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ὀφθαλμός

ophthalmos

eye

Appears 71 times across Plato's dialogues.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

ὀφθαλμός, ὁ, (ὄπωπ-α, ὀφ-θῆναι, v. ὄψ B) A. eye, used by Hom. and Hes. mostly in pl.; ὀφθαλμοὶ δʼ ὡς εἰ κέρα ἕστασαν . . ἀτρέμας ἐν βλεφάροισι Od. 19.211: sg., παίειν τινὰ ἐς τὸν ὀ. Hdt. 9.22: the pl. continued most common, but the dual also occurs, as in Ar. Nu. 362: pl. is used in many phrases, ἐλθέμεν ἐς ὀφθαλμούς τινος before oneʼs eyes, Il. 24.204; οὐδʼ Ἀχιλῆος ὀφθαλμοὺς εἴσειμι ib.463; ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν, ὁρᾶσθαι, etc., 10.275, Od. 4.47, etc.; but ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρᾶν, νοεῖν, to see before oneʼs eyes, 8.459, Il. 24.312; ἔχειν ἐν ὀ. to have before oneʼs eyes, X. An. 4.5.29; τὰ ἐν ὀ. what is before oneʼs eyes, Pl. Tht. 174c; τὸ ἐν τοῖς ὀ. δὴ γελοῖον what was ridiculous to the eye, Id. R. 452d; ἐπίπροσθε τῶν ὀ. Id. Smp. 213a; πρὸ τῶν ὀ. προφαίνεσθαι Aeschin. 2.148; ἐπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν Luc. Tox. 20; γενέσθαι τινὶ ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν to get out of any oneʼs sight, Hdt. 5.106; ἐξ ὀ. ἀποπέμψασθαι Id. 1.120; ἐξ ὀ. ποιεῖν Alciphr. 3.20; κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς λέγειν τινί to tell one to oneʼs face, opp. εἰς οὖς, Ar. Ra. 626; τυράννου κατʼ ὀ. κατηγορεῖν to accuse him to his face, X. Hier. 1.14: sg. in the phrase πρὸς ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπιχεῖν, μίσγειν, by eye, PHolm. 7.23, PLeid.X. 62; eyes were painted on the bows of vessels, βλοσυροῖς κατὰ πρῷραν ὀφθαλμοῖς οἷον βλέπει Philostr. Im. 1.19, cf. IG 22.1607.24, Poll. 1.86; whence the joke in Ar. Ach. 97. 2. στέρησις ὀφθαλμῶν temporary loss of sight, Gal. 17(1).400. II. in sg., the eye of a master or ruler, πάντα ἰδὼν Διὸς ὀ. Hes. Op. 267; Δίκης ὀ. ὃς τὰ πάνθʼ ὁρᾷ Men. Mon. 179; δεσπότου ὀ. X. Oec. 12.20; ἀκοίμητος ὀ., of God, Secund. Sent. 3; so a king is called ὀ. οἴκων A. Ch. 934 (so ὄμμα Pers. 169); and in Persia ὀφθαλμὸς βασιλέως the kingʼs eye was a confidential officer, through whom he beheld his kingdom and subjects, A. Pers. 979(lyr.), Hdt. 1.114, Ar. Ach. 92, X. Cyr. 8.2.10 sq., Arist. Pol. 1287b29, Ph. 1.642; cf. οὖς. III. the eye of heaven, ἑσπέρας ὀ., νυκτὸς ὀ., of the moon, Pi. O. 3.20, A. Th. 390; also οὐράνιος ὀ., of the sun, Secund. Sent. 5. IV. the dearest, best, as the eye is the most precious part of the body, hence of men, ὀ. Σικελίας, στρατιᾶς, Pi. O. 2.10, 6.16; also, light, cheer, comfort, μέγας <γʼ> ὀ. οἱ πατρὸς τάφοι S. OT 987, cf. E. Andr. 406. V. eye or bud of a plant or tree, Alcm. 43, Ion Eleg.1.6, Hp. Nat.Puer. 26, X. Oec. 19.10, Thphr. HP 1.8.5, etc. VI. a surgical bandage covering one or both eyes, Hp. Off. 7, Heliod. ap. Orib. 48.29,30. VII. Archit., in dual, the disks forming the centres of the volutes of an Ionic capital, IG 12.374.291.
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