ἔποσ (root fεπ., cf. vox), pl. ἔπεα: word, words, rather with reference to the feeling and ethical intent of the speaker than to form or subject-matter (ῥῆμα, μῦθοσ); κακόν, ἐσθλόν, μείλιχον, ἅλιον, ὑπερφίαλον ἔπος, Il. 24.767, Il. 1.108, Od. 15.374, Σ 324, Od. 4.503; pl., ἔπεσιν καὶ χερσὶν ἀρήξειν, Il. 1.77; δώροισίν τ' ἀγανοῖσιν ἔπεσσί τε μειλιχίοισιν, Il. 9.113; so of the bard, ἔπἐ ῖ̔μερόεντα, ρ 519, Od. 8.91; phrases, ποῖόν σε fέπος φύγεν ἕρκος ὀδόντων, ἔπος τ' ἔφατ̓ ἔκ τ̓ ὀνόμαζεν, εὐχόμενος ἔπος ηὔδᾶ, ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδᾶ. ἔπος, ἔπεα are best literally translated; if paraphrased, command, threat, are admissible, not tale, message, or the like.
11.652, 17.701, S.OT 1144, etc. II. later usages, 1. joined with ἔργον or πρᾶγμαHeraclit.1, A.Pers.174 (troch.), Ar.Eq.39, etc.; ἔργῳ τε καὶ ἔπειPl.Lg.879c; ἅμα ἔπος τε καὶ ἔργον ἐποίεεHdt.3.134; χρηστὰ ἔργα καὶ ἔπεα ποιέεινId.1.90. 2.κατ' ἔποσ
word by word,
κατ' ἔ. βασανιεῖν φησι τὰς τραγῳδίασAr.Ra.802. 3.πρὸς ἔποσ at
the first word,
Luc.Ep.Sat.37. b.
word
in exchange for
word,
ἀμείβεσθαι, ἀποκρίνεσθαι, of an oracle, Id.Alex.19, Philops.38; also ἔ. δ' ἀμείβου πρὸς ἔ.A.Eu. 586, cf. Ar.Nu.1375, Pl.Sph.217d. c.οὐδὲν πρὸς ἔ. to no
qualifying a too absolute expression, esp. with πᾶσ and οὐδείσ (not with metaphors), Pl.Ap.17a, Phd. 78e, Grg.456a, al., Arist.Metaph.1009b16, Pol.1252b29, D.9.47, etc.; opp. ὄντωσ or ἀκριβεῖ λόγῳ,Pl.Lg.656e, R.341b; later ὡς ἔ. ἐστὶν εἰπεῖνPOxy.67.14(iv A.D.); in Trag., ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔ.A.Pers.714(troch.), E.Heracl.167,Hipp.1162, once in Pl.,Lg.967b(s.v.l.). 5.ἑνὶ ἔπει in one
word, briefly,
ἑνὶ ἔπεϊ πάντα συλλαβόντα λέγεινHdt.3.82. III. of single
words,
esp. with ref. to etymology or usage, Id.2.30, Ar.Nu.638, Pl.Prt.339a, etc.; ὀρθότης ἐπῶν,=ὀρθοέπεια (q.v.), Ar.Ra. 1181; ἄριστ' ἐπῶν ἔχον ib.1161. IV. in pl.,