The temporal adverb ὁπότε (Epic ὁππότε, Ionic ὁκότε) functions much like ὅτε but with less definiteness. With the indicative, it refers to past occasions: 'when she was alive.' With the subjunctive, like ὁπόταν, it indicates indefinite or repeated occasions in present or future time. In similes, it can take the present: 'as when a river rushes down to the plain.' The dialectal variations (ὁππόκα in Doric) show the word's widespread use across Greek literary traditions.