ἐπιλαμβάνω

A. take or get besides, ἐπὶ τοῖς πεντήκοντα ταλάντοις ἑκατόν Arist. Pol. 1259a28: c. gen. partit., ἐ. τοῦ χρόνου take a little more time, M.Ant. 1.17; τῆς ἀρχῆς Paus. 9.14.5.

2. . simply, take, receive, PEleph. 10.1 (iii B.C.), OGI 179.18 (Egypt, i B.C.), etc.

II. . lay hold of, seize, attack, as a disease, Hdt. 8.115, Hp. Aph. 6.51, Th. 2.51; of an enemy, Luc. Nav. 36:—Pass., ἐπείληπται νόσῳ S. Ant. 732; τὴν αἴσθησιν ἐπιληφθείς becoming unconscious, Plu. Flam. 6; ἐπελήφθη had an epileptic fit, Gal. 11.859.

b. . of events, overtake, surprise, μὴ . . χειμὼν τὴν φυλακὴν ἐπιλάβοι Th. 4.27; νυκτὸς ἐπιλαβούσης τὸ ἔργον ib. 96; ταχὺ ἐπιλαβὸν γῆρας Pl. Epin. 974a: impers., ἐπιλαμβάνει, c. acc. et inf., it befalls one that . ., Paus. 6.22.4, 7.21.1.

2. . attain to, come within reach of, reach, X. An. 6.5.6; ἔτη ὀκτὼ ἐ. πολέμου live over eight years, Th. 4.133; ἡμέρας ἑπτακαίδεκα τῆς ἑβδόμης ὑπατείας Plu. Mar. 46: c. gen. partit., ἐ. τετάρτου μηνός arrive at, of the foetus, Arist. HA 583b22 (but ἐ. τοῦ ἑνδεκάτου μηνός, of the mother, ib.584a37); ὥστε καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐ. Thphr. HP 1.9.6.

3. . seize, stop, esp. by pressure, τὴν ῥῖνα Ar. Pl. 703; ἐ. τὸ κλύσμα τῆς ὀπίσω ὁδοῦ Hdt. 2.87; ἐ. τὸ ὕδωρ stop the water-clock in court, Lys. 23.4, Is. 3.76; τὸν αὐλίσκον Arist. Ath. 67.3, cf. Pr. 866b13, Plb. 10.44.12; τὸ στόμα τοῖς ἐπικαλύμμασιν Arist. HA 527b21.

4. . occupy space, μηδὲν τῶν τῆς πόλεως . . οἰκοδομήμασι ἐ. Pl. Lg. 779c (Med.); πλείω τόπον Arist. Cael. 305b19; πλατύτερον τόπον Plu. Cat.Ma. 5: metaph., πολὺν χῶρον ἐ. get over much ground, traverse it rapidly, Theoc. 13.65.

5. . c. gen., undertake, τῆς κινήσεως, τῆς νήξεως, Ael. NA 5.18, 13.19.

6. . c. dat., assist, App. BC 4.96 (nisi leg. συνεπιλ.).

7. . intr., succeed, follow, Arist. Pr. 860a7.

8. . of food or drink, take extra, οἰνάριον Plu. Cat.Ma. 1; take after other food, Dsc. 2.112.

III. . Med. (with pf. ἐπείλημμαι Pl. Cra. 396d, D. 3.27), hold oneself on by, lay hold of, c. gen., τῶν νεῶν Hdt. 6.113, Th. 4.14, etc.; τῶν ἀφλάστων νεός Hdt. 6.114; τῶν ἐπισπαστήρων ib.91; τῆς ἴτυος X. An. 4.7.12; τῶν ἁμαξῶν Plu. Oth. 3; ὅτου ἐπιλάβοιτο τὰ δρέπανα whomsoever the scythes caught, X. Cyr. 7.1.31; ἐπιλαμβάνεταί μου τῆς χειρὸς τῇ δεξιᾷ Pl. Prt. 335c; ἐπιλαβόμενός [τινος] τῇ χειρί D. 21.60; τῶν τριχῶν by the hair, Aeschin. 3.150; μὴ ’πιλαμβάνου hold me not! E. Ph. 896.

2. . attack. τινός X. HG 4.2.22; esp. with words, Pl. Phdr. 236b; of things, τῆς θερμασίας πόρων ‐ομένης Epieur.Ep. 2p.52U.; of diseases, Luc. Nigr. 29.

3. . make a seizure of, arrest, τῶν παίδων D. 33.9; seize goods in default of payment, Id. 21.133.

b. . lay hands on in assertion of a claim, Pl. Lg. 954c, POxy. 1707.15 (iii A.D.), etc.

4. . lay hold of, get, obtain, προστάτεω a chief, Hdt. 1.127; προφάσιος ἔς τινα Id. 3.36, cf. 6.49; δυνάμιος Id. 9.09; καιροῦ Ar. Lys. 596; ἐξουσίας, γαλήνης, Pl. R. 360d, Plt. 273a, cf. PTeb. 48.20 (ii B.C.), etc.; ἐ. λογισμῷ, Lat. ratione assequi, Pl. Phd. 79a.

5. . of Place, reach, δασέος Arist. HA 629b15; τῶν ὀρῶν Plu. Ant. 41: metaph., of a state or condition, ἐρημίας ἐπειλημμένοι having found an empty field, i.e. an absence of all competitors, D. 3.27, cf. Arist. Pol. 1305b16.

6. . attempt, πράξεων μεγάλων Plu. Mar. 7.

b. . c. inf., undertake, γεωργεῖν IG 7.2446 (Thebes).

7. . touch on, τινός Pl. R. 449d.

8. . take up, interrupt in speaking, Id. Grg. 506b, Smp. 214e; object to, τοῦ ψηφίσματος X. HG 2.1.32; ἐ. ὅτι . . object that . . , Pl. R. 490c.

9. . rarely c. acc., seize, τὰς Ἀθήνας (leg. λήψονται) Lycurg. 84.