A.help, aid, succour, esp. in war, “ἔπεμπον ἐς τὴν Ἐπίδαμνον . . τὴν ὠ.” Th. 1.26, cf. 39; “τὴν ὠ. παρέχειν τινί” Id.3.13, cf. And.3.31; “ὠ. ἀνδρὶ φέρειν” E.Fr.78 (lyr.); “ὠ. προσλήψεσθαι” Th.2.7; “ἀπό τινων εὑρίσκεσθαι” Id.1.31; “τῆς ὠ. μεταλαμβάνειν” Id.1.39; “τυγχάνειν” Id.6.17; ἐπάγεσθαί τινας ἐπ᾽ ὠφελίᾳ for aid, Id.1.3, cf. 5.38; ἀποχρήσασθαι τῇ ἑκατέρου ἡμῶν ὠ. to make full use of the assistance or services we both can give, Id.6.17; “μετὰ τῶν κειμένων νόμων ὠφελίας” Id.3.82, cf. D.H. Th.31; οὐδὲν ἰατρικῆς δεῖται οὐδ᾽ ὠφελίας or any other aid, Pl.Ly. 217a, cf. R.559b; καὶ τοῖσιν ἑλκωθεῖσιν ὠφελίαν (ὠφέλειαν codd., unmetrically) “ἔχει” Com.Adesp.106.8.
II. profit, advantage, “βούλευμα ἀπ᾽ οὗ . . οὐδεμία ἔμελλε ὠφελίη ἔσεσθαι” Hdt. l. c.; “εἴ τις ὠφέλειά γε” S.El.944; τὴν κοινὴν ὠ. φυλάξαι the common interest of all, Th. 6.80; “τίς ἂν εἴη ἡμῖν ὠ. εἰδόσιν αὐτό;” Pl.Chrm.167b; opp. βλάβη, X.Cyr.6.2.13, Pl. (v. infr.2), etc.; opp. ζημία, X.Mem.2.3.6; ἐπ᾽ ὠφελείᾳ ἐστί τι ib.1.4.4: c. gen. subjecti, τὴν ὠ. τὴν τῶν τειχέων their utility, Hdt.7.139: c. gen. objecti, ἐπ᾽ ὠφελίᾳ τῶν φίλων for their benefit, Pl.R.334b; ὠφελίας ἕνεκα ib.398b; “ἐναντία τῇ ἑαυτῶν ὠ.” And.2.2; ἐν ὠ. ἐστί 'tis of use, X.Vect.4.35; after ὠφελεῖν, cf. “ὠφελέω” 1.5.
2. source of gain or profit, service, freq. in pl., “τὰς ὠ. τὰς ἐκ τῆς στρατείας . . ἐσομένας” Isoc.4.15; “αἱ κοιναὶ ὠ.” Lys. 19.62; “αἱ ἀπὸ τινος γιγνόμεναι ὠ.” Isoc.4.29; “ὠφελίας τε καὶ βλάβας ἀποδιδοῦσα” Id.R.332d; “αἱ παρὰ τῶν μισθοδοτούντων αὐτοὺς ὠ.” D.15.32.
3. esp. gain made in war, spoil, booty, Plb.2.3.8, 3.82.8, Rev.Arch.6(1935).31 (pl., Amphipolis), LXX 2 Ma.8.20; ὠ. μεγάλαι καὶ “λάφυρα” Plu.2.255b; “ὠφελείας ἀθροῖσαι” Id.Cleom.12; “πολλῆς ὠ. κυριεῦσαι” D.S.15.36; “τὴν χώραν γέμειν ὠφελείας” Plb.3.80.3; τίθεσθαι τὰ χρήματα δι᾽ ὠφελείας to regard as booty, D.H.7.37; so in the chase, game, X.Cyn.6.4; so of a thief, “ὠ. ἑτοίμην καὶ κατειργασμένην ἀφῆκεν” Antipho 2.1.4. (Prob. abstracted fr. οἰκ-ωφελία, which comes fr. οἶκον ὀφέλλειν 'to increase the οἶκος'; cf. ὄφελος.)