ἐφάπτω

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:—Pass., 3 sg. pf. and 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. Med., aor. 1 ἐφηψάμην, 3 sg. 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. VP 3.17; treat, ἰατρῶν δίκην ἐ. Philostr. VA 8.7; 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. OC 859, Pl. Lg. 915c, GDI 1883.17 (Delph.), Milet. 3 No.140.29: c. dat., GDI 1780.8 (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. Pass., to be kindled: hence, blush, Id. 14.23.