πότμος

A. that which befalls one, lot, destiny:

1. in Hom. always of evil destiny, esp. of death; of the killer, πότμον ἐφῆκε, ἐφήσω, Il. 4.396, Od. 19.550; or of the killed, πότμον ἐπισπεῖν Il. 6.412, Od. 2.250, al.; θάνατον καὶ π. ἐπισπεῖν Il. 2.359, 20.337, al.; also θανέειν καὶ πότμον ἐπισπεῖν 7.52, Od. 4.562, al.; ὀλόμην καὶ πότμον ἐπέσπον 11.197; αἴ κε θάνῃς καὶ πότμον ἀναπλήσῃς βιότοιο Il. 4.170, cf. 11.263; also πότμον ἐφάψαι, = π. ἐφεῖναι, Pi. O. 9.60, cf. B. 5.158, etc.; πότμον ἀμπιπλάντες ὁμοῖον, of the Dioscuri who lived on alternate days, Pi. N. 10.57.

2. after Hom. without a sense of evil, π. συγγενής one's natural gifts, ib.5.40; εὐτυχεῖ π. A. Pers. 709; καλλίπαις π. Id. Ag. 762 (lyr.), cf. 1005 (lyr.); π. ξυνήθης πατρός my father's customary fortune, S. Tr. 88; π. ἄποτμος E. Hipp. 1143 (lyr.); τίνα ποτ’ Ἠλέκτρα πότμον εἴληχε βιότου; Id. IT 913; θανεῖν ζηλωτὸς ἐν Ἑλλάδι π. Arist. Fr.Lyr. 6.4.

II. personified, Destiny, ὁ μέγας Π. Pi. P. 3.86. [The first syll. long in Hom., but sts. short in later poets, IG 9(1).871 (Corc., iii B.C.), Orph. A. 1291; commonly short in Trag., but long in S. Tr. 88, Fr. 871.1.]