οὐκ ἔσθ' οὗτος ἀνὴρ οὐδ' ἔσσεται οὐδὲ γένηται, There is no man alive, nor will there be, nor will such a man be born,
I 6.459 καί ποτέ τις εἴπῃσιν ἰδὼν κατὰ δάκρυ χέουσαν· And then someone will say as he sees you weeping:
I 6.462 ὥς ποτέ τις ἐρέει· So he will say.

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