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ἀσφαλ-ής , ές, (σφάλλομαι, σφαλῆναι)
A.not liable to fall, immovable, steadfast, in Hom. only once as Adj. (cf. infr. III), “θεῶν ἕδος ἀ. αἰεί” Od.6.42, cf. Hes.Th.128, Pi.N.6.3, Theoc.2.34, etc.; “ἀσφαλῆ θεῶν νόμιμα” S.Ant.454; unshaken, of purpose, “ἀ. ὁ νοῦς” Id.Fr.351.
2. of friends and the like , unfailing, trusty, “οὐ γὰρ οἱ . . εὐρύνωτοι φῶτες ἀσφαλέστατοι” Id.Aj.1251; “ἀ. στρατηλάτης” E.Ph.599, cf. Th.1.69: c. inf., φρονεῖν γὰρ οἱ ταχεῖς οὐκ ἀσφαλεῖς the hasty in counsel are not safe, S.OT617, cf. Pl.Sph.231a; “σῴζειν τὰ κοινὰ πράγματ᾽ ἀσφαλέσταται” E.IT1062; of things, sure, certain, Th.4.108,etc.
3. assured from danger, safe, “ἀ. αἰών” Pi.P.3.86; “ἀσφαλεῖ σὺν ἐξόδῳ” S.OC1288; “ἀ. ὄρος” X.Lac.12.1; “ὁδός -εστέρα” Id.HG5.4.51; ἐν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ in safety, Th.1.137, 8.39, cf. Pl.Lg.892e; “ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τοῦ μὴ παθεῖν” X.Cyr.3.3.31; “τοῦ λαλεῖν” Men.Sam.25; ἐν -εστέρῳ, -εστάτῳ, X.Cyr.7.1.21, An.1.8.22; “ἐν ἀ. βίου” E.Hipp.785; “μένειν ἐν τῷ ἀ.” X. An.4.7.8; ἐξ ἀσφαλοῦς from a place of safety, Id.Eq.Mag.4.16; “τοῦ ἀσφαλέος εἵνεκα” Hdt.1.109; τὸ ἀ., = ἀσφάλεια, Th.6.55, etc.; μετὰ τοῦ αὑτῆς ἀ. with no risk to herself, Plot.4.8.7; ἀσφαλές [ἐστι], c. inf., it is safe to . . , Hdt.3.75, E.Ph.891, Ar.Av.1489: abs., “ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἀσφαλές” Pl.Phlb.61d, etc.; “φεύγειν αὐτοῖς ἀσφαλέστερόν ἐστιν ἢ ἡμῖν” X.An.3.2.19.
4. ἀ. ῥήτωρ a convincing speaker, Id.Mem.4.6.15.
5. in Lit. Crit., sound, not risky, of language or rhythm, Demetr.Eloc.19,41. Adv. -ῶς, ἐρεῖ ib.78.
II. Subst. ἀσφαλές, τό, = ἀσφάλεια 6, BGU984.14 (iv A. D.), etc.
III. Ep. Adv. ἀσφαλέως, ἔχειν, μένειν, to be, remain firm, steady, Il.23.325, Od.17.235: neut. ἀσφαλές as Adv., Il. (v. infr.); “δρακεῖσ᾽ ἀσφαλές” Pi.P.2.20; “ἀ. ἀγορεύει” without faltering, Od.8.171, Hes.Th.86; “ἔμπεδον ἀσφαλέως” Il.13.141, Od.13.86; “ἔμπεδον ἀσφαλὲς αἰεί” Il.15.683. Adv. ἀσφαλῶς （-έως) is used in all senses of the Adj., “-έως βεβηκὼς ποσσί” Archil.58.4; in safety, with certainty, S.OT613; “ἀ. βουλεύειν” And.3.34; “ἀ. ἔχει” Hdt.1.86: c. inf., Lys.27.6; “ἀ. προσθεῖναι” as a precaution, Alex.Aphr. in Mete.14.10: Comp. “-έστερον” Hdt.2.161, Pl.Phd.85d; but “-εστέρως” Hp.Prorrh.2.15, Th.4.71: Sup. “-έστατα” Hp.Prorrh. 2.23, Pl.R.467e.
Henry George Liddell. Robert Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by. Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with the assistance of. Roderick McKenzie. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (46):
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    • Thucydides, Histories, 6.55
    • Thucydides, Histories, 8.39
    • Xenophon, Anabasis, 1.8.22
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    • Homer, Iliad, 13.141
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