μήν
men
month
Appears 24 times across Homer's epics.
Frequency by work
Click a work to list every occurrence by book & line — each links into the reader.
Dictionary (LSJ)
μήν, Dor. ( 78, etc.), Aeol. ( Supp. 23.5, etc.), and old Ep. μάν (in Hom.always folld. by a vowel exc. Il. 5.895,765, whereas μήν is folld. by a consonant exc. in Il. 19.45; original μάν has prob. been changed to μέν exc. when the metre prevented), a Particle used to strengthen asseverations, A. verily, truly; a synonym of μέν but stronger, and like it always following the word which begins the clause, ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, καὶ μ. τετελεσμένον ἔσται and so verily . . , Il. 23.410; ἴστε μὰν . . ye know doubtless, I. 4(3).35: freq. with imper., ἄγε μ. on then, Il. 1.302; ἄγρει μάν 5.765; ἄναγε μάν Ch. 963 (lyr.); ἕπεο μάν OC 182 (lyr.). II. after other Particles, 1. ἦ μήν, now verily, full surely, ἦ μὴν καὶ πόνος ἐστίν Il. 2.291, cf. h.Ap. 87, Sc. 101; ἦ μάν Il. 2.370, 13.354, Sapph.l.c., P. 4.40, al. (εἶ μάν IG 5 (1).1390.27 (Andania, i B.C.)): strengthd., ἦ δὴ μάν Il. 17.538: freq. later in strong protestations or oaths, c. inf., ὄμνυσι δʼ ἦ μὴν λαπάξειν Th. 531, cf. Tr. 1186, An. 2.3.26: in negation, ἦ μ. μή . . 8.81, etc. (but also ὀμνύω μὴ μὰν φρονησεῖν SIG 527.36 (Crete, iii B.C.)): in Prose also to begin an independent clause, ὀμνύω . . , ἦ μ. ἐγὼ ἐθυόμην An. 6.1.31; καὶ νὴ τὸν κύνα, . . ἦ μ. ἐγὼ ἔπαθόν τι τοιοῦτον Ap. 22a. 2. καὶ μήν, sts. simply to add an asseveration, v. sub init., cf. N. 2.13, etc.; καὶ δὴ μάν 7.120: freq. to introduce something new or deserving special attention, καὶ μὴν Τάνταλον εἰσεῖδον Od. 11.582, cf. 593, Pr. 459, Pers. 406, etc.; esp. in dramatic Poets to mark the entrance of a person on the stage, here comes . . , Th. 372, El. 339; also ὅδε μ. Αἵμων Ant. 626 (anap.), etc.; of new facts, and besides, nay more, καὶ μήν . . γε Pr. 982, cf. Pax 369, Smp. 4.15, etc.; in Orators to introduce new arguments, καὶ μήν . . γε Tht. 153b, 21.56; to introduce a counter-argument, Nu. 1185, Grg. 452c; καὶ μὴν καί 27.30, etc.: also in answers, to denote approbation or assent, ἀλλʼ ἢν ἐφῇς μοι . . λέξαιμʼ ἂν ὀρθῶς. Answ. καὶ μ. ἐφίημι well, I allow it, El. 556; μὴ νῦν διάτριβʼ, ἀλλʼ ἄνυε πράττων . . Answ. καὶ μ. βαδίζω Pl. 413 (v.l.), cf. Ra. 895, Hec. 317; so καὶ μ. . . γε R. 426e, etc. 3. ἀλλὰ μήν, yet truly, Pers. 233, etc.; ἀλλὰ μάν Ach. 765; ἀλλὰ μήν . . γε Ra. 258; to allege something not disputed, Tht. 187a: rarely separated, ἀλλʼ ἐστὶ μ. οἰκητός OC 28; ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐγὼ μ. . . Hec. 401: more strongly, ὅμως μ. Plt. 297d. 4. ναὶ μήν, above all, 76.2. 5. οὐ μήν, of a truth not, Il. 24.52, Ag. 1068, etc.: elsewh. in οὐ μάν, Il. 12.318, etc.; μὴ μάν (Att. μὴ μήν) oh do not, 8.512, 15.476, etc.; ἀλλʼ οὐ μάν 17.41; ἀλλʼ οὐ μάν . . γε OC 153 (lyr.); οὐδὲ μάν P. 4.87. 6. ὡς μήν, = ἦ μήν, ὀμμνύω Δία . . ὡς μ. κρινεῖν τὰ ἀντιλεγόμενα Delph. 3(1).362 i 40. III. after interrogatives, τί μ.; well, what of it? Eu. 203, Tht. 145e, etc.; τί μ. οὔ well, why not? Rh. 706 (lyr.); τῶς μ.; well, but how . . ? Cyr. 1.6.28; τίνος μ. ἕνεκα; ibid.; ποῦ μ.; to express surprise, Tht. 142a; ἀλλὰ πότε μήν; Smp. 4.23. IV. with adversative force, esp. after a neg., so that it is equivalent to μέντοι, νῦν ἐμὲ μὲν στυγέει . . , ἔσται μὰν ὅτʼ ἄν . . Il. 8.370-373; οὐ μὴν ἄτιμοι . . τεθνήξομεν Ag. 1279; ἀνάγκη μὲν καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐπίστασθαι . . , οὐδὲν μ. κωλύει κτλ. Phdr. 268e, cf. Grg. 493c, R. 529e, etc.; χαλεπῶς ἔχει ὑπὸ τραυμάτων, μᾶλλον μ. αὐτὸν αἱρεῖ τὸ νόσημα Tht. 142b; expressed more strongly by γε μ., P. 7.18, Th. 1067 (anap.), OC 587, Cyr. 6.1.7, etc.; also οὐ μ. . . γε Pr. 270, Th. 538; οὐδὲ μ. ib.809, Ch. 189; οὐ μ. οὐδέ nor yet indeed, 1.3, 82, etc.; οὐ μὰν οὐδέ Il. 4.512; ἀλλʼ οὐ μὰν οὐδέ 23.441:—on οὐ μὴν ἀλλά, v. ἀλλά II.5.
‹ All lexicon entries