πέπων

A. cooked by the sun, ripe, B. Fr. 34, Hdt. 4.23, S. Fr. 181 ; ἄπιος Alex. 33.5 (Sup.); opp. ὠμός, Ar. Eq. 260, X. Oec. 19.19 ; of wine, mellow, Ar. Fr. 579, etc.; πέπονα ποιεῖν τινα, by beating him, Com.Adesp. 125.

b. of abscesses, ripe, ready to suppurate, Hermipp. 30.

2. σίκυος π. a kind of gourd or melon, not eaten till quite ripe (whereas the σίκυος was eaten unripe), Hp. Morb. 3.17, Vict. 2.55, Pl. Com.64.4, Anaxil. 36, Arist. Pr. 926b4, Diocl.Fr. 120; πέπων alone distd. from σίκυος, τοὺς σικύους καὶ τοὺς πέπονας LXX Nu. 11.5, cf. Speus. ap. Ath. 2.68e, Phan.Hist. 34, Dsc. 2.135, etc.: prov., μαλθακώτερος πέπονος σικύου Theopomp.Com. 72 ; ἀνὴρ ἐκεῖνος ἦν πεπαίτερος μόρων A. Fr. 264 ; π. ἀπίοιο Theoc. 7.120.

II. metaph., as always in Hom. (more freq. in Il. than in Od.), and in Hes., in addressing a person, mostly as a term of endearment or familiarity, kind, gentle, πέπον Καπανηϊάδη Il. 5.109 ; Κύκνε πέπον Hes. Sc. 350 ; ὦ πέπον good brother!, gentle sir!, Il. 6.55, 9.252, Hes. Th. 544, 560, etc.; κριὲ πέπον my pet ram (says Polyphemus), Od. 9.447 : Comp., of a ἑταίρα, Xenarch. 4.9 : in bad sense, ὦ πέπονες ye weaklings! Il. 2.235.

2. mild, less acrid, ῥεύματα Hp. VM 19(Comp.) : hence metaph., mild, gentle, πεπαιτέρα γὰρ μοῖρα τῆς τυραννίδος A. Ag. 1365 ; μόχθος πέπων softened pain, S. OC 437, etc.: c. dat., ἐχθροῖσι π. gentle to thy foes, A. Eu. 66. (Cf. πέπειρος, πέσσω.)