1. of persons, gentle, kind, “πατὴρ ὣς ἤπιος αἰεί” Il.24.770, cf. Od.2.47,234; of a monarch, ἀγανὸς καὶ ἤ. ib.230, 5.8. cf. 14.139; “ἡνίοχος” Il.23.281: c. dat. pers., “ἐθέλω δέ τοι ἤπιος εἶναι” 8.40, cf. Od.10.337, etc.; “ἤ. ἀνθρώποισι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι” Hes.Th.407; “ἠπιώτερος τοῦ πατρός” Hdt. 5.92.ζ́; of the gods, “σωτῆρας . . ἠπίους θ᾽ ἡμῖν μολεῖν” S.Ph.738; “θεὸς ἀνθρώποισιν -ώτατος” E.Ba.861; cf. Ar.V.879 (lyr.); “ἐχίδνης οὐδὲν -ωτέρα” E.Alc.310; οὐδέ πω ἤπιος appeased, Id.Med.133: later in Prose, 1 Ep.Thess.2.7, 2 Ep.Ti.2.24.
2. of feelings, words, etc., εἴ μοι κρείων Ἀγαμέμνων ἤπια εἰδείη had kindly feeling towards me, Il.16.73; “ὁμῶς δέ τοι ἤπια οἶδε” Od.13.405, cf. 15.557; “ἤ. δήνεα οἶδε” Il.4.361; μῦθος ἤ. Od.20.327; ὀργαί, φρένες, E.Tr.53, Fr.362.6; “πρὸς τὸ -ώτερον καταστῆσαί τινα” Th.2.59.
3. of heat and cold, mild, less intense, “τὸ πνῖγος -ώτερον γέγονεν” Pl.Phdr.279b, cf. Ti.85a (Comp.); ἠπιώτεραι αἱ θέρμαι, of a fever, Hp.Epid.7.1; τὰ τοῦ πυρετοῦ ἤπια ib.5.73; “αἰθέριον πῦρ ἤ. ὄν” Parm.8.57; of river-currents, “-ώτερα ῥεύματα” Meno Iatr.16.26.
II. Act., soothing, assuaging, “φάρμακα” Il.4.218, 11.515; opp. ἰσχυρά, Hdt.3.130, cf.7.142 (Comp.); “ἀκέσματα” A.Pr.482; “φύλλα” S.Ph.698 (lyr.); ποτήματα soft drinks, opp. φαρμακώδη καὶ δριμέα, Sor.2.44: Sup., Phld.Ir.p.44 W.
2. ἤπιον ἦμαρ c. inf., a day favourable for beginning a thing, Hes.Op.787.
