ἐπισεύω

A. put in motion against, set on, μὴ . . μοι κῆτος ἐπισσεύῃ μέγα δαίμων Od. 5.421; δμῶας ἐπισσεύας 14.399: metaph., τόσα γάρ μοι ἐπέσσευεν κακὰ δαίμων 18.256; ὀνείρατ’ ἐπέσσευεν κακὰ δαίμων 20.87; κῆρας AP 7.439 (Theodorid.).

II. . mostly Pass., hurry or hasten to or towards, ἐπεσσεύοντο δὲ λαοί Il. 2.86; ἔς τινα 13.757; ἐπεσσεύοντο νομόνδε to pasture, 18.575; νῆάδ’ (so Aristarch.) ἐπεσσεύοντο Od. 13.19; in hostile sense, rush upon or at, c. dat., νηυσὶν ἐπισσεύεσθαι Il. 15 347.

2. . freq. in pf. part. Pass. ἐπεσσύμενος, with 3 sg. plpf. ἐπέσσυτο (used as an aor.): 3 pl. aor. 1 ἐπέσσυθεν Opp. C. 4.136:—mostly in hostile sense, charge, ἐπέσσυτο δαίμονι ἶσος Il. 5.438, al.; ἰῷ ἐπεσσύμενον βάλε τείχεος ὑψηλοῖο struck him with an arrow from the wall as he rushed on, 12.388: c. dat., αὐτῷ μοι ἐπέσσυτο 5.459, cf. 21.227: c. acc., τεῖχος ἐπεσσύμενοι 12.143: c. gen., ἐπεσσύμενος πεδίοιο rushing, hurrying over the plain, 14.147, 22.26 (cf. διαπράσσω); also of fire, etc., ἠΰτε πῦρ, τό τ’ ἐπεσσύμενον πόλιν ἀνδρῶν . . φλεγέθει 17.737; κῦμα δεινὸν ἐπεσσύμενον Od. 5.314, cf. 431: also, without any hostile sense, to express rapid motion, c. dat., ὥς οἱ . . ὄνειρον ἐπέσσυτο 4.841: c. acc., ὡς πνοιὴ ἐπέσσυτο δέμνια swept over them, 6.20: c. inf., ἐπέσσυτο διώκειν he hasted on to follow, Il. 21.601, cf. A.R. 1.758: abs., χερσὶν ἐπεσσύμενος λάβε πέτρης Od. 5.428; ἐπεσσύμενος λάβε γούνων 22.310.

3. . metaph., to be in excitement or agitation, εἴ τοι θυμὸς ἐπέσσυται Il. 1.173; θυμὸς ἐ. ὄφρ’ ἐπαμύνω 6.361: c. inf., μοι ἐπέσσυτο θυμὸς . . τέρπεσθαι 9.398.—Ep. word, used occasionally by Trag., only in lyr. (exc. S. Ichn. 21,43), πέδον ἐπισύμενος A. Eu. 786; ἐπέσυτο τάνδε γᾶν . . ἄτα E. Ph. 1065; τείχεα . . ἐπέσυτο φλόξ Id. Hel. 1162; so τίς ὄρεα . . τάδ’ ἐπέσυτο; Ar. Fr. 698 (parody of dithyramb).