The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

ἐπιπλέω

epipleo

sail upon

Appears 7 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

ἐπιπλέω, Ion. ἐπιπλώω (both in Hom.), fut. -πλεύσομαι Th. 3.16: aor. 1 -έπλευσα ib.80, Ion. -έπλωσα Hdt. 1.70: Ep. 2sg. aor. 2 ἐπέπλως, part. ἐπιπλώς, but (Il. 3.47) ἐπιπλώσας:—Α. sail upon or over, ἐπέπλεον ὑγρὰ κέλευθα Il. 1.312, Od. 4.842; πόντον ἐπιπλώων 5.284; πόντον ἐπέπλως 3.15; ἐπιπλὼς εὐρέα πόντον Il. 6.291; ἐπιπλεῖν ἁλμυρὸν ὕδωρ Od. 9.227, etc. II. sail against, attack by sea, νηυσὶ ἐ. τινί Hdt. 5.86; τῇ Κερκύρᾳ Th. 3.76; ἐπὶ τὰς Μινδάρου ναῦς X. HG 1.5.11, etc.; ἐπὶ τὴν Σαλαμῖνα D.S. 20.50: abs., Hdt. 1.70, 6.33; also of the ships, Th. 3.80: generally, sail on, Plb. 1.25.4, etc. III. sail on board a ship, Hdt. 7.98, 8.67, Th. 2.66; of commanders, τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν νεῶν ἐ. στρατηγούς Hdt. 5.36; [ναύαρχος] Th. 3.16; ξύμβουλος ib.76; ταμίας D. 49.14; also ἐ. ταῖς ἐμπορίαις sail in charge of, Id. 56.8; and ὁ ἐπιπλέων the supercargo, Id. 32.12; οἱ ἐπιπλεύσαντες ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου PCair.Zen. 77.2 (iii B.C.). IV. of a naval commander, sail past (in order to address, cf. ἐπιπάρειμι(B) 4), τοὺς κυβερνήτας καὶ τριηράρχους Plu. Lys. 11. V. sail after, ἐπὶ παντὶ τῷ στόλῳ Plb. 1.50.5; sail up afterwards, ib.25.4. VI. float upon, ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ (sc. τοῦ ὕδατος) Hdt. 3.23; ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης Arist. HA 622b6; ἐπὶ τῷ ὕδατι Id. Mete. 384b17; slip, slide upon ice, Plb. 3.55.2,4. VII. overflow (of a river), gloss on ἄρδειν, interpol. in App. BC 2.153; μέχρι ἐπιπλεύσῃ until (the water) covers the substance, PHolm. 21.29.
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