I.to owe, have to pay or account for, Hom., etc.; ὀφ. τινί to be debtor to another, Ar.; absol. to be in debt, id=Ar.:—Pass. to be owed, to be due, Hom., attic: of persons, to be liable to, θανάτωι πάντες ὀφειλόμεθα (as Horace debemur morti), Anth.
II.c. inf. to be bound, to be obliged to do a thing, Il., etc.:—Pass., σοι ταῦτ᾽ ὀφείλεται παθεῖν it is thy destiny to suffer this, Soph.; πᾶσιν κατθανεῖν ὀφείλεται Eur.
2.in this sense epic imperf. ὤφελλον, ὄφελλον and aor2 ὤφελον, ὄφελον are used of that which one ought to have done (ought being the pret. of owe), ὤφελεν εὔχεσθαι Il., etc.
3.these tenses are also used, foll. by inf., to express a wish that cannot be accomplished, τὴν ὄφελε κατακτάμεν Ἄρτεμις would that Artemis had slain her! (but she had not), Lat. utinam interfecisset! id=Il.; often preceded by εἴθε (epic αἴθε), αἴθ᾽ ὄφελες ἄγονός τ᾽ ἔμεναι O that thou hadst been unborn, id=Il.; αἴθ᾽ ὤφελλ᾽ ὁ ξεῖνος ὀλέσθαι Od.; —so with ὡς, ὡς ὄφελον ὤλέσθαι O that I had taken! Il.; ὡς ὤφελες ὀλέσθαι id=Il.; with negat., μηδ᾽ ὄφελες λίσσεσθαι would thou hadst never prayed! id=Il.; so in attic:—in late Greek with Ind., ὄφελον ἐβασιλεύσατε, for βασιλεῦσαι, would ye were kings, NTest.
