Perseus.on, upon with gen., dat., and acc.
prep. with gen., dat., and acc.: Radic. signf. upon.
A.WITH GEN.:
I.of Place,
1.with Verbs of Rest, upon or on, κεῖσθαι ἐπὶ χθονός Il.; ἐφ᾽ ἵππου on horse-back, etc.; ἐπὶ γῆς upon earth, Soph.; ἐπ᾽ ἀγροῦ in the country, Od.; also at or near, ἐπὶ Λήμνου off Lemnos, Hdt., etc.:—with Verbs of motion, the sense is pregnant, ἐπ᾽ ἠπείροιο ἔρυσσαν drew the ship upon the land and left it there, Il., etc.; ἀναβῆναι ἐπὶ τῶν πύργων Xen.
2.not strictly of Place, μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς to remain in the command, id=Xen.; ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων engaged in business, Dem.: —of ships, ὁρμεῖν ἐπ᾽ ἀγκύρας to ride at (i. e. in dependence on an) anchor, Hdt.
3.with the person. and reflex. Pron., ἐφ᾽ ὑμείων by yourselves, Il.; ἐφ᾽ αὑτοῦ by himself, Thuc.; αὐτὸς ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ Xen.
4.with numerals, to denote the depth of a body of soldiers, ἐπὶ τεττάρων four deep, id=Xen.; ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγων i. e. in a long thin file, id=Xen.; ἐφ᾽ ἑνός in single file, id=Xen.
7.of motion towards, προτρέποντο ἐπὶ νηῶν Il.; πλεῖν ἐπὶ Χίου to sail for Chios, Hdt.; ἡ ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνος ὁδός the road leading to B., Xen.
III.in various Causal senses:
1.over, of persons in authority, ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν, ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν ἱππέων Dem.; ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς διοικήσεως the paymaster, id=Dem.
3.of occasions, and the like, ἐπὶ πάντων on all occasions, Dem.; so in phrases which became adverbial, ἐπ᾽ ἴσης (sc. μοίρας) equally, Soph.
B.WITH DAT.:
I.of Place, upon, ἕξεσθαι ἐπὶ δίφρῳ Il.:—with Verbs of Motion, id=Il.; in pregnant construction, πέτονται ἐπ᾽ ἄνθεσιν fly on to the flowers and settle there, id=Il.:— at or near, ἐπὶ θύρῃσι id=Il.:— on or over, ἐπ᾽ Ἰφιδάμαντι over the body of Iphidamas, id=Il.
2.in hostile sense, against, Hdt.
3.towards, in reference to, ἐπὶ πᾶσι Il.; νόμον τίθεσθαι ἐπί τινι to make a law for his case, whether for or against, Plat.
6.of position, after, behind, of soldiers, Xen.
7.in dependence upon, in the power of, Lat. penes, ἐπί τινί ἐστι 'tis in his power to do, c. inf., Hdt.; τὸ ἐπ᾽ ἐμοί as far as is in my power, Xen.
2.after, ἕκτῃ ἐπὶ δεκάτῃ or τῇ ἕκτῃ ἐπὶ δέκα, on the 16th of the month, ap. Dem.; τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις, Lat. quod superest, Thuc.; τοὐπὶ τῷδε Eur.
III.in various Causal senses:
1.of the occasion or cause, ἐπὶ σοί for thee, Il.; μέγα φρονεῖν ἐπί τινι to be proud at or of a thing, Plat.; ἀγανακτεῖν ἐπί τινι Xen.
2.of an end or purpose, ἐπὶ δόρπῳ for supper, Od.; ἐπὶ κακῷ for mischief, Hdt.; δῆσαι ἐπὶ θανάτῳ id=Hdt., Xen.; ἐπ᾽ ἐξαγωγῇ for exportation, Hdt.
3.of the condition upon which a thing is done, ἐπὶ τούτοις on these terms, id=Hdt.; ἐφ᾽ ᾧ or ἐφ᾽ ᾧτε on condition that, id=Hdt.; ἐπὶ οὐδενί on no account, id=Hdt.; ἐπ᾽ ἴσῃ καὶ ὁμοίᾳ on fair and equal terms, Thuc.
4.of price, ἔργον τελέσαι μεγάλῳ ἐπὶ δώρῳ Il.; ἐπὶ πόσῳ; Plat.; ἐπ᾽ ἀργυρίῳ Dem.; of the interest payable on money, δανείζεσθαι ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγάλοις τόκοις id=Dem.
6.of persons in authority, ἐπὶ βουσίν over the kine, Od.; ἐπὶ ταῖς ναυσίν Xen.; οἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς πράγμασιν Dem.
C.WITH ACC.:
I.of Place, upon or on to a height, ἐπὶ πύργον ἔβη Il.; προελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα Thuc.; ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον Xen.: simply to, ἦλθε θοὰς ἐπὶ νῆας Il., etc.:—metaph., ἐπὶ ἔργα τρέπεσθαι id=Il.; ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ὀφείλειν to owe to the bank, Dem.
2.up to, as far as, ἐπὶ θάλασσαν Thuc.:—in measurements, πλέον ἢ ἐπὶ δύο στάδια Xen.; with a neut. adj., ὅσον τ᾽ ἔπι as far as, Il.; ἐπὶ πᾶν ἐλθεῖν Xen.; ἐπὶ σμικρόν, a little way, a little, Soph.; ἐπ᾽ ἔλαττον, ἐπ᾽ ἐλάχιστον Plat., etc.
5.towards, to, ἐπὶ δεξιά, ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερά Hom., etc.:—also in Military phrases, ἐπὶ δόρυ ἀναστρέψαι, ἐπὶ ἀσπίδα μεταβαλέσθαι, to the spear or shield side, i. e. to right or left, Xen.; ἐπὶ πόδα ἀναχωρεῖν to retire on the foot, i. e. facing the enemy, id=Xen.; ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον, with exaggeration, Thuc.; ἐπὶ τὰ γελοιότερα so as to provoke laughter, Plat.
6.in hostile sense, against, Il., etc.
7.of extension over a space, ἐπ᾽ ἐννέα κεῖτο πέλεθρα over nine acres he lay stretched, id=Il.; ἐπὶ πολύ over a large space, Thuc.:—so in many cases, where we say on, rather than over, δράκων ἐπὶ νῶτα δαφοινός Il.; ἵππους ἐπὶ νῶτον ἐΐσας id=Il.
III.in various Causal senses:
1.of the object or purpose for which one goes, ἐπὶ Τυδῆ for (i. e. to bring) tidings of Tydeus, Il.; ἐλθεῖν ἐπ᾽ ἀργύριον Xen.:—with neut. Pron., ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν for this purpose, id=Xen.; ἐπὶ τί; to what end? Lat. quorsum? Ar.; ἐπὶ τόκον for (i. e. to gain) interest, Dem.
3.of persons set over others, ἐπὶ τοὺς πεζοὺς καθιστάναι ἄρχοντα Xen.
F.IN COMPOS.:
I.of Place, denoting Rest upon, as in ἐπίκειμαι, or Motion, upon or over, as in ἐπιβαίνω; to or towards, as in ἐπαρίστερος, ἐπιδέξιος; against, as in ἐπαΐσσω, ἐπιστρατεύω; up to a point, as in ἐπιτελέω; over or beyond boundaries, as in ἐπινέμομαι, ἐπεργασία.
II.of Time and Sequence, after, as in ἐπιγίγνομαι.
III.in Causal senses, of Superiority felt over or at, as in ἐπιχαίρω, ἐπιγελάω; of Authority, over, as in ἐπικρατέω, ἐπιβούκολος; of Motive, for, as in ἐπιθυμέω, ἐπιθάνατος; to give force or intensity to the Verb, as in ἐπαινέω, ἐπιμέμφομαι.