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μήν , Dor. (Epich.78, etc.), Aeol. (Sapph.Supp.23.5, etc.), and old Ep. μάν (in Hom.always folld. by a vowel exc. Il.5.895,765, whereas μήν is folld. by a consonant exc. in Il.19.45; original μάν has prob. been changed to μέν exc. when the metre prevented), a Particle used to strengthen asseverations,
A.verily, truly; a synonym of μέν but stronger, and like it always following the word which begins the clause, ὧδε γὰρ ἐξερέω, καὶ μ. τετελεσμένον ἔσται and so verily . . , Il.23.410; ἴστε μὰν . . ye know doubtless, Pi.I.4(3).35: freq. with imper., ἄγε μ. on then, Il.1.302; “ἄγρει μάν” 5.765; “ἄναγε μάν” A.Ch.963 (lyr.); “ἕπεο μάν” S.OC182 (lyr.).
II. after other Particles,
1. ἦ μήν, now verily, full surely, “ἦ μὴν καὶ πόνος ἐστίν” Il.2.291, cf. h.Ap.87, Hes. Sc.101; “ἦ μάν” Il.2.370, 13.354, Sapph.l.c., Pi.P.4.40, al. (“εἶ μάν” IG5 (1).1390.27 (Andania, i B.C.)): strengthd., “ἦ δὴ μάν” Il.17.538: freq. later in strong protestations or oaths, c. inf., “ὄμνυσι δ᾽ ἦ μὴν λαπάξειν” A.Th.531, cf. S.Tr.1186, X.An.2.3.26: in negation, ἦ μ. μή . . Th.8.81, etc. (but also “ὀμνύω μὴ μὰν φρονησεῖν” SIG527.36 (Crete, iii B.C.)): in Prose also to begin an independent clause, “ὀμνύω . . , ἦ μ. ἐγὼ ἐθυόμην” X.An.6.1.31; “καὶ νὴ τὸν κύνα, . . ἦ μ. ἐγὼ ἔπαθόν τι τοιοῦτον” Pl. Ap.22a.
2. καὶ μήν, sts. simply to add an asseveration, v. sub init., cf. Pi.N.2.13, etc.; “καὶ δὴ μάν” Theoc.7.120: freq. to introduce something new or deserving special attention, “καὶ μὴν Τάνταλον εἰσεῖδον” Od.11.582, cf. 593, A.Pr.459, Pers.406, etc.; esp. in dramatic Poets to mark the entrance of a person on the stage, here comes . . , Id.Th.372, E.El.339; also “ὅδε μ. Αἵμων” S.Ant.626 (anap.), etc.; of new facts, and besides, nay more, “καὶ μήν . . γε” A.Pr.982, cf. Ar.Pax 369, X.Smp.4.15, etc.; in Orators to introduce new arguments, “καὶ μήν . . γε” Pl.Tht.153b, D.21.56; to introduce a counter-argument, Ar.Nu.1185, Pl.Grg.452c; “καὶ μὴν καί” D.27.30, etc.: also in answers, to denote approbation or assent, ἀλλ᾽ ἢν ἐφῇς μοι . . λέξαιμ᾽ ἂν ὀρθῶς. Answ. καὶ μ. ἐφίημι well, I allow it, S.El.556; μὴ νῦν διάτριβ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ἄνυε πράττων . . Answ. “καὶ μ. βαδίζω” Ar.Pl.413 (v.l.), cf. Ra.895, E.Hec.317; so “καὶ μ. . . γε” Pl.R.426e, etc.
3. ἀλλὰ μήν, yet truly, Id.Pers.233, etc.; “ἀλλὰ μάν” Ar.Ach.765; “ἀλλὰ μήν . . γε” Id.Ra.258; to allege something not disputed, Pl.Tht.187a: rarely separated, “ἀλλ᾽ ἐστὶ μ. οἰκητός” S.OC28; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐγὼ μ. . . E.Hec.401: more strongly, “ὅμως μ.” Pl.Plt.297d.
4. ναὶ μήν, above all, Emp.76.2.
5. οὐ μήν, of a truth not, Il.24.52, A.Ag.1068, etc.: elsewh. in Hom. οὐ μάν, Il.12.318, etc.; μὴ μάν (Att. μὴ μήν) oh do not, 8.512, 15.476, etc.; “ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μάν” 17.41; “ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μάν . . γε” S.OC153 (lyr.); “οὐδὲ μάν” Pi.P.4.87.
6. ὡς μήν, = ἦ μήν, ὀμμνύω Δία . . ὡς μ. κρινεῖν τὰ ἀντιλεγόμενα Delph.3(1).362 i 40.
III. after interrogatives, τί μ.; well, what of it? A.Eu.203, Pl.Tht.145e, etc.; τί μ. οὔ well, why not? E. Rh.706 (lyr.); τῶς μ.; well, but how . . ? X.Cyr.1.6.28; τίνος μ. ἕνεκα; ibid.; ποῦ μ.; to express surprise, Pl.Tht.142a; ἀλλὰ πότε μήν; X. Smp.4.23.
IV. with adversative force, esp. after a neg., so that it is equivalent to μέντοι, νῦν ἐμὲ μὲν στυγέει . . , ἔσται μὰν ὅτ᾽ ἄν . . Il. 8.370-373; “οὐ μὴν ἄτιμοι . . τεθνήξομεν” A.Ag.1279; ἀνάγκη μὲν καὶ ταῦτ᾽ ἐπίστασθαι . . , οὐδὲν μ. κωλύει κτλ. Pl.Phdr.268e, cf. Grg.493c, R.529e, etc.; “χαλεπῶς ἔχει ὑπὸ τραυμάτων, μᾶλλον μ. αὐτὸν αἱρεῖ τὸ νόσημα” Id.Tht.142b; expressed more strongly by γε μ., Pi.P.7.18, A.Th.1067 (anap.), S.OC587, X.Cyr.6.1.7, etc.; also “οὐ μ. . . γε” A. Pr.270, Th.538; οὐδὲ μ. ib.809, Ch.189; οὐ μ. οὐδέ nor yet indeed, Th. 1.3, 82, etc.; “οὐ μὰν οὐδέ” Il.4.512; “ἀλλ᾽ οὐ μὰν οὐδέ” 23.441:—on οὐ μὴν ἀλλά, v. ἀλλά 11.5.
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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