Ε, ε, fifth letter of the Gr. alphabet: as numeral ε# = πέντε and πέμπτος, but #22ε = 5000. The ancients called this vowel εἶ ( as they called ο, οὖ). When in the archonship of Euclides ( B. C. 403) the Athenians adopted long e (Η η) from the Samian alphabet, the Gramm. gave to short e the name of ἒ ψιλόν, i. e. ε without the aspirate, because Ε had been used for the aspirate. In ionic, ε sometimes stood for α^, βέρεθρον ἔρσην τέσσερες for βάραθρον ἄρσην τέσσαρες, and in contr. Verbs in -άω, as ὁρέω φοιτέω.
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