ὄφελος

English (LSJ)

τό, (ὀφέλλω B) only in nom. and acc. sg.,

   A furtherance, advantage, help, αἴ κ' ὄφελός τι γενώμεθα in case we can be of any use, Il. 13.236; ὅς τοι πόλλ' ὄ. γένετο who was a help to thee in many matters, 17.152; οὐδὲν σοί γ' ὄ. not as any good to thee, 22.513; ὄ. τί μοι ἔσσῃ h.Merc.34; τί δ' ἔστ' ὄ. δειλὸς ἀνήρ ; Thgn.102; λέγεις Ἀτρείδαις ὄ. ἢ 'π' ἐμοὶ τόδε ; S.Ph.1384; τί δῆτ' ἂν εἴης ὄ. ἡμῖν; what good could you be to us? Ar.Pl.1152, cf. Pl.R.505a, etc.; τὸ μέγα ὄ. τῆς πόλεως, Lat. columen rerum, ironical in Aeschin.2.24 (quoted from D.): c. inf., τί γὰρ ὄ. σώματί γε κάμνοντι . . σιτία πολλὰ διδόναι ; Pl.Grg.504e, cf. 513e; τί ζῆν ὄ. ᾧ μή 'στι τὸ ζῆν εἰδέναι ; Philem.104.    2 c. gen., φυγᾶς ὄ. εἴ τί μοι A.Supp.737 (lyr.); τῶν ὄ. ἐστι οὐδέν Hdt.8.68.γ; οἷσι . . οὐδὲν ὄ. ἐστιν οὔτε χρημάτων οὔτε τῶν ἄλλων οὐδενὸς ἄτερ τῆς ὑγιείης Hp.Vict.3.69; τί τῆς εὐμορφίας ὄ. ; E.Fr.548; ἐλευθερίας οὐδὲν ὄ. And.4.17; ἐάν τι ἡμῶν ὡς νομοθετῶν ὄ. ᾖ Pl.R.530c; ἀνὴρ ὅτου τι καὶ σμικρὸν ὄ. ἐστιν Id.Ap.28b; γεωργοῦ ἀργοῦ οὐδὲν ὄφελος X.Cyr.1.6.18; μαγείρῳ μαχαίρας οὐδὲν ὄ. ἥτις μὴ τέμνει D.25.46; τί δ' ὄ. εὖ λαλοῦντος, ἂν κακῶς φρονῇ ; Men.821.    3 ὅ τι πέρ ἐστ' ὄ. ἐν τῇ πόλει all that is best, all the best people, Ar.Ec.53, cf. Luc.Herod.8: c. gen., ὅ τι περ ὄ. τοῦ στρατεύματος the serviceable part (or perh. the flower) of the army, X.HG5.3.6, cf. Theoc.13.18; ὅ τι περ . . ἀπληστίας ὄ. the flower (acme) of gluttony, Luc.Tim.55.    4 c. gen. objecti, help against a thing, Nic. Th.518.