A.“μέλλον” Il.17.278, Od.1.232, 9.378, B.12.164; Ep., Ion. “μέλλεσκον” Theoc.25.240, Mosch.2.109: fut. “μελλήσω” D.6.15, Ev.Matt.24.6: aor. “ἐμέλλησα” Th.3.55, X.HG5.4.65, etc., and ἠμ- (v. infr.):—Pass. and Med., v. infr. v.—Only pres. and impf. in Hom., Hes., Lyr., and Trag.: aor. only in Prose (exc. Thgn., v. infr.): the impf. ἤμελλον with long augm. is established by the metre in Hes.Th.898, Thgn.906, Ar.Ec. 597, Ra.1038 (both anap.), A.R.1.1309 (cf. Sch. ad loc.), Call.Del. 58: aor. 1 “ἠμέλλησα” Thgn.259; ἤμελλον is not found in earlier Att. Inscrr., but occurs in Pap., as PPetr.2p.146 (iii B. C.), Phld.Rh.1.145 S. (but “ἔμελλον” Hyp.Ath.7, Arist.Ath.25.3).
I. to be destined or likely to, indicating an estimated certainty or strong probability in the present, past, or future (cf. Aristonic. ap. Sch.Il.10.326, 11.817, 16.46,al.): a. c. pres. inf. (or its equivalent), of a probability in the present, ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι βουλὰς βουλεύειν where belike the best are holding counsel, Il.10.326; ᾧ μέλλεις εὔχεσθαι to whom thou doubtless prayest, 11.364; μέλλεις δὲ σὺ ἴδμεναι doubtless thou knowest, Od.4.200; τὰ δὲ μέλλετ᾽ ἀκουέμεν belike you have heard it, Il.14.125, cf. Od.4.94; “οὕτω που Διὶ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι” Il.2.116; ὄλβον δὲ θεοὶ μέλλουσιν ὀπάζειν methinks it is the gods who give wealth, Od.18.19; εἰ δ᾽ οὕτω τοῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναι you may be sure it is my good pleasure, Il.1.564. b. c. aor. inf., of a probability in the past, μέλλω που ἀπεχθέσθαι Διὶ πατρί I must have become hateful to father Zeus, 21.83; κελευσέμεναι δέ σ᾽ ἔμελλε δαίμων a god must surely have bidden thee, Od.4.274; πολλάκι που μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι you must often have prayed, 22.322; μέλλω ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι I must have sinned against the immortals, 4.377; ἄλλοτε δή ποτε μᾶλλον ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο μέλλω at any other time rather than this I may have drawn back . . , Il.13.777; μέλλει μέν πού τις καὶ φίλτερον ἄλλον ὀλέσσαι before now, no doubt, a man has lost . . , 24.46, cf. 18.362; “τοῦ δ᾽ ἤδη μέλλουσι κύνες ταχέες τ᾽ οἰωνοὶ ῥινὸν ἀπ᾽ ὀστεόφιν ἐρύσαι” Od.14.133; of a destiny in the past, ἔμελλεν οἷ αὐτῷ θάνατον . . λιτέσθαι he was fated to have been praying for his own death, Il.16.46; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλον ἑταίρῳ κτεινομένῳ ἐπαμῦναι since I was (i.e. am) not destined to have succoured my comrade when they were slaying him, 18.98: c. pres. inf., οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλες ἀνάλκιδος ἀνδρὸς ἑταίρους ἔδμεναι he was to turn out no helpless man whose comrades you ate, Od.9.475. c. c. fut. inf., of a destin y or probability in the future, ἅ ῤ̔ οὐ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλον which were not to be accomplished, Il.2.36; τάχα δ᾽ ἀνστήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν ib.694; “ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλον ἔγωγε νοστήσας οἶκόνδε . . εὐφρανέειν ἄλοχον” 5.686, cf. 12.113, 22.356, Od.13.293,384; “μέλλον ἔτι ξυνέσεσθαι ὀϊζυῖ πολλῇ” 7.270; περὶ τρίποδος γὰρ ἔμελλον θεύσεσθαι they were to have run . . , Il.11.700, cf. E.HF463; “χρόνῳ ἔμελλέ σ᾽ Ἕκτωρ . . ἀποφθίσειν” S.Aj.1027; “ἔμελλον ἄρα παύσειν ποθ᾽ ὑμᾶς τοῦ κοάξ” Ar.Ra.268; “φεύγεις; ἔμελλόν σ᾽ ἆρα κινήσειν ἐγώ” Id.Nu.1301, cf. V.460, Pl.103, Ach.347: c. pres. inf., καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ ποτ᾽ ἔμελλον ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὄλβιος εἶναι I had a chance of being, might have been . . , Od.18.138; “μέλλεν ποτὲ οἶκος ὅδ᾽ ἀφνειὸς καὶ ἀμύμων ἔμμεναι, ὄφρ᾽ ἔτι κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἐπιδήμιος ἦεν” 1.232: c. aor. inf. (cf. infr. 11), “οὐδεὶς ἂν οὐδὲ μελλήσειε γενέσθαι ἀγαθός” Arist.EN1105b11: with inf. understood, [τὰ μὲν] πάσχουσι, τὰ δὲ μέλλουσι [πάσχειν] A.Pers.814; ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οὑμὸς τοῦτο πέπονθεν βίος οὐ μὰ Δί᾽ οὐδέ γε μέλλει no, not likely! Ar.Pl.551; “οὐδὲν . . οὔτε ἐπάθετε οὔτε ἐμελλήσατε” Th.3.55; “οὔτ᾽ ἐμὲ ἀπέφηνεν ἡ βουλὴ οὔτ᾽ ἐμέλλησεν” Din.1.49.
d. in εἰ clauses, εἰ μέλλει πόλις εἶναι if it is to be a city, Pl.Prt.324e: c. fut. inf., εἰ ἐμέλλομεν . . ἀνοίσειν if we were to refer . . , Id.Phd.75b: c. aor. inf., “εἰ μέλλομεν . . δηλῶσαι” Id.Lg.713a, cf. Smp.184d, Plt. 268d, al.: so in part., “τὴν μέλλουσαν οἰκήσεσθαι πόλιν καλῶς” Arist. Pol.1261a3, etc.
e. in final clauses, ξυνεπιμέλεσθαι ᾗ μέλλει ἄριστα ἕξειν, = ᾗ ἄριστα ἕξει, Th.8.39; “εἴχομεν ἂν . . ἐπιστάτην λαβεῖν . . ὃς ἔμελλεν . . ποιήσειν” Pl.Ap.20b, cf. App.Syr.46, etc.
f. in questions, the inf. being understood, τί οὐ μέλλω （μέλλεις, etc.); why shouldn't I? why is it not likely that I should?, i. e. yes, of course, τὸν υἱὸν ἑόρακας αὐτοῦ; Answ. τί δ᾽ οὐ μέλλω (sc. ἑορακέναι); of course I have, X. HG4.1.6; τί δ᾽ οὐ μέλλει, εἴπερ γε δρᾷ αὐτό; Pl.R.605c; πῶς γὰρ οὐ μέλλει; Id.Phd.78b, etc.; ἀλλὰ τί μέλλει; what (else) would you expect? i. e. yes, of course, Id.R.349d, Hp.Mi.373d.
II. to be about to, in purely temporal sense, c. fut. inf., “Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔτετμεν ἀδελφεόν, εὖτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλε στρέψεσθ᾽ ἐκ χώρης” Il.6.515; ὁ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου . . ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι (perh. pres. inf.), “ὁ δ᾽ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε” 10.454; “ἄλεισον ἀναιρήσεσθαι ἔμελλε” Od.22.9, cf. Il.23.544, 2.39, 6.52,393; δειπνήσειν μέλλομεν, ἢ τί; Ar.Av.464, cf. Eq.931 (lyr.), Th.2.8, etc.: c. pres. inf., τί μέλλεις δρᾶν; Ar.V.1379,Th.215, cf. Ec. 760, Ach.493, Av.498, al.; “μέλλω μαίνεσθαι” Lyr.Alex.Adesp.1.23: more rarely c. aor. inf., “παθεῖν” A.Pr.625; “κτανεῖν” S.OT967 (nisi leg. κτενεῖν）; ἀναλαβεῖν, λιπεῖν, θανεῖν, E.Or.292, Heracl.709, Med.393; ἀπολέσαι, λαβεῖν, Ar.Av.366, Ach.1159 (lyr.); “προσθεῖναι” Th.3.92; “οὐδὲ ἐμέλλησαν οὐδὲ διενοήθησαν ἐνθέσθαι” D.35.19: Phryn.316 wrongly condemns this constr.—The inf. is sts. omitted, τὸ μέλλειν ἀγαθά (sc. πράσσειν or πράξειν) the expectation of good things, E.Or.1182, cf. IA1118.
III. to be always going to do without ever doing: hence, delay, put off, freq. in Trag. (also in Med. μέλλομαι, v. infr. IV fin.): in this signf. usu. folld. by pres. inf., S.OT678 (lyr.), OC1627, etc.; τοὺς ξυμμάχους . . οὐ μελλήσομεν τιμωρεῖν: οἱ δ᾽ οὐκέτι μέλλουσι κακῶς πάσχειν we shall not delay to succour our allies, for their sufferings are not being delayed, Th.1.86: freq. with μὴ οὐ, A.Pr.627, S.Aj.540: with μή, τί μέλλομεν . . μὴ πράσσειν κακά; E.Med.1242: rarely folld. by aor. inf., Id.Ph.299 (lyr.), Rh.673: inf. is freq. omitted, τί μέλλεις; why delayest thou? A.Pr.36, cf. Pers.407, Ag.908, 1353, S.Fr.917, Th.8.78, etc.; “μακρὰ μ.” S.OC219 (lyr.); “Ἄρης στυγεῖ μέλλοντας” E. Heracl.723; “ἴωμεν καὶ μὴ μέλλωμεν ἔτι” Pl.Lg.712b; μέλλον τι . . ἔπος a hesitating word, which one hesitates to speak, E.Ion 1002; μέλλων σφυγμός a hesitating pulse, Gal.8.653.
IV. part. μέλλων is used quasi-adjectivally, ὁ μ. χρόνος the future time, Pi.O.10(11).7, A.Pr. 839, Arist.Top.111b28: Gramm., ὁ μέλλων the future tense, D.T.638.23, A.D.Synt.69.28, etc.; ἡ μ. αὐτοῦ δύναμις his future power, Pl.R. 494c; “μ. φυλάξασθαι χρέος” Pi.O.7.40; τὸν μ. βλαστόν （καρπόν codd.) Thphr.HP4.15.1: esp. in neut., τὸ μέλλον, τὰ μέλλοντα things to come, the future, Pi.O.2.56, A.Pr.102, Th.1.138, 4.71, Pl.Tht.178e, etc.; opp. to what is simply future (τὸ ἐσόμενον), Arist.Div.Somn.463b29, cf. GC337b4; εἰς τὸ μέλλον (sc. ἔτος) Ev.Luc.13.9, cf. PLond.3.1231.4 (ii A. D.), Plu.Caes.14:—also in Med., τὰ ἰσχυρότατα ἐλπιζόμενα μέλλεται your strongest pleas are hopes in futurity, Th.5.111:— but
V. Pass. μέλλομαι, ὡς μὴ μέλλοιτο τὰ δέοντα that the necessary steps might not be delayed, X.An.3.1.47; ἐν ὅσῳ ταῦτα μέλλεται while these delays are going on, D.4.37: fut. μελλήσομαι dub. l. in Procop. Goth.2.30: pf. part. μεμελλημένος, = μέλλων, σφυγμός Gal.9.308.
