ἦ

ἦ, Adv., never in the form ἦε ([etym.] ἠέ):

I TO CONFIRM an assertion, in truth, of a surety,

ἦ ὀλίγον οἷ παῖδα ἐοικότα γείνατο Τυδεύς Il.5.800

, etc.; ironically, 1.229, al.; with concessive force, it is true that . . : hence, although . . ,

ἦ καὶ γένει ὕστερος ἦεν 3.215

: freq. strengthd. by the addition of one or two other Particles, as

ἦ ἄρα Od.24.193

;

ἦ ἄρα δή Il.13.446

;

ἦ ῥα 4.82

;

ἦ ῥά νυ 6.215

;

ἦ γάρ 1.78

;

ἦ γάρ τοι Od.16.199

;

ἦ δή Il.2.272

;

ἦ δή που 21.583

;

ἦ δῆτα S.OT429

;

ἦ θην Il.20.452

;

ἦ κάρτα S. El.1279

;

ἦ μάλα Il.3.204

;

ἦ μάλα δή 5.422

; ἦ μήν and ἦ μέν (v. infr.);

ἦ νυ Il.22.11

;

ἦ τάχα Od.18.73

;

ἦ τε 13.211

: and to express doubt, ἦ που, v. ἦ που and ποῦ: esp. ἦ μήν used in oaths and asseverations, Il.2.291, 7.393, A.Pr.73, 168, etc.; also

ἦ μάν Il.2.370

, 13.354, Sapph.Supp.23.5;

ἦ μέν Od.10.65

(later εἶ μήν, v. εἷ): c. inf. in orat. obliq., after Verbs of swearing, etc.,

σὺ δὲ σύνθεο, καί μοι ὄμοσσον, ἦ μέν μοι πρόφρων ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν Il.1.77

; ἦ μέν also in [dialect] Ion. historical Prose, Hdt.4.154, 5.93, al.;

ἐγγυᾶσθαι, ἦ μὴν παραμενεῖν Pl. Phd.115d

; ἐγγυητὰς καταστῆσαι ἦ μὴν ἐκτείσειν Lexap.D.24.39: with other Particles,

ἦ μὲν δή Il.2.798

, Od.18.257, al.;

ἦ δὴ μάν Il.17.538

.

2 in the combinations ἐπεὶ ἦ, ὅτι ἢ and τί ἢ; A.D.Conj.255.5, Synt.307.19(cf. Hdn.Gr.1.520), recognizes an 'expletive' ἠ ([etym.] παραπληρωματικὸς σύνδεσμος) perispom. after ἐπεί, barytone after ὅτι or τί. It is prob. the same as the affirmative ἦ (cf. A.D.Conj.l.c.), and occurs in the same combinations,

ἐπεὶ ἦ πολύ . . Il.1.169

, al.; ἐπεὶ ἦ μάλα ib. 156, Od.10.465;

ἐπεὶ ἦ καί . . Il.20.437

, Od.16.442. Trypho took τίη as one word, and this can be supported by

τί ἢ δὲ σύ . . Il.6.55

, but A.D. (Conj.l.c.) infers from the accent of ὅτι ἢ that τί ἢ was two words. The Attic accentuation is said by Eust.45 init., 118.39, 907.14 to be τιή, ὁτιή(qq. v.).

3 this ἦ (or ἢ) is prob. to be recognized in

ὥς τε γὰρ ἦ Il.2.289

,

ὥς τέ τευ ἦ Od.3.348

, 19.109, where codd. have ἢ (in Od.3.348 ἠδέ (cj. Bekker) shd. perh. be read for ἠέ).

II in Questions not involving alternatives:

1 Direct questions,

a epexegetic of a preceding question, suggesting the answer to it, τίπτ' εἰλήλουθας; ἦ ἵνα ὕβριν ἴδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος; why hast thou come? is it that thou mayst see . . ? Il.1.203, cf. 5.466,7.26, Od.4.710,13.418, 17.376, B.17.5; τί δῆτα χρῄζεις; ἦ με γῆς ἔξω βαλεῖν; S.OT622, cf. E.Or.1425 (ἤ codd.); τίς σοι διηγεῖτο; ἦ αὐτὸς Σωκράτης; Pl.Smp.173a (perispom., cod. B): on the accent, Hdn. Gr.2.112.

b not epexegetic of a preceding question, ἦ σύ γ' Ὀδυσσεύς ἐσσι πολύτροπος; art thou the wily Odysseus? Od.10.330, cf. Il.11.666, 15.504; ἦ οὐκ ὀτρύνοντος ἀκούετε . . Ἕκτορος; do you not hear . .? ib.506, cf. Od.16.424; ἦ τὸ πλοῖον ἀφῖκται; Pl.Cri.43c; ἦ οὐ δοκεῖ καὶ σοὶ οὕτω; don't you think so too? Id.Grg.479b (perispom., cod. T); ἦ βούλει συλλογισώμεθα αὐτά; shall we work them (the consequences) out? ib.479c (perispom., cod. T); ἦ τορῶς λέγω; A.Ag.269; ἦ κἀν δόμοισι τυγχάνει τανῦν παρών; S.OT757: freq. with other Particles, ἦ ἄρ . . ; Od.20.166, Il.19.56; mostly ἦ ῥα . . ; 5.421, 762, Od.4.632; also in Trag. (in lyr.), A.Pers.633, S.Aj.172, 955: esp. to mark the first of several questions, Pi.I.7(6).3 sqq.; ἦ ἄρα δή . . ; Il.13.446; ἦ ῥά νυ . . ; 4.93; ἦ νυ . . ; 15.128; ἦ ταῦτα δή . . ; S.Ph.565, El.385; ἦ ταῦτα δῆτα . . ; Id.OT429; ἦ γάρ . . ; A.Pr. 745, 757, S.OT1000: in [dialect] Att. Prose, ἦ γάρ; standing alone, is it not so? Pl.Tht.160e, Grg.449d, 468d; ἦ καί . . ; A.Ag.1207, 1362:—ἦ usu. begins the sentence, except that the vocative may precede, as in Il.5.421, 762, Od.4.632, S.OC863, 1102, or ἀλλά, as in A.Ag.276, Ch.774:—by Crasis ἦ combines with ἄρα in [dialect] Att. and the κοινή to ἆρα (q. v.), in all other dialects (cf. A.D.Conj.223.24) to ἦρα (q. v.), but ἆρα is found in Pi.P.4.78 (ἄρα codd.), al., Archil.86, 89.

2 Indirect questions,

οἴχετο πευσόμενος μετὰ σὸν κλέος ἤ που ἔτ' εἴης Od. 13.415

(v.l. εἰ, which alone has Ms. authority in Il.1.83, Od.19.325);

ὄφρα καὶ Ἕκτωρ εἴσεται ἢ καὶ ἐμὸν δόρυ μαίνεται ἐν παλάμῃσιν Il.8.111

(v.l. εἰ) ; ἀλλ' ἄγε μοι τόδε εἰπὲ . . ἢ καὶ Λαέρτῃ αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἄγγελος ἔλθω; Od.16.138 (v.l. εἰ) ; ἀμφίστασθαι ἦ κα πεφυτεύκωντι πάντα κὰτ τὰν συνθήκαν they shall investigate whether . . Tab.Heracl.1.125;

μαντεύσασθαί οἱ. . ἦ λώϊόν οἵ κα εἴη Isyll.34

;

διαφαφίξασθαι ἦ δοκεῖ αὐτὸν στεφανῶσαι IG12(3).170.12

([place name] Astypalaea): accented ἤ in codd. Hom., but it shd. perh. be perispom.

------------------------------------

ἦ, for ἔφη, [ per.] 3sg. [tense] impf. or [tense] aor. 2 of ἠμί (q. v.). [full] ἦ, for ἦν, [dialect] Att. [var] contr. from lon. ἔα, [tense] impf. of εἰμί (

A sum).