ὀφθαλμός

ὀφθαλμός, ὁ, (ὄπωπ-α, ὀφ-θῆναι,

A v. ὄψ B) eye, used by Hom. and Hes. mostly in pl.;

ὀφθαλμοὶ δ' ὡς εἰ κέρα ἕστασαν . . ἀτρέμας ἐν βλεφάροισι Od.19.211

: sg., παίειν τινὰ ἐς τὸν ὀ. Hdt.9.22: the pl. continued most common, but the dual also occurs, as in Ar.Nu.362: pl. is used in many phrases, ἐλθέμεν ἐς ὀφθαλμούς τινος before one's eyes, Il.24.204; οὐδ' Ἀχιλῆος ὀφθαλμοὺς εἴσειμι ib.463; ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν, ὁρᾶσθαι, etc., 10.275, Od.4.47, etc.; but ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρᾶν, νοεῖν, to see before one's eyes, 8.459, Il.24.312; ἔχειν ἐν ὀ. to have before one's eyes, X.An.4.5.29; τὰ ἐν ὀ. what is before one's eyes, Pl.Tht.174c; τὸ ἐν τοῖς ὀ. δὴ γελοῖον what was ridiculous to the eye, Id.R.452d; ἐπίπροσθε τῶν ὀ. Id.Smp.213a;

πρὸ τῶν ὀ. προφαίνεσθαι Aeschin.2.148

;

ἐπ' ὀφθαλμῶν Luc. Tox.20

; γενέσθαι τινὶ ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν to get out of any one's sight, Hdt.5.106;

ἐξ ὀ. ἀποπέμψασθαι Id.1.120

;

ἐξ ὀ. ποιεῖν Alciphr. 3.20

; κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς λέγειν τινί to tell one to one's face, opp. εἰς οὖς, Ar.Ra.626; τυράννου κατ' ὀ. κατηγορεῖν to accuse him to his face, X. Hier.1.14: sg. in the phrase πρὸς ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπιχεῖν, μίσγειν, by eye, PHolm.7.23, PLeid.X.62; eyes were painted on the bows of vessels,

βλοσυροῖς κατὰ πρῷραν ὀφθαλμοῖς οἷον βλέπει Philostr.Im.1.19

, cf. IG22.1607.24, Poll.1.86; whence the joke in Ar.Ach.97.

2 στέρησις ὀφθαλμῶν temporary loss of sight, Gal.17(1).400.

II in sg., the eye of a master or ruler, πάντα ἰδὼν Διὸς ὀ. Hes.Op.267;

Δίκης ὀ. ὃς τὰ πάνθ' ὁρᾷ Men.Mon.179

;

δεσπότου ὀ. X.Oec.12.20

; ἀκοίμητος ὀ., of God, Secund.Sent.3; so a king is called

ὀ. οἴκων A.Ch.934

(so

ὄμμα Pers. 169

); and in Persia ὀφθαλμὸς βασιλέως the king's eye was a confidential officer, through whom he beheld his kingdom and subjects, A.Pers.979(lyr.), Hdt.1.114, Ar.Ach.92, X.Cyr.8.2.10 sq., Arist.Pol. 1287b29, Ph.1.642; cf. οὖς.

III the eye of heaven, ἑσπέρας ὀ., νυκτὸς ὀ., of the moon, Pi.O.3.20, A.Th.390; also οὐράνιος ὀ., of the sun, Secund.Sent.5.

IV the dearest, best, as the eye is the most precious part of the body, hence of men, ὀ. Σικελίας, στρατιᾶς, Pi.O.2.10, 6.16; also, light, cheer, comfort,

μέγας <γ'> ὀ. οἱ πατρὸς τάφοι S.OT 987

, cf. E.Andr.406.

V eye or bud of a plant or tree, Alcm.43, Ion Eleg.1.6, Hp.Nat.Puer.26, X.Oec. 19.10, Thphr.HP1.8.5, etc.

VI a surgical bandage covering one or both eyes, Hp.Off.7, Heliod. ap. Orib. 48.29,30.

VII Archit., in dual, the disks forming the centres of the volutes of an Ionic capital, IG12.374.291.