ἐπέχω

A. ἐπισχήσω E. Andr. 160, D. 45.88: aor. ἐπέσχον, imper. ἐπίσχες, inf. ἐπισχεῖν; poet. ἐπισχέθοι A. Th. 453 (lyr.), ἐπέσχεθον A.R. 4.1622: pf. ἐπέσχηκα Supp.Epigr. 1.362.12 (Samos, iv B.C.):—have or hold upon, θρῆνυν . ., τῷ κεν ἐπισχοίης (v.l. ἐπίσχοιας)λιπαροὺς πόδας Il. 14.241, cf. Od. 17.410; ποτῷ κρωσσὸν ἐ. hold it to or for . ., Theoc. 13.46; λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες (sc. κόσμῳ) holding it out like a torch, Ep.Phil. 2.16:—Med., hold by, χειρός A.R. 4.751.

II. hold out to, present, offer, οἶνον ἐπισχών Il. 9.489; ἐπέσχε τε οἶνον ἐρυθρόν Od. 16.444; κοτύλην . . ἐπέσχε Il. 22.494; εἴ ποτέ τοι . . μαζὸν ἐπέσχον ib.83, cf. E. Andr. 225; also γάλακτι δ’ οὐκ ἐπέσχον οὐδὲ μαστῷ τροφεῖα ματρός I offered not mother's food with my breast, Id. Ion 1492: c. inf., πιεῖν ἐπέσχον Ar. Nu. 1382: abs., Id. Pax 1167:—Med., ἐπισχόμενος (sc. τὴν κύλικα)ἐξέπιεν having put it to his lips, Pl. Phd. 117c, cf. Stesich. 7, A.R. 1.472, Luc. Tox. 37; ἐπὶ χείλεσι . . μαστὸν ἐπισχομένη Euph. 92; present a sum of money, τῇ πόλει Supp.Epigr.l.c.

2. extend, spread out, τὴν πλεκτάνην Arist. HA 550b6.

3. simply, hold, σκῆπτρα IPE 2.37 (Panticapaeum); of writings, contain, Philostr. VS 2.24.2, cf. 2.9.1.

4. enjoin, impose a task, c. dat. pers., Procop. Arc. 17, Vand. 1.8.

III. hold or direct towards, ἔπεχε τόξον σκοπῷ Pi. O. 2.89; ἄλλῳ ἐπεῖχε τόξα E. HF 984:— Med., abs., ἐπισχόμενος βάλεν ἰῷ having aimed at him he hit him, Od. 22.15.

b. intr., aim at, attack, τί μοι ὧδ’ ἐπέχεις; why thus launch out against me? 19.71; in tmesi, ἐπὶ αὐτῷ πάντες ἔχωμεν 22.75; ἀλλήλοις ἐ. Hes. Th. 711; ἄνδρα ἐπέχοντα τῷ Πύρρῳ Plu. Pyrrh. 16; ἐπέχειν ἐπί τινα Hdt. 9.59; τὰς ἐπὶ σφίσι ναῦς ἐπεχούσας Th. 8.105; πρός τι Plu. Ant. 66: c. dat., ἀκτῇσιν ἐπέσχεθον held straight for the beach, A.R. 4.1766: abs., E. Ba. 1131.

2. ἐπέχειν τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπί τινι direct one's mind to a thing, Pl. Lg. 926b; τῷ πολέμῳ τὴν γνώμην Plu. Aem. 8, etc.; also ἐ. ἑαυτόν τινι attend to him, Pl. R. 399b codd.

b. abs., ἐπέχειν (sc. τὸν νοῦν) intend, purpose, c. inf., ἐπεῖχε ἐλλάμψεσθαι Hdt. 1.80, cf. 153, 6.96: c. dat. rei, to be intent upon, ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, διαβάσει, etc., Ar. Lys. 490, Plb. 3.43.2, etc.

3. stand facing, face in a line of battle, οὗτοι (sc. οἱ Μῆδοι)ἐπέσχον Κορινθίους Hdt. 9.31.

IV. hold back, keep in check, ἐπέσχε δὲ καλὰ ῥέεθρα Il. 21.244; καὶ πῶς ἐπέσχε χεῖρα μαιμῶσαν φόνου; S. Aj. 50; ἐπισχὼν ἡνίαν ib.847; ἐπίσχωμεν τὸ πλεῖν Id. Ph. 881; ὀργάς E. Hel. 1642; οὐκ ἐφέξετε στόμα; Id. Hec. 1283; χρησμοὺς ἐ. withhold them, Id. Ph. 866; ἐπέχειν τινὰ τῷ ξύλῳ keep him down with the stick, Ar. Pax 1121; τὸ εὐθέως ἐπιχειρεῖν Th. 7.33; confine, as the earth a corpse, AP 7.461 (Mel.); ἐ. τῇ χειρὶ τὸ στόμα cover, Plu. Cat.Mi. 28; ἐπέχομεν τὴν ἐκπνοήν Gal. 6.172; τὰς διαχωρήσεις ἐ. Id. Vict.Att. 12:—Med., ἐπισχόμενος τὰ ὦτα Pl. Smp. 216a:—Pass., τοῦ βάθους ἐπεσχημένου J. AJ 5.1.3; to be prevented, hindered, ὑπό τινος PFreib. 11.13 (iv A.D.); of the menses, Gal. 1.184.

b. stay or adjourn proceedings, τὰ πρὸς Ἀργείους Th. 5.46; τὴν ζημίαν καὶ τὴν κατασκαφήν ib.63; τὴν δίαιταν D. 21.84; suspend payments, in Pass., PTeb. 337.4 (ii/iii A.D.), cf. PGiss. 48.11 (iii A.D.).

c. ἐ. τινά τινος stop, hinder from, E. Andr. 160, Ar. Lys. 742, D.S. 13.87: c. inf., σε μήτε νὺξ μήτε ἡμέρα ἐπισχέτω ὥστε ἀνεῖναι . . let them not stop thee so that thou neglect . ., Th. 1.129; ἐ. τινὰ μὴ πράσσειν τι S. El. 517, Ph. 349; κλαυθμυρίζον τὸ βρέφος ἐπισχεῖν μὴ δυνάμεναι Sor. 1.88:—Pass., μηδενὸς ἐπεχομένου no objection being taken, PTeb. 327.37 (ii A.D.).

d. impers., ἐπέχει there is a hindrance, Astramps. Orac. 97.3.

2. abs., stay, pause, Ἀντίνοος δ’ ἔτ’ ἐπεῖχε Od. 21.186; refrain, Hdt. 1.32, 5.51, 7.139; εἰ δ’ ἐφέξετον if you tarry, S. El. 1369, etc.: folld. by a Conj., esp. in imper., ἐπίσχες ἢν . . wait and see whether . ., E. Supp. 397; ἐπίσχες ἔστ’ ἂν . . προσμάθῃς A. Pr. 697; ἐ. ἕως . . D. 4.1; μέχρι τοσούτου ἔως . . Th. 1.90; ἐπίσχες, abs., hold! stop! A. Ch. 896, S. OC 856, etc.; ἐπίσχετε, μηδὲ συρίξητε Timocl. 2.6D.; ἐπίσχετον, μάθωμεν S. Ph. 539, cf. E. Hipp. 567; in part., ἐπισχὼν ὀλίγον χρόνον Hdt. 1.132, al.; τὸ ἐπισχεῖν, opp. τὸ παραχρῆμα, Antipho 5.73; οὐ πολὺν χρόνον ἐπισχὼν ἧκεν came after a short interval, Pl. Phd. 59e; μικρὸν ἐπισχόντα διεφθείροντο they very shortly died, Thphr. HP 4.4.13, cf. Diocl.Fr. 43; in Th. 2.81 οὐκ ἐπέσχον τὸ στρατόπεδον καταλαβεῖν did not halt for the purpose of occupying a camp (unless it, = 'had no intention of occupying').

b. c. gen. rei, stop or cease from, ἐπίσχες τοῦ δρόμου Ar. Av. 1200; τῆς πορείας X. Cyr. 4.2.12; τούτου Th. 8.31; also ἐ. περί τινος Id. 5.32, cf. 8.5: so c. inf., leave off, cease to do, X. Mem. 3.6.10: c. part., cease doing, ἀναλῶν οὐκ ἐφέξεις Ar. Eq. 915 (lyr.), cf. E. Ph. 449.

c. as technical term of the Sceptics, suspend judgement, doubt, Str. 2.1.11, Ph. 1.387, S.E. P. 1.196; ἐ. ἐν τοῖς ἀδήλοις Plu. 2.955c; πρὸς τὰ ἄδηλα Arr. Epict. 1.7.5.

3. Med., maintain reserve, ἐπείχετο [ἡ σύγκλητος] κατὰ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους Plb. 30.19.17 (s. v.l.).

V. reach or extend over a space, ἐπτὰ δ’ ἐπέσχε πέλεθρα Il. 21.407; ὁπόσσον ἐπέσχε πυρὸς μένος so far as the fire reached, 23.238, cf. Hdt. 7.19, Th. 2.77, f.l. in Hp. Aër. 5, etc.: aor. Med., ἐπέσχετο he lay outstretched, Hes. Th. 177; βούβρωστις ἐπέσχετο κόσμον prevailed over . ., Epigr.Gr. 793.5 (Apollonia); ἀφορία ἐ. τὸν βίον Longin. 44.1.

VI. have power over, occupy a country, οἱ Σκύθαι τὴν Ἀσίην πᾶσαν ἐπέσχον Hdt. 1.104, cf. 108, 8.32, Th. 2.101, 7.62, etc.; of things, ἐπ’ ὀκτὼ μῆνας Κυρηναίους ὀπώρη ἐ. occupies or engages them, Hdt. 4.199; τὴν πόλιν ἐπεῖχε κλαυθμός Plu. Oth. 17; ὧν τὰς χρόας τὸ ἡμερινὸν φῶς ἐ. overspreads, Pl. R. 508c: κραυγῆς ἐπεχούσης τὴν ἐκκλησίαν D.S. 13.87; πρὸ τοῦ τὰ σώματα τὰς ὠδῖνας ἐπισχεῖν Sor. 2.53: generally, occupy, τὴν κρατίστην μοῖραν ἐ. hold the foremost place, Longin. 9.1, cf. 44.12; ὕλης ἐ. τάξιν Stoic. 3.27; τὴν γῆν κέντρου λόγον ἐπέχουσαν D.L. 7.155, cf. Placit. 3.Praef.; τὸν τέλειον ἐ. λόγον Gal. 19.160; δίκην ἐπέχειν ἡμᾶς φυτῶν we are like plants, Meno Iatr. 6.18.

2. abs., prevail, predominate, ἢν μὴ λαμπρὸς ἄνεμος ἐπέχῃ Hdt. 2.96; σεισμοὶ ἐπέσχον ἐπὶ πλεῖστον μέρος γῆς Th. 1.23; πάντῃ ἐπεῖχε γαλήνη Timo 63; [τῶν νεῶν] ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπεχουσῶν being spread over . ., Th. 1.50; τὴν [τύχην] . ., ἣ νῦν ἐπέχει D. 18.253; ἐτησίων ἐπεχόντων Plb. 5.5.6.

b. of Time, continue, τὴν θύραν ἐπεῖχε κρούων Ar. Ec. 317; ἐπέχων καὶ οὐκ ἀνιείς continuously, Pl. Tht. 165e; ἐπὶ πλείους ἡμέρας ὁ σεισμὸς ἐπεῖχεν D.C. 68.25; σκότος, νὺξ ἐπέσχε, came on, Plu. Mar. 20, Crass. 30, etc.

VII. Med., fut. ἐπιέξομαι, meet, Orac. in Michel 855.39 (Magn. Mae.).