ἐφάπτω

ἐφάπτ-ω, [dialect] Ion. [full] ἐπάπτω,

A bind on or to, πότμον ἐφάψαις ὀρφανόν having fixed it as his doom, Pi.O.9.60; τί δ' . . ἐγὼ λύουσ' ἂν ἢ 'φάπτουσα προσθείμην πλέον; what should I gain by undoing or by making fast [Creon's command]? v.l. in S.Ant.40; ἔγνω . . τοὔργον κατ' ὀργὴν ὡς ἐφάψειεν τόδε he knew that she had made fast (i.e. perpetrated) the deed, Id.Tr.933:—[voice] Pass., [ per.] 3sg. [tense] pf. and [tense] plpf. ἐφῆπται, -το, is or was hung over one, fixed as one's fate or doom, c. dat. pers.,

Τρώεσσι κήδἐ ἐφῆπται Il.2.15

, cf. 6.241;

Τρώεσσιν ὀλέθρου πείρατ' ἐφῆπται 7.402

, cf. Od.22.41; ἐφῆπτο ib.33;

ἀθανάτοισιν ἔρις καὶ νεῖκος ἐφῆπται Il.21.513

.

II [voice] Med., [tense] aor. 1 ἐφηψάμην, [ per.] 3sg.

ἐφάψατο Pi.P.8.63

; lay hold of, once in Hom.,

ἐπὴν χείρεσσιν ἐφάψεαι ἠπείροιο Od.5.348

, cf. Thgn.6, A.Supp.412, etc.;

ἱκέτης ἔφαψαι πατρός S.Aj.1172

, etc.;

ξίφους E.El.1225

(lyr.); partake of food, Iamb.VP3.17; treat, ἰατρῶν δίκην ἐ. Philostr.VA8.7; ἐπεί γε τοῦδ' ἐφάπτομαι τόπου reach it, E.Hel. 556;

σκοπιᾶς ἐφάψασθαι ποδοῖν Pi.N.9.47

.

b Geom., touch, Euc. 3 Def.3, etc.; in Arist., of a circle, pass through angular points, Mete. 376b9; of a point, lie on a circle as locus, ib.376a6.

c as lawterm, c.gen., claim as one's property, S.OC859, Pl.Lg.915c, GDI1883.17 (Delph.), Milet.3 No.140.29: c. dat., GDI1780.8 (Delph.).

d generally, lay violent hands upon, τοίχου, ἱματίου, Pl.R.574d.

2 lay hold of or reach with the mind, attain to,

τοῦ ἀληθοῦς Id.Smp. 212a

; ἐ. τινὸς μνήμῃ, αἰσθήσει, Id.Phdr.253a, Phd.65d;

ἐ. ἀμφοῖν τῇ ψυχῇ Id.Tht.190c

(c. acc., dub. in Lg.664e); ἐ. λόγων touch upon, meddle with, Pi.O.9.12;

ζητημάτων Pl.Lg.891c

; apply oneself to,

ἐξηγήσεως Gal.16.558

.

3 c. dat. rei, apply oneself to, ἔπεσι, τέχναις, κελεύθοις ζωᾶς, Pi.O.1.86, P.8.63, N.8.36.

4 c. gen. rei, εἴδεος ἐπαμμένος possessing a certain degree of beauty, Hdt.1.199, 8.105; τὰ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἁπάσης ταύτης τῆς ἕξεως ἐφαπτόμενα [σώματα] bodies possessing all these qualities in moderation, Pl.Lg.728e; θηριώδους καὶ ἀλόγου μᾶλλον ἢ λογικῆς ἐφάπτεσθαι δοκεῖ φωνῆς, of the sibilant s, D.H.Comp.14.

5 follow, come next, f.l. for ἐφεψάσθω, Theoc.9.2.

III [voice] Pass., to be kindled: hence, blush, Id.14.23.