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ἤ,
Epic dialect also ἠέ (in signification [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus 11 ἤ (or ἠέ) followed by ἦ (or ἦε), see below)] Refs 4th c.BC+], conjunction with two chief senses, Disj. (or) and comparative (than).
__A DISJUNCTIVE, or, ἐγὼ.. ἢ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.231, compare 397, 800, 4.142, 7.236, +others] Refs 8th c.BC+]; θεόσυτος ἢ βρότειος ἢ κεκραμένη [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 116. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]
__A.2 ἢ.. ἤ either.. or, ἢ νῦν δηθύνοντ᾽ ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.27, compare 151, 5.484 ] Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.; so ἢ.. ἤτοι.. [[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “N.” 6.4, “fragment” 138; ἤτοι.. ἤ.. 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 662, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 1182, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.40, etc. (in Classical Gr. the alternative introduced by ἤτοι] Refs 5th c.BC+] is emphasized, later no distinction is implied, [[ NT.Rom.6.16; ἤτοι.. ἢ.. ἤ.. “PTeb.” 5.59 (2nd c.BC))] NT+2nd c.BC+]; ἤ repeated any number of times, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι ἢ τεὸν ἢ Αἴαντος ἰὼν γέρας ἢ Ὀδυσῆος [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 1.138, compare 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 15.84, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Antigone” 707 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἤ is probably wrongly accented in codices of [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.289, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 3.348, 19.109, see.{ἦ}] Refs 8th c.BC+] adverb [[ 1.3: ἢ πόλις βροτός θ᾽ ὁμοίως 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Eumenides” 524 (Lyric poetry) is exceptional. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]
__A.3 or else, otherwise, εἰδέναι δεῖ περὶ οὗ ἂν ᾖ ἡ βουλή, ἢ παντὸς ἁμαρτάνειν ἀνάγκη [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedrus” 237c; μή με λυπεῖτε, ἢ φεύξομ᾽ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίης 3rd c.BC: Herodas Mimographus 5.74 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; ζῶντα κακῶς λέγειν ἐκώλυσε.., ἢ τρεῖς δραχμὰς ἀποτίνειν ἔταξε Legal [[ 6th c.BC: Solon Lyricus cited in 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus “Solon” 21, compare 24, “IG” 12.94.10, 4th c.AD: Themistius Sophista “Orationes” 21.260a. ] Refs 6th c.BC+]
Close Browse lexicon entries __A.II in Questions or Deliberations in Disj. form(the accentuation is ἢ (ἠέ) followed by ἦ (ἦε), [[ 2nd c.AD: Herodianus Grammaticus Gr. 2.24, +others, 2nd c.AD: Apollonius Dyscolus Grammaticus “de Conjunctionibus;” 224.28): ] Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__A.II.1 Direct questions,
__A.II.1.a introduced by ἢ (ἠέ), ἢ δολιχὴ νοῦσος ἦ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα.. κατέπεφνε; [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 11.172; ἤ τι κατὰ πρῆξιν ἦ μαψιδίως ἀλάλησθε..; 3.72, compare 1.408, 16.462, 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 6.378, 15.735, 16.12, etc. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.II.1.b without an introductory Particle, θεός νύ τις ἦ βροτός ἐσσ; art thou a goddess or a mortal? [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 6.149, compare 1.226, 4.314, 372, 643, 20.130, 21.194, 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 10.63, 425, 534, 15.203: accented ἦ, Hdn.Gr. 2.145, +others, but ἤ] Refs 8th c.BC+] frequently in codices of [[ 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus and always in codices of later writers: ἤκουσας ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας ἢ κωφῇ λέγ; 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Septem contra Thebas” 202 ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄρτι δὲ ἥκεις ἢ πάλα; [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Crito” 43a; κακουργεῖν δεῖ ἢ ο; [prev. work] 49c ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; preceded by πότερον, πότερον δοκεῖ σοι κάκιον εἶναι, τὸ ἀδικεῖν ἢ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθα; [[ [prev. author] “Grg.” 474c, etc. ] Refs]
__A.II.2 Indirect questions, frequently epexegetic of a preceding question and identical in form with direct questions.
__A.II.2.a εἴπ᾽ ἄγε,.. ἤ ῥ᾽ ἐθέλει.., ἦ ἀπέειπε.. [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 9.674; ὄφρα δαῶμεν ἢ ἐτεὸν Κάλχας μαντεύεται ἦε καὶ οὐκί 2.300; διάνδιχα μερμήριξεν ἢ ὅ γε.. ἐναρίζοι ἦε χόλον παύσειεν 1.190; later with εἰ.. ἤ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Choephori” 890, “Ag.” 478, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Coloneus” 80, etc.] Refs 8th c.BC+]; πότερον or πότερα.. ἤ.. [[ [prev. author] “Pers.” 148, 352, “Ag.” 630, etc.; sometimes εἴτε.. ἤ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Electra” 897; ἢ.. εἴτε 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 177. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.II.2.b without introductory Particle, οὐδέ τι οἶδα ζώει ὅ γ᾽ ἦ τέθνηκε [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 11.464, compare 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 10.546, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 24.238. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B COMPARATIVE, than, as, after a comparative, [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 11.162, etc.: after positive _adjectives_ which imply comparison, ἄλλος, ἕτερος ἤ.., 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 595, “Tr.” 835 (Lyric poetry); ἐναντίος ἤ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Gorgias” 481c; ἴδιόν τι πάσχειν πάθος ἢ οἱ ἄλλοι [prev. passage]: after _adverbs_ or adverbial phrases, πλήν, πρίν, πρόσθεν, χωρίς (which see), ἀλλά (see. ἀλλ᾽ ἤ); τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἤ.. [prev. author] “Cri.” 44a (_falsa lectio_ in “Smp.” 173a); ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ καὶ δεκάτῳ ϝέτει ἀπὸ τῶ ποτεχεῖ ϝέτεος ἢ Ἀριστίων ἐφορεύει “Tab.Heracl.” 1.121; παρὰ δόξαν ἢ ὡς αὐτὸς κατεδόκεε 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.79, compare 8.4; διαφερόντως ἤ.. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Phaedo” 85b ] Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐδ᾽ ὅσον ἤ.. not so much as.. , not more than.. , [[ 3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 9.21: after Verbs implying comparison, βούλεσθαι ἤ.. ] Refs 3rd c.BC+] to wish rather than.. , see at {βούλομαι} IV, αἱρέω [[ 5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 11.1b ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; so φθάνειν ἤ.. to come sooner than.. , [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 23.445, 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 11.58; ἐπιθυμεῖν ἤ.. 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.4.3; δέχεσθαι ἤ.. 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 10.21: less frequently after a word not implying comparison, δίκαιον ἡμέας ἔχειν.. (i.e. μᾶλλον) ἤ περ Ἀθηναίους 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 9.26; ἐμοὶ πικρὸς.. ἢ κείνοις γλυκύς 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 966 (assuming variant); δεδικαιωμένος ἢ ἐκεῖνος NT.Luke.18.14. ] NT+8th c.BC+]
__B.2 joining two Comparatives which refer to the same subject, πάντες κ᾽ ἀρησαίατ᾽ ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας εἶναι ἢ ἀφνειότεροι [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.165; ταχύτερα ἢ σοφώτερα 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.65; μανικώτεροι ἢ ἀνδρειότεροι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Theaetetus” 144b, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Acharnenses” 1078. ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.3 rarely after a superlative, πλεῖστα θωμάσια ἔχει Αἴγυπτος ἢ ἄλλη πᾶσα χώρη [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 2.35 (assuming variant); πίθοιτό κεν ὔμμι μάλιστα ἢ ἐμοί 3rd c.BC: Apollonius Rhodius Epicus 3.91. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.4 ἢ οὐ is used when a negative precedes, οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐπ᾽ ἡμέας ἢ οὐ καὶ ἐπ᾽ ὑμέας [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 4.118, compare 5.94, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2.62, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]: after an implied negative, ὠμὸν.. πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἢ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους [[ [prev. author] 3.36. ] Refs]
__B.5 frequently omitted with numerals after πλείων, ἐλάττων, μείων, ἔτη.. πλείω ἑβδομήκοντα variant in [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 17d; οὐ μεῖον πεντακοσίους 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 6.4.24 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]: sometimes with an infinitive or conditional clause, τί γὰρ ἀνδρὶ κακὸν μεῖζον ἁμαρτεῖν [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Alcestis” 879 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τίς εὐπραξία σπανιωτέρα.., εἰ [δύναμις] πάρεστιν (for ἢ δύναμιν παρεῖναι); [[ 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.33. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.6 pleonastic with a genitive, τίς ἂν αἰσχίων εἴη ταύτης δόξα, ἢ δοκεῖν.. [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Crito” 44c, compare 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 10.28. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.7 the Disj. and comparative uses are found together in [[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 15.511 βέλτερον, ἢ ἀπολέσθαι ἕνα χρόνον ἠὲ βιῶναι, ἢ δηθὰ στρεύγεσθαι ἐν αἰνῆ δηϊοτῆτι] Refs 8th c.BC+] better, either to die once for all or win life, than long to toil in battle. [ἢ οὐ, ἢ οὐκ combine by Synizesis into one syllable in Trag. and Comedy texts, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 330, 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 334, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Lysistrata” 128 ] Refs 5th c.BC+]; so usually in Epic dialect, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 1.298, +others; ἢ αὐτός 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Fragmenta” 194; ἢ εἰ 2nd c.AD: Alexander Rhetor 201.] ] Refs 8th c.BC+]
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STEPBible TFLSJ (Translators Formatted full LSJ Bible lexicon), CC BY 4.0, Tyndale House. Greek lexical entries from the full Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, formatted by Tyndale House Cambridge for biblical study.
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