αἰτέω
εἰς πέλαγος σπέρµα βαλεῖν καὶ γράµµατα γράψαι ἀµφότερος µόχθος τε κενὸς καὶ πρᾶξις ἄκαρπος → throwing seeds and writing letters at sea are both a vain and fruitless endeavor
English (LSJ)
(Aeol. αἴτημι Pi.Fr.155, Theoc.28.5), Ion. impf.
A αἴτεον Hdt.: fut. αἰτήσω: aor. ᾔτησα: pf. ᾔτηκα 1 Ep.Jo.5.15: plpf. ᾐτήκει Arr.An.6.15.5: pf. Pass. ᾔτημαι, etc.:—ask, beg, abs., Od.18.49, A.Supp.341. 2 mostly c. acc. rei, ask for, demand, Il.5.358, Od.17.365, etc.; ὁδὸν αἰ. ask leave to depart, Od.10.17; αἰ. τινί τι to ask something for one, 20.74, Hdt.5.17: c. acc. pers. et rei, ask a person for a thing, Il.22.295, Od.2.387, Hdt.3.1, etc.; δίκας αἰ. τινὰ φόνου to demand satisfaction from one for... Hdt.8.114; αἰ. τι πρός τινος Thgn.556; παρά τινος X.An.1.3.16; τὰ αἰτήματα ἃ τήκαμεν παρ' αὐτοῦ 1 Ep.Jo.5.15. 3 c. acc. pers. et inf., ask one to do, Od.3.173, S.OC1334, Ant.65, etc.; αἰ. παρά τινος δοῦναι Pl.Erx. 398e. 4 c. acc. only, beg of, D.L.6.49. 5 in Logic, postulate, assume, Arist.APr.41b9 (Pass.), Top.163a6, etc. II Med., ask for one's own use, claim, Λύσανδρον ἄρχοντα Lys.12.59; freq. almost = the Act., and with the same construct., first in Hdt.1.90 (παρ-), 9.34, A.Pr.822, etc.; αἰτεῖσθαί τινα ὅπως . . Antiphol.12 codd.; πάλαισμα μἠποτε λῦσαι θεὸν αἰτοῦμαι S.OT880; freq. abs. in part., αἰτουμένῳ μοι δός A.Ch.480, cf. 2, Th.260, S.Ph.63; αἰτουμένη που τεύξεται Id.Ant.778; αἰτησάμενος ἐχρήσατο Lys.19.27; οὐ πῦρ γὰρ αἰτῶν, οὐδὲ λοπάδ' αἰτούμενος Men.476; αἰτεῖσθαι ὑπέρ τινος to beg for one, Lys. 14.22. III Pass., of persons, have a thing begged of one, αἰτηθέντες χρήματα Hdt.8.111, cf. Th.2.97, etc.; αἰτεύμενος Theoc.14.63: c. inf., to be asked to do a thing, Pi.I.8(7).5. 2 of things, to be asked, τὸ αἰτεόμενον Hdt.8.112; ἵπποι ᾐτημένοι borrowed horses, Lys. 24.12.
