πέτομαι

A. πέτεαι Anacr. 9: impf. ἐπετόμην, Ep. πετ- Il. 5.366, etc. : fut. πετήσομαι Ar. Pax 77, cf. 1126 (ἀπο-); shortd. πτήσομαι(ἐκ-) Id. V. 208, and always in early Prose, (ἀνα-) Pl. Lg. 905a, al., Aeschin. 3.209, (ἐπι-) Hdt. 7.15 (mostly in compds., but πτήσεσθαι in later Prose, Lib. Or. 2.27): aor. ἐπτόμην, inf. πτέσθαι S. OT 17; elsewh. in compds., (ἐπι-) Il. 4.126, (ἀν-) Antipho Fr. 58, etc.; freq. also ἐπτάμην, Il. 13.592, E. Hel. 18, (παρ-) Semon. 13, (ἐς-) Hdt. 9.100; Ep. 3 sg. πτάτο Il. 23.880, inf. πτάσθαι(δια-) E. Med. 1, part. πτάμενος Il. 5.282, 22.362, etc. (in codd. of Pl. forms of ἐπτόμην in compds. predominate over those from ἐπτάμην; δι‐έπτατο is found in codd. of Ar. V. 1086, ἐκ‐πτόμενος folld. by κατ‐έπτατο Id. Av. 788 sq.; ἀν‐επτάμαν is prob. in S. Aj. 693 (lyr.), προς‐έπτατο ib.382); subj. πτῆται for πτᾶται, Il. 15.170: also aor. of act. form ἔπτην, ἔπτης, IG 14.2550, Luc. Trag. 218, ἔπτη Batr. 208, Nonn. D. 2.223, al., Anacreont. 22.3 ; opt. πταίης AP 5.151 (Mel.); part. πτᾶσα h.Cer. 398, Hdn.Gr.1.532; elsewh. only in compds., (δι-) IG 3.1386, (ἐξ-) Hes. Op. 98, (ἀν-) S. Ant. 1307, E. Med. 440, (προς-) A. Pr. 115, (ὑπερ-) S. Ant. 113 (Trag. only in lyr.): pf. πέπτηκα only as a coinage in Choerob. in Theod. 2.79, elsewh. πεπότημαι (v. ποτάομαι): aor. Pass. ἐπετάσθην Arist. HA 624b6(εἰς-), LXX Ps. 17(18).10, Ho. 9.11 (ἐξ-), Sotion p.186 W., D.S. 4.77 (ἐξ-): fut. Pass. πετασθήσομαι LXX Hb. 1.8.—The only pres. in Hom. and Att. Prose is πέτομαι; πέταμαι is used by Sapph. Supp. 10.8, Simon. 30, Pi. P. 8.90, N. 6.48, E. Ion 90 (anap.), AP 11.208 (Lucill.), and in later Prose, as Arist. IA 709b10, HA 609a14 (περι-), cf. Moer.p.311 P.; noted as archaic by Luc. Pseudol. 29: aor. imper. πέτασσαι Anacreont. 14.2; ἵπταμαι (q. v.) is first found in late writers, Mosch. 3.43, Babr. 65.4, etc. (mostly in compds., cf. ἐξίπταμαι; ἀφίπτατο in E. IA 1608 is spurious), and is censured by Luc. Lex. 25, Sol. 7 :—fly, of birds, Il. 12.207, 13.62, Od. 2.147, etc.; of bees, gnats, etc., Il. 2.89, Hdt. 2.95; of a departing spirit, ψυχὴ ἐκ ῥεθέων πταμένη Ἄϊδόσδε βεβήκει Il. 22.362; ἐκ μελέων θυμὸς πτάτο 23.880: metaph., of young children, οὐδέπω μακρὰν πτέσθαι σθενοντες S. OT 17; also of arrows, javelins, etc., Il. 20.99, etc.; ὀλοοίτροχος . . ἀναθρῴσκων π. 13.140 (but ἐκ χειρῶν ἔπτατ’ ἐρετμά, τεύχεα fell suddenly . . , Od. 12.203, 24.534); of any quick motion, dart, rush, of men, Il. 13.755, 22.143, etc.; of horses, μάστιξεν δ’ ἐλάαν, τὼ δ’ οὐκ ἀέκοντε πετέσθην 5.366, cf. 768, etc.; of chariots, Hes. Sc. 308; of dancers, E. Cyc. 71 (lyr.); πέτον fly! i.e. make haste! Ar. Lys. 321; ἔχρην πετομένας ἥκειν πάλαι ib.55 ; πολλοὶ ἥξουσι πετόμενοι Pl. R. 567d, cf. 467d; πέτονται . . ἐπὶ ταῦτ’ ἄκλητοι, of parasites, Antiph. 229.

II. metaph. and proverbial usages:—to be on the wing, flutter, of uncertain hopes, ἐξ ἐλπίδος π. Pi. P. 8.90; π. ἐλπίσιν S. OT 487 (lyr.); of fickle natures, πέτει τε καὶ φρονῶν οὐδὲν φρονεῖς E. Ba. 332 ; ἐφ’ ἕτερον π. Ar. Ec. 899; ὄρνις πετόμενος a bird ever on the wing, Id. Av. 169; πετόμενόν τινα διώκεις 'you are chasing a butterfly', Pl. Euthphr. 4a, cf. Arist. Metaph. 1009b38; of fame, fly abroad, πέταται τηλόθεν ὄνυμ’ αὐτῶν Pi. N. 6.48.

2. c. dat., πτάμενος νοήματι flying in mind, Id. Fr. 122.4. (Cf. πίπτω, Skt.pátati 'fly', 'fall', Lat. prae-pes, etc.)